The Friends Association supports all Hertfordshire’s County Youth Music Groups to enhance young peoples’ musical experiences and opportunities through:
Every member of a county group and their families are automatically a Friend and are welcome to attend the Friends' termly committee meetings.
For more significant benefits and to provide extra help to Hertfordshire’s young musicians please consider becoming a Patron. Our Patrons receive, for all concerts :
To become a Patron, we request that you make a minimum annual contribution of £150. To become a Patron, contact: Nick Baker nmhbaker@netscape.net.
We are run by a friendly and enthusiastic committee, assisted by event stewards. We always welcome additional help, both as a committee member or for occasional concert duty, such as providing refreshments or running raffles.
As an event helper you will get a free ticket for the concert you are supporting. We would welcome your help either as a new committee member or at a future event. Please do make contact if you feel able to give a little of your time to support Hertfordshire’s young musicians through Friends.
If you would like to attend, or join the committee, or would like further information, contact Nicola Ryall at nicola@ryallmarketing.com.
Registered Charity No 312150
1. TITLE: The Association shall be called “Friends of Hertfordshire County Youth Music Groups”.
2. OBJECT: The object of the Association is to further the advancement of the musical education of students in the Hertfordshire County Youth Music Groups by providing financial and other support not normally provided by the Hertfordshire County Council. The Association shall not seek to affect the policies of these music groups in musical or managerial matters.
3. MEMBERSHIP: Membership shall be open to all persons who support the above aims. Membership shall be by subscription payable on joining. The subscriptions shall be as agreed each year at the Annual General Meeting. Application for membership shall be made to the Hon Secretary for the agreement of the Committee. The Committee shall maintain a list of members.
4. OFFICERS: There shall be three Principal Officers of the Friends, namely the Chairman, the Hon Secretary and the Hon Treasurer. Other officials such as Membership Secretary, Publicity Officer etc may be created as deemed necessary by the Committee in session. A Committee consisting of the Principal Officers and no fewer than FOUR and no more than TEN ordinary members, elected annually for this purpose, shall form the administrative body of the Association. As far as possible, they should be drawn from the different administrative areas in the County. No Officer nor Committee Member shall normally serve in the same capacity for a period of more than three years.
5.COMMITTEE:
(i) The Chairman shall be responsible for the conduct of all meetings of the Committee or members, and shall carry out such other duties as may be delegated bythe Committee.
(ii) The Hon Secretary shall be responsible for the issue of notices of meetings, the recording of proceedings and activities of the Friends and for conducting correspondence. Additionally copies of any communications made by other Committee members shall be sent to the Hon Secretary for inclusion in the files.
(iii) The Hon Treasurer shall be responsible for the issue for receiving donations and subscriptions, making payments and maintaining accounts of receipts and payments and reporting thereon as required.
(iv) The duties of any other Officers shall be clearly defined and the Hon Secretary shall include these when reporting to the membership at General Meetings.
(v) The Committee may fill casual vacancies among the Officers from their own numbers, and mayfill casual vacancies among their own numbers by cooption from ordinary members of the Association.
(vi) Further persons, eligible to become members of the Friends, may be coopted on to the Committee on a temporary basis in order to assist with any specialprojects. Such persons will not have any voting rights beyond the project in question.
(vii) The Committee may appoint one or more subcommittees consisting of three or more members of the Committee for the purpose of making any enquiry or supervising or performing any function or duty which in the opinion of the Committee would be more conveniently undertaken or carried out by a subcommittee: provided that all acts and proceedings of any such subcommittee shall be fully and promptly reported to the Committee.
(viii) The Head of the County Music Service or his nominee shall be ex officio a member of the Committee and of all subcommittees.
6. MEETINGS:
(i) An Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held each year between March and May for the transactionof formal business and for the election of Officers and Committee.
(ii) The Principal Officers shall report on the affairs of the Association at each Annual General Meeting or more frequently if so directed by the Committee.
(iii) The Annual General Meeting shallappoint an Auditor for the coming year, may nominate Honorary Members and ay also give such directions to the incoming Committee as it thinks fit.
(iv) Candidates for the Officers and Committee members shall be nominated and seconded by members.
