Our constitution is currently under review and will be updated in due course.
CONTENTS
Section Title
1 General
2 Membership and subscriptions
3 Running the club
4 Summaries of officers’ roles
5 General meetings
6 Dissolution of club
7 Changes to & interpretation of this constitution
8 Key club policies & other documents
9 Extraordinary circumstances
- GENERAL
1.1. The name of the Club is the Newton Abbot Photographic Club (also referred to in this Constitution as “the Club”).
1.2. The aim of the Club is to promote and encourage photography in Newton Abbot and the surrounding area.
1.3. Membership of the Club implies the undertaking to comply with and abide by these rules, and is open to anyone who has an interest in photography and wishes to pursue that in a friendly and inclusive social group.
1.4. Activities in support of the Club’s aim may include: formal meetings for talks, competitions (within the Club and against other Clubs), tutorials, informal meetings, use of social media contacts and networking, exhibitions and other displays of members’ work plus other activities as agreed by the Committee.
1.5. The Club’s season of formal meetings is from September to May. They normally take place on Tuesday evenings on dates agreed by the Committee. Other meetings may be arranged as required.
1.6. The Club’s financial year is from 1 April to 31 March.
- MEMBERSHIP and SUBSCRIPTIONS
2.1. Membership categories are for:
2.1.1. Adults
2.1.2. Students (under 25 years old and in full time education)
2.1.3. Juniors under the age of 18 ( who must be accompanied to meetings by a responsible adult).
2.2. All members, in whichever category, have the same benefits of membership.
2.3. All members must behave responsibly towards each other.
2.4. Subscriptions are determined by the Club at the Annual General Meeting and may include different rates for single and joint memberships
2.5. The Club’s annual season of events starts in September and subscriptions are due by 31 October. A full year’s subscription is payable by anyone joining up to 31 December in a season. A new member first attending a meeting after 31 December need pay only half the relevant subscription.
2.6. A member is a person who has paid their subscription for all or part of the current season. Membership continues until 31 October of the following season.
2.7. If a subscription remains unpaid after 3 months, the member is deemed to have resigned from the Club. If that person subsequently re-joins later in the season, a full year’s subscription is payable and the concession in paragraph 2.5 does not apply.
2.8. Potential members are welcome to attend up to two meetings as guests to see if they would like to join the Club, before paying the relevant subscription. However, only paid up members can enter the Club’s competitions.
2.9 Members and others attending meetings, outings and functions, etc. do so at their own risk and the Club accepts no responsibility for accidents, theft, loss or damage to persons or property.
2.10. If the action of a member is deemed to be bringing the Club into disrepute or otherwise to be detrimental to the best interests of the Club, that person’s membership may be terminated by the Committee by a majority vote of its members.
2.10.1. Prior to this decision being taken, the member concerned must be informed of the intention and the reason, in writing, by the Club Secretary, at least 14 days before the Committee Meeting at which the matter will be discussed.
2.10.2. They have the right to respond by writing to the Club Secretary within 7 days and to appear at the relevant Committee Meeting to give an explanation and to bring a witness if desired.
2.11. Membership of the Club by payment of the relevant subscription implies acceptance of the Constitution and other Club rules and policies.
2.12. Candidates for membership of the Club shall complete an Application for Membership Form. Membership shall be open to all interested in photography, subject to the approval of the Committee.
- RUNNING THE CLUB
3.1. The Officers of the Club consist of The Chairman, The Vice Chairman, The Club Secretary and The Treasurer.
3.2. The affairs and day to day running of the Club are managed on behalf of the membership by the Club Committee consisting of the Officers, as above, and ten members. The President shall also be a Committee member ex officio. The Committee may, at its discretion, co-opt not more than three additional members.
3.3. The Committee meets as and when required but usually four times a year. Committee members must be given seven days’ notice of each meeting, by the Club Secretary, unless in exceptional circumstances.
3.3.1 A new Club member may be elected to the Committee, but to be an Officer of the Club they must have been a member for at least 2 years. In exceptional circumstances a member for less than two years may be elected as an Officer of the Club subject to voting at an EGM or the AGM.
3.3.2. Five Committee members shall form a quorum.
3.3.3. In the event of equality of votes on any proposal, the Chairman shall act as final decision maker.
3.4. All members of the Committee must retire annually, but are eligible for re-election each year. The Chairman should preferably not serve as such for more than three consecutive years
3.5. An Honorary Auditor is appointed by the ordinary members of the Club at the AGM.
3.6. The Club will operate bank accounts at an institution approved by the Committee. Cheques and other payment instructions will be signed by two out of three signatories nominated by the Committee. One of the signatories will always be the Treasurer of the Club.
3.7. Any Club member may be co-opted into supporting roles such as audio visual setup, refreshment managing, or any other roles for Club activities/events. They may also be co-opted into sub committees for specific purposes. These members do not need to be Committee members.
3.8. The creation of separate sub-committees may be approved by the Committee to manage specific events or activities. They will not be regarded as part of the main Committee although must contain at least one Committee Member.
3.9. The Committee may co-opt members to fill vacancies on the Committee and such co-opted members are entitled to a vote on the Committee. They shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting and will then be eligible for election.
