Members:

If you are interested in the Victorian Indigenous music industry and would like to become a member of Songlines then you will need to complete a Songlines membership form. For a copy of the form please contact us via our contact form or call 0428 833 218 for further information.

Who is eligible?

A member must be:

  • At least 18 years of age; and
  • An Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person who normally and permanently resides in Victoria.

How to become a member?

  • A person applies in writing or online
  • A person is eligible under the above requirements
  • The board of directors approve membership

The person’s name and date they became a member is put on the register of members

The directors may refuse to accept a membership application. If they do, they must notify the applicant in writing of the decision and the reasons for it.

Members’ rights

  • A member:
    • Can attend, speak and vote at general meetings
    • Can be made a director
    • Can put forward resolutions at general meetings
    • Can ask the directors to call a general meeting
    • Can look at the books and records of the corporation (if the directors have authorised them to do this, or if the members have passed a resolution which lets them do this)

Members’ responsibilities

  • A member:
    • Must follow these rules
    • Lets the corporation know if they change their address
    • Treats other members with respect

Liability of members

Members do not have to pay corporation debts if the corporation is wound up.

How to stop being a member

A person stops being a member if:

  • They resign in writing
  • They die
  • Their membership is cancelled.
  • The person’s name and date they stopped being a member is put on the register of former members.

Cancelling membership

If a member:

  • Can’t be contacted for two years
  • Misbehaves or
  • Is not an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person

The member can only be removed by special resolution at a general meeting. The directors must then send that person a copy of the special resolution at their last known address, as soon as possible after it has been passed.

If a person is not eligible for membership for some other reason, the directors can cancel their membership by passing a resolution at a directors meeting. Before the meeting, directors need to give the member 14 days to object in writing. If the member objects, the directors can’t cancel the membership. The member can only then be removed at a general meeting by resolution.