The Solo Piping Judges' Association
Constitution
1. Name.
The Solo Piping Judges’ Association shall be an unincorporated association.
2. Objects.
The objects of the Association shall be:
i) To represent the interests of judges of solo piping competitions, in particular
in relation to the organisation and conduct of competitions, and in doing so to
liaise with competition promoters and organisers,
the Joint Committee for Solo Piping Competitions, the Competing Pipers’ Association, the Piobaireachd
Society and other relevant bodies;
ii) To maintain a list of accredited judges of solo piping, to allocate an
appropriate grading to each judge on the list according to the judge’s
knowledge, ability and experience, and to review the list and each judge’s
grading at least annually;
iii) To seek to ensure that judges on the list are those whom the Association
can recommend to competition organisers as competent to judge solo piping
competitions, and to that end to facilitate and support training opportunities
for all judges;
iv) To provide a forum for discussion and resolution of issues arising in relation
to the judging of solo piping competitions;
v) To prepare a Code of Recommended Conduct for judges, that will be
reviewed annually;
vi) To consider complaints from any source concerning the competence and
conduct of judges on the list of judges;
vii) To investigate complaints using the agreed Complaints Procedure and to
take such action as may be deemed appropriate.
3. Membership.
The judges whose names are on the list of accredited judges maintained by the
Solo Piping Judges Association shall be eligible to become members. Annual
Payment of the membership fee will be in June. Failure to pay within 21 days
will result in suspension from the list until payment is made.
Those placed on the list of judges will agree, as a condition of membership, to
the terms of the Association’s Constitution, Code of Practice and Disciplinary
procedure.
4. Committee and Office Bearers.
There shall be a Chairman, a Secretary, and a Treasurer, who shall be
proposed, seconded and elected at the Annual General Meeting each year and
shall remain in office until their successors are elected at the next Annual
General Meeting. The Chair will be a senior judge in both categories. The
treasurer may be ex officio. Along with those, there shall be three committee
members who will serve aterm of three years, each to retire in rotation.
Another member, elected by thegeneral membership in a secret ballot, will
replace the person who retires. Decisions shall be made by a simple majority
and in the event of equality of votes the Chairman shall have a casting or additional
vote. Casual vacancies may be filled temporarily by the remaining members of the
Committee.
The Committee shall;
i) Consider applications for membership
ii) Allocate gradings for Piobaireachd and/or Light Music to any judge who
wishes to become a member of the Association;
iii) Review the gradings of all members at least annually;
iv) Review from time to time, the Code of Conduct and Complaint Procedure
and shall make recommendations in respect of those matters to the AGM.
5. Disciplinary Action against Judges.
The Committee shall have power to discipline judges who have been found to
breach The Code of Conduct, or who have behaved in any manner unbecoming
of a Solo Piping Judge, including the power to suspend temporarily or to
remove judges from the list of judges, according to the guidelines of the
Association’s Complaints Procedure.
The Chairman will act within the remit of the agreed Complaints Procedure
and will ensure that a record of events for all complaints is maintained.
6. Meetings.
6.ii) subject to clauses 6.vi) and 9
i) Ten, or one quarter of the total membership of the Association, whichever is
the lesser, but including at least 3 members of the Committee, shall form a
quorum at all meetings of the Association.
ii) Voting shall be by show of hands, unless a majority of those present decide
that any particular vote shall be by ballot. Decisions of the Association shall be
made by a simple majority and in the event of equality of votes the Chairman
(or the acting Chairman of the meeting) shall have a casting or additional vote.
iii) The Association shall normally meet twice each year, one of the meetings
being the Annual General Meeting. The Chairman and Secretary shall have
discretion to call further meetings if they consider it to be in the interests of
the Association. The Secretary shall give the members not less than 21 days’
written notice of the meeting.
