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©2019 by Shefford Town Memorial Association.

                                                           SHEFFORD TOWN MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION

1. Name

The name of the group Shefford Town Memorial Association

2. Aims

The aims of Shefford Town Memorial Association (STMA)

· To bring together people from the diverse communities in Shefford, Chicksands and the surrounding areas

· To promote recreational, educational and sporting activities, mutual support and joint aid among our members.

· To establish different sporting activities

3. Membership

Membership is open to anyone who:

· lives in Shefford, Chicksands or the surrounding area; and

· supports the aims of the STMA

Membership will begin as soon as the membership form and first annual payment has been received.

There will be an annual membership fee which will be agreed at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and will be payable by all members.

A list of all members will be kept by the membership secretary.

Ceasing to be a member

Members may resign at any time in writing to the secretary.

Any member who has not paid their membership fee for one year will be contacted by the committee, who will then decide whether that member is deemed to have resigned.

Any offensive behaviour, including racist, sexist or inflammatory remarks, will not be permitted. Anyone behaving in an offensive way or breaking the equal opportunities policy may be asked not to attend further meetings or to resign from the group if an apology is not given or the behaviour is repeated. The individual concerned shall have the right to be heard by the management committee, accompanied by a friend, before a final decision is made.

 

 

4. Equal Opportunities

The STMA will not discriminate on the grounds of sex, race (including colour, ethnic or national origin), sexual orientation, disability, gender reassignment, religious or political belief or age.

 

5. Disciplinary and Complaints.

Should a report of Breach of rules against a club member be reported. The Chairperson and Committee have an obligation to investigate and take appropriate action. (Full procedure available on noticeboard)

Complaints

All complaints need to be supported in writing for the attention of the Steward. This can be done in letter and delivered to the S.T.M.A office in the main Foyer. Directly handed to the Steward or emailed to stmasteward@gmail.com

If a complaint regards the Stewards, it is the same procedure but address all communication to the Chairperson S.T.M.A or Email shefford.stma@gmail.com The above process will then follow lead by the Chairperson (Full procedure on notice board)

6. Officers and committee

The business of the group will be carried out by a Committee elected at the Annual General Meeting. The Committee will meet every month.

The Committee will consist of maximum of 20 members, and be composed of officers and committee members, a representative of the Shefford Town Council and the Steward. Up to 2 additional members may be co-opted onto the committee at the discretion of the committee.

The officers’ roles are as follows:

· Chair, who shall chair both general and committee meetings

· Secretary, who shall be responsible for the taking of minutes and the distribution of all papers

· Treasurer who shall be responsible for maintaining accounts

In the event of an officer standing down during the year a replacement will be elected by the next General Meeting of members.

Any committee member not attending a meeting without apology for three months will be contacted by the committee and asked if they wish to resign.

7. Meetings

7.1. Annual General Meetings

An Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held annually

All members will be notified in writing at least 3 weeks before the date of the meeting, giving the venue, date and time.

Nominations for the committee may be made to the Secretary before the meeting, or at the meeting if positions are vacant.

The quorum for the AGM will be 10% of the membership or 10 members, whichever is the greater number.

At the AGM:-

· The Committee will present a report of the work of the STMA over the year.

· The Committee will present the accounts of STMA for the previous year.

· The Committee for the next year will be elected. (Officers to be elected by the committee)

· Any proposals given to the Secretary at least 7 days in advance of the meeting will be discussed.

7.2 Special General Meetings

The Secretary will call a Special General Meeting at the request of the majority of the committee or at least eight other members giving a written request to the Chair or Secretary stating the reason for their request.

The meeting will take place within twenty-one days of the request.

All members will be given two weeks’ notice of such a meeting, giving the venue, date, time and agenda, and notice may be by telephone, email or post.

The quorum for the Special General Meeting will be 10% of the membership or 10 members, whichever is the greater number.

7.3 Committee Meetings

Committee meetings may be called by the Chair or Secretary. Committee members must receive notice of meetings at least 7 days before the meeting.

The quorum for Committee meetings is six Committee members.

8. Rules of Procedure for meetings

All questions that arise at any meeting will be discussed openly and the meeting will seek to find general agreement that everyone present can agree to.

If a consensus cannot be reached a vote will be taken and a decision will be made by a simple majority of members present. If the number of votes cast on each side is equal, the chair of the meeting shall have an additional casting vote.

9. Finances

An account will be maintained on behalf of the Association at a bank agreed by the committee. Three cheque signatories will be nominated by the Committee (one to be the Treasurer). The signatories must not be related nor members of the same household.

All payments will be signed by two of the signatories.

· For cheque payments, the signatories will sign the cheque.

· For other payments (such as BACS payments, cash withdrawals, debit card payments or cash payments), payments will be raised by the Treasurer and authorised by one of the signatories to the account.

Records of income and expenditure will be maintained by the Treasurer and a financial statement given at each meeting.

All money raised by the STMA is only to be used to further the aims of the group, as specified in item 2 of this constitution.

10. Amendments to the Constitution

Amendments to the constitution may only be made at the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting.

Any proposal to amend the constitution must be given to the Secretary in writing. The proposal must then be circulated with the notice period of the meeting.

Any proposal to amend the constitution will require a two thirds majority of those present and entitled to vote.

11. Dissolution

If the STMA is unable to operate it should, as the deeds state, be closed and passed to the Shefford Town Council as trustees who will set up the club to be run as a facility to benefit the people of Shefford and the surrounding areas

12 Assets.

No assets should be disposed off without the permission of theTown council in writing.

 

This amended constitution was agreed on

Date ………/…………/…………….

Name and position in group ………………………………………….

Signed ………………………………………….

Name and position in group ………………………………………….

Signed …………………………………………