The FUCS Committee

Conductor - Andrew Chatterton
President - Amanda Muller
Vice President - Robert Muller
Treasurer - Jenny Lantham
Secretary - Maria McBride
Immediate Past President - Toby Gajewski
Publicity - Melissa Lantham
Fundraising - Neil Philbey
Librarian - Greg Read
Concert Manager - Posters by Michael Che Smith
Social Secretary - Kathryn Henderson & Riana Chakravarti
Webmaster - Tanami Muller
Chorus Editor - Neil Philbey
Morals Officer - none
Clubs and Societies Delegate - none thanks to VSU
Fresher Representative - Robert Muller

Conductor - Andrew Chatterton
President - Amanda Muller
Vice President - Toby Gajewski
Treasurer - Fiona Zuiderduin
Secretary - Maria McBride
Immediate Past President - Toby Gajewski
Publicity - Juszie Coelli
Fundraising - Neil Philbey
Librarian - Greg Read
Concert Manager - Ashleigh Bunton
Social Secretary - Maria McBride
Webmaster - Jo Clarke
Chorus Editor - Maria McBride
Morals Officer - Alice Morgan
Clubs and Societies Delegate - TBA
Fresher Representative - TBA

Conductor - Andrew Chatterton
President - Toby Gajewski
Vice President - Ashleigh Bunton
Treasurer - Fiona Zuiderduin
Secretary - Matt Winefield
Immediate Past President - Jenny Larter
Publicity - Amanda Muller
Fundraising - Neil Philbey
Librarian - Greg Read
Concert Manager - Fiona O'Connor
Social Secretary - Maria McBride
Webmaster - Jo Clarke
Chorus Editor - Amanda Muller
Morals Officer - Angela Randall, Maria McBride
Clubs and Societies Delegate - Toby Gajewski
Fresher Representative - Ashleigh Bunton


You may also be interested to find out about previous committee members or view the committee profiles.

The Committee

Our Committee is a highly dedicated section of the choir who have chosen to set aside a little more of their spare time to help run the choir.

Having these volunteers is a pretty important thing for a non-profit organisation like FUCS and we encourage everyone to help as much as they can. If you have any good ideas or can help out in any way please contact the appropriate committee member and let us know. After all, we're only human. We can't be expected to know you're dad is a Multi-Millionaire with a desire to donate to the Arts. :)

If you have grand ideas of becoming a committee member you'll need to know these things:

1. It's probably best to research the various positions a bit before you run in the election. Try asking the people on the committee what they are expected to do and se below for descriptions of the committee positions.
2. All committee members are expected to turn up to as many rehearsals and social events as they possibly can. This includes making an effort to get to IV whenever possible, but hell, you wanted to go anyway.
3. We hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) every year in about October.
4. If you are really keen to help but haven't got a position on the committee keep informed of when the committee meetings are held and come along. Everyone in the choir is welcome to the meetings. There are technical issues about speaking and voting rights during the metings, but they won't actually be an issue unless too many people turn up. :)

Besides studying what your position is about and getting stuff you are responsible for done, here's a few tips on how to be really useful on the committee

The president will expect everyone is doing their jobs - and doing them correctly. If you know of something you don't have time to do (or don't know how to do) tell the president ASAP and they will try to re-delegate some of your tasks to someone with more time until you have time to get things done again. This doesn't mean you give up your position. It just means that things can go on even when you're busy.

If you have plenty of time spare offer to help other people. Some positions have lots to do in small amounts of time and would love help to get it done.

Try to be supportive of as much as you can ie fundraising events, rehearsals and social events. None of these things will work effectively without the full support of the choir and as the committee we are effectively the role models for the amout of support the rest of the choir gives.

We attempt to ensure that all people can get to meetings. If you can't get to a meeting then you must tell the secretary with plenty of notice. That way if there is not going to be quorum (enough voting committee members present for the meeting to be official - half the voting positions plus one) the meeting can be cancelled and the rest of us don't waste our evening waiting for others to show up.