(v) An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called by the Committee in session, or by no fewer then FIVE ordinary members in writing stating the business to be transacted at the meeting and only this subject may be discussed. The meeting must be called within FOUR weeks ofthe date of the request.
(vi) Notice of all General Meetings must be in the hands of the membership not less than FOURTEEN days before the meeting and stating the business to be transacted. In the case of changes in the Constitution full details must be included with the notice.
(vii) At all General and Committee meetings decisions shall be made by a simple majority of the members present. In the event of a tie the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.
(viii) The Quorum for a General Meeting shall be FIFTEEN members and for a Committee Meeting FIVE members.
7. FINANCE:
(i) The financial year of the Association shall commence on the 1 March.
(ii) Renewal of membership subscriptions will be due on the anniversary of the date of which the member joined.
(iii) Accounts shall be maintained in the name of the friends of Hertfordshire County Youth Music Groups. The signatures of TWO of the Principal Officers shall be required on any cheques drawn.
(iv) All expenditure must be approved by the Committee prior to the transaction OR by a Principal Officer Subject to ratification by the Committee at the next meeting.
(v) Accounts submitted to General Meetings shall be certified by the auditor and after approval by the Chairman and the Hon Treasurer.
8. THE BRENDA KITCHINGMAN FOUNDATION:
1. The Brenda Kitchingman Foundation (“The Foundation”) is a separate fund within the Friends’ assets. It is intended to provide funding for one off large projects, such as new works for one or more Hertfordshire CountyYouthMusic Groupsto premiere The Foundation will be built up from legacies or other lump sum payments.
2. The Friends’ Committee will take all reasonable steps to ensure that “Gift Aid” or similar tax benefits are available to the Fund.
3. Interest and other returns on investments will become part of the Foundation.
4. The Foundation will remain in existence as long as the Friends continue in existence.
5. If the Friends are wound up, or cease to operate for any reason, the Committee may, at its absolute discretion dissolve the Foundation and reallocate the proceeds as it sees fit.
6. The Friends’ Committee, from time to time, may make transfers from other funds to The Foundation.
7. Transfers from the Foundation to the General Fund may only be made if the total value of the Foundation falls below £1,000. At this point, The Foundation will be wound up and all proceeds passed to the General Fund of the Friends.
8. The Friends’ Committee will be responsible for investment of The Foundation.
INVESTMENT POLICY
1. The Foundation will be invested separately to the other investments of the Friends.
2. Investments will be made with reference to the expected cash flow of the Foundation, so that the Foundation can meet its commitments at all times.
3. The Foundation may only invest in deposit accounts and building society share accounts which are 100% covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, or similar Government schemes.
9. DISSOLUTION:
(i) In the event of a proposal to dissolve the Association a Special General Meeting shall be called giving the substance of the resolution.
(ii) At this meeting a twothirds majority of the members present shall be necessary to pass the resolution. Only those whom the records show to be fully paidup members shall be entitled to vote.
(iii) Such resolutions may give instructions for the disposable of any assets held by or in the name of the Association, provided that any assets remaining after the satisfaction of any proper debts and liabilities shall be given or transferred to such other charitable institution or institutions having objects similar to the objects of the Association as the Committee may determine and if and in so far as effect cannot be given to this provision then to some other charitable purpose.
10 CONSTITUTION:
(i) Copies of this Constitution shall be available to all prospective Members and Members. A copy shall be given to all new members.
(ii) When changes are made to the Constitution a copy shall be sent to all Members with the next regular communication.
(iii) Alteration to this constitution shall receive the assent of twothirds of the members present and voting at a General Meeting. A resolution for the alteration of the Constitution must be received by the Hon Secretary of the Association at least TWENTY ONE days before the meeting at which the resolution is to be brought forward. At least FOURTEEN days notice of such a meeting must be given by the Hon Secretary to the membership and must include notice of the alteration proposed. Provided that no alteration shall be made to Clause 2, Clause 8 or this Clause, until the approval in writing of the charity Commissioners or other authority having charitable jurisdiction shall have been obtained, and no alteration shall be made which would have the effect of causing the Association to cease to be charity law.
(iv) Any proposed amended Constitution shall be submitted to the Charity Commissioners or other authority having charitable jurisdiction in full for approval before submission to the General Meeting.