WARE & DISTRICT PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
Affiliated to the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain
through the East Anglian Federation
CONSTITUTION
Amended 2018
(1) The Ware & District Photographic Society, hereafter referred to as the Club, shall be open to everyone over the age of 16 years interested in photography. Anyone under 16 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.
(2) The object of the Club is to provide members with a regular meeting place and encourage them to practise and improve their photography.
(3) Membership of the Club implies an undertaking to comply with the Club rules.
(4) The Club year extends from the 1st September to the 31st May in the following year.
(5) An Annual General Meeting shall be held during each Club year. The date of this meeting shall be decided by the Committee and announced not less than 30 days in advance.
(6) The annual subscription for the following Club year shall be fixed at each Annual General Meeting and shall be payable in full in the first month of the Club year or for new members on a pro-rata basis at the date of joining if this is during or after January. Payment by installments may be allowed at the discretion of the Committee. Alterations to the annual subscription during any Club year can be authorized at a Special General Meeting called under Rule 11.
(7) The officers of the Club shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Programme Secretary and Finance Officer. Their term of office shall normally extend until the next Annual General Meeting. The officers are jointly and severally responsible for all monies and other assets belonging to the Club.
(8) The Committee shall consist of the officers of the Club and any members co-opted by the officers. The Committee shall have full executive powers to manage the affairs of the Club.
(9) Officers and other members of the Committee may be elected or voted from office at a Special General Meeting called in accordance with rule ll.
(10) Honorary Life Vice-Presidents and Honorary Life Members of the Club may be elected at either an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting and may attend Committee Meetings but cannot vote. Members of the Committee shall not be eligible for election whilst holding office.
(11) Special General Meetings may be convened either by the Committee, provided at least fourteen days notice is given to members, or by written request signed by at least six members,
stating the purpose of the meeting and sent to the Secretary at least twenty-one clear days before the proposed date. The Secretary shall then call a meeting within fourteen days.
(12) At Committee meetings four, including one officer, shall form a quorum. At general meetings eight, including three officers, shall form a quorum. In the event of equal votes at any meeting, the Chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote.
(13) The Secretary shall keep minutes of Annual and Special General Meetings, record decisions taken at Committee Meetings and conduct the administrative correspondence of the Club.
(14) The Finance Officer shall collect all subscriptions and monies due to the Club and shall make all payments authorized by the Committee. At each Annual General Meeting the Finance Officer shall present an income and expenditure account and balance sheet covering the period from the date of the previous balance sheet to 31 December preceding the Annual General Meeting.
(15) An Auditor appointed for this purpose at the previous Annual General Meeting shall audit the Club accounts. The Finance Officer shall produce all books of account and any other documents required by the Auditor. The Auditor must not be an officer of the Club but could be a member.
(16) The Committee shall have the power to withdraw membership from any individual whose behaviour, in the Committee’s opinion, is detrimental to the members or to the good name of the Club. Any member so expelled by the Committee shall have the right of appeal to a Special General Meeting called for the purpose under Rule 11.
(17) No alterations, deletion or addition to these rules shall be made except at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting.
(18) A minimum of two Club Members, not necessarily Committee members, shall select members work to represent the Club in competitions and competitive exhibitions and
be responsible for the safe custody of that work. Selectors will be appointed by the Committee asrequired.
(19) The office of President shall not be held by an individual for more than five consecutive years unless otherwise approved at an AGM or EGM.
(20) The office of Vice-President shall not be held by an individual for more than five consecutive years unless otherwise approved at an AGM or EGM.
(21) The Club may be dissolved only by the consent of three fourths of the members present at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose. Such meetings shall appoint a liquidator and decide on the disposal of all Club funds and assets.
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