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THE STATUTE

The Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (hereinafter referred to as ‘The Society’) is governed by a Statute approved by a resolution passed during a General Meeting of all Members of the Society, called for this specific purpose.

A new Statute has been recently approved by members during a General Meeting held on and during Council meeting held on it was decided to adopt it with effect from 1 April 2004. The Statute provides also for other Regulations

THE COUNCIL

Council is the highest internal organ of The Society and is responsible for decision making on matters of policy, that of sanctioning the Mission Statement according to the Objectives outlined in the statute, as well as for the formulation of new strategies and new plans or projects from time to time.

Council is composed as follows :-
President (elected every three years)
9 Members (3 members are elected annually and for a 3-year period)
Executive Director – Malta Council for Culture and the Arts (MCCA) (ex officio)
Director of the Society (non-voting member)

Council meets as often as is necessary but not less than once every two months.

At the first meeting after an election Council appoints three officials, namely, the:

Vice President
Hon Secretary
Internal Auditor
and also the Executive Committee

THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Executive Committee is then appointed, and it is composed as provided for in the Statute* as follows :-
President (ex officio)
3 members appointed by Council members
Executive Director (MCCA)
Director of The Society (non-voting member)

The Executive Committee meets once monthly as a minimum and is formed with the specified task of making recommendations to Council on the best policy to be adopted, to devise the best strategies for implementation by Council and to administer The Society through the Administrative Staff.

ADMINISTRATION
The day-to-day administrative tasks of The Society are performed by :-

The Director
An Assistant to the Director
The Accounts Clerk
2 Part-time Clerical Assistants
Teachers are engaged on a contract basis subject to demand

FINANCING OF THE SOCIETY

The Society is a non-profit making entity and therefore income from the services it provides, and from its organised activities is limited to the bare minimum. The interest behind projects it promotes or held under its auspices are primarily to disseminate knowledge in arts, crafts and related subjects, and to promote the work or talent and encourage those participating to further develop their skills. In order to be able to contribute to the artistic and cultural heritage of Malta, the Society generates income from its own resources from :-

Course Registration Fees
Participation Fees
Membership Fees
Donations, Sponsorships and
Fund Raising Activities

Government supports the Society through the Ministry of Education which subsidy is paid quarterly after endorsement by the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts. The Society makes use of its premises on a freehold title granted by Government, and benefits also through other forms of assistance.

The Society administers its financial matters internally and independently through the Executive Committee , and in many instances, these follow the Public Service Financial Regulations. The Society’s accounts are scrutinised by the Auditor’s Office.

THE LEGAL ASPECTS

The Society’s foundation in Malta is characterised by an aura of a ‘Legal’ (officially authorised) origin in that its establishment was front paged in a notification of Government Gazette dated 4 November 1852 under the signature of William H. Thorton Acting Principal Secretary of Government.

In later years there were up to 5 Government Representatives sitting on the Society Council coming from as much Departments, but with the amalgamation of Departments into Ministries or Authorities, these nominations made by the Office of the Prime Minister have been lately reduced to 3 (The Ministries of Education, Finance, and Economic Services.

Since the approval of Act V of 2002 by the House of Representatives establishing the setting up of the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts, listing the Society as a Government Entity in its First Schedule, the MCCA Executive Director has been appointed as its representative. This has been endorsed in the Society Statute.