1. Aims

(1.1) To promote the development and performance of magic and its allied arts.

(1.2) To provide safe and secure opportunities for those with a genuine interest to meet and learn about the art of magic.

(1.3) To arrange events, functions and to create further interest in magic.

2. Membership

(2.1) Membership of MCM shall be open to any person 18 years and older who;
(2.1a) supports the aims of MCM,
(2.1b) agrees to abide by the policies set out in this Constitution (Appendices 1,2,3).

(2.2) Each fully paid-up member is entitled to one vote at General Meetings.

(2.3) Membership Fee
The Membership Fee will be determined by the Committee each year, and will run from 1st January to 31st December.

(2.4) Membership Renewal
To continue receiving the benefits of membership of MCM, members will pay an annual membership fee to MCM (except for *lifetime members) and will be sent a reminder no later than 1st December, with payment to be paid no later than 31st December. Payment in full will entitle members to continue attending MCM events and to vote at the AGM (held in the following January).

*Lifetime memberships may be awarded by the Committee in recognition of outstanding service to the club.

(2.5) Club Logo & Declaration of Membership
Only paid-up members of the club are entitled to display the club logo in their promotional material and advertise their membership to others.

(2.6) Data Protection
All contact information relating to members will be held securely and will only be used for the sole purpose of administration of MCM business.
Any such information will not be distributed to other club members, nor to any external agencies unless the welfare of a member is in question or required by law.

The list will be kept by the following Committee members:
• Club Secretary (for contacting members to inform them of events)
• Treasurer (handling subscription fees/payments)
• Welfare Officer (to contact members over any welfare matters)
• Magazine Editor (in order to distribute magazine)

(2.7) Ceasing Membership
Any member who has not paid their subscription fee by 1st January will no longer have the benefits of membership of MCM.

Any offensive behaviour, including racist, sexist or inflammatory remarks, will not be tolerated. Anyone behaving in an offensive way or breaking the MCM’s Code of Conduct may be refused admission to further meetings or be asked to resign from the MCM until the matter is resolved. The person(s) concerned shall have the right to be heard by the Committee, accompanied by a friend, before a final decision is made.

3. Visitor Attendance

Visitors may attend certain meetings BY PRIOR CONSENT of the MCM President or Secretary. A set fee (agreed annually by the Committee) will be raised for said attendance.

*This does not include invitation to auctions or competitions, which are charged per visitor at a fee set by the Committee.

All visitors, lecturers and guests are expected to adhere to the MCM’s Code of Conduct.

4. Equality

Manchester Circle of Magicians will not discriminate on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief (including politics), sex or sexual orientation (see Appendix 1 Welfare Policy).

5. Administration of Manchester Circle of Magicians

(5.1) MCM shall be administered by a Committee, elected at the AGM (6.1).
The Committee will meet as necessary and no less than four times a year.

(5.2) Committee roles include:
• President
• President Elect
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Welfare Officer

• Events Officer
• Magazine Editor
• Librarian
• Auctions Organiser
• Fundraising Officer
• Social Media Organiser
(Role Descriptions see Appendix 2)

(5.3) A member of the Committee may hold more than one post but will be restricted to one vote.

(5.4) In the event of a tied vote the President shall have a second vote.

(5.5) The quorum for Committee meetings shall be four Committee members.

(5.6) A member of the Committee shall ‘Chair’ all meetings of MCM.

(5.7) Election of Committee Members
(5.8a) Members of MCM may be put forward by means of proposer and seconder from within the membership.
(5.8b) Each member will have one vote.
(5.8c) Majority vote being the decider.

(5.8) The Committee reserves the right to introduce or dissolve a position as circumstances dictate. This may not necessarily take place at the AGM.

(5.09) The Committee will organise an annual program of lectures, auctions and meetings accordingly.

(5.10) Each Committee member will deliver an annual report to those present at the AGM and these will be documented for future reference.

(5.11) The Committee shall be responsible for the implementation of the Welfare and Code of Conduct policies as defined in this Constitution.

6. Meetings

(6.1) An Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held every year preferably in the month of January.

All members will be notified of the date, time and venue of the AGM at least three weeks prior to the date of the AGM.

Nominations for the positions on the Committee may be made to the Secretary before, or at, the AGM.

The quorum for the AGM will be 10% of the membership or 10 members.

At the AGM:
• Each member of the Committee will present a report detailing work done over the year.
• The Committee will present the accounts of MCM for the previous year.
• The Officers for the current year will be elected.
• Any proposals given to the Secretary at least seven days in advance of the meeting will be discussed.

(6.2) Special General Meeting
The Secretary will call a Special General Meeting (SGM) at the request of the majority of the Committee or at least eight members giving a written request to the President or Secretary stating the reason for their request.

The meeting will take place within twenty-one days of the request.

