Beeston + District Civic Society

Constitution

1.Name

The name of the society shall be Beeston and District Civic Society. (Herein after referred to as ‘The Society’)

2. Status

The society shall 

1. Be established for the public benefit.
2. It shall be registered as a charity with the Charity Commission as an Amenity Society
3. It may undertake political activity in support of its aims.
4. It shall not be aligned or affiliated to any political party.

3. Purposes

The society shall exist for the following purposes in the area comprising Beeston and District and its surrounding environs (Hereinafter referred to as ‘the area of benefit’):

Within the area of benefit, it shall aim to pro-actively engage with the community to 

1. stimulate public interest in and appreciation of town planning, architecture and landscape
2. promote high standards of town planning, architecture and landscape – including leisure and recreational spaces.
3. secure the preservation, protection, development and improvement of features of historic or public interest.
4. undertake, promote and support such public realm, sustainability and environmental activities that may enhance community wellbeing.  

4. Aims & Objectives

In furtherance of the said purposes, but not otherwise, the society may, through its executive committee, have the following powers and responsibilities: –

1. To act as a coordinating body and to engage and liaise with the local authority, planning committees and other and statutory bodies, voluntary organisations, charities and persons having aims similar to those of the society. 
2. To take part, contribute to and lead public consultations, enquiries and the like. 
3. To promote or assist in promoting activities of a charitable nature and that enhance furtherance of the purposes.
4. To publish papers, reports and other literature by any appropriate and available means.
5. To promote research into subjects directly connected with the purposes and to publish the results of any such research.
6. To promote and hold meetings, exhibitions, lectures and the like.
7. To make surveys and prepare maps and plans and collect information in relation to any place, erection or building of beauty or historic interest and to publish such material.
8. To educate public opinion and to give advice and information which shall be non-binding, without prejudice or liability.
9. To raise funds and to invite and receive contributions if this will not harm the Society’s reputation from any person or persons whatsoever by way of subscription, donation and otherwise, provided that the society shall not undertake any permanent trading activities in raising funds for its primary purposes.
10. To take and accept any gifts of property, whether subject to any special trusts or not.
11. To sell, let, mortgage, dispose of or turn to account all or any of the property or funds of the society as shall be necessary.
12. To borrow or raise money for the purposes of the society on such terms and on such security as the executive committee shall think fit, but so that the liability of individual members of the society shall in no case extend beyond the amount of their respective annual subscriptions.
13. All such activities above mentioned, together with such other things as are necessary for the attainment of the said purposes, aims and objectives, shall fall within and comply with Law.

5. Governance

The supreme policy making decision body of the Society shall be the General Meeting.

The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the effective operation of the Society as defined in this constitution and as otherwise directed by policy of a General Meeting, save that such policies are lawful and within the spirit of this constitution.

The Officers may, together and by simple majority, make decisions in the interregnum between committee meetings in the event of the need for expediency provided that such decisions are lawful and within the spirit of this constitution. 

6. Membership – Rights and Privileges

Full Individual, Joint Membership and Life Membership shall be open to all who are interested in actively furthering the purposes of the society in the area of benefit and upon payment of an annual subscription, as defined elsewhere in this constitution. They shall have the right to attend and to vote at General Meetings of the society provided that their subscription is not in arrears at the time of that meeting.

Junior Membership is open to persons aged less than 18 years at the time their subscription is due residing in the area of benefit or having a demonstrable interest therein. They may attend but not be entitled to vote at any meeting of the society.

7. Subscriptions and Membership Categories

Annual subscriptions and memberships can be taken up and renewed throughout the year.

An annual membership was and will continue to be promoted for renewal  for the  year commencing on September 1st. Such subscriptions shall fall due and be paid on and from 1^st October annually. 

Membership shall be deemed to have lapsed if the subscription is unpaid two months after it falls due.

[The following memberships are available

1. Full Individual Membership 
2. Joint Membership – being for 2 people at the same address 
3. Student Membership
4. Life Membership 
5. Junior Membership – Free until reaching 18 years of age
6. Friend of the Society – being for corporate, group or family members

The annual subscriptions shall be such reasonable sums as the executive committee shall determine from time to time. 

8. General Meetings

An Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held in or about October of each year The business of the AGM shall include to:

1. Receive and approve the executive committee report for the preceding year. This shall form the annual report for submission to the Charity Commission
2. Receive and approve the independently examined accounts – as defined elsewhere 
3. Elect officers and members of the executive committee.
4. Such agenda as defined by the executive committee
5. [Be informed of subscription rates for the next financial year]

An Ordinary General Meetings (OGM) of the society shall be held at the discretion of the executive committee.

A Special General Meeting (SGM) of the society shall be held:

• By decision of the executive committee
• At the written request of members representing not less than ten per cent of the existing membership of the society and whose subscriptions are fully paid up.

The quorum for General Meetings shall be: Twenty fully paid-up members personally present or 10% of the fully paid-up membership, whichever is the lesser

In recognition of long and effective service and/or support to the society, presidents and vice-presidents may be elected at a General Meeting of the society, for periods to be decided at such a meeting. 

In the event of equality in the votes cast, the chairman shall have a second or casting vote.

9. Notice of Meetings

Notice of Meetings shall be given at least seven days prior.  Notice shall have been deemed to have been given by appropriate electronic or hard copy means – whether such has been received or not.

10. Officers and Committee

All fully paid-up members of the society shall be eligible for election, save those holding political office within the area of benefit.

Nominations for the election of officers shall be made at least 7 days before the AGM. Such nominations shall be supported by a seconder and the consent of the proposed nominee must first have been obtained.