iv) The Annual General Meeting shall transact the following business:
• to receive the Chairman’s report of the activities of the Committee during the
previous year;
• to receive and consider the reports of the Committee for the previous year
and the Treasurer’s report as to the financial position of the Committee;
• to elect the officers;
• to decide on any resolution notice of which shall have been given in writing
to the Secretary not less than 14 days before the meeting and shall have been
notified by the Secretary to Members not later than 7 days before the
meeting;
v) a special General Meeting shall be called within 28 days of receipt by the
Secretary of a requisition in writing signed by not less than 5 Members, stating
the purposes for which the meeting is required and resolutions proposed.
vi) A member may vote for or against a written resolution,or any amendment
proposed thereto or such resolution as amended, which is before the Annual
General Meeting or before a Special General Meeting either in person or by
proxy. The instrument appointing a proxy shall be in the following form, or in a
form as near thereto as circumstances permit:
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Solo Piping Judges Association
I, , of ,
being a member of the above Association, hereby appoint ,
of , being a member of the Association, or failing
whom the Chairman of the meeting, as my proxy to vote for me on my behalf at the
(annual/ special) general meeting of the Association to be held on the day
of 20 , and at any adjournment thereof.
Signed this day of , 20 .
(Signature.)
This form is to be used *in favour of the resolution/ *against the resolution(here
identify the resolution to be voted on).
___________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Sub Committees
The Committee may from time to time appoint from among their number such
sub-committees as they may consider necessary and may delegate to them
such of the powers and duties of the Committee as the Committee may
determine.
8. Finance
The Annual subscription shall be such sum as shall be determined from time to
time.All monies payable shall be received by the Treasurer and deposited in a bank
account in the name of the Association. There will be at least 1 (one) other
signatory for the account. The Committee shall have power to authorise the
payment of expenses to any Member and to any other person or persons for
services rendered to the Association. The financial transactions of the
Association shall be recorded by the Treasurer in such a manner as the
Committee think fit.
9. Alteration of the Constitution
This constitution may be altered by resolution at an annual or special meeting
provided that the resolution is carried by a majority of at least two
-thirds of Members present.
10. Dissolution
In the event of dissolution of the Association any monies remaining will be
distributed to piping causes.
Constitution
1. Name.
The Solo Piping Judges’ Association shall be an unincorporated association.
2. Objects.
The objects of the Association shall be:
i) To represent the interests of judges of solo piping competitions, in particular
in relation to the organisation and conduct of competitions, and in doing so to
liaise with competition promoters and organisers,
the Joint Committee for Solo Piping Competitions, the Competing Pipers’ Association, the Piobaireachd
Society and other relevant bodies;
ii) To maintain a list of accredited judges of solo piping, to allocate an
appropriate grading to each judge on the list according to the judge’s
knowledge, ability and experience, and to review the list and each judge’s
grading at least annually;
iii) To seek to ensure that judges on the list are those whom the Association
can recommend to competition organisers as competent to judge solo piping
competitions, and to that end to facilitate and support training opportunities
for all judges;
iv) To provide a forum for discussion and resolution of issues arising in relation
to the judging of solo piping competitions;
v) To prepare a Code of Recommended Conduct for judges, that will be
reviewed annually;
vi) To consider complaints from any source concerning the competence and
conduct of judges on the list of judges;
vii) To investigate complaints using the agreed Complaints Procedure and to
take such action as may be deemed appropriate.
3. Membership.
The judges whose names are on the list of accredited judges maintained by the
Solo Piping Judges Association shall be eligible to become members. Annual
Payment of the membership fee will be in June. Failure to pay within 21 days
will result in suspension from the list until payment is made.
Those placed on the list of judges will agree, as a condition of membership, to
the terms of the Association’s Constitution, Code of Practice and Disciplinary
procedure.
4. Committee and Office Bearers.
There shall be a Chairman, a Secretary, and a Treasurer, who shall be
proposed, seconded and elected at the Annual General Meeting each year and
shall remain in office until their successors are elected at the next Annual
General Meeting. The Chair will be a senior judge in both categories. The
treasurer may be ex officio. Along with those, there shall be three committee
members who will serve aterm of three years, each to retire in rotation.
