Regional Arts Victoria's Constitution
Our constitution has undergone rigorous scrutiny across the past two years, both at board level as well as through a subcommittee involving Regional Arts Victoria Members. All along this process, we have benefited from the advice of our pro bono lawyers, Norton Rose Fulbright, and we thank them wholeheartedly.
The constitution:
- Recognises individuals as full Members of Regional Arts Victoria for the first time;
- Ensures that every Regional Arts Victoria Member is entitled to one vote at our Annual General Meeting and on the elections to the Board. Currently, only organisational or Affiliate Members are entitled to a vote, or to nominate or be considered for a place on the Board;
- Recognises that while we do have individual members outside of Victoria who draw on our services and advice, these members do not share a local Victorian’s commitment to strengthening this state of the arts. These Associate Members, as they will be known, will still be able to access our services and advice, but will not be entitled to a vote, nor to nominate for a position on the Board;
- Ensures that a majority of Board Members must reside in regional Victoria;
- Enhances our state-wide responsibility by ensuring that every Board Member takes on a state-wide focus beyond that of a defined region;
- Reflects best practice governance across all areas of decision-making;
- Clarifies and corrects errors, omissions and typos in the current constitution.
Our invigorated focus on membership has allowed us to negotiate exciting new Member benefits launching in the second half of 2016 (with more details to be sent to your organisation):
- A simplified pricing model for both membership and public liability insurance packages;
- Association Liability Insurance added as a benefit of your membership;
- Half-price Individual Membership for members of your organisation;
- New relationships with partner organisations offering a range of additional benefits;
- A dedicated focus on facilitating active, sustained connections between Members throughout 2017.