Members will be given two weeks’ notice of a such a meeting, giving the venue, date, time and agenda, and that notice may be by email, the club’s private Facebook group or telephone.

The quorum for the SGM will be 10% of the membership or 10 members.

(6.3) Committee Meetings
Committee meetings may be called by the President or Secretary. Committee members will receive notice of meetings at least seven days before the meeting.
The quorum for Committee meetings is four Committee members.
In the event of a tied vote the President shall have a second vote.

7. Finances

A bank account will be maintained on behalf of MCM at a bank agreed by the Committee.

There will be at least three signatories to the account, one of whom must be the Treasurer (this ensures there are always two people available to authorise payments)

All payments will be signed by two of the signatories.
• Cheque payments – the signatories will sign the cheque.
• For other payments (such as BACS payments, debit card payments), a requisition note will be signed by two signatories, and held by the treasurer.

Records of income and expenditure will be maintained by the Treasurer.

Evidence of expenditure (e.g., receipts of goods purchased, invoices from lecturers) must be supplied to the Treasurer prior to transfer of club funds, and to ensure transparency and for the purposes of audit.

An annual statement of accounts will be presented at the AGM.

All money raised by or on behalf of MCM will be used to further the aims of the club.

8. Amendments to the Constitution

Amendments to the Constitution may only be made at the AGM or a Special General Meeting.

Any proposal to amend the Constitution must be given to the Secretary in writing. The proposal must then be circulated with the notice of meeting.

Any proposal to amend the Constitution will require a two-thirds majority of those present and entitled to vote.

9. Dissolution

If, by simple majority, it is deemed necessary to close the club, a Special General meeting will be called. The sole business of this meeting will be to dissolve MCM.

In the event of dissolving MCM, all physical assets belonging to MCM must be sold, funds raised from sale of items will be combined with any financial assets remaining after all debts have been paid, and will be donated to a local charitable organisation agreed by those in attendance.

This Constitution was written & last updated on 30th September 2022.

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APPENDIX 1 – Welfare Policy
Whilst everyone is responsible for safeguarding, the Welfare Officer is the person with primary responsibility for managing and reporting concerns about inappropriate behaviour towards members and safeguarding issues.

1. Equality
(1.1) Members, lecturers, visitors and guests of MCM have the right to attend MCM events in a safe environment free from discrimination, bullying or inappropriate behaviours/comments.

The MCM will not discriminate on the grounds of age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief (including politics); sex; sexual orientation.

(1.2) Should a member, lecturer, visitor/guest feel discriminated against due to items outlined in (1.1) above, they are encouraged to speak out and contact the MCM Welfare Officer or MCM Secretary in the first instance. Depending upon the outcome of the Grievance Procedure, membership may be revoked immediately without compensation or refund.

2. Code of Conduct
(2.1) The Committee expects anybody attending MCM events or meetings to be treated respectfully regardless of characteristics/preferences set out in Equality.

(2.2) Derogatory language consisting of terminology dismissive towards disability, race, sex, sexual orientation, is unacceptable at MCM across all its platforms.

(2.3) Offending posts on social media will be removed as soon as admin are made aware, the person involved will be issued with a warning. After three warnings, the person will be banned from all interaction with MCM Facebook group for 30 days. A written apology will be expected from the offender, before the ban is lifted.

(2.4) All incidents of bullying, harassment and intimidation will be taken seriously. Any complaints will be dealt with using the Grievance Procedure to ensure anybody attending MCM at the clubroom or online feels safe.

3. Grievance Procedure
(3.1) The purpose of the process is to ensure any problems that arise between members, committee members, lecturers or guests are dealt with swiftly and fairly.

(3.2) MCM is committed to maintaining a climate in which all members can raise issues and problems with the expectation that these will be taken seriously and resolved in an atmosphere of mutual trust. It is expected therefore that most problems will be resolved without the need for formal procedure.

(3.3) Any member with a grievance relating to another member, committee member, lecturer or guest relating to matters set out in the Welfare Policies should contact the Welfare Officer welfare@manchestercircleofmagicians.co.uk

4. Investigation
(4.1) A meeting with the Committee may not always be the most appropriate means of resolving problems. MCM will therefore be flexible in its approach and consider means such as one-to-one discussion to come to a satisfactory conclusion.

(4.2) If further investigation is warranted the Welfare Officer will keep written records of information sourced relating to the grievance process. (See 5. Keeping Records)

(4.3) Whilst under investigation, the Committee request that any material containing alleged behaviour that breaches Welfare Policy be withheld until the investigation is completed.

(4.4) Information obtained during the investigation process will remain confidential unless safeguarding concerns arise during the investigation, appropriate action will then be taken to involve other agencies if required.

(4.5) If the complaint is against a member, this person will have the opportunity to express their point of view, accompanied by a friend. The person making the complaint will also have the opportunity to do the same.