Written reports at meetings are preferred. This way, you will try to remember stuff you have done for FUCS since the last meeting (and are less likely to forget stuff) and you are more likely to get stuff done just so you have something to write down. But the best bit is... the secretary can then write the finer points down in the minutes. Usually they get overlooked because they can't write as fast as the conversation goes. Also you can set up your own list of action you need to take before the next meeting.

Write down any really good ideas you have in a notebook or your report. Bring them up at the meeting. We love new ideas.

Write down anything you need to get done while you're at the meetings. Even though the secretary aims to get the minutes out ASAP your own list can be acted on immediately and you are less likely to have missed anything.

Andrew Chatterton is a second year piano performance student at Adelaide University's Elder Music School, where he studies with Gabriella Smart. He is a participant in the Symphony Australia Conductor Development Program, where he has had the opportunity to conduct the Adelaide and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, and the Queensland orchestras, and to study with conductors such as Janos Furst, Arvo Volmer, Christopher Seaman and Johannes Fritsch.

The President of the choir co-ordinates and delegates tasks to ensure that the choir runs smoothly. This may include explaining and checking on various duties throughout the year, as well as backing up committee members as needed.
The President also performs specific tasks, such as:

• Writing programs for concerts (with Publicity Officer)
• Welcoming and encouraging new members of choir
• Chairing committee meetings. Ring the Secretary if you can't make it.
• If possible, write a "We expect you to bring" list for all committee members before the meeting.
• Give your agenda items to the secretary with plenty of notice.
• Finding accompanists, conductors, venues for rehearsals etc. when required.
• Letting everyone know about any changes to venues, conductors, accompanists.
• Writing a presidents blurb/article for every edition of chorus interruptus.
• Writing a presidents report for every edition of ERATO.
• Reminding other FUCS members that they may write articles for ERATO and notifying them of the deadlines.
• Send a copy of all our Minutes to the AICSA exec.
• Send a copy of Chorus Interruptus to all AICSA Choirs.
• Be an active member of the AIVCC.
• Make every effort to get to IV.
• Ensure FUCS has a presence at IV. Sculling trophies, Banner, PJ's Merchandise and two AIVCC delegates must be arranged.
• Keep the choir aware of AICSA events and events of other AICSA choirs and their magazines
• Work closely with AUCS to ensure no clashes of dates for official and social events
• Keep track of Uni Open Days and C+S Fair Days and organise FUCS to have a presence at them. Making sure we have power, cords, table, music, membership forms, pens, flyers, merchandise, banner etc at the table.
• Delegating a person to be in charge of choosing music (and pitching) during gigs (especially carolling). The president is the default option for this job if they don't delegate. It's probably a good idea to work out who has been to a lot of gigs and choose them.
• Attending C+S meetings if the C+S delegate cannot make them (and re-delegating if need be).
• Leaving the tavern and heading to rehearsal ON TIME as an example to the other tavern choristers.
• The last job you have as president is to welcome the new committee by arranging a committee changeover event. This has been a cafe/restaurant/picnic. Choose whatever. Make certain everyone has been invited (ring everyone). People don't tend to feel very welcomed if they didn't get invited :) This is where the old committee can offload cash boxes, AICSA catalogues etc to the new committee members responsible for that job. Advice can be passed on and ideas for the coming year discussed. This is very useful for the new committee. Usually arrange for the changeover to be in the first week of January.

Please refer to the list of current committee members.

The main duty of Vice President is to assist the president.
If ever the president is unable to attend a rehearsal, meeting etc. the Vice President is expected to fill in for the President. This is often considered training for presidency.
The Vice President gets to pick up all the pieces. If any committee member leaves the committee the Vice is the immediate choice of person to take over their duties until the EGM elects a new member. Obviously, if the Vice president is unable to do this another committee member with more spare time is usually reccommended to do this.
The Vice President also has specific duties:

• Organise the first camp of the year (SA Camps Site)
• Ensure a Fresher Rep gets elected at the first camp
• Work with the Fresher Representative to organise remaining camps
• Keep track of what needs to be done at any given point in the year/concert
• Double the president's duties in ensuring other committee members know what is expected of them and when. This way the president doesn't have to remember *everything*
• Come up with fantastic ideas and set the appropriate committee member in motion organising them
• Be an active member of the AIVCC
• Make every effort to get to IV
• Give your agenda items to the secretary with plenty of notice.
• Attend Meetings. Ring the Secretary if you can't make it.