If the nominations exceed the number of vacancies, a ballot shall take place in such manner as shall be determined. The election of officers shall be completed prior to the election of further committee members.

To ensure continuity Officers shall be elected for a period of 3 years and executive committee members shall be elected annually. All may stand for re-election. 

The officers of the society shall consist of:

• Chairperson
• Vice Chairperson
• Honorary Secretary
• Honorary Treasurer

Up to a further 8 persons shall be elected to serve as executive committee members. all of whom shall relinquish their office every year and shall be eligible for re-election at the AGM.

The executive committee shall have the power to fill casual vacancies occurring among the officers of the society and to co-opt such persons as it feels fit.Officers who relinquish their office and don’t seek or succeed in re-election will be encouraged to remain in post for two months to affect a smooth transition. 

11. The Executive Committee

The officers and elected committee members shall form the executive committee.

The executive committee shall be responsible for the management and administration of the society.

Co-opted members and those members filling casual vacancies shall attend in an advisory and non-voting capacity.

The executive committee shall have power to co-opt additional members from outside the area of benefit.

The president and vice-presidents may attend any meeting of the executive committee but shall not vote at any such meeting.

The executive committee shall meet not less than six times a year at intervals of not more than two months. The honorary secretary shall give all members not less than seven days’ notice of each meeting.

The quorum shall, as near as may be, comprise one third of the members of the executive committee.

Decisions of the executive committee shall be by simple majority of those present. In the event of equality in the votes cast, the chairperson at the time being shall have a second or casting vote.

12. Sub Committees

The executive committee may constitute such sub-committees from time to time as shall be considered necessary for such purposes as shall be thought fit.

If required by the executive committee, a leader from the committee shall be appointed to a sub-committee by the executive committee and all actions and proceedings of each sub-committee shall be reported to and confirmed by the executive committee as soon as possible. Sub-committees shall be subordinate to the executive committee and may be regulated or dissolved by the executive committee. 

13. Conflict of Interest

At all meetings of the society members shall declare any conflict of interest in a topic for discussion. They shall not take part in that discussion or any vote relating to the topic.

14. Expenses of administration and application of funds

The executive committee shall, out of the funds of the society, pay all proper expenses of administration and management of the society. The executive committee shall authorise and manage such bank accounts and investment in furtherance of the aims and objectives of the society

The treasurer and any 2 officers of the executive committee shall be signatories and authorise transfer of monies to and from accounts as directed by the executive committee or General Meetings of the society. Any 2 of the signatories shall be required. Online accounting is in place on all our bank accounts and the Treasurer will make financial transactions with the authorisation of at least one of the signatories.

Subject to the above rules re transfer of monies to and from accounts, the executive committee shall authorise any officer to expend sums up to a maximum of £50 in any single transaction. 

The executive committee shall be authorised and entitled to expend amounts in a single transaction not exceeding one-third of the society’s total funds. Authorisation for amounts in excess of this figure shall require agreement of a General Meeting.

After the payment of the administration and management expenses and any setting aside to reserve of such sums as may be deemed prudent, the remaining funds of the society shall be applied by the executive committee in furtherance of the purposes of the society.

15. Annual Accounts

The annual accounts shall be by independently examined by a person who shall from time to time be appointed by the executive committee.

16. Investments

All monies at any time belonging to the society and not required for immediate application for its purposes shall be invested by the executive committee in or upon such investments securities or property as it may think fit, subject nevertheless to such authority approval or consent whether by the Charity Commissioners or, as may for the time being, be required by law or by the special trusts affecting any property in the hands of the executive committee.

17. Trustees

Executive officers of the society shall provide trustees of the Society. There shall be a minimum of 3 trustees.  

There may be up to an additional 5 trustees drawn from the executive committee, from the membership or from elsewhere.

The power of appointment and termination of additional trustees shall be vested in the executive committee.

Trustees shall be registered with the Charity Commission

The society shall be bound to indemnify the trustees in their duties (including the proper charge of a trustee being a trust corporation) and liability under such indemnity shall be a proper administrative expense. 

18. Assets

Any freehold or leasehold property acquired by the society shall and, if the executive committee so directs, any other property belonging to the society may be vested in trustees who shall deal with such property as the executive committee may from time to time direct.

The honorary secretary shall from time to time notify the trustees in writing of any amendment hereto and the trustees shall not be bound by any such amendments in their duties as trustees unless such notice has been given.

19. Amendments

The constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority of members present and voting a General Meeting of the society, provided that twenty-eight days’ notice of the proposed amendment has been given to all members, and provided that nothing herein contained shall authorise any amendment the effect of which would be to cause the society at any time to cease to be a charity in law.

20. Winding up

The society may be dissolved by a two-thirds majority of members present and voting at a General Meeting of the society, confirmed by a simple majority of members voting at a further SGM held not less than fourteen days after the previous meeting.

If a motion for the dissolution of the society is to be proposed at an AGM or a SGM this motion shall be referred to specifically when notice of the meeting is given.

In the event of the dissolution of the society the available funds of the society shall be transferred to such one or more charitable institutions having objects similar or reasonably similar to those hereinbefore declared as shall be chosen by the executive committee and approved by the General Meeting of the society at which the decision to dissolve the society is confirmed. On dissolution the minute books and other records of the society shall be deposited with the Civic Trust 

Agreed by Committee on 5^th September 2022 

Signed by Tamar Feast, Chair, on behalf of the committee 

Agreed by AGM on 12th October 2022

BDCS – AGM Constitution Revisions September 2022