(4.6) If a complaint is against a committee member, that member will not be part of the investigation.

(4.7) Grievance Panel: This panel will be made up of two members of the Committee. The Panel will inform those involved with the outcome of the complaint.

(4.8) Appeal Panel: This panel will be consist of two members of the Committee who did not form part of the original Grievance panel. Any appeal must be made in writing within five days of the Grievance Panel’s outcome.

(4.9) If new information comes to light during the meeting which needs further investigation, a decision will be deferred and a date set for new meeting.

5. Keeping Records
(5.1) It is vital to record and store details about concerns that arise. MCM will keep a record of appropriate information in order to conduct a full and fair investigation.

(5.2) Records will be stored securely with the Welfare Officer. Should a new Welfare Officer be elected, records will be passed on to said individual.

(5.3) Unless there are concerns surrounding safeguarding of members, all information provided remains confidential, it must not be shared with any member not involved in the incident unless required by law. Any safeguarding concerns will be reported to necessary external agencies.

(5.4) Information we collate will contain:
• The date and time of the incident/disclosure/concern
• The date and time of report
• The name and role of person to whom the concern was originally reported and their contact details.
• The name and role of the person making the report (if different from above) and their contact details.
• The names of all parties who were involved in the incident, including any witnesses
• The name and any other relevant information about the adult who is subject of the concern
• What was said or done and by whom
• Any action taken to look into the matter
• Any further action taken

APPENDIX 2 – Committee Positions

PRESIDENT
The President will chair / lead all meetings, hand out awards, make announcements to members, represent the club and be entrusted with the Presidential sash, which each year will be engraved with the new President’s name.

PRESIDENT ELECT
The President Elect will deputise for the President as and when necessary.

SECRETARY
The Secretary is the primary contact for outside visitors to the club and will handle all enquiries and will send out emails to members to inform them of club events.

TREASURER
The Treasurer will process invoices, make payments and be responsible for maintaining the club’s bank account. They will produce a year-end report of the account and financial status of the club to present at the AGM with projected budgets for the following year.

MAGAZINE EDITOR
The Editor will create the club magazine and oversee its circulation.

EVENTS OFFICER
The Events Officer will arrange the MCM’s syllabus and ensure exclusive use of the room. They will keep a record of expenditure, issue contracts to the lecturer and forward lecturer’s invoices to the Treasurer. They may also be required to book hotel rooms for the lecturer and submit receipts to the Treasurer.

AUCTIONS ORGANISER
The Auctions Organiser will be the primary contact for booking each lot, oversee the organisation of each auction and host the evening.

LIBRARIAN
The Librarian will bring the DVD library to the meetings that they attend, keep a catalogue of all titles and chase up members who are late returning DVDs.

FUNDRAISING OFFICER
The Fundraising Officer will run a raffle on club nights, for attending members and guests only, with any funds raised going back into the club to help pay for lecturers, room hire or other administration costs. To further its aims on a non-profit basis. They will need to keep up-to-date financial records of expenditure / funds raised and submit to the Treasurer to enable accurate accounts. They will give a yearly report at the AGM totalling that year’s earnings.

WELFARE OFFICER
The Welfare Officer will be responsible for ensuring the implementation of the MCM’s Welfare Policy (see Appendix 1) acting as the first point of contact position in events of grievances being raised and oversee all matters regarding safeguarding attendees at club meetings.

WEBSITE DEVELOPER
The Website Developer will maintain MCM’s website including updating the syllabus. They will share important information related to the club and when possible, implement a payment method for guest visits and membership renewal.

MARKETING OFFICER
The Marketing Officer is responsible for publishing up to date information regarding events across social media including the Facebook Public Page, Members Only Facebook Group and any other social media platform that is deemed appropriate to share the club’s event on.
They will work closely with the Website Developer to ensure content sharing is accurate.
They will advertise events in plenty of advance to ensure we have reached as many potential attendees as possible.
APPENDIX 3 – General Practices

1. Meeting Structure
The club meets usually on a Monday evening, at least once a month.

• Room access is from 6pm. This is when chairs and banners can be set-up.
• Club announcements to take place at 7.15pm.
• The main lecturer is expected to start at 7.30pm.
• The interval is to take place around 8.30pm.
• The raffle will be drawn at 8.45pm.
• The lecturer’s second half to begin at 8.50pm.
• They are expected to finish around 9.40pm.
• If they have products to sell, this can be done up until 10pm.
• The room is then tidied and everyone should be ready to leave by 10.30pm.

2. Library
At meetings where the library is available, access will be before the meeting starts and during the interval.
• All items borrowed from the library must be recorded on the sheet for inventory tracking.
• Any items borrowed from the library are due back within the next two meetings.
• All items should be returned in November (or before the final meeting of the year).

