MSA Home > Policies > Conference Guidelines

NATIONAL CONFERENCE GUIDELINES

I. Appointment of Convenor

A. In accordance with the MSA Constitution, 2 years before a Conference is to be held, a Convenor or Co-convenors (hereafter referred to as the Convenor) will be appointed by the National Committee to convene an MSA National Conference in a particular city at a given time.

B. The Convenor must be an individual, not a Chapter or an Institution.

C. The Convenor must be, at the time of appointment and throughout the period of appointment, a financial member of MSA.

II. Appointment of Conference Committee/Sub-Committee

A. The Convenor has the power to appoint the Conference Committee and any Conference Sub-Committees.

B. Any appointee to the Conference Committee must be, at the time of appointment and throughout the period of appointment, a financial member of MSA. Conference Sub-Committees may include non-MSA members; such Committees must be accountable to the main Conference Committee and may not commit any MSA funds without the prior written approval of the main Conference Committee.

C. The National President is to be notified in writing for interim endorsement immediately upon:
1. the appointment of the Conference Committee or any Conference Sub-Committee;
2. any changes to the composition of the Conference Committee or any Conference Sub-Committee.

D. The President will present to the National Committee for its endorsement the composition of the Conference Committee and any Sub-Committees at its next meeting.

III. Hosting of Conference

A. The Convenor is to Convene the Conference on behalf of the MSA; the hosting institution is to host the Conference on behalf of the MSA. This is to be specified in all published documents relating to the Conference.

B. That the Conference is a National Conference of the MSA is to be made clear on all published and written documents.

IV. Documentation

A. All arrangements with financial implications must be made in writing.
1. Access to and any charges for facilities must be specified in writing;
2. all arrangements with funded speakers must be specified in writing.

B. Minutes of all Conference Committee meetings must be kept.

C. Accounts must be kept in accordance with the auditing requirements of the Australian Capital Territory Associations Incorporation Act 1991. The National Secretary must forward a copy of the Act and Regulations to the Convenor upon appointment. The Conference Treasurer is to liaise with the National Treasurer to ensure that these requirements are met.

D. Accounts must be finalised within six months of the conference.

E. Upon finalisation of the Conference books, all documentation is to be forwarded to the National Treasurer.

F. After auditing, all documentation is to be placed in the MSA archive.

V. Bank Accounts

A. When the seeding grant is made, it will include an authorisation from the National President and the National Treasurer to open and operate a bank account.

B. A new bank account must be opened, to be named the ‘MSA [Year] Conference Account’.

C. The bank account must in no way be related to any MSA Chapter bank account.

D. The National Treasurer must be notified immediately in writing of the name, location and bank account number, and of all signatories to the account; any changes must be notified immediately in writing to the National Treasurer.

VI. Grant Applications

A. The MSA must be either the sole or, in the case of a joint conference, joint applicant with the other official body(s) approved at an MSA Annual General Meeting, for all grants.

VII. Insurance

A. Public Liability Insurance covering all National Conference events will be taken out each year by the National Executive. Conference Convenors are responsible for paying half the annual insurance costs unless other arrangements are made in writing at least two weeks prior to the Conference.

VIII. Program

A. The Calling of Papers is to be coordinated with the Newsletter Editor and must appear not later than 9 months before the Conference

B. The Draft Program is to be endorsed by the National Executive PRIOR to publication.

C. Paper givers, with the exception of invited keynote or guest speakers, must be current financial members of the MSA both at the time of proposing and giving their paper.

IX. Indigenous Recognition

A. Traditional owners should be recognised at the principal place of an MSA event, in a manner appropriate to MSA and to those owners. Convenors are referred to the document ‘Welcome to Country: Guidelines for the Recognition of Indigenous Culture and Custodianship of Country at National MSA Public Events’.

X. Reporting Requirements

A. Annual General Meeting of the MSA
1. At the Annual General Meeting following the Convenor’s appointment, the Convenor shall present a formal report to the Meeting including: program report; invited speakers; format of conference; venue; interaction/collaboration with other bodies; accommodation details; timetable for calling for and accepting papers.

B. MSA National Committee
1. The draft budget must be presented to and endorsed by the final National Committee meeting held before the Annual General Meeting following the appointment.
2.The draft budget must be sent to the National Secretary at least two weeks prior to the National Committee meeting so that it may be circulated with the Meeting documents, the date of the Meeting is to be advised to the Convenor by the National Secretary at least four weeks in advance.
3. The National President is to be informed immediately in writing of any major changes to the draft budget.
4. A progress report is to be presented to the last National Committee meeting before the Conference.

C. MSA National Executive
1. The National Executive is to receive copies of the minutes of all Committee meetings within four
weeks of the meetings.
2. Within 6 months of being appointed, the Conference Convenor must provide the National Executive with a draft Conference Budget including possible sources of funds, keeping in mind grant deadlines.

D. Local MSA Chapter Committee
1. It is expected that the local Chapter Committee will be kept informed of all matters relating to Conference Organisation.

E. Hosting Institution
1. It is expected that the institution hosting the Conference on behalf of MSA will be kept fully informed and be given due acknowledgment.

F. Post Conference
1.When an Annual General Meeting immediately follows a National Conference the Convenor shall give a brief report to that Annual General Meeting including the final number of registrations and daily attendances, and an indication of the likely financial balance. When an Annual General Meeting does not immediately follow a National Conference, the Convenor shall within one month after the Conference give a brief written report to the National President including the final number of registrations and daily attendances, and an indication of the likely financial balance.
2. A fully documented formal financial report must be made to the National President not later than six months after the Conference.
3. A full report on the Conference shall be given to the National Committee Meeting preceding the following National Conference.

XI. Division of Profits

A. In the event that the conference produces a profit, the proceeds shall be distributed by the National Treasurer in the following manner. 50% of the proceeds shall go to MSA National; 25% shall go to the local Chapter; the remaining 25% shall be distributed equally among the remaining Chapters of the MSA.

XII. Guidelines

A. These guidelines are binding on the Convenor and on all persons appointed to the Conference Committee and any Conference Sub-Committees

B. These guidelines may be amended at any time by a majority vote at any National Committee Meeting.

C. In the case of a joint conference, the National Committee may make particular exemptions from these guidelines after consideration of the guidelines imposed by the co-hosting body.

D. These guidelines are effective from 24 September 1995.

Back to top

Last amended by National Committee 30 June 1999

Copyright © 2007 Musicological Society of Australia Inc. GPO Box 2404, Canberra ACT 2601     
Additions, corrections and comments, please contact: webmanager@msa.org.au
Hosted by the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies at the Australian National University
Last Updated November 6, 2007 3:01 PM