Constitution

Version: 20 June 2007

Name and Aim

1:   The name shall be “The Midsomer Norton Society”.

2:   The boundary shall be that of the wards of Midsomer Norton North and Redfield.

3:   The aims of the Society shall be to: i) research and appreciate our history, and ii) to         influence the present and future development of our town.

 

Policy

4:   The Society shall exist to further these aims by legal means which are non-political and non-sectarian.

5:   It may seek members, carry out fund-raising and other relevant activities, make representations to other bodies and join other organisations with similar aims.

 

Members

6:   Membership shall be open to those living within the boundary as defined in Clause 2 (except for associate members – see Clause 8), and is secured by payment of the annual subscription per head, as agreed at the Annual General Meeting.

7:   Membership will secure individual voting rights at meetings.

8:   Associate membership (with no voting rights) shall be for those individuals or organisations outside the boundary who, at the discretion of the committee, would assist or further the Society’s aims.

 

Annual General Meeting

9:   The Annual General Meeting shall be held in June, when the officers and committee shall be elected; the audited accounts shall be presented and a report of the previous year’s activities made.

 

Special General Meeting

10:  A Special General Meeting may be called at any time by the committee or at the request of 10 (ten) members.

11:  Members shall have at least two weeks’ written notice of the Annual General or a Special General Meeting, with a list of the business to be carried out in the form of a written agenda.

12:  No decision may be taken at an Annual General or Special General Meeting unless fifteen voting members are present. There must be a two-thirds majority except for the election of officers and committee as Clause 15 below.

 

Society Meetings

13: The Society shall call at least one meeting of members per year in addition to the Annual General Meeting, when Society business shall be discussed, with decisions taken on the basis of Clause 12.

 

Committee

14:  The Society shall be managed by a committee of at least 7 (seven) but not more than 10 (ten) members, including officers. In accordance with Clause 4, elected political representatives at either a local, regional or national level shall not be eligible to serve on the Committee.

15: The officers of the Society - president, chairperson, secretary and treasurer - shall be elected by simple majority at the Annual General Meeting; nominees not elected are automatically nominated for election to the committee.  Committee members shall be elected by simple majority to bring the total up to the maximum of 10 (ten).

16: The committee may co-opt up to two other persons annually to fill vacancies that may arise; these may vote at committee meetings, provided that the maximum of 10 (ten) committee members in total is not exceeded.

17: The committee may appoint and dissolve sub-committees, which shall report their decisions and actions to the main committee, and keep minutes and file them with the secretary.

18: The secretary shall keep minutes of all committee meetings and hold for reference those received from sub-committees.

19: The committee shall meet at least 4 (four) times a year, at least one week’s notice being given, together with an agenda.

20: Five committee members shall be a quorum.

21: The officers of the Society shall be the “executive”, who may make emergency decisions pending consultation with the committee.

22: The committee will try to consult members on matters of policy and programme whenever possible.

 

Nominations

23: Nominations by members, with proposer and seconder, for the officers and committee shall be received by the secretary 14 (fourteen) days before the Annual General Meeting.

 

Finance

24: The financial year shall start on 1 June.

25: The treasurer shall keep accounts and present them, audited, at the Annual General Meeting.

26: The honorary auditor shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting if possible.

27: The financial records shall be available at any time with reasonable notice.

28: The subscription rate shall be agreed by members at the Annual General Meeting.

29. The officers and committee shall be empowered to authorise any legitimate expenditure in pursuance of the Society’s declared aims and policies, subject to a simple majority vote in favour by at least a quorum of its members.

 

Alteration and Dissolution

30: Alteration of these rules may take place only at an Annual General or Special General Meeting with notice as above (Clause 11), and with a two-thirds majority of members attending.

31: The rules for dissolution of the Society are as for alteration (Clause 30).  Any money remaining after debts have been paid shall be donated to one or more Registered Charities as agreed by the dissolution meeting.