Constitution
(Updated: November 2021)
The Society shall be known as GLOUCESTER AMATEUR RADIO AND ELECTRONICS SOCIETY.
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The aims of the society shall be the furtherance of the hobbies of Amateur Radio and Electronics experimentation.
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Membership shall be open, at the discretion of the committee, to all persons interested in the amateur radio and/or electronics.
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The affairs of the Society shall be administered by a committee, elected at the Annual General Meeting, in whom the property and finances of the Society shall be vested.
The committee shall comprise:
- A CHAIRMAN who shall preside at all meetings at which he or she is present.
- A VICE CHAIRMAN who shall assume the duties of the chairman as necessary.
- A SECRETARY whose duties shall include: taking the minutes of all meetings of the Society; maintaining a record of all classes of membership; maintaining a register of Society property; dealing with correspondence; ensuring the Society insurances are adequate; arranging meetings and speakers; giving correct notice to members of meetings and advising the chairman of any matters requiring special action.
- A TREASURER whose duties shall include: properly recording all receipts and payments of the Society; recording all persons paid up as members and those in arrear with subscriptions; advising the committee of the current financial position of the Society; recommending any change in the rates of subscription and presenting an audited balance sheet to the Annual General Meeting.
- and up to six ORDINARY MEMBERS
The committee shall have power to fill casual vacancies among their number.
The committee shall have power to appoint managers to perform specific tasks. The appointments and their terms of reference shall be reported to and confirmed by the members at the next following General Meeting and at each Annual General Meeting.
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Meetings shall be held at places and times determined by the committee.
A General Meeting of the members shall be held each month. The General Meeting held in September shall be the Annual General Meeting.
The Agenda for the Annual General Meeting shall typically be:
- Apologies for absence.
- Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting.
- Chairman's report.
- Secretary's report.
- Confirmation of Auditor.
- Treasurer's report.
- Determination of Subscriptions.
- Election of the new committee.
- Report names of current managers and their terms of reference.
- Other Business.
An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called by the committee, or by the Secretary upon written request of ten members eligible to vote.
The business of the Extraordinary General Meeting shall be confined to the matters stated in the request.
Notice of the Annual General Meeting or of an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be given by the Secretary not less than twenty one days before the date of the meeting. The notice shall state the business to be discussed.
A request by a member to call an Extraordinary General Meeting or to include an item on the agenda of the Annual General Meeting under "Other Business" shall be made to the Secretary in writing not less than one month before the date of the meeting.
A nomination for election to the committee shall be valid only if:
- The member nominated has been a member for not less than the previous twelve months, and
- the nomination is confirmed by the nominee in person at the meeting or previously in writing to the Secretary.
At the discretion of the Chairman of the meeting, candidates for membership of the Society and visitors may attend meetings of the Society and, at his/her invitation, may speak but not vote.
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The quorum for the Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be ten members or twenty five percent of the total membership, whichever is less.
A quorum for a meeting of the committee shall be three.
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Voting shall be by show of hands or by ballot as decided by the Chairman.
In addition to his/her vote as a Member, the Chairman of a meeting shall have a casting vote.
Proxy votes shall not be allowed at any meeting.
A two thirds majority of the members present and eligible to vote shall be required to carry a motion seeking to alter the Constitution and Rules of the Society or, a motion proposed at an Extraordinary General Meeting.
A simple majority shall carry any other motion.
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The membership shall consist of FULL and FAMILY members over the age of 18yrs who shall have equal voting rights and HONORARY and ASSOCIATE members none of whom shall vote. Junior members (those under 18yrs) are also permitted when accompanied by an appropriate Parent or Guardian. Junior Members shall not have any voting rights.
A FULL or FAMILY Member shall be a member whose current appropriate subscription has been paid or who has been exempted from further subscriptions as a LIFE member.
HONORARY and ASSOCIATE Members shall be those members elected as such by the committee.
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A candidate for membership shall send to the Secretary an application, setting out his or her name, address and any other particulars which the committee may reasonably direct agreeing to be bound by the Constitution and rules of the Society, together with the appropriate subscription.
Election of members shall take place at a duly convened meeting of the committee. Candidates shall be elected by a simple majority.
The committee may elect Honorary Members upon such conditions as the committee may in each case determine but, the total number of Honorary Members shall not exceed five or five percent of the total membership whichever is the greater.
Whereby reason of distance from the Society headquarters, or otherwise, a member is unable to enjoy the full activities of the Society, the committee shall have power to accord him or her the status of Associate Member upon such conditions as the committee may in each case determine and to waive all or any part of any dues payable by any such member.
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Should the conduct of a member be considered contrary to the interests of the Society or its aims, the matter shall receive the attention of the committee. The member shall be called upon for a satisfactory explanation or his or her resignation; failing which he or she shall be liable to expulsion from the Society subject to a right of appeal to a General Meeting.
Any person ceasing to be a member shall forfeit all rights to claim upon the Society, its property or funds.
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There shall be a flat rate membership fee for all individual members whether in education, employment or in retirement.
There shall also be a flat rate ‘family membership’ fee where there are two full adult members in that family. e.g. Husband and Wife or Parent and Child.
Junior members shall be charged at a reduced rate.
Subscriptions shall become payable at the Annual General Meeting or with application for membership.
The membership of any member who has not paid their subscription within three months of its becoming due shall be treated as lapsed.
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12. Alteration to Constitution and Rules
No change to the Constitution and Rules of the Society shall be made except at the Annual General Meeting or at and Extraordinary General Meeting convened by the committee for the purpose.
A copy of the proposals shall be made available to each member in writing at the General Meeting previous to that at which the matter is to be discussed.
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The winding up of the Society shall requires a motion at an Extraordinary General Meeting.
The committee shall be responsible in a winding up for realising the assets of the Society and paying all outstanding debts.
Any balance remaining thereafter shall either be distributed to the paid up members in proportion to their annual subscription rates, or be given to an organisation with similar interests, or be given to a charitable organisation as determined by the members.
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