CONSTITUTION

1. NAME

• The society shall be known as the Cheltenham Amateur Radio Association, hereinafter referred to as the Association.

2. AIMS

• The aims of the Association shall be to further the interests of its members in all aspects of amateur radio and directly associated activities.

3. MEMBERSHIP

• a. Membership shall be by application and be subject to approval by simple majority in Committee. Prospective members may attend meetings for three months without payment of subscriptions.
• b. Full Members shall normally pay the full subscription.
• c. Student Members must be under 25 years of age and in full-time formal education, and shall pay a reduced subscription determined by the Committee.
• d. Honorary Life Membership may be granted to any person who in the opinion of the Committee has rendered exceptional service to the Association either directly or indirectly. Such membership shall carry the rights of full membership but shall be free from subscriptions.
• e. Guests may be invited by members to attend meetings, but may not attend more than three meetings in any one year.
• f. Members joining in mid-year may at the discretion of the Treasurer pay a pro-rata subscription.
• g. All members shall abide by the constitution of the Association. The Committee shall have the power to expel any member whose conduct in the opinion of at least three-quarters of the full Committee renders that person unfit to be a member of the Association.? No member shall be expelled without first having been given an opportunity to appear before the Committee.

4. SUBSCRIPTIONS

• a. The annual subscription shall be determined at the AGM, or exceptionally at an EGM, following a recommendation by the Committee.
• b. Subscriptions cover a calendar year and thus fall due in January each year.
• c. A member who has not renewed his/her subscription by 31st March shall be deemed to have resigned from the Association.
• d. The Committee shall have the power to waive or reduce subscriptions in special circumstances; each such case shall be reviewed annually.

5. FINANCE

• a. The Association's financial year shall run from 1st November to 31st October.
• b. Monies received by the Association shall be deposited in the Association's bank account(s). Withdrawals require the signatures of two of the nominated Officers of the Association.
• c. All expenditure must normally be approved in advance by the Committee; in exceptional circumstances two Officers (one of whom shall be the Treasurer if available) and one Ordinary Committee Member of the Association may jointly approve expenditure in advance but their decision must be presented to the next meeting of the Committee for endorsement.

6. COMMITTEE

• a. The Association's affairs shall be managed and administered by a Committee elected at the AGM.
• b. The Committee, in whom the Association's property shall be vested, shall consist of:
• • i. A Chairman who will normally preside at all meetings at which he/she is present.
  • ii. A Deputy Chairman who will act as chairman when necessary.
  • iii. A Secretary who will be responsible for:
    • (a) Keeping the minutes of General Meetings of the Association and meetings of the Committee,
    • (b) Ensuring that all correspondence is correctly handled and held on file,
    • (c) Maintaining a master list of all members,
    • (d) Maintaining and holding the Association's records of past meetings and correspondence.
  • iv. A Treasurer who will be responsible for:
  • • (a) Keeping the Association's accounts,
    • (b) Advising the Committee on financial matters,
    • (c) Maintaining a register of equipment and other assets owned by the Association,
    • (d) Preparing the annual accounts for examination and presentation at the AGM.
  • v. Four Ordinary Committee Members.
• c. At an AGM no person may be elected to the Committee when that would result in him/her serving for more than five consecutive years in the same capacity.
• d. The Committee shall have the power to co-opt members of the Association to fill vacancies on the Committee, and to form sub-committees or working groups for special purposes.
• e. The Committee may invite members of the Association to attend committee meetings for particular purposes but such members shall not have any voting rights at such meetings.
• f. All Officers and Ordinary Committee Members must be members of the Association.

7. COMMITTEE STANDING ORDERS

• a. The quorum for the Committee shall be four which must include at least two Officers.
• b. In the absence of a quorum business may be dealt with but any decisions taken only become valid after ratification at the next Committee meeting at which a quorum exists.
• c. Committee meetings may be called by the Chairman or by the Secretary or at the request of four or more members of the Committee.

8. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

• a. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall normally be held in the month of December each year.
• b. At least 21 days notice in writing shall be given to each member.? The notice must include a call for nominations for the election of Officers, Ordinary Committee Members and Accounts Examiner(s).
• c. Nominations must be handed to the Secretary before the commencement of the meeting and will only be accepted if confirmed by the nominee at the meeting or previously in writing.
• d. In the event of there being only one nomination for a committee post, the person nominated shall be deemed elected.
• e. The quorum for an AGM shall be 20 percent of the paid-up membership.
• f. The agenda for the meeting shall include:
  • i. Apologiesfor absence.
  • ii. Minutes of the previous AGM.
  • iii. Chairman's report.
  • iv. Treasurer's report.
  • v. Annual subscription.
  • vi. Election of Officers.
  • vii. Election of Ordinary Committee Members.
  • viii. Election of Accounts Examiner(s).
  • ix. Any Other Business.
• g. Items i to v shall be chaired by the outgoing Chairman, the election of the new Chairman by a member not seeking election as Chairman, and the remaining business by the new Chairman.

9. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

• a. An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) may be called by the Committee or be requested by not less than 20 percent of the paid-up membership of the Association. At least 28 days notice in writing must be given to the Secretary who shall in turn give members at least 14 days notice in writing of the date and agenda; only the business described in the agenda may be transacted at the EGM.
• b. The quorum for an EGM shall be 20 percent of the paid-up membership.

10. VOTING AT GENERAL MEETINGS AND IN COMMITTEE

• a. Voting shall be by a show of hands or secret ballot as decided by the Chairman.
• b. Voting shall be by a simple majority of those present; proxy votes shall not be allowed.
• c. In the event of a tied vote the chairman of the meeting shall have an additional, casting, vote.

11. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

• a. The constitution may be amended only at an EGM called for that purpose.

12. WINDING UP OF THE ASSOCIATION

• a. The decision to wind up the Association may be taken only at an EGM.
• b. The funds of the Association shall, after the sale of all assets and the payment of all outstanding debts, be disposed of as directed by members at the final EGM.

Adopted at an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Association held on 7 November 1997.

Amended at an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Association held on 3 December 2004 (para 6f added; and 'auditor(s)' replaced by 'accounts examiner(s)' )

Further amended at an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Association held on 2 December 2005 (para 6 at b, iv(d) 'audit' replaced by 'examination', and at c, 'three consecutive years' replaced by 'five consecutive years').