3. Recording of Lectures
Unless permission is specifically granted by the lecturer, private recordings of lectures (both audio and video) are prohibited.

To aid visibility, MCM may project an image of a lecture onto a screen.

The camera operator may request permission to record the lecture for members unable to attend due to travel distance, ill health or medically isolating. This will require the lecturer’s permission and is not guaranteed. There may also be restrictions on how long that footage is allowed to be shared before being deleted.

If permission is granted to record the lecture; that footage may be sent to the lecturer and used by them without restrictions. However, the video may be withheld at the Council ‘s discretion. In such cases, a letter will be sent to the lecturer explaining why MCM withheld the video and it will not be made available to MCM members.

4. Eating in the clubroom
Our venue operates in a restaurant and we encourage shared dining before meetings and during the interval.

We ask that all meals be finished before 7.15pm, so as to not interrupt the speakers or lecturer. We understand that sometimes meals can be served later than this in which case we request that all eating takes place at the sides or at the back of the room, so as to not pose a distraction to everyone.

5. Participating in a Lecturer’s Routine
Attendees will have the full support of MCM to refuse to participate in a routine without giving a reason.

6. Mobile Phones
Mobile phones should be put on silent mode or turned off during a lecture or meeting.

7. Volunteer Roles
For some events, such as auctions, MCM require volunteers to help out as “runners”. MCM may also require a New-Members Greeter or magazine reporter. We thank everyone that volunteers to help but they do so of their own accord and MCM will not be held responsible for their words or actions.

8. Auctions
Auctions have an earlier start time than other nights. Lots are expected to arrive between 5:30 to 6pm, with viewing from 6pm. The auction itself is expected to start at 6:30pm.
• The auction is expected to finish around 10pm, on completion of the lot currently selling at that time.
• MCM takes a commission of 15% from all sales, which goes back into the club funds.
• Anyone requesting a lot, must compile a digital list of the items they wish to sell, and submit (by email) that list to the auction organizer at least seven days prior to the event (unless alternative arrangement have already been agreed due to exceptional circumstances).
• Three physical copies of the list should be submitted with the items on the night, one each for the auctioneer, the table-sorter, and the treasurer.
• There should be no changes to the sale list once submitted and it is expected that the seller will bring everything on the list to the auction on the night, before 6pm.
• Minimum reserves can be added to sale items, but the auctioneer reserves the right to ignore these if deemed unreasonable. The seller is expected to be in attendance and accept or refuse offers under the reserve amount on occasion.
• All lots are to have a maximum of 50 items. A second lot can be requested with additional items if wanted, but will take place after all other lots have been sold.
• No item is guaranteed to be sold. If an item gets no bids, it will be returned to the original owner.
• No counterfeit items are to be submitted or sold in our auction. If a lot appears to be majority counterfeit, the entire lot will be rejected and removed.
• We cannot guarantee your lot will be sold, as we may run out of time on the night.
• No private sales are allowed in the clubroom, on the night. The evening is reserved for auction sales only. Anyone found making private offers on auction items prior to its starts may be asked to leave. Any seller found accepting such offers may have their entire lot rejected.

9. Competition
The title of “North West Magical Close-Up Championships – First Prize” can only be awarded once to the overall winner of the competition. Other prizes may be awarded as decided by the council prior to the event.
• For any competition to run, there needs to be at least four participants.
• Only members of the club are allowed to enter.
• The minimum or maximum duration of the performers act may vary according to the number of entrants. It will be announced prior to the start and a time-keeper will give a minute’s warning before exceeding it.
• Any act in excess of these time restrictions may be penalised in points if deemed necessary or disqualified if excessive.
• An act can be disqualified if deemed inappropriate by the majority Committee. This could be due to lewdness, or due to a joke at the expense of a fellow member.
• The means of judging or marking will be decided by that year’s Committee and announced prior to its start.

10. Facebook
The club runs a private member-only Facebook group. We expect all posts to follow the guidelines as laid out in the Code of Conduct.
• If a thread or post is deleted by an admin, for any reason, it cannot be reposted or restarted. Any member found doing so risks getting blocked from the page for 30 days or banned.
• No advertising of products or self-promotion of services will be allowed in the group, without prior permission from the council.
• Any photos of lectures submitted to the Facebook group, will be deemed to do so with full reproduction rights to the MCM. This allows them to be republished on the public page, in the club magazine or for any future marketing purposes.

11. Magazine
Every member of MCM will receive six issues of the club magazine per year in pdf format. For an additional charge, and subject to availability, members can elect to receive a copy of the club magazine as a hard copy. The contact details of committee members will appear in the club magazine.

12. Signing In
We ask that all members and visitors to sign the guest book upon arriving at all meetings. This allows us to keep track of the number in attendance, a register in case of fire and how many guests have paid for entry for the account.