Constitution

NETHER STOWEY TWINNING ASSOCIATION

THE CONSTITUTION

1 Name of Association

1.1The name of the Association shall be THE NETHER STOWEY TWINNING ASSOCIATION.

2 The Aims of the Association

2.1To promote and foster friendship and understanding between people of NETHER STOWEY and those of THEILLAY in FRANCE and those of other communities with which the Association may form later links.

2.2To encourage visits by individuals and groups to and from linked communities, particularly by children and young people, and the development of personal contacts, by so doing to broaden the mutual understanding of the cultural, educational and commercial activities of the linked communities.

2.3To organise fund-raising activities to foster the aims of the Association.

3 Membership

3.1Membership shall be open to all persons or organisations in sympathy with the aims of the Association.

3.2The Management Committee shall have the power, without assigning any reason, to refuse membership to any applicant.

3.3There shall be three categories of membership.

Individual Membership.

Family membership; being open to all members of a family excepting sons or daughters over the age of eighteen years.

Corporate membership; does not of itself entitle members, or employees of the organisation which is a member, to the rights of an individual or family membership. Corporate membership entitles not more than two members of the organisation to the rights conferred on individual or family members.

3.4No member shall be eligible to travel on official Twinning trips unless he or she is a paid up member of the Association.

3.5The minimum annual subscription for membership of the Association shall be;-

(a) Individual Membership £3.00 (amended AGM 2006 - £5)

(b) Family Membership £5.00 (amended AGM 2007 - £10)

(c) Corporate Membership £30.00 (to be amended 2007)

unless these subscriptions are amended at the preceding Annual General Meeting or at another General Meeting of the Association.

4 Committee

4.1The affairs of the Association shall be conducted by the Management Committee consisting of a maximum of twelve members.

4.2The Committee shall have the powers to co-opt.

4.3Co-opted members shall have the right to vote.

4.4The quorum shall be five.

4.5The Committee shall have the powers to set up sub-committees, which shall have the power to co-opt to their membership; with the power to vote.

4.6Election of the Committee.

The Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Association.

The Association shall appoint a Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and any such other officers as it deems necessary, including an Honorary Auditor.

No Officer of the Association may serve more than three consecutive years in the same post.

In the event that a serving Officer has completed three consecutive years in post, and no successor is found at the AGM, the serving Officer can stand in post for 1 further year only subject to approval of not less than two thirds of the members present and entitled to vote.

5.Voting

5.1Each Individual member shall have the right to exercise one vote and each Family or Corporate member shall have the right to exercise two votes, provided that two members of such family or organisation are present at the time of voting.

5.2Only Members present at a meeting shall be entitled to vote. The Chairman shall have the casting vote.

6.Meetings

6.1The Management Committee shall call an Annual General Meeting of the Association between the 1st January and 31st March of each year, giving each member at least twenty one days notice in writing.

6.2Special General Meetings may also be convened on the written application of at least ten members of the Association to the Honorary Secretary. Notices of motions for the Annual General Meeting and Special General Meetings shall be received by the Honorary Secretary at least fourteen days before the date of the meeting.

At least twenty one days notice shall be given to all members of the Annual General Meeting and any other General Meeting.

6.3A quorum of the Management Committee shall consist of five voting members. Decisions of the Management Committee shall be made by those present at the meeting and entitled to vote. In the event of an equality of votes, the Chairman (or other person presiding at the meeting) shall have a casting vote whether or not he or she has previously voted.

7 The Chairman

7.1The Chairman of the Management Committee, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer shall be ex-officio members of all sub-committees.

8 Voting at the Annual General Meeting

8.1Only members present at the meeting shall be entitled to vote.

8.2Each Individual member shall be entitled to one vote and each Family or Corporate member shall be entitled to two votes, provided that two members of such family or organisation are present at the meeting. The Chairman shall have a casting vote.

9 Accounts

9.1Audited accounts to the 31st of each year shall be submitted to each Annual General Meeting.

10 Finance

10.1The Association’s financial year shall run from 1st January to 31st December each year.

10.2The income and property of the Association shall be applied solely towards the carrying out of the objective of the Association as set forth in the constitution.

10.3At each Annual General Meeting an audited statement of accounts and balance sheet for the previous year shall be presented.

10.4All monies received on behalf of the Association shall be kept in the safe custody by the Honorary Treasurer and all cheques or withdrawals drawn on the Association’s account shall be signed by not less than two Officers, one of whom shall be the Honorary Treasurer. The Management Committee shall have the power to invest any of the funds of the Association in such security as the Committee may decide.

11 Subscriptions

11.1All subscriptions shall be determined at the Annual General Meeting and payable within two months thereof.

12 Amendments to the Constitution

12.1Amendments to the constitution shall be made at the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting. Notice of the proposed amendments shall be given in writing to the Honorary Secretary at least twenty one days before the meeting and details shall be given in notice convening the meeting. No such amendments shall be carried unless not less that two-thirds of the members present and voting at the meeting vote in favour.

13 Dissolution of the Association

13.1In the event of the dissolution of the Association, all surplus funds shall be transferred to such charities as the Committee shall in its absolute discretion decide.