Our Constitution


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Our Constitution

Written by DDG Committee   
1. Name:Dubai Drama Group – ConstitutionThe Group shall be called the Dubai Drama Group.2. Objects:The object of the Group shall be to bring together people with a common interest in the theatre thereby encouraging the performance of dramatic and musical works and carrying on any other creative, artistic or cultural activity related to the theatre.3. Management:The Group shall be managed by a Committee which shall consist of a Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and five Ordinary Members.a) The five ordinary members (and Vice-Chairman) shall be allocated special responsibilities: Production, Technical, Socials, Wardrobe, Patrons – or such responsibilities as the Committee shall from time to time decide.b) The Committee shall be empowered, if so required, by a majority vote in favour of not less than five, to appoint a salaried staff and to fix an appropriate remuneration. This person may be removed in the event of unsatisfactory performance by unanimous vote of Committee members. In like manner, the Committee is empowered to remove another member of the Committee in the event of unsatisfactory performance by unanimous vote of Committee members.c) The Committee shall have the power to appoint sub-committees or to co-opt members with executive powers for particular purposes and such appointments shall not be limited to members of the elected Committee.d) The Committee shall, in the absence of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Secretary, appoint a member of the Committee to act as Chairman.e) The Chairman or Vice-Chairman or Secretary or Acting Chairman shall have a casting vote in the event of an equality of votes.f) The quorum for a Committee meeting shall be five.g) The Committee may co-opt a member onto the Committee to fill any vacancy, which may occur and the member so co-opted shall hold office until the next AGM. The Committee may also co-opt a member on to the Committee as a temporary substitute for any Committee member who shall be absent for more than one month. If the number of elected, as opposed to co-opted members, shall fall below four then the Committee shall call an Extra Ordinary General Meeting to ratify the appointment of the co-opted members or to vote for replacement members.4. Membership:a) Membership of the Group shall be open to all persons desirous of joining and shall be divided into the following two classes:i) Honorary Members being persons who in the opinion of the Committee have rendered meritorious service to the Group or to whom the Group wishes to express its esteem or gratitude.ii) Ordinary Members being persons who shall be approved by the Committee and are involved in the activities of the Group in any capacity.b) The Committee may, by a unanimous vote of the entire Committee, expel or refuse to renew the membership of any member for any reason which shall be communicated to the member in writing and any subscription already paid for the year in which such expulsion is made shall be refunded pro rata to the member.5. Subscription:An annual subscription shall be paid by Ordinary Members and shall be due on a date to be determined by the Committee. The rate of subscription and any change thereto as recommended by the Chairman, shall be approved by a majority vote of the membership at a General Meeting.6. General Meetings:a) An Annual General Meeting shall be held as soon as is practicable after the end of the Group’s financial year (see Clause 7a) but no later than 15 October at which the following business shall be transacted.i) Receiving the Chairman’s report
ii) Receiving the Treasurer’s report
iii) The election of the officers and Committee for the ensuing year
iv) Any other business proposed by Committee or members present at the meeting.b) The Secretary shall convene the Annual General Meeting by giving all members not less than 30 days notice of the time, date and place of the meeting.
c) Extraordinary General Meetings may be convened by the Committee or by not less than one third of the members of the Group by giving not less than 7 days notice to members and specifying the matters to be dealt with.
d) A quorum for a General Meeting shall be twice the number on the committee plus one. In the event that a quorum is not present, proxy votes may be taken into consideration. These will be accepted on the following basis:i) Notice of absence by a member must be submitted to a committee member, in writing, at least ten days before the AGM convenes.
ii) In the event of emergency absence – ill health or traveling on business, proxy votes authority will be accepted no later than two days before the AGM convenes.Under these circumstances, proxy votes will be granted at the discretion of the committee. In any event, the limit on proxy votes will be 5% of the current paid up membership.e) Voting at a General Meeting shall be by a show of hands (except in the case of elections for the officers and Committee which shall be by secret ballot) and any motion shall be carried by a simple majority except with respect to any motion to amend the constitution of the Group which motion may only be passed by a two thirds majority of a properly convened meeting. Any Ordinary Member who is unable to attend a General Meeting may cast his or her vote on any matter by handing the same to a member of the Committee prior to the meeting which shall only be opened by the tellers. Such votes shall not count for the purposes of constituting a quorum and in order to be counted must refer to the particular matter being decided.f) A poll being a recount of hands may be demanded by not less than two thirds of the members present or may be taken at the discretion of the Chairman.g) Any proposal for discussion at an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be submitted to a member of the Committee at any time before the meeting begins.
h) Any proposal to amend the Constitution shall be submitted to a member of the Committee not less than 21 days prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting and not less than 10 days prior to an Extraordinary General Meeting.7. Elections:a) All members whose subscriptions were fully paid up 14 days before the election shall be entitled to vote.
b) The Committee and Officers shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and subject to termination of office by resignation or otherwise shall remain in office until their successors are appointed at the next Annual General Meeting following their appointment
c) Election of the Committee and Officers shall be by secret ballot at the Annual General Meeting.
d) One month prior to the Annual General Meeting the secretary shall invite members to submit written, sealed nominations with a proposer, a seconder and signed by the nominee and stating a final date for receipt of nominations.Originally Established: 29th November 1984Amended at the AGM: 29th April 1991abolishment of Vice Chairman (Para 3)Amended at the AGM: 11th May 1994Re-instatement of Vice Chairman (Para 3)Amended at the AGM: 1995Number needed for quorum at AGM (Para 6 sub-paras d(i) and d(ii)Amended at the AGM: 1996Number needed for quorum at AGM (Para 6 sub-para d)Amended at the AGM: 1998Change of financial year and date of AGM (Para 6) change of committee members to Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and five ordinary members; number needed for quorum at Committee meetings (Para 3)Amended at the AGM: 1999Addendum to Para 3(sub-section b) empowering Committee to remove appointed salaried staff in the event of unsatisfactory performance / unanimous vote requiredCommittee empowered to remove another Committee member at any time for unsatisfactory performance / unanimous vote required
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 24 October 2006 )