CONSTITUTION OF NEWQUAY TOWN RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION
The aims of the association are:
• to represent and promote the interests of all residents within the association’s catchment area;
• to actively encourage all residents to become involved;
• to provide help and assistance to all residents who want to get more involved;
• to encourage community spirit within the catchment area of the association;
• to campaign for or provide facilities or resources required by the community;
• to make representations to any public body whose function may at any time
have an affect on the welfare of the members of the association;
• to affiliate to any other organisation which has the same or similar aims to this association whose objectives will benefit the members of this association;
• to promote equal opportunities within the community.
MEMBERSHIP
Membership of the association is open regardless of class, colour, culture, ethnic origin, race, religion, disability, sexuality, gender or marital status to:
i) All residential freeholders, leaseholders and tenants over 18 years of age living in the catchment area, who shall be called FULL MEMBERS
b) All other residents over 18 years of age living in the catchment area, who shall be called ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
It is a condition of membership that members, at all times conduct themselves in a reasonable manner at meetings or in premises used by the association. Any member may be excluded for breach of this condition or for any other conduct that contravenes the objectives of the association, by a majority of those present and voting at any committee or general meeting. Any member so excluded shall have a right of appeal to the following meeting.
MEMBERSHIP FEE
The membership fee shall be £2 per annum.
COMMITTEE
A committee will be elected to carry out the business of the association.
The committee will consist of a Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer and at least two other committee members.
The committee will be elected at the Annual General Meeting.
The committee shall meet at least once a month and no less than ten times each year.
Any member of the association can be co-opted onto the committee by the committee for the purpose of filling a vacancy or vacancies arising from the resignation of a committee member.
Posts will only be filled in this way until the next General Meeting or Annual
General Meeting whichever is the sooner to be held.
Minutes of the committee meetings will be made available to any members of the association on request.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The association will hold an Annual General Meeting once in each calendar year.
Not more than fifteen months will pass between the date of one Annual General Meeting and the next.
The main business of the Annual General Meeting will be to:
• agree the statement of accounts for the previous year and reports of the Chairperson and Secretary;
• accept the resignation of the committee for the previous year;
• elect a new committee for the coming year; and
• vote on any recommendations or alterations to the constitution.
The secretary will give all members of the association at least twenty-one days notice of the Annual General Meeting. This notice will state the purpose, date, time and place of the meeting.
GENERAL MEETING
The committee may call a general meeting at anytime, but will call no less than two each year.
The purpose of this meeting will be to:
• update members on any outstanding issues; and
• to fill any vacancies on the Committee which may have arisen since the Annual General Meeting.
The secretary will give all members of the association at least fourteen days written notice of a General Meeting. This notice will state the purpose, date, time and place of the meeting.
SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING
Special General MeetingA Special General Meeting can be called if ten or more members of the association submit a request, giving the reasons for such a meeting, in writing, to the secretary. The request will state the purpose for which the meeting is being called.
The secretary will give all members at least fourteen days notice, in writing, of any Special General Meeting. The notice will state the purpose, date, time and place of the meeting.
QUORUM
The Annual General Meeting, General Meetings and Special General Meetings will only be deemed to be quorate it at least five members of the association are present and voting.
If a quorum is not present within thirty minutes of the time appointed for holding the meeting then:
• if the meeting was convened at the request of the members, it shall be Dissolved.
• if the committee convened the meeting, it will be adjourned and an alternative date agreed. If a quorum is not present at the adjourned meeting within thirty minutes from the time appointed for holding the meeting, the members present will be deemed to be quorate.
Committee meetings will be deemed to be quorate, if at least four committee members are present and voting.
If a committee meeting is not quorate, the meeting can still take place, but no decisions should be made.
VOTING
A resolution that is put to the vote of the meeting will be decided on show of hands, unless a ballot is demanded by:
• the meeting’s Chairperson; or
• at least five members present and entitled to vote.
Unless a ballot is demanded, a declaration by the Chairperson of the result of the show of hands shall be proof of the fact.
In case of an equal number of votes being cast, whether on show of hands or by ballot, the chairperson of the meeting will be entitled to a casting vote (providing the occupant of this post has the right to vote on the issue in question).
FINANCES
All money raised for or on behalf of the association will only be used for the benefit of members of the association.
No member of the association will receive payment or benefit from the association with the exception of incurred expenses.
The association’s accounts should include records of all of the sums of money received and spent by the associated and details of the transactions involved, together with all sales and purchased by the association.
The treasurer will arrange for the accounts to be audited by a suitably qualified organisation, not represented on the association.
The treasurer will open a bank account in the name of the association.
Cheque signatories will be nominated by the committee (one to be the treasurer).
No two members of the same household may be cheque signatories.
All cheques and instructions to the association’s bankers will require two of the agreed signatures.
CHANGES TO THE CONSTITUTION
The constitution can be altered at an Annual General Meeting. Any request for changes must be submitted to the secretary in writing at least fourteen days before the date of the Annual General Meeting.
Changes to this constitution must be agreed by a majority of members present and voting at an Annual General Meeting.
DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS
The Chairperson (or in his/her absence another committee member) will conduct the meetings of the association.
The Treasurer will open and maintain a bank account in the name of the association. The Treasurer and one of the other committee members nominated as signatories will sign all cheques. The Treasurer will keep proper accounts of income and expenditure and report on them or provide them up as required by the committee of the Council. A suitably qualified person who is not a member of the association should check these accounts.
The Secretary will be responsible for convening all meetings and giving the required notice to members. He/she will ensure that a proper record is kept of all meetings and will produce these as required by either the committee. The secretary will also produce records of committee and general meetings and make these available to members on request.
DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION
Any decision to dissolve the association can only be taken at a Special General Meeting called for the purpose of voting on such a decision.
The decision to dissolve the association can only be made by the majority of those present and voting at such a meeting.
All assets of the association remaining once the debts have been cleared will be passed to any successor body or organisation with similar objectives or failing that to any charitable organisation. A decision regarding this will be made at the meeting to dissolve the association.