Please refer to the list of current committee members.

The treasurer has an important job to do, which is very easy if you are an organised enough person.

• Write cheques for anything we need to pay for. Get them counter-signed. Keep the stubs labelled.
• Write receipts for any money we get. Ever.
• Work closely with fundraising to monitor fundraising income and record it/receipt it.
• Bank all but a small float every week.
• Get a current balance just before every meeting and keep everyone informed.
• Keep good records of camp attendance and membership fees and hassle people regularly for the cash.
• Write prospective concert budgets for each concert and update them to acknowledge new information and prices as the concert period progresses. Print these and bring them to meetings. Then the committee can help with costings and cost cuttings.
• After each concert, tally up ticket sales ASAP and get a completed concert budget to the committee showing us exactly how much money we made.
• Keep an up to date record of Income and Expenditure for the year, along with the current bank balance. Ensure this information is at every meeting also so the committee can work out where to focus our efforts for things such as fundraising ventures.
• Enter data into the official C+S audit database once a month and make sure everything matches up.
• Invoice people/companies that owe us money until we get it.
• Keep good track of any receipts you receive (ie anything that explains why we spent money)
• Ensure the accompanist and conductor write a receipt for their wages when paid (they get paid fortnightly).
• Work closely with Kym (from C+S) regarding anything you don't understand about Treasurering or being Audited.
• FUCS will be audited on a regular basis. Ask C+S about the audits and always be prepared for it.
• Give your agenda items to the secretary with plenty of notice.
• Attend Meetings. Ring the Secretary if you can't make it.

Please refer to the list of current committee members.

• Must be able to type up minutes ASAP (two days preferably) after every meeting (some committee members won't remember what they said they'd do until they get the minutes, thus it's vital to get them out so the other members can do their jobs before the next meeting).
• Is resposible for collecting our mail from C+S and distributing accordingly
• Is the public face of the choir. All correspondence is supposed to go through the secretary.
• Maintain an accurate database of members contact details.
• Should organise meeting dates and inform committee members of the next meeting.
• Should inform the faucs list or all@fucs list.
• Should maintain an agenda and prospective attendance list for the meeting. This way the meeting can be cancelled if required.
• Is therefore the person committee members need to inform if they cannot attend the meeting or if they have anything to add to the agenda.
• Deliver agendas to members present at meetings.
• Take minutes during the meeting or (if absent) organise someone to take the minutes for you.
• Attend Meetings. Ring the President if you can't make it. Pass on the news of anyone else that rang you to say they can't make it.
• Get agenda items from everyone with enough time to write up an agenda. Put your own agenda items in.
• Cancel a meeting if not enough people are going to attend.

Please refer to the list of current committee members.

The Immediate Past President is usually more likely to still be in choir than any other Past President, but all Past Presidents have a similar role.
Without stepping on the new President's toes, the IPP is expected to give advice and timeline guidance to the new president.
The IPP is usually not as busy as the president and, like the Vice President, should come up with fantastic ideas and set the ball in motion with the appropriate committee member for the job. The IPP is expected to come to meetings and advise the committee whenever required.

Please refer to the list of current committee members.

Publicity has to invent new and exciting ways to get the concert and choir publicised. There are a few stable methods we would like publicity to ensure always happens.

