Orchestra says ‘no’ to new constitution

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33804, 29 March 1975, Page 1

Orchestra says ‘no’ to new constitution

Plans for an orchestra trust in Christchurch were put aside for further consideration by the annual meeting of the Christchurch Civic Orchestra Foundation on Thursday evening.

A statement on the result of the closed meeting, as authorised by those present, was expected from the new president of the foundation (Mr N. H. Buchanan), but it has not come forward, and attempts to reach him yesterday and last evening for comment were unsuccessful.

It is known, however, that a motion to accept the proposed constitution for the trust was rejected on a show of hands, and that the meetingdecided to continue with the foundation under its present system in the meantime.

To this end, such officers as could be elected at the meeting were elected, and form the nucleus of a new board of management. By this the meeting declined to go along with the immediate proposals of the interim management committee, and two of the major sources of income for the orchestra have indicated they might now need to review their support. The director of the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council (Mr M. A. Rickard) told “The Press” last evening that the council had been “right behind the interim committee, and had publicly said so.”

“There is no doubt that the question of our financial support will go back to the council for review,” he said. “We have supported the local bodies through this. Our attitude is known, and I am quite sure it was stated again at the meeting,” said Mr Rickard. The Arts Council provided 23 per cent of the orchestra’s income last year, the biggest single grant. Change “urgent” Mr D. B. Rich, the chairman of the Waimairi County Council, who was also chairman of the interim management committee of the orchestra, said last evening that unless there was “an urgent and radical change” in the running of the foundation the local bodies would have to take another look at their support for the orchestra. The Christchurch metropolitan local bodies provide another 23 per cent of the orchestra’s income. Although the proposed constitution of the trust was referred to the new board “for consideration when initiating revision of the foundation’s constitution,” no date had been set for the revision, he said. “It needs to be fast and it needs to be radical,” said Mr Rich. Mr T. W. Turner, who was elected to the board on Thursday evening as a subscribers’ representative, telephoned “The Press” last night after Mr Rich’s comments had been broadcast on radio and television. “It seems that Mr Rich is showing bad grace in not accepting that the members of the foundation, at a properly constituted annual meeting, have democratically expressed their wishes,” said Mr Turner.

I “His actions have the i appearance of a type of blackmail. He attempts to use the public funds for which he assumes responsibility to enforce his will on the foundation,” he said. Loss of $15,036 Audited accounts for the foundation last year showed a loss for the year of $15,036, compared with a profit of $5656 the previous year. Major items influencing the reversal included a reduction of $13,550 in grant income, increases in remuneration of conductor, players, and guest artists of $10,683, and a reduction of fees for orchestra ; services of $6375; these beling offset by savings in ad!ministration costs, particu-; iarly $3239 in manager’s! I salary. j The accumulated funds of [the foundation, which stood at $25,687 at the beginning of the year, have been reduced to $10,650.

In its report to the meeting, the Interim Management Committee (Messrs Rich, H. G. Hay and R. W. J. Harrington) said it was concerned to receive a letter from the registrar of the Commercial Affairs Division of the Department of Justice which said that no accounts for the foundation had been submitted for 1971, 1972, or 1973. Nor had a registered office ever been declared since the foundation was incorporated in 1961. The committee said also that it had felt obliged to accept service of an originating summons on March 12, in which the foundation was cited as fifth defendant. The plaintiffs were T. W. Turner and L. H. France, and th s other defendants N. G. Pickering, R. D. Monk, D. F. Milligan, and G. A. G. Connal. The summons seeks orders relating to the validity of voting rights and decisions taken at a number of meetings of the board of management last year. Sub judice Because of the summons, the minutes of the annual meeting last year were regarded as sub judice and, on legal advice, confirmation of the minutes would not he put to the meeting, the committee said. Records of the orchestra and foundation proceedings had been in a “state of disarray,” and it had been an

onerous task to put matters in order, the committee said.

As well as Messrs Buchanan and Turner, officers elected to the new board of the foundation included: vicepresidents. Dr Geoffrey Ferner and Mr P. D. Barton; treasurer, Mr G. A. Hay; subscribers’ representatives, Drs B. Penfold and G. Metcalf; Messrs M. Hailstone and J. Hill.