1. NAME
a) The name of the Society is Crediton Operatic and Dramatic Society.

2. OBJECTS
a) The performance of musical and dramatic productions, and to raise funds for this purpose.

3. MEMBERSHIP
a) Membership of the Society and the right to take part in any of the Society's productions shall be at the discretion of the Management Committee and membership shall be by means of an annual subscription, which shall be determined at the Annual General Meeting.
b) Patrons shall be invited to subscribe to the funds of the Society, a minimum amount to be decided at the Annual General Meeting.
c) The Management Committee shall have the right, for good and sufficient reasons, to terminate the membership of any member provided that the member has the right to be heard by the Management Committee.
d) The Management Committee may confer Honorary Life Membership, for just and sufficient reason.

4. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
a) The Management Committee shall give FOURTEEN days notice of the Annual General Meeting of the Society, which shall be held no later than June each year.
b) The Annual General Meeting shall receive an annual report and an audited statement of the financial affairs of the Society, and shall determine the annual subscriptions.
c) The Annual General Meeting shall elect by a majority of those present and by voting by secret ballot or otherwise, the following Officers of the Society:
Chairman, Vice Chairman, Honorary Secretary, and Honorary Treasurer, and may elect a president.
d) The Annual General Meeting shall elect by a majority of those present and by voting by secret ballot or otherwise, a Management Committee, which shall consist of the Officers of the Society and a number of other members, which number may vary but which shall not exceed twenty per cent of the previous year's membership.
e) The Officers of the Society shall be the Officers of the Management Committee.
f) Officers and members of the Management Committee shall retire at each Annual General Meeting.
g) Officers and members of the Management Committee are eligible for re-election, but Officers shall not hold the same office for more than THREE consecutive years.

5. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
a) The Management Committee shall direct the affairs of the Society in accordance with its objects and shall have the power to co-opt not more than TWO additional members, who shall have the power to vote, and may appoint a sub-committee.
b) The Management Committee shall have the power to fill casual vacancies amongst their number as they occur.
c) Members of the Society shall be invited to submit musical shows for the Committee to discuss. The Committee's recommendation/s, which shall not number more than THREE works, shall be presented to the voting membership for a final choice to be made at an Extraordinary General Meeting convened for the purpose.
d) The Management Committee shall appoint a Producer and a Musical Director for each production.
e) The Management Committee shall, for each production, appoint a casting sub-committee.

6. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
a) The Chairman of the Management Committee or the Honorary Secretary may, at their discretion, and shall within TWENTY- ONE days of receiving a written request to do so, signed by not less than TEN members of the Society having the power to vote and giving the reason for the request, call an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Society, giving FOURTEEN days notice which shall contain the Questions to be considered thereat.

7. RULES OF PROCEDURE
a) Quorum
The quorum for meetings of the Management Committee shall be FIVE. TWENTY-SIX members or ONE THIRD of the membership, whichever is the less, shall form a quorum at General Meetings of the Society.
b) Voting
Except as provided for in Clause 9a) all questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a simple majority of those present and entitled to vote thereat. No member shall exercise more than one vote, notwithstanding that she or he may have been appointed to represent two or more interests but, in the case of an equality of
votes, the Chairman shall have an additional or casting vote.

8. DISSOLUTION
a) If, at any time, the Management Committee decides by a simple majority that, on the grounds of expense or otherwise, it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the Society, they shall call an Extraordinary General Meeting of the members of the Society who have the power to vote, giving not less than TWENTY-ONE days notice which shall contain the proposal to be made thereat. If such a decision shall be confirmed by a simple majority of those present and voting at such a meeting, the Management Committee shall have the power to dispose of the assets of the Society. Any assets remaining after the satisfaction of any proper debts and liabilities shall be applied to such charity or charities as the Management Committee shall, in their absolute discretion, decide.

9. CONSTITUTION
a) This constitution shall not be altered or amended except at an Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting especially convened for the purpose and following upon TWENTY-ONE days notice of the proposed alterations or
amendments which, to be effective, require the acceptance of TWO THIRDS of those present and voting.

This constitution was adopted at an AGM held on 18th June 2008.

Audition Procedure and Policy

(With effect from January 2009)
 

1) All auditions shall take place before an audition panel comprising a Chairperson and not less then three others, all of whom shall have been appointed by the Management Committee.
2) No member of the audition panel shall take any part in any production in respect of which that audition panel is sitting unless a) auditions do not take place for that part or b) the part remains unfilled more than two days after the audition panel has made its recommendation to the Management Committee and the part has been offered to that member by the Management Committee.
3) The audition panel shall reach its recommendation by simple majority vote. Each member, save for the Chairperson, shall have a single vote in relation to each part.
4) In the event of the voting being equal in relation to any one part the Chairperson shall then have a vote, which shall be the casting vote. In this
eventuality the Management Committee shall be made aware that the recommendation was reached by a casting vote.
5) If the audition panel are not able to make a recommendation in respect of any part, for whatever reason, this fact shall be communicated to the Management Committee and the audition panel shall have no further function or responsibility in relation to that part.
6) On completion of the auditions the audition panel shall reach its recommendations and communicate these to the Management Committee,
which shall then consider the recommendations and, in its absolute discretion, offer such parts to such members as it considers appropriate.

The Management Committee recommends that:
a) members of the audition panel should normally take no part in auditions other than as a member of the panel,
b) recommendations for the allocation of parts should be determined on merit and suitability only,
c) save in exceptional circumstances all the auditions for a production take place on the same occasion.

If any member requires further information as to how a recommendation was reached they should put their request in writing and submit it through the Chairman of the Management Committee.