Member’s Handbook                                                                                                                                                              Page  9

Absences

General Guidelines

Singers are expected to attend all regular, relevant sectional and dress rehearsals.  Singers must report and record all absences.  Singers must report absences (regardless of the reason for that absence) to the Secretary in person or using the contact information on the first page of this Handbook.  Singers must also record their absences in the attendance roster, which serves as the official record of their attendance history.  The Secretary will record absences if the singer fails to or is unable to do so (e.g., the singer is ill or has a personal emergency).

  Regular and Sectional Rehearsal Absences

Singers must report and record anticipated rehearsal absences as far in advance of the absence as possible so that sections and music can be adjusted accordingly.

Singers must also report and record anticipated late arrivals and/or early departures from rehearsals on or before the impacted rehearsal date.

Singer should record unanticipated mid-rehearsal arrivals/departures in the attendance roster. 

Dress Rehearsal Absences

Singers with known scheduling conflicts that will result in their missing a dress rehearsal (in whole or in part) must resolve this with the Artistic Director as far as possible in advance of the event.

In case a singer is absent from a dress rehearsal, his/her eligibility to sing the corresponding performance series will be decided by the Artistic Director.  In this case, the decision of the Artistic Director regarding a singer’s performance eligibility is final.

Performance Absences

Singers with known scheduling conflicts that will result in their missing a performance (in whole or in part) must resolve this with the Artistic Director as far as possible in advance of the event so that music and sections can be adjusted accordingly.

Similarly, singers should report to the Secretary as soon as possible any absences due to illness (discussed below) or personal emergencies.

Absences Due to Illness

Singers who are ill, or who are unable to vocalize reliably due to recent illness, should exercise good judgment.  They should attend regular, sectional and/or dress rehearsals only if they are ambulatory and not contagious.  In this case they must audit the rehearsal by sitting as far as practicable from the other singers to avoid contact, and they also should refrain from singing.

Singers who are ill and contagious should not attend regular, sectional and/or dress rehearsals regardless of their ability to vocalize.  In this case the singer should report and record their absence as soon as they are physically able to do so.

Singers who are ill and contagious, or who are unable to vocalize reliably due to recent illness, should not perform.  In this case, they should report their absence as soon as possible so that sections can be adjusted as needed before the affected performance.

A singer who reports to a regular, sectional or dress rehearsal, or to a performance, but who appears to be too ill to participate, may be dismissed from the event at the discretion of the Artistic Director.

Absences due to Personal Emergencies

Singers should report unanticipated absences due to personal emergencies if possible.  Such absences are recorded in the attendance roster by the singer or by the Secretary.

Rehearsal Make-up

Singers are expected to independently make-up the rehearsal work they miss due to absences, per the Good Standing Criteria listed earlier in the Handbook.

Leave of Absence

A member may choose not to prepare a concert series, or they may be unable to attend rehearsals for an extended time due to personal, medical or other reasons.  As a courtesy, the singer should discuss this planned, extended absence with the Artistic Director as far in advance as possible so that music and sections can be planned appropriately for the affected series.  In addition, the singer must complete a Leave of Absence Record, shown as Attachment B, and return this form to the Secretary.

Members on leave of absence will continue to be copied on conventional and electronic mail sent to the membership and are encouraged to stay engaged in the chorus through Board or committee activities if possible.  The Secretary will contact the member after his/her recorded leave period has expired to ascertain if the singer is returning to singing membership.  In not, the singer will be dropped from the Schola membership roster.  If the singer wishes to extend his/her leave, the Secretary will note the new absence period on the singer’s leave form.  Members who take a leave of absence from two or more consecutive series may be required to re-audition to return as singing members of Schola, at the discretion of the Artistic Director.