• Put up posters around Uni inviting people to sing with FUCS. Or organise someone else to do it. Make sure it gets done. Uni cleaners are expected to pull down all posters about once a month. Keep an eye out or work out when it is and put more up again.
• Advertise for new members (and concert details) in Hot Tips
• Advertise for new members in the community noticeboard of the Messenger (08) 8347 5757
• Make sure there are always flyers in C+S for new members and concerts
• Organise mutually beneficial publicity arrangements with AUCS publicity such as advertising in each others programs. Also any other groups you can think of.
• Design (or organise someone else to design) posters for the concert. If you aren't talented in that respect ask the committee for reccommendations for design work. Someone will know someone. Don't stress.
• Get the posters printed and distributed. We have been using Printak for printing and Sawfords for distribution. It is still reccommended to have some posters for blockmounting, some for choristers to put up (not many) and plenty of handbills for choristers to hand out.
• Organise the distribution of handbills to choristers. Hassle them to actually distribute them.
• Get a brief blurb about the concert material from the Musical Director. (We don't expect you to be a professional musician that already knows all the finer points of the music)
• Write media releases and send them out to print media and radio and booking agent with plenty of notice. Radios also appreciate recordings if available. Also ensure they receive electronic articles and photos. Here's a good list of primary contacts in SA.
• Write articles and send them to papers and relevant publications for that concert. For example the messenger has a template for arts articles. Send photo's.. anything you have.
• Approach local councils to distribute flyers and advertise in their local newsletter.
• Also ensure that the webmaster receives any interesting info you have. The more info the website has, the more likely people are to look at it for concert info.
• Organise complimentary media and reviewer tickets for concerts.
• Possibly organise Media releases, Articles, Tickets etc into Media Kits.
• Conduct market research that will help us to understand who our audiences are and how we can make our concerts even more enjoyable for them.
• Organise Publicity Sings and free gigs to get us more exposure (eg busking competitions)
• Keep track of big events and get permission to handbill outside the event.
• Keep track of possible tv and radio exposure. Get any you can. :)
• Arrange a booking agent (Venue*Tix/BASS). This will depend on the venue, but usually BASS is the agent for Arts groups.
• See if the venue or booking agent will help with publicity. Often they just need a few details and they can help a lot
• Design an informative email (much like the media release) to send to the FAUCS, Choral-Announce and Friends of FUCS mailing lists. Ask people to forward it on to their friends (and not to spam randomly!)
• Send flyers and media releases to Friends of FUCS and other choirs in Adelaide. A lot of choristers will be interested in the music, ex AICSA choristers or just generally supportive.
• Get us onto online listings and any SA arts listings.
• Invent new ways to publicise. Study what theatre groups etc do to publicise and see what can be incorporated. Be inventive. Check legalities and costs with committee before implementing and go for it. :)
• Help the Concert Manager to design tickets. It's nice for the tickets to have a similar feel to the poster.
• Help the President to write the program (by now you have a lot of info, I'm sure)
• Give your agenda items to the secretary with plenty of notice.
• Attend Meetings. Ring the Secretary if you can't make it.

Please refer to the list of current committee members.

The primary aim of fundraising is to get money into our account in any legal and moral way possible. We do, however have a few staple ideas that we'd like to keep up.

• Take esky and drinks to rehearsals and sell at inflated prices to raise money
• Sell T-shirts and other merchandise at rehearsals and IV fair day
• Organise carolling well in advance (September) to raise money. This means getting a list and letters typed up in early August. This is REALLY important.
• Raise money (see fundraising page for ideas how)
• Find any opportunity to get FUCS a paid gig (weddings, festivals etc)
• Sell anything you can get away with at PCP's when people are drunk
• Work with the Social Secretary to organise the Academic Dinner
• Get a number of posters from any given concert and arrange for some to be block mounted for the choir.
• Give your agenda items to the secretary with plenty of notice.
• Attend Meetings. Ring the Secretary if you can't make it.

Please refer to the list of current committee members.

Ook! Lots of important stuff to do here. This job keeps the choir *singing*

• Hassle the committee at the start of each concert period (at the latest) to organise what the choir will be singing for the next concert
• Utilise AICSA and ANCA contacts to hire music.. or buy it.
• If this fails try to find it using any means possible. Try asking other AICSA librarians if you are stuck.
• Keep our library up to date and organised. The AICSA librarian is often interested to know what we have in our library and it's the Librarian's job to know.
• Keep track of the black folders and bring them to each concert.
• Organise music for the musicians as well as the choristers
• Make sure we are performing legally
• Keep a good record of who you have lent music to and get the music back ASAP after each concert
• Be punctual in returning music to choirs/places you have hired music from. You don't want to give the choir a bad name
• Be at rehearsal with spare copies of the current music to lend to any new members
• Give your agenda items to the secretary with plenty of notice.
• Attend Meetings. Ring the Secretary if you can't make it.

