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THE NORTHIAM & DISTRICT HISTORICAL & LITERARY SOCIETY

Providing Entertaining & Informative Speakers, Events & Films

 

CONSTITUTION

(Revised January 2022)

 

 

1. NAME AND OBJECTIVES

 

1.1 The formal name of the Society shall be The Northiam & District Historical & Literary Society and aims to offer interesting, informative and entertaining speakers, events and activities associated with history and literature, particularly of the local area.

 

 

2. MEMBERSHIP

 

2.1 Membership is open to anyone regardless of place of residence and will begin upon payment of the annual Membership fee.

 

2.2 The annual membership fee, and any changes thereto, shall be be set by the Committee at the final Committee meeting of the season. The membership will be informed of any changes by e-mail or letter as necessary.

 

2.3 A list of all Members will be kept by the Society’s Membership Secretary. The data contained within this list will be held and processed in accordance with the Data Protection Acts 1998 and 2018 and not passed to any third party for marketing or other purposes without the written permission of the individual(s) concerned according to the Society’s Data Protection Policy.

 

2.4 Members may resign at any time in writing to the Membership Secretary, but shall not be entitled to any refund of membership fee unless there are exceptional circumstances.

 

2.5 The Society’s Committee shall have the discretion to charge an admission fee to non-Members attending any of the Society’s activities.

 

3. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

 

3.1 The Society will not discriminate on the grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, sexuality, disability, religious or political belief, marital status or age.

 

3.2 The Society will not permit any offensive or disruptive behaviour, including racist, sexist or inflammatory remarks. Anyone behaving in an offensive or disruptive way may be asked to leave events and meetings organised by the Society and not to attend any future events and meetings or to resign from the Society if an apology is not given or the behaviour repeated. The individual concerned shall have the right to be heard by the Society’s Committee, accompanied by a friend, before a decision is finally made.

 

4. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE

 

4.1 The business of the Society will be carried out by a Committee comprising not more than 12 Members of the Society who shall be nominated by a member of the Society at or before an Annual General Meeting and elected as a Committee Member at that Meeting.

4.2 The Committee will nominate a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer, Programme Secretary and Membership Secretary who, together with all other Committee Members, shall be elected annually at the Society’s AGM.

 

4.3 Members of the Committee shall normally serve for a minimum period of three years or longer, but may opt to resign at any time upon giving the Committee notice, preferably of at least three month’s duration.

 

4.4 The Committee shall have the power to ask a Committee member to resign at any time providing the reasons for such action are given in writing to that Member.

 

4.5 The Committee will meet as necessary and not less than four times in any twelve month period and such meetings will be open to any Members of the Society wishing to attend, who may speak but not vote. All meetings of the Committee will be minuted and such minutes will be available to Members on request.

 

4.6 Three Members of the Committee shall form a quorum provided it consists of the Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson and two other Committee Members.

 

4.7 At meetings of the Committee, resolutions shall be carried by majority voting, the Chairperson having the casting vote.

 

5. MEETINGS OF THE SOCIETY

 

5.1 An Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held within not less than 11 and not more than 15 months after the previous AGM.

 

5.2 All Members of the Society will be notified in writing at least 3 weeks before the date of the AGM, giving the venue, date and time.

 

5.3 Any matter that a member of the Society wishes to raise at the AGM, must be made in writing to the Hon. Secretary within 14 days prior to the AGM.

 

5.4 The quorum for the AGM will be 30% of the Membership or 35 Members, whichever is the greater.

 

5.5 At the AGM:

 

  • The Committee will present the audited accounts of the Society for the previous year together with the Minutes of the last AGM,

  • The Committee will present a report of the activities of the Society over the previous year,

  • The Officers and Members of the Committee will be elected as necessary,

  • Any other relevant matters raised at the AGM will be discussed.

 

5.6 At the AGM, resolutions shall be carried by majority voting, the Chairperson having the casting vote.

 

5.7 This Constitution, and any subsequent amendments, shall only be altered by a two-thirds majority of those present at an AGM. At least three weeks’ notice in writing of any such amendments shall be given to Members.

 

5.8 A Special General Meeting may be requested by a majority of the Members of the Committee, or a group of at least eight general Members. The request must be put to the Chairperson or Hon. Secretary in writing, stating the reason/s why such a meeting is being requested. The Hon. Secretary will arrange the meeting to take place at the earliest possible date but in any case within 28 days of the date of receipt of the request. The provisions of paras 5.2, 5.4 and 5.6 will apply to all SGMs.

 

6. DISSOLUTION

 

6.1 If the Society’s Committee decides that it is necessary to close down the Society, it may call a Special General Meeting (SGM) to do so. The sole business of this meeting will be to dissolve the Society.

 

6.2 If, at the SGM, it is decided to dissolve the Society, all remaining money and other assets, once outstanding debts have been paid, will be donated to a local charitable organisation(s). The organisation(s) shall be agreed at the SGM which agrees to the dissolution.

 

 

 

 

 

This Constitution was agreed as a replacement for the Society’s existing Constitution at the Annual General Meeting of the Northiam & District Historical & Literary Society (held on 11 January 2022).

 

 

Name: ………………………………………

 

Position: …………………………………… (Chairperson)

 

 

Name: ………………………………………

 

Position: …………………………………… (Hon Secretary)

 

 

Date: …………………………………….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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