.JPG)
Constitution of Stafford Indian Social Club
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25 Cornwall Drive, Stafford - ST170FG
Tel : 01785 256374
1. NAME
The name of the club shall be Stafford Indian Social Club - SISC ('The Club')
2. AREA OF BENEFIT
The Club is formed for the benefit of the inhabitants of Stafford and the neighbourhood areas in particular people of Indian origin, without distinction of sex or of political, religious or other opinions.
3. OBJECTS
The objects of The Club are:
a) advancing education concerning good citizenship in a multi-racial, multi-cultural and multifaith Society and promoting good relations between such persons;
b) advancing education concerning Indian culture and history either independently or jointly with other organisations having similar objects;
c) relieving such persons, primarily those of Indian origin, in conditions of need, hardship or distress, by the provision of an advice and information service;
d) associating the local authorities, voluntary organisations and inhabitants in common effort to advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure time occupation with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants
4. VALUES
We do not tolerate any form of behaviour which is derogatory, demeaning or insulting to other persons or groups on the ground of race, gender, disability, religion, culture, political beliefs, sex, sexual orientation or age.
5. MEMBERSHIP
The membership of the Club shall be open to all unless objected by the Executive Committee.
6. RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES
(a) Every member of the club shall, subject to provisions herein and the bylaws for the time being in force and to any decision by the Executive Committee, be entitled to use and enjoy, in common with other members of the Club, all the services / facilities afforded by the Club from time to time.
(b) Each Member, if over the age of eighteen, shall have right to vote at any General Meeting.
(c) Honorary members and Associate Group Members shall not have a right to vote at any General Meeting and shall not be eligible for election as members of any Committee of the Club save that Honorary and Associate Group Members shall have the right of audience at such meetings.
(d) The rights and privileges of Associate Group Members shall be such as are determined by the Executive Committee from time to time, and they shall not be entitled to exercise any rights and privileges accruing to a member in any other category of membership.
(e) Only members of at least three months standing shall have the right to vote in any election of the Executive Committee.
(f) The President and the Secretary shall be the Club’s official spokesmen
7. MANAGEMENT
a) The affairs of the Club shall be carried out by an Executive Committee (EXCO) not exceeding size of 11 elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. The Executive Committee shall comprise of the following officers, namely: the President, Secretary, Treasurer and not more than eight other members.
b) The Executive Committee shall have right to invite any observers in any Committee Meeting, as it thinks fit.
c) The Executive Committee shall have the power to appoint such Sub-Committees as may be deemed necessary and may determine their terms of reference, powers, duration and composition. All acts and proceedings of such Sub-Committee shall be reported back fully and promptly to the Executive Committee.
d) The Executive Committee may appoint and dismiss such paid/ unpaid officers, not being members of the Executive Committee, as it considers necessary.
e) Unless otherwise stated, a decision of the Executive Committee shall be by way of simple majority of those present and voting. Nine members of the Executive shall constitute the quorum.
f) The office of an Office Bearer or Members of the Executive Committee shall be vacated as such Office Bearer or Member
i.becomes bankrupt or makes arrangement or composition with his/her creditors generally
ii. becomes of unsound mind,
iii. resigns his/her office by notice in writing
iv. is absent from three consecutive Meetings of the Executive Committee without good reason and/or for such reason or for any other good and sufficient reason (subject to the person in question first having the right to be heard by the Executive Committee) and the other Members pass a resolution by a two-thirds majority that the office of such Office Bearer or other Member of the Executive Committee shall be so vacated, provided that the quorum shall
be nine members of the Executive Committee.
g) In the event there being a vacancy in the Executive Committee, any member of the Club over the age of eighteen may be co-opted onto the Executive Committee by a simple resolution of the Executive Committee until the next Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting.
h) The Executive Committee shall meet at least six times a year or thereof deemed necessary and a Special Meeting of the Executive Committee may be called at any time by the President or the Secretary or two members of the Executive Committee upon three clear days’
notice in writing being given to all other Members and such Notice shall give details of all the matters to be discussed.
i) Whenever possible three clear days’ written notice shall be given of all ordinary Meetings.
j) The Executive Committee shall meet together for the dispatch of business and adjourn and otherwise regulate the Meetings, as they think fit. Questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a simple majority, each member of the Executive Committee having one vote, but in the case of an equality of votes the Chair shall have a second or casting vote. The hereinaftermentioned
provisions related to the chairing of the General Meeting of the Society shall apply to Meetings of the Executive Committee.
k) A Minute Book shall be provided and kept by the Executive Committee and the Secretary (or in his/her absence, a member of the Executive Committee) shall enter therein a record of all proceedings and resolutions of each Meeting or at some subsequent Meeting when the Minutes shall have been duly confirmed.
l) The President, Secretary and Treasurer jointly may if the circumstances warrant it make any decision concerning the day-to-day management of the Club without approval from the full Executive Committee, but in such circumstances shall be under a duty to report fully to the Executive Committee at its next Meeting.
8. RESPONSIBILITIES
The Executive Committee shall be empowered to conduct the general administration of the Club, whilst the responsibilities of the Office Bearers shall be as under:
a) President
The President shall represent the Club on all formal occasions and shall be the Chair on all business meetings of the Club. The President shall have a casting vote and his/her decisions concerning the conduct of the Meeting and his/her interpretations of the constitutional problems shall be final. He/she shall be an ex-officio member of all sub-committees.
b) Secretary
In the absence of the President, the Secretary shall be Chair of the Meeting when he/she shall have the rights of the President. In cases of prolonged absence of the President, the Executive Committee may elect the Secretary to be the Acting President, when he/she shall have the right
of the President. The Secretary shall also be the Chief Executive Officer responsible for conducting the affairs of the Club, and shall convene in consultation with the President, or two members of the Executive Committee, any committee meetings as deemed fit and also be responsible for maintaining records, minutes of the meetings etc., and conducting all correspondence unless specially delegated to other members by the Executive Committee. He/she shall be ex-officio member of all sub-committees, which may be appointed. The Secretary shall keep regular Minutes of the Meetings, and have custody of the books, and upon his/her relinquishing office and whenever required by the Executive Committee, hand over all property and books of record to any person delegated by the Executive Committee.
