Constitution and General Rules

Constitution and General Rules

1. The title of the Association will be the “North of Ireland Bands’ Association”, hereinafter referred to as the “NIBA”.

 

2. The objective of the NIBA will be the advancement of the knowledge of music among the members and the Association will be non-sectarian and non-political.

 

3. The NIBA will promote the knowledge of music by holding band contests and in such other ways as may be arranged from time to time.

 

4. Only amateur bands will be admitted to membership of the NIBA.

 

5. The affairs of the NIBA will be under the control of the General Council, which will comprise of up to three delegates from each member band. The band from which the Chairperson of the NIBA is elected will be entitled to one additional delegate. Only one delegate from each band represented may vote at meetings of the General Council. Between meetings of the General Council an Executive Committee will have power to act on any matter.

 

6. In January each year bands shall notify the NIBA Membership & Registration Secretary, in writing, of the names of their band’s three delegates. Only those delegates whose names have been thus notified will be entitled to take part in meetings of the General Council. Delegates may be changed during the year by notifying the NIBA Membership and Registration Secretary, in writing.

 

7. At General Council meetings, each delegate shall sign the attendance register.

 

8. The General Council shall meet for the transaction of NIBA business at least four times per year, or as otherwise determined by the Executive Committee. Each member band will receive at least fourteen days notice of each General Council Meeting. A minimum of seven bands must be represented to form a quorum at General Council Meetings.

 

9. The Annual General Meeting of the NIBA, as represented by a General Council Meeting, will be held each year as directed by the Executive Committee. A statement of accounts will be sent to member bands with the notice of the Annual General Meeting. At the Annual General Meeting a report and the statement of accounts will be submitted and any necessary business transacted.

 

10. The NIBA financial year will run from the 1^st of January to the 31^st December, dates inclusive.

 

11. The Officers of the NIBA will be: President, Vice-Presidents, Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, General Secretary, Treasurer, Membership & Registration Secretary, Contest Secretary and Parks Secretary who will be elected at the Annual General Meeting. The aforementioned officers will be eligible for re-election. The President and Vice-Presidents will not (as such) be eligible to serve on the General Council or Executive Committee. When a vacancy arises, through an office bearer or member of the Executive Committee resigning, or being unable to serve for any other reason, the Executive Committee will have the power to co-opt a delegate from the General Council.

 

12. The President or, alternatively, a Vice-President may preside over the election of officers at the Annual General Meeting.

 

13. The Executive Committee shall comprise the Officers of the NIBA plus other General Council delegates to a sum total of twelve. Only delegates having attended at least three of the General Council Meetings (which includes the Annual General Meeting) during the preceding year will be eligible for election to the Executive Committee.

 

14. The Chairperson of the NIBA will preside at all business meetings but will only have a casting vote. In the absence of the Chairperson the Vice-Chairperson will preside. The method of voting will be decided by the Chairperson.

 

15. The General Council or Executive Committee may call a Special Meeting at any time, as considered necessary or upon receipt of a written request from at least seven bands. Any notice calling a Special Meeting will state the special business for which the meeting has been called.

 

16. Each band shall pay an annual subscription that covers NIBA membership, the registration of players and the transfer of players between bands, as appropriate to its category of membership as defined under General Rule 18. The amount of the annual subscription will be as determined by the Executive Committee as detailed in Annex 1 to these Rules. Annual subscriptions will become due on the 1^st of January each year. Subscription renewal and General Council delegate nomination notices will be sent to member bands during December each year, in order to facilitate renewal and payment in advance. All subscriptions must be paid by the 31^st of January. Any band that has not paid its annual membership and registration fee by the 31^st of January will automatically cease to be in membership of the NIBA and, at the discretion of the Executive Committee, may relinquish all voting rights and the eligibility to compete in contests. A formal application to re-join the NIBA may be required, at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

 

17. A band desiring admission to membership of the NIBA must be duly proposed for membership at a General Council or Executive Committee Meeting and must have at least two thirds of the bands represented in favour of its admission. Upon admission each band will be supplied with a copy of the NIBA Rules and shall pay the annual membership and registration fee in accordance with General Rule 16.

 

18. Bands may be admitted to membership of the NIBA as “Full” Members or “Associate” Members. Associate Member bands will not be entitled to allocation of engagements or performances organised by the NIBA. Representatives of Associate Member bands may attend General Council Meetings but will not be entitled to vote.

 

19. Bands changing Secretary (applicable to “General” and “Registration” band secretaries as appropriate) shall notify both the General Secretary and the Membership & Registration Secretary of the NIBA of such changes, providing the new Secretary’s full name, address, telephone number, mobile telephone number and email address, as appropriate and as soon as practicably possible after a change has been made.

 

20. Bands failing to answer NIBA correspondence on any matter that explicitly requires a reply will be sent no further communication on the matter in question and will not be permitted to raise it at NIBA meetings.

 

21. The NIBA has no rules regarding band engagements. With the exception of engagements organised and allocated by the NIBA, bands shall arrange/agree their own terms and conditions in respect of engagements. For engagements organised and allocated by the NIBA (this includes BBC radio broadcasts allocated according to contest results) bands will not be permitted to change any terms and conditions already agreed by the NIBA.

 

22. The General Council shall have the power to make Byelaws provided they are not contrary to these rules.

 

23. Any member of the Executive Committee, whose band is implicated in any matter of dispute in NIBA affairs, will not be permitted to participate in Executive Committee meetings at times when items in relation to the matter in question are under discussion. In the event of an adjournment only the Executive Committee members who took part in the first meeting will be permitted to take part in any further meetings on the matter.

 

24. A band must be in membership of the NIBA in order to be eligible for membership of the Flute Band Association NI, the Brass Band League NI and the Accordion Band League NI.

 

25. The NIBA Constitution and Rules can only be changed at an Annual General Meeting or a Special Meeting. Any desired changes shall be detailed in the notice calling the Annual General Meeting or Special Meeting.

 

26. Subsidiary Leagues or Associations may only be established under the principle of Constitution and General Rule 2 and may be disbanded at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

 

27. The Executive Committee will have the power to adjudicate or decide in respect of any contingencies or matters not covered by the NIBA Rules per se. Any decision reached by the Executive Committee in respect of any such contingencies or matters will be binding and final.

 

28. In the event of the NIBA ceasing to function, all of its monies and belongings shall be held in trust by the Officers of the NIBA for a period of five calendar years from the date of cessation. At the end of that period, should the NIBA be finally wound up, its possessions shall be sold and all proceeds and other monies distributed equally amongst those bands in membership of the NIBA on the date of cessation.