Please refer to the list of current committee members.

The Concert Manager has to work closely with the Musical Director. Generally the MD will have fabulous ideas for soloists and musicians, but it is the Con Man's job to make sure they are looked after, paid etc.

• Book the concert venue. The committee will be able to give you suggestions for venues. We hold a lot of concerts in churches (they're acoustically very good for choirs), but sometimes alternative venues are entirely appropriate. Make the call. Pencil book the committee's favourite dates and places and later pen book the best one. Don't forget about dress rehearsals and time to set up (call) before the concert.
• Ensure there is a room the performers can lock valuables in during a concert. This is usually the same room we use to warm up in before the concert.
• See if the musicians need transport for their instruments. Organise it if they do. The musicians/ the Musical Director should be able to give you suggestions for companies that transport instruments
• Ensure you or someone else has been delegated to look after everything (like cleaning up and locking up) on the night of the concert. As soon as the concert finishes get everyone to help with cleaning up the venue and getting it back to the exact state it was in before the concert.
• Organise Front of House staff. These are generally made up of choristers that were unable to sing in the concert and AUCS members that want a free ticket. Failing that.. anyone that will do it.
• Ensure there are enough music stands, sconse lights, chairs for the musicians
• Hire choir risers (Elder Hall have some) if required
• Check out the situation with wheelchair access, lighting and anything that we might possibly need to know about the venue.
• Buy flowers/wine/presents for the Musical Director, soloists, musicians that the committee decide upon (obviously not the entire orchestra, but perhaps the Principal Violin, for example)
• Arrange for Fundraising to supply drinks and nibbles at interval. Make sure the venue agree with the practise of selling and that they don't mind food and drinks in the venue.
• Arrange for front of house to have the Sign up book for Friends of FUCS
• Design tickets in conjunction with Publicity.
• Make sure the librarian has details of all the musicians and soloists (and can therefore get music and folders for all of them)
• Organise performance rights and recording rights with APRA. This needs to be done well in advance.
• Organise for a recording to be made of the concert and chase it up afterwards until you get it. We have had concerts recorded privately and by 5UV.
• Just before the concert and dress rehearsals make sure you have the entire choir ready to clean up the venue before they leave. (You don't have to clean it up by yourself, but if you don't ask people won't even notice they've left the place a mess)
• Give your agenda items to the secretary with plenty of notice.
• Attend Meetings. Ring the Secretary if you can't make it.

Please refer to the list of current committee members.

Primarily the Social Secretary is in charge of organising fun social stuff for all the fucsters.
The Social Secretary has to make up fun and exciting events that make us more than a bunch of weekly chortelors to a united group of drunken and rowdy FUCS.

"Going to social events makes us feel a real part of a group and my role in that is to mess up the dates and spelling on handouts." - Molly

In addition to this there are a few special events the Social Secretary is in charge of:

• Organising PCP venues and punch (if you're really enthusiastic)
• Organising the Annual Dinner in conjunction with the Fundraising Officer
• Inviting Choral-Announce, Friends of FUCS and FAUCS to the Annual Dinner.
• Friends of FUCS and other choirs should also get a mailed (hard copy) invite.
• Choosing people to write speeches for the dinner. Give them plenty of notice!
• Remind everyone to bring their own song books to the dinner as the librarian does not want to carry a pile of them when in costume/formal wear.
• Fucs on Ice
• Regressive Dinner (if you dare)
• Getting people to the Pub before and after choir
• Being the person to suggest a pub/cafe/venue of any kind after any official event.. such as carolling. :)
• Organising any random event that might be vaguely sociable
• Working with the Camp Officer to organise a pub for after camp
• Give your agenda items to the secretary with plenty of notice.
• Attend Meetings. Ring the Secretary if you can't make it.

Please refer to the list of current committee members.

Maintain this website and our list of aliases.

Please refer to the list of current committee members.

