The CPA exists to represent the world's competitive solo piping community.

The Competing Pipers’ Association Constitution

Title

The Association shall be called ‘The Competing Pipers’ Association’.

Objects

  • To promote and encourage solo piping,
  • to improve the status of competing pipers,
  • to improve the conditions of competitions and public performance for solo pipers, and
  • to foster a spirit of comradeship among members.

Membership

Membership will be open to all competitive pipers throughout their piping career, and to pipers or those interested in piping who wish to support the aims of the Association.

Membership shall be in three categories:

  1. Graded Professional Membership – open to those who are actively competing and request a Grading regardless of their age. Those under 18 years who apply to become Graded Professional Members shall cease to compete at Junior level.
  2. Support Membership – open to those who wish to be allied to and in support of the Association including Amateur pipers and former competitors.
  3. Junior Membership – open to those under the age of 18 years who are not Graded Professional Members.

Application for membership shall be made to the Secretary, who shall be obliged to accept and admit the applicant to the Association if they meet the above criteria. If there are extraordinary circumstances, the Secretary shall seek consultation with the Executive Committee, who may exercise their discretion to grant or refuse an application.

Subscription

The Executive Committee shall recommend an annual subscription fee to the membership for approval at the Annual General Meeting.

Management

  1. The business of the association shall be conducted by an Executive Committee consisting of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and no fewer than four ordinary members.
  2. The Executive Committee shall be elected from the membership at the Annual General Meeting and shall ideally serve a three year term, at the end of which they shall retire from office, but shall be eligible for re-election.
  3. The Executive Committee shall have the power to appoint ordinary members to the Committee to fill a casual vacancy. Any member so appointed shall hold office only until the next Annual General Meeting, but shall then be eligible for re-election.
  4. The Executive Committee may meet and otherwise regulate their meetings as they think fit. Questions arising shall be decided by a majority of votes. In case of an equality of votes the President shall have a second or casting vote. The quorum necessary for the transaction of business may be fixed by the Executive Committee, and unless fixed shall be six.

General Meetings

  1. The Association shall hold an Annual General Meeting in each year, and not more than fifteen months shall elapse between the date of one Annual General Meeting and that of the next meeting. The meetings shall be held at such a time and place as the Executive Committee shall appoint.
  2. The Executive Committee may, whenever they think fit, convene an Extraordinary General Meeting, and shall convene an Extraordinary General Meeting within 42 days of being required to do so by not less than one-tenth of the ordinary members.
  3. Every member shall receive not less than 21 days notice of general meetings.
  4. Every ordinary member shall have one vote and in the case of an equality of votes the President shall have the second or casting vote. Junior members and Support members shall have no vote.
  5. In any major matters of policy concerning the membership as a whole every member will be given the opportunity of a postal or electronic vote.
  6. The quorum for an Annual General Meeting shall be 5% of the total membership.

Grading Committee

The Executive Committee shall appoint Ordinary Members and acknowledged senior members of the international competitive piping community to the Grading Committee. The composition of the Grading Committee shall, as far as is practical, reflect the international representation of the membership of the Association, and shall meet and otherwise communicate at the request of the Executive Committee with regard to matters pertaining to formal gradings.

Funds

The funds of the association shall be paid by the Treasurer into a bank account to be operated upon by two of the President, Secretary and Treasurer. Any monies not required for the immediate purposes of the Association may be invested in any manner sanctioned by law for the Investment Trust Funds. Any property purchased by the association shall be vested in Trustees to be appointed.

Audit

The Ordinary Members not being members of the Executive Committee shall be entitled to appoint a representative member to audit the Association’s books. The appointment or otherwise shall be made at each Annual General Meeting.

Alteration to the Constitution

This Constitution may be altered or added to by a resolution of an Annual General Meeting of the Association carried by a majority of at least two thirds of the Members present at such a meeting, Notice of which shall have contained particulars of the alteration or addition.

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