CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS
Charitable Status Since 1995 St. Austell Arts Centre has been a Registered Charity. The official title is St. Austell Arts Centre, Registered Charity No. 1049556. Its objects state:- "(a) The Arts Centre is established for charitable purposes only.  (b) In particular the Arts Centre is established to promote the benefit of the inhabitants of  St. Austell and area, without distinction of sex or of political, religious or other opinions by  associating with the local authorities, voluntary organisations and the inhabitants in a  common effort to advance education and to provide facilities in the interest of social welfare  for recreation and leisure-time occupation with the object of improving conditions of life of  the said inhabitants."
St. Austell Players CONSTITUTION
	The name of the group will be St. Austell Players (the 'Players').
1.	Aims and Purposes
	St. Austell Players is an amateur, non-profit-making group which exists to:
	a.	perform plays and other forms of entertainment for the enjoyment of its members and members of the public.
	b.	foster and encourage dramatic and performing arts for enjoyment and education.
	c.	support St. Austell Arts Centre in its aims.
2.	Membership
	a.	Those taking part in Players' activities are required to become members of St. Austell Arts Centre and be subject to the terms and conditions of membership of St. Austell Arts Centre, including the payment of subscriptions. Thus, a member of the Players is also an Arts Centre member with the rights and privileges of all Arts Centre members as determined by Arts Centre General Meetings and the Arts Centre Executive Committee.
	b.	No member will profit financially from Players' activities unless instructed by the Players' Committee to act in a professional capacity on behalf of the Players.
3.	General Meetings
	a.	An Annual General Meeting of St. Austell Players will be held each year within two months of the end of the financial year for the election of officers and ordinary committee members and to deal with any other business of the Players.
	b.	All paid-up members of St. Austell Players are entitled to attend and vote at a General Meeting.
	c.	At least twenty-one days' written notice of a General Meeting must be given to each Players' member together with an agenda for the meeting.
	d.	A General Meeting may be called by a majority of the Players' Committee.
	e.	A minimum of twelve Players' members will be required at a General Meeting for any votes to be valid.
	f.	A nomination list of members standing for election for officers and committee membership will be displayed on the Players' notice-board at the Arts Centre at least twenty-one days prior to an Annual General Meeting, all nominations being supported by named proposers and seconders who are members.
	g.	The nomination list will normally be closed at the start of the Annual General Meeting; only when there are no nominations for an office or too few nominations for ordinary committee members may nominations be accepted during the meeting. In the event of a contest, a secret ballot of members at the meeting will be held.
	h.	A General Meeting will be conducted by the Chairman of the Players' Committee or, in his/her absence, by the Vice-Chairman. In the absence of both, a Chairman for the meeting will be elected from the members present.
4.	Committee
	a.	A Committee (the Players' Committee) of twelve persons elected annually by majority vote will undertake the day-to-day running of St. Austell Players.
	b.	The officers of the Committee will be:
			Chairman
			Secretary
			Treasurer
			Publicity Officer
			Social Secretary
	c.	There will be seven ordinary Committee Members.
	d.	The Chairman may serve a term of two consecutive years only
	e.	All ordinary Committee Members may serve a term of two consecutive years only.
	f.	The Committee will elect the Vice-Chairman from the Committee Members at the first Committee Meeting after the Annual General Meeting.
	g.	The Players' Committee may co-opt any member for specific purposes. A co-opted member will have no voting rights.
	h.	A Committee Member not attending four consecutive Committee Meetings other than through illness may be deemed to have resigned from the Committee.
	i.	The Players' Committee will meet not less than eight times in each financial year at intervals not greater than three calendar months.
	j.	A quorum will consist of at least five members of the Committee, two of whom should be officers.
	k.	Minutes will be kept of all Committee Meetings and General Meetings.
	l.	Any member of the Players will have the right to see these minutes on reasonable notice.
	m.	The Players' Committee may constitute sub-committees for particular purposes as it sees fit. Sub-committees will not have the rights to expend funds or implement decisions without the endorsement of the Committee.
5.	Financial Matters
	a.	The financial year of the Players will run from 1st April to 31st March.
	b.	The signatures of the Treasurer and one of two other nominated Committee Members, appointed by the Committee, will be required for financial transactions.
	c.	Any members will be entitled to examine the financial records on reasonable notice.
6.	Directors of Plays and Entertainments
	a.	The Players' Committee has the right to appoint Directors as it sees fit.
	b.	Directors must have Committee approval of a production before rehearsals begin.
7.	Amendments to the Constitution
	The constitution may only be amended by majority vote at a General Meeting.
8.	Winding up
	Should St. Austell Players cease to function, any assets remaining after debts have been discharged will be given to groups or persons with similar objects and aims to those of the Players at the discretion of the Players' Committee.
	September 2000
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