SKIPTON & CRAVEN HISTORY SOCIETY
CONSTITUTION (AS REVISED APRIL 2000 with further amendment April 2011)
1. Name
The Society shall be known as “The Skipton and Craven History Society”.
2. Obiects
To encourage and spread interest in all aspects of history by arranging an annual series of lectures and visits and by such other means as may from time to time be appropriate.
3. Membership
(a) Membership of the Society shall be open to all individuals (“individual membership”) and to all associations, institutions and cognate bodies (“corporate membership”) who support the aforementioned objects of the Society.
(b) Any member may terminate his or her membership at any time by notice in writing to the Secretary.
(C) The Committee of the Society may by resolution discontinue the membership of any member whose subscription is more than one year in arrears.
4. Subscriptions
A subscription shall be payable by each member in respect of each financial year of the Society, the amount of which shall be fixed at the Annual General Meeting held at the end of the previous financial year.
5. General Meetinc of Members
(a) An Annual General Meeting of members shall be convened by the Secretary within two months of the end of the Society’s financial year to receive the Committee’s Annual Report and the Treasurer’s Accounts; to elect officers and committee members; to appoint an auditor; and to transact such other business as may be necessary.
(b) Notice of such meeting shall be given on an annual membership card issued to each member at the start of the annual session. Notice shall also be given by verbal announcement not less than 14 days prior to the meeting.
(C) Extraordinary General Meetings of members may be called by the Committee.
(d) Corporate members may be represented at meetings by up to three persons (or more if agreed by the meeting).
(e) Ten members present will constitute a quorum. In the event of a quorum not being present, the meeting shall be adjourned to such place, time and later date as the
Chairman shall then announce to the members present and such adjourned meeting shall constitute a quorum.
(f) Each member present at the meeting (and one such representative of a corporate member) shall have one vote and in the case of an equality of votes the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.
6. Officers
(a) The Society shall at each Annual General Meeting, after considering any recommendations of the Committee, and having regard to their periods of office, elect as their officers a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Programme Secretary, Membership Secretary, Development Officer and Publicity Officer. They shall hold office from the end of that meeting to the end of the next Annual General Meeting and shall then be eligible for re-election. If there are insufficient candidates for office, an officer may hold two offices.
(b) A casual vacancy in any such officers may be filled by the Committee.
(C) All officers shall be honorary.
7. Committee
(a) The Committee of the Society shall consist of:
(i) Ex-officio members: the current officers of the Society.
(ii) Elected members: not more than seven individual members elected by an Annual General Meeting to the end of the next Annual General Meeting, and they shall be eligible for re-election.
(b) The management of the Society shall be vested in the Committee, and all matters not provided for in this constitution and not involving an amendment to this constitution may be dealt with by the Committee, subject to the decision of the Annual General Meeting.
(C) Six members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum.
(d) The Committee has the power of co-option.
8. Finance
(a) The financial year of the Society shall end on 31 March of each year.
(b) The Society shalt have the power to accept donations for any purpose not inconsistent with its objects and may make special appeals for funds to be used in connection with any such purpose.
(c) The income of the Society shall be applied solely towards the objects of the Society as set forth in this constitution and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of profit to any member of the Society, provided that nothing shall prevent the repayment of out-of-pocket expenses.
(d) All monies collected on behalf of the Society shall be credited to a banking account opened in the name of the Society and operated in such a way as the Committee shall determine.
(e) The Treasurer shall keep a record of all receipts and payments and shall present a statement of accounts, duly audited, at each Annual General Meeting.
9. Dissolution
The Society may at any time be dissolved by a resolution passed by a three-quarters majority of those present and voting at a General Meeting of members, notice of which has been delivered or posted to members not less than 21 ‘days prior to the meeting and if any property remains after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities such property shall not be paid or distributed among the members but shall be transferred absolutely to such other organisation as the Society shall decide.
10. Alterations to this Constitution
The Society may amend this constitution by a resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting at a General Meeting of members.