Walsall Wood Camera Club, Constitution

Constitution

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1. THE CLUB The Club shall be known as the Walsall Wood Camera Club ("the Club").
2. AFFILIATION The Club shall be affiliated to the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain through the Midland Counties Photographic Federation.
3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The aims and objectives of the Club are 3.1 To promote and encourage all aspects of photography. 3.2 To encourage beginners to learn and practise the methods of photography and to expand their interest in photography. 3.3 To provide a friendly positive atmosphere in which discussion and constructive criticism may take place about photography for the benefit of all members of the Club
4. MEMBERSHIP 4.1 Membership shall be open to all persons who have an interest in photography regardless of race, religion or gender. 4.2 All members must re-register each year. Membership of the Club will however, only take effect upon payment of the annual subscription. 4.3 Any member whose subscription remains unpaid for more than two months after the same shall fall due, shall be reminded by the Treasurer of such non payment and if the subscription shall still remain unpaid after one further month from the date of the reminder, then such member will be deemed to be no longer a member of the Club. 4.4 The Treasurer will keep a record of the membership of the Club. 4.5 Acceptance of membership of the Club will imply an undertaking by the member to comply with the rules of the Club under this Constitution. 4.6 Members under the age of eighteen years must be accompanied at all times by a parent or guardian or other responsible adult at all meetings and events held by the Club. 4.7 The Committee shall have the right to refuse membership of the Club for any person whose membership, in the opinion of the Committee, could be contrary to the welfare and interests of the Club. The Committee shall also have the right to terminate the membership of any member who shall, in the opinion of the Committee, bring the Club into disrepute.
5. SUBSCRIPTIONS 5.1 The rates of subscription for membership of the Club and the amount of the member's weekly attendance fees and visitor's attendance fees shall be agreed at the Club's Annual General Meeting each year. 5.2 The annual subscription shall become due as to one half thereof payable on the first Tuesday of September of each year and as to the remaining one half thereof payable on the first Tuesday of the following January of each year.
6. MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB 6.1 The Club shall be managed by a Committee which shall consist of the Officers of the Club and not more than five other members. 6.2 The Officers of the Club shall consist of a Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Programme Secretary and Competition Secretary. 6.3 The Committee shall have power to co-opt members of the Club to the Committee to fill any vacancy on the Committee provided that such co-option shall not increase the number of committee members to more than ten. There shall however not be more than two co-opted members on the Committee at any one time. 6.4 All Officers of the Club and all Committee members shall retire annually but shall be eligible for re-election each year at the Annual General Meeting. 6.5 The Committee shall hold regular committee meetings and a quorum shall consist of four members, two of whom must be Officers of the Club. 6.6 The Secretary will conduct all the general administration and correspondence of the Club (except as directed by the Committee) and keep minutes of all committee meetings and the Annual General Meetings and any Special General Meetings of the Club. The minutes of the Annual General Meetings and any Special General Meetings shall be made available to the membership of the Club. 6.7 The Programme Secretary elected at the Annual General Meeting shall be responsible for arranging a programme of events for one year commencing with the first Tuesday in September of the following year. 6.8 All offices and other membership of the committee shall be open to any paid up member of the Club and will be chosen by ballot at the Annual General Meeting. 6.9 The Chairman will not vote on a proposal at any meeting except in a situation where a casting vote is required.
7. PRESIDENT 7.1 The President is an honorary position appointed by the Committee and approved by the membership of the Club at the Annual General Meeting. 7.2 There shall be no limit to the number of years the President may remain in office. 7.3 The President shall have the right to attend committee meetings but shall not have any committee voting rights.
8. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 8.1 Annual General Meetings shall be held on the last Tuesday in September in each year. 8.2 The Secretary shall give notice of the Annual General Meeting no later than the first Tuesday in September of each Year. 8.3 Nominations for the positions of the five Officers of the Club and for the other Committee positions, shall be given to the Secretary no later than seven days prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting. 8.4 If there shall be no nominations received in respect of any one of the positions of the five Officers of the Club or in respect of any one of the other Committee positions, then and only then, nominations for any such vacant positions will be accepted from the membership of the Club present at the Annual General Meeting. 8.5 A quorum shall consist of ten members of the Club, five of whom must be members of the Committee.
9. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING 9.1 A Special General Meeting may be called by the Committee to discuss a special issue that cannot be delayed until the next Annual General Meeting. 9.2 Any individual member of the Club can call for a Special General Meeting provided that they can provide proven support from at least ten other members of the Club. 9.3 A Special General Meeting shall be held within twenty one days of the calling notice, such notice must however be issued through the Committee. 9.4 A quorum shall consist of ten members of the Club, five of whom must be members of the Committee.
10. FINANCIAL MATTERS 10.1 The Club's financial year shall run from the 1st September of one year to the 31st August of the next year. 10.2 The Treasurer shall collect all monies due to the Club and shall maintain a record of the income and expenditure of the Club and shall present a written balance sheet detailing such income and expenditure each year for approval by the members of the Club at the Annual General Meeting. 10.3 The Club's bank account shall be operated by the Treasurer upon the authority of two of three authorised signatories all of whom must be Officers of the Club. 10.4 Visiting Judges and Lecturers will, in additional to their normal or agreed fee, be reimbursed for all usual expenses incurred arising from their visit to the Club. 10.5 Members of the Club will be reimbursed for all usual expenses incurred in carrying out business on behalf of the Club. 10.6 The Club shall maintain insurance cover in accordance with the recommendations of the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain and the Midland Counties Photographic Federation.
11. DISSOLUTION 11.1 Dissolution of the Club can only be made by a majority vote at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting called in accordance with the rules of this Constitution. 11.2 In the event of the Club being dissolved, all items of the Club's property and equipment shall be sold and the proceeds of sale shall be paid into Club funds from which all of the Club's liabilities will be discharged including all Treasurer's and other Officer's expenses incurred. Any surplus after such payments as aforesaid shall be donated to such charity or charities and in such proportions as the Committee shall in their absolute discretion think fit..
12. INTERPRETATION The Committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of these or any rules of the constitution of the Club and the decision of the Committee upon any matters affecting the Club, not provided for by these rules, shall be final and binding upon all members of the Club.
13. AMMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION Amendments to this constitution may only be made by agreement of the majority of the members of the Club present at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting of the Club.
John Withnall Secretary Walsall Wood Camera Club 31st January 2012 © Walsall Wood Camera Club