Another member, elected by thegeneral membership in a secret ballot, will
replace the person who retires. Decisions shall be made by a simple majority
and in the event of equality of votes the Chairman shall have a casting or additional
vote. Casual vacancies may be filled temporarily by the remaining members of the
Committee.
The Committee shall;
i) Consider applications for membership
ii) Allocate gradings for Piobaireachd and/or Light Music to any judge who
wishes to become a member of the Association;
iii) Review the gradings of all members at least annually;
iv) Review from time to time, the Code of Conduct and Complaint Procedure
and shall make recommendations in respect of those matters to the AGM.
5. Disciplinary Action against Judges.
The Committee shall have power to discipline judges who have been found to
breach The Code of Conduct, or who have behaved in any manner unbecoming
of a Solo Piping Judge, including the power to suspend temporarily or to
remove judges from the list of judges, according to the guidelines of the
Association’s Complaints Procedure.
The Chairman will act within the remit of the agreed Complaints Procedure
and will ensure that a record of events for all complaints is maintained.
6. Meetings.
6.ii) subject to clauses 6.vi) and 9
i) Ten, or one quarter of the total membership of the Association, whichever is
the lesser, but including at least 3 members of the Committee, shall form a
quorum at all meetings of the Association.
ii) Voting shall be by show of hands, unless a majority of those present decide
that any particular vote shall be by ballot. Decisions of the Association shall be
made by a simple majority and in the event of equality of votes the Chairman
(or the acting Chairman of the meeting) shall have a casting or additional vote.
iii) The Association shall normally meet twice each year, one of the meetings
being the Annual General Meeting. The Chairman and Secretary shall have
discretion to call further meetings if they consider it to be in the interests of
the Association. The Secretary shall give the members not less than 21 days’
written notice of the meeting.
iv) The Annual General Meeting shall transact the following business:
• to receive the Chairman’s report of the activities of the Committee during the
previous year;
• to receive and consider the reports of the Committee for the previous year
and the Treasurer’s report as to the financial position of the Committee;
• to elect the officers;
• to decide on any resolution notice of which shall have been given in writing
to the Secretary not less than 14 days before the meeting and shall have been
notified by the Secretary to Members not later than 7 days before the
meeting;
v) a special General Meeting shall be called within 28 days of receipt by the
Secretary of a requisition in writing signed by not less than 5 Members, stating
the purposes for which the meeting is required and resolutions proposed.
vi) A member may vote for or against a written resolution,or any amendment
proposed thereto or such resolution as amended, which is before the Annual
General Meeting or before a Special General Meeting either in person or by
proxy. The instrument appointing a proxy shall be in the following form, or in a
form as near thereto as circumstances permit:
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Solo Piping Judges Association
I, , of ,
being a member of the above Association, hereby appoint ,
of , being a member of the Association, or failing
whom the Chairman of the meeting, as my proxy to vote for me on my behalf at the
(annual/ special) general meeting of the Association to be held on the day
of 20 , and at any adjournment thereof.
Signed this day of , 20 .
(Signature.)
This form is to be used *in favour of the resolution/ *against the resolution(here
identify the resolution to be voted on).
___________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Sub Committees
The Committee may from time to time appoint from among their number such
sub-committees as they may consider necessary and may delegate to them
such of the powers and duties of the Committee as the Committee may
determine.
8. Finance
The Annual subscription shall be such sum as shall be determined from time to
time.All monies payable shall be received by the Treasurer and deposited in a bank
account in the name of the Association. There will be at least 1 (one) other
signatory for the account. The Committee shall have power to authorise the
payment of expenses to any Member and to any other person or persons for
services rendered to the Association. The financial transactions of the
Association shall be recorded by the Treasurer in such a manner as the
Committee think fit.
9. Alteration of the Constitution
This constitution may be altered by resolution at an annual or special meeting
provided that the resolution is carried by a majority of at least two
-thirds of Members present.
10. Dissolution
In the event of dissolution of the Association any monies remaining will be
distributed to piping causes.