JOB TITLE Chair of Council LOCATION UK based, accessible to Salisbury and London DIRECT REPORTS Director of the RSCM The following information is included: ■ Introduction ■ The organisation ■ Governance ■ The role ■ The person INTRODUCTION The Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) - ‘the heart and home of church music’ - is the largest church music organisation of its kind, with a substantial membership of over 7000, of whom 80 per cent are in the UK and NW Europe. We are an educational Christian charity whose staff and volunteers are committed to supporting and training church musicians, enabling them to give of their best wherever they serve. The Chair leads the trustees of the RSCM, setting a coherent strategy (in consultation with the Director and senior management) that seeks to deliver RSCM training and resources to increasing numbers of church musicians, across all denominations and church traditions. THE ORGANISATION The Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) was founded in 1927. It is ecumenical in nature and participation, though Anglican in origin. The organisation has over 7,000 individual members and group affiliates who are active in over 30 countries. Participation and involvement in RSCM activity is Chair, RSCM Council - 1 - June 2018 encouraged and enabled by over 600 volunteers in the UK, supported by around 15 staff in Salisbury. Our mission is to enable the best use of music in Christian worship, church life, and in the wider community. We aim to inspire and achieve high standards in all that we do. We are committed to sustaining the inheritance from the past, supporting the work of the present, and securing the long-term future of music in the church. We are an open, life-long learning organisation engaging with young people and adults of all ages. Our training is directed towards clergy and musicians (singers, choir trainers and instrumentalists), and we hope their increased knowledge of music in worship will inspire those who attend their local churches. To find out more about the organisation and educational activities of the RSCM please refer to the web-site at www.rscm.com (but please note that a completely new website is currently being designed and will be available at the start of July). GOVERNANCE The President of the RSCM is the Most Revd Archbishop of Canterbury. The Vice-Presidents are the Right Revd David Stancliffe, the Right Revd Nicholas Holtam (Bishop of Salisbury), and Brian Kay, broadcaster and choral conductor. The governing body of the RSCM is the Council of Trustees, comprising the Chair and up to twelve appointed members. The current Chair is Lord Brian Gill, and Vice-Chair is Mr Ian Church. Council can call upon the services of a number of Honorary Advisors, whose expertise covers a wide range of relevant knowledge. A Voluntary Forum of up to twelve Area Committee Chairs is elected annually and meets approximately three times a year. Membership of the Association (i.e., the company that is known as The Royal School of Church Music) comprises the President, Vice-Presidents, Council members, and the Chair, Secretary and Treasurer of each Voluntary Committee in the United Kingdom and Europe. Voluntary Committees organise music and educational activity at the local level. There are 50 committees in the UK, Republic of Ireland and NW Europe, and committee officers meet together with staff at regional meetings once a year. Chair, RSCM Council - 2 - June 2018 Staff Senior officers, managers and a small administrative staff work from the RSCM’s administrative centre in Sarum College, Salisbury. The Director (and chief executive officer) is Hugh Morris (from 1st August). Two Deputy Directors, Rosemary Field and Stephen Mansfield, each have responsibility for the key areas of education and operations, and during the recent interregnum (of Director) have jointly managed the day-to-day activities of the charity. N.B. The names of current Council members, members of the other groups mentioned above, and senior staff are listed in the Annual Report and Accounts (available from the Charity Commission website http://beta.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=312828&subid=0) THE ROLE The principal role of the Chair is to chair the meetings of Council, in a way that achieves consensus and promotes collective responsibility. He/she will also offer support and oversight of the Director’s work to ensure that the organisation delivers its strategy and business plan. In common with all trustees of the RSCM, the Chair has a responsibility: ■ to ensure that the charity fulfils the purposes for which it was set up – i.e. to serve as the guardian of its mission, and ■ to safeguard the charity’s assets and resources so that they are most effectively applied to its mission. Commitment Meetings which the Chair is responsible for chairing or hosting will require attendance on approximately 10-12 days each year, plus preparation time. Other visits may be appropriate and desirable, for example to promotional or fundraising functions, to special events, services, concerts etc., and to observe the educational work of the RSCM, for example at its residential courses. There are four meetings of Council per year - in March, June, September and December. Three meetings are held in London and last approximately two and a half hours each after a sandwich lunch; the June meeting is held at Sarum College in Salisbury over two days. The Chair agrees the agenda for Council meetings with the Director and Secretary in advance of the meetings. The RSCM’s annual Celebration Day provides an opportunity to celebrate the work of affiliated choirs within a region and confer the organisation’s Honorary Awards. The Chair normally hosts the day, the highlight of which is a specially designed service sung by the local choirs. It is held in a different Cathedral each year. Chair, RSCM Council - 3 - June 2018 There are other meetings to which the Chair is naturally invited, including the Voluntary Forum and the Area Officers’ Meetings, though these are normally chaired by other members of the trustee body. Other time commitment is for the purpose of liaison with the Director in respect of his work. This includes telephone calls or one-to-one meetings to discuss current issues and plans. The Chair also maintains contact with other trustees as and when appropriate. Remuneration This is a voluntary position, though reasonable expenses will be reimbursed. THE PERSON The following criteria for the type of person who could fill the position of Chair of the RSCM Council are all ‘desirable’; to make them all ‘essential’ attributes would be unrealistic. We would expect to appoint someone who can offer a balance of skills and attributes, which fits well with those of the other members of the trustee body. Standing and reputation ■ have demonstrated vision and leadership in assuming the direction of a multi-faceted organisation ■ have standing in his/her field of expertise which commands respect both within and outside their organisation or sphere of control ■ have publicly demonstrated support for the arts, music or education Knowledge and experience ■ strategic planning and financial management ■ directing complex organisations ■ managing people and meetings ■ serving as a trustee on a governing body ■ working within the voluntary sector ■ attracting and developing philanthropic support, including raising funds ■ knowledge of the major UK church and denominational bodies Personal skills and attributes ■ sympathy with the Christian ethos and mission of the organisation Chair, RSCM Council - 4 - June 2018 ■ leadership (persuasion, motivation, interpersonal skills) ■ diplomacy ■ ability to absorb information quickly and work with existing plans and policies ■ common sense and realism ■ good judgement and integrity ■ willingness to challenge other trustees and senior staff ■ clear and strategic thinking ■ understanding of the difference between governance and day-to-day management (leaves the Director to do the job) ■ chairing skills (maximising the use of time to ensure business gets done) ■ commitment to education in general and to church music education in particular ■ appreciation of the role of volunteers FURTHER INFORMATION, OR TO MAKE AN APPLICATION For further information, including arranging a conversation with the current Chair or Vice-Chair of Council, please contact Fiona Wright either via email ([email protected]), or by phone 01722 424848. Applications (a cover letter stating why you would like to be the next Chair of Council, together with a brief CV) should be sent to Fiona Wright, for the attention of Lord Gill no later than 29th June 2018. Chair, RSCM Council - 5 - June 2018 .