The Chorus Interruptus Editor is in charge of our magazine. This is an A4 black and white magazine that relies on contributions from all choir members.
The editor has to hassle everyone into writing articles for each edition
Chorus Interruptus is expected to be released at rehearsal 1 of every rehearsal period (as that's when we get new members).
Smaller editions (Semi-choruses) are useful at interim points during the rehearsal periods in order to inform the members of important dates and info, but not required.

• Hassle the choir for articles on a weekly basis. If you think it will help give the choir a deadline for submissions.
• Be witty and fun and team building through chorus. :)
• Give your agenda items to the secretary with plenty of notice.
• Attend Meetings. Ring the Secretary if you can't make it.

Please refer to the list of current committee members.

The morals officer is supposed to uphold the morals of the choir... or lower them.. or keep track of them.
The one job morals officer has is to stay late at parties and gather gossip and relate it to us in chorus and at the AGM.

Please refer to the list of current committee members.

The Fresher Representative is elected at the first camp of the year. The main purpose of the Fresher Rep is to represent the freshers at meetings. The Fresher Rep should liase with all the freshers and report any problems or praise to the committee so they know they're doing it right.
The other job the Fresher Rep has is to organise the camps for the rest of the year. The Vice president is your new best friend as they will guide you through the steps to organising a camp. Just to keep you sure though.. here is a list of everything you need to remember when organising camps.

Don't be scared off. This is an easy job. I've just made the description really detailed to be helpful

• Give your agenda items to the secretary with plenty of notice.
• Attend Meetings. Ring the Secretary if you can't make it.
• Choose a Theme for the Saturday night dinner at camp.
• Book a campsite with a realistic view of how many people will attend in mind. Ensure the camp is affordable, has a minimum that we can meet (ie. not 100 people), has a place to rehearse preferably with a piano. We also try to make the camp vaguely close to Adelaide so that people can attend part of camp if they have to skip some of it. (SA Camps Site)
• Start by pencil booking all the nice sounding places available when you want it.
• Let the vice president/committee know ASAP when you have pencil booked some sites. Have all the costs and other info available when you report to the committee. Pen book the best one as soon as you get home from the meeting. Be kind and remove your pencil bookings on the other sites.
• Tell the choir about camp dates and venues ASAP always. It's hard to organise a large group of people to be anywhere at once. The more notice the better. Remind them also at every opportunity.
• If possible, get the Chorus Editor to add Camp info into the next Semi-Chorus or Chorus edition for you.
• Make sure you liase with the camp owner and find out everything there is to know about the camp. Any hidden costs, things that aren't included (like, say, hot water maybe) etc. Anything that might be painful to learn when we arrive.
• Find out exactly what the camp owners opinions on alcohol are and let the choir know. This is one thing we don't want stuffed up. If the camp says no alcohol then we will visit a nearby pub. Let the pub know we're coming.
• Design a camp form. Ask to look at old camp forms or get someone to double check that you have all the required information and questions on it. And a map. Most people need a map.
• Get the camp form out nice and early so that food can be arranged. Get forms back from everyone ASAP and make announcements about the extreme lack of food there will be at camp if people don't hand you a camp form NOW. Have extra forms on you when you say this because no doubt everyone has left their form at home. Get them to fill them out on the spot.
• Arrange someone to cater. Usually an old chorister or friend of the choir is willing to cater for camp. If it gets tricky ask the committee to network for you as they know a lot of FUCS friendly people who might help.
• Arrange the big shopping expedition. This will involve the caterer, a cheque, a car, lots of receipts and preferably someone who knows all the numbers and dietary requirements of attendees. (ie. hopefully you)
• Give all the forms to the Treasurer so that they can get money off everyone that turned up.
• Arrange a host and 3 Judges for the Revue.
• Arrange for the choristers to help with the camp clean up as soon as rehearsal finishes.
• Sell off/give out left over camp food so you don't have to throw it out. Keep the non-perishables for the next camp.
• Lastly, work with the Social Secretary to arrange a Pub to go to for lunch after camp.
• Sit back and have a beer.

Please refer to the list of current committee members.