Constitution of the Billericay Twinning Association

 

CONSTITUTION OF BILLERICAY TWINNING ASSOCIATION 

(a Non-Local Authority Organisation) 

1. Name of the Association 

 The name of the Association shall be the BILLERICAY TWINNING ASSOCIATION. 

 

2. Aims of the Association 

 a) To promote and foster friendship and understanding between peoples of Billericay, Essex, England and those of other communities with which             the Association has formed or may later form links. 

b) To encourage visits by individuals and groups to and from linked communities, particularly by children and young people, and the development of personal contacts, and by so doing to broaden the mutual understanding of the cultural, recreational, educational and commercial activities of the linked communities. 

c) To organise fund-raising activities to foster the aims of the Association. 

 

3. Membership 

 Membership shall be open to all persons or organisations in sympathy with the aims of the Association.  There shall be four categories of membership:  

a) Individual membership,  

b) Family membership, being open to all members of a family excepting sons or daughters over the age of eighteen years.  

c) Corporate membership does not of itself entitle members or employees of the organisation which is a member to the rights of individual or family membership.  Corporate Membership entitles not more that two members of the organisation to the rights conferred on individual or family members. 

d) Honorary membership may be offered by the Executive Committee.  A person will become an honorary member only if that person accepts the offer.  Honorary members shall have no voting rights and shall pay no membership fee.  

The Chair of the Billericay Town Council shall be the Honorary President of the Association.  If not already a member of the Association, the President shall become an Honorary member. 

 

4. Committee  

The affairs of the Association shall be conducted by the Executive Committee, consisting of up to twelve (12) members, being broadly representative of organisations, associations, clubs and individuals in Billericay and district.  

a) The Committee shall have the power to co-opt and co-opted members shall have the right to vote.  

b) The quorum shall be four (4). 

 

5. Election of Committee 

The Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Association. The Association shall appoint a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and such other officers as it deems necessary, including an Auditor. 

 

6. Sub-Committees  

The Committee shall set up Sub-Committees, each one to act in the interests of one linked community.  

The Sub-Committees shall have the power to co-opt members who will have voting rights on their respective Sub-Committee.  

The Chairman of the Executive Committee, the Vice-Chairman, the Secretary and the Treasurer shall be ex-officio members of all Sub-Committees.  

 

7. The Annual General Meeting  

The Executive Committee shall call an Annual General Meeting of the Association between 1 January and 31 March of each year, giving each member at least fourteen days notice in writing and shall meet at least four (4) times in each year. 

 

8. Voting at the AGM  

a) Only members (except Honorary members) present at the meeting shall be entitled to vote.  

b) Each individual member shall be entitled to one vote and each family or corporate members shall be entitled to two votes, provided that two members of each family or organisation are present at the meeting.  The Chairman shall have a casting vote. 

 

9. Special General Meeting  

A Special General Meeting of the Association may be called at any time on a written request signed by at least twenty members of the Association and delivered to the Secretary, containing details of the matter to be discussed.  At least twenty-eight days notice must be given. 

 

10. Accounts  

Audited accounts to 31 December of each year shall be submitted to each Annual General Meeting. 

 

11. Money  

All monies received on behalf of the Association shall be kept in safe custody by the Treasurer and all cheques drawn on the Association’s account shall be signed by any two or the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer or Secretary. 

Fund raising for a linked community shall be the responsibility of the respective Sub-Committee.  Each Sub-Committee shall have its own account for this purpose, which shall be under the control of the Treasurer, and the costs of all activities related to a particular linked community shall be taken from that Sub-Committee's account.  Any cost or income of the Association that is not associated with any particular linked community shall be split equally between all existing Sub-Committee accounts unless the Executive decide otherwise. 

 

12. Subscriptions  

All subscriptions shall be determined at the AGM and be payable within two months thereof.  The membership year shall run from 1 April to 31 March next following.  Members joining the Association or renewing their membership between 1 April and 31 December shall pay the full appropriate rate; those joining on or after 1 January shall pay half the said rate.

 

13. Amendments to the Constitution  

Amendments to the Constitution shall only be made at the AGM or a Special General Meeting.  Notice of the proposed amendment shall be given in writing to the Secretary at least twenty-one days before the meeting and details shall be given in notice convening the meeting.  No such amendment shall be carried unless not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting at the meeting vote in its favour. 

 

14. Dissolution of the Association  

In the event of the dissolution of the Association, all surplus funds shall be transferred to such charity or charities as the Committee shall in its absolute discretion decide.

  

 

Last amended – AGM March 2014