C) Treasurer
The Treasurer shall be generally responsible to the Executive Committee and the Members of the Club for the accounts of the Club. And shall not spend any funds of the Club for purposes other than those in accordance with the objects of the Club. The Treasurer shall be responsible for keeping an up-to-date inventory of all the assets of the Club, and such inventory shall be available for inspection upon request by any member of the Club. To further the objects but not otherwise the Executive Committee may exercise the following powers:
i) Power to raise funds and invite and receive contributions
ii) Power to organise activities, events, lectures, discussions and to produce leaflets and other publicity material.
iii) Power to consult the public by arranging meetings and surveys.
iv) Power to co-operate with other charities, voluntary bodies and statutory athorities operating in furtherance of the objects and to exchange nformation and advice with them.
v) Power to purchase, take on lease or hire property in furtherance of the objects.
vi) Power to pay reasonable out of pocket expenses to committee members and volunteers for costs incurred in carrying out the Club’s business
vii) Power to remunerate any member of the General Committee for professional services rendered to the Club
h) Power to insure and arrange any insurance cover necessary against all such risks incurred by the Club and volunteers in the course of their duties
ref: pw/d2/035
i) Power to do all such other lawful things as are necessary for the achievement of the objects.
j) Power to employ staff who will not be members of the management committee
k) Power to approve/ reject any new membership request and approve/ reject for renewal request for existing membership.
9. GENERAL MEETING
a) The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held within sixty days from the 31st of December. At lease thirty-five clear days’ notice shall be given by the Secretary for such a Meeting. The quorum of the Meeting shall be one-eighth of the Voting Members. The business of such a Meeting shall be:-
i.To receive and if approved to adopt the Annual Report and an Audited Statement of Accounts to the end of the preceding year.
ii. To elect Members of the Executive Committee and Officers of the Club.
iii. To deal with any special matter which the Executive Committee desires to bring before the Members, and to receive and consider questions from the Members for consideration by the Executive Committee which have been notified in writing to the Secretary not less than forty-two clear days prior to the Meeting.
b) Extraordinary General Meetings may be called by a notice to the General Secretary in writing at least forty-two clear days before the date upon which the AGM is sought to be called, and such notice must be signed by:
(i) a majority in number of the Executive Committee, or
(ii) at least one-quarter of the members of at least three months’ standing, and must state fully in the form of a Resolution the matter upon which the request is made. The Secretary must, in the case of such notice being given, give at least fourteen clear days’ written notice to all Members, and such notice shall contain the names of all Members seeking the Extraordinary General Meetings to be called and the Resolution sought to be passed.
No business shall be transacted at such Meeting other than that specified in the Notice and no amendment to any Resolution proposed at the Meeting shall be allowed. Quorum of AGM shall be one-third of the Membership. The President or, in his/her absence, the Secretary of the Club shall preside as Chair at a General Meeting, and if neither is present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for holding the Meeting or is unwilling to act, the Meeting shall choose some other Member of the Executive Committee who is present and willing to act as Chair of the Meeting.
10. SUBSCRIPTION
For now till the 1st AGM the membership to the club shall be subscription-free.
11. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
The Executive Committee may, if it thinks fit, make proposals for the amendment of the Constitution provided that any such proposal shall have to no effect unless it has been passed at a General Meeting by a Majority of at least two-thirds of the Voting Members present, with the provision that such an amendment shall not have the effect of the Club ceasing to be a
charity in law.
12. FINANCE
a) The Club funds shall be maintained by the Treasurer at reputable banks approved by the Executive Committee. Any such account shall be in the name of the Club.
b) Cheques shall only be drawn jointly by the Treasurer and either the President or Secretary, authorisation of the expenses having been made by the Executive Committee.
c) The income and property of the Club whencesoever derived, shall be applied solely towards the promotion of the objects of the Club set forth in Clause 3 and no proportion shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of divided bonus, or otherwise by way of profit to any member of the Club, provided that nothing herein shall prevent the payment in good faith of reasonable and proper remuneration to any employee of the Club or the payment of reasonable and proper out-of-pocket expenses.
d) The Club shall have power to obtain, collect and receive money and funds by means of contributions, donations, subscriptions, deeds of covenant, legacies, grants or any other lawful method, and to accept and receive gifts of property of any description.
13. TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP
Subject to first being given a right to be heard, a member may be expelled by the Executive Committee when his/her activities and/or conduct prove detrimental to the interests of the Club, but such matters shall be brought to the notice of members at the next General Meeting at the earliest possible opportunity.
14. DISSOLUTION
The Club may at any time be dissolved by a resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of those present and voting at a Meeting of which at least thirty-five clear days notice in writing shall have been sent to all members of the Club. Such resolutions may give instructions for the disposal of any assets held by or in the name of the Club provided that if any property remains after the satisfaction of all debts and resolution as aforesaid be given or transferred to such other charitable Club or Clubs having objects similar to the objects of the Club as the Charitable Club may with the approval of the Charity Commissioners or other authority having jurisdiction under the Charities Act 1960 determine.