3.10. Committee meeting minutes will be available to Club members using channels approved by the Committee. In sensitive situations, some names or parts may be removed from the published version.
- SUMMARIES OF OFFICERS’ ROLES
4.1. The Chairman is responsible, with the other officers, to the membership for the management of the club. The Chairman chairs and facilitates all Club and Committee meetings, sets or approves agendas for General and Committee Meetings, ensures the smooth running of the Committee and thus the Club, and generally ensures that the best interests of the club and the membership are addressed at all times.
4.2. The Vice Chairman stands in for the Chairman if the latter is not present and generally supports the role of Chairman as appropriate.
4.3. The Club Secretary conducts the general correspondence of the Club and keeps the minutes of Committee and general meetings.
4.4. The Treasurer collects monies owing to the Club, pays bills, keeps the Club accounts and prepares them for audit at the end of the financial year. The Treasurer presents a statement of accounts at the AGM.
A fuller list of all committee members’ roles and responsibilities appears in a separate document.
- GENERAL MEETINGS
5.1. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is held at the end of the indoor meeting season, usually in April or May.
The business of the AGM is:
5.1.1. To elect the President, the Officers and Committee, to serve for the ensuing year commencing 1st May. (No person shall be elected President, Officer or Committee Member unless the proposer has the agreement of the nominee to stand).
– The President shall not be eligible to serve for more than 3 years consecutively and the Chairman not more than 3 years consecutively. Ideally the two roles will be co-terminous.
– The Quorum for an AGM or EGM is 10.
– Nominations for election shall be in the hands of the Secretary at least 7 days before the meeting.
5.1.2 To receive reports from Club Officers.
5.1.3. To receive a report from the Treasurer who shall present a balance sheet for the year ending 31st March immediately preceding, audited by an Hon. Auditor selected at the previous AGM either from the ordinary members or externally.
5.1.4. To approve the subscription rates for the next Club season.
5.1.5. To elect or re-elect members of the Committee.
5.1.6. To approve any changes to the Constitution. The Club Secretary must notify all members in writing, or to their last notified email address, of any such proposals.
5.1.7. To consider other business about the management and organisation of the Club.
5.2. Extraordinary General Meetings of the Club may be convened by the Committee, or on a requisition signed by at least 10 ordinary members, stating the object, and sent to the Secretary at least 14 days before the date proposed.
5.3. Only paid up members, of whichever membership category, may vote at General Meetings.
5.4. A person who is not present may submit comments, in writing or electronically, to be reviewed at the relevant meeting. Such communication must be sent to the Club Secretary to arrive at least seven days before the date of the meeting.
5.4.1. Voting on any item can only be by those present: postal, electronic or proxy voting is not admissible. Voting is by show of hands.
5.4.2. Except where stated otherwise in these rules, a simple majority of those voting will decide the outcome.
5.4.3. In the event of equality of votes on any proposal, the Chairman shall act as final decision maker.
5.5. Nominations for members of the Club to stand for election as officers or Committee members must be proposed and seconded by other members of the Club in writing to the Club Secretary at least seven days prior to the AGM. Those nominated must be willing to serve and sign their agreement on the list of nominations.
5.6. If insufficient nominations for officers and committee members are received by the Club Secretary then nominations may be made at the AGM, subject to the nominee being willing to serve.
5.7. If nominations for officers and other members of the committee exceed the required number, the result will be determined by secret ballot at the AGM, with a simple majority of votes deciding the outcome.
Items for discussion under any other business (AOB) must be notified to the Club Secretary by latest seven days before the meeting.
5.8. The new Committee assumes office on 1st May.
- DISSOLUTION OF CLUB
6.1. Any decision to wind up the club can only be taken at an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting, at least 14 days notice of the intended business having been given to the membership, and the resolution being carried by a two-thirds majority of those present and eligible to vote.
6.2. After discharging the debts and liabilities of the Club in a dissolution, any remaining assets are to be given or transferred to a voluntary organisation or charity, preferably one having similar objectives to those of the Club.
- CHANGES TO & INTERPRETATION OF THIS CONSTITUTION
7.1. Any interpretation of this Constitution in case of need will be by the Committee and their decision will be final.
7.2. The Constitution may only be amended by resolution at a General Meeting, provided all members of the Club have received at least seven days notice of the intended business and the resolution is carried by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast.
- KEY CLUB POLICIES & OTHER DOCUMENTS
8.1. Competition rules are published separately and are available on the Club’s website and published in the Annual Programme Booklet.
8.2 Data Protection: personal information supplied to the Club is held and may be used by the Club’s Committee for the purposes of running the Club and events, communicating with members, general administration and statistical purposes. We will never pass member details to third parties without explicit permission.
8.3 Voluntary users of the Club’s social media activities should note that their email addresses may be viewable by other members.
8.4 Entrants to the Club’s competitions and exhibitions should note that the names of entrants and their pictures may be published on the Club’s website. They may also be used in any external publicity that the Club tries to obtain.
- EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES
9.1 In the event of anything occurring which is not provided for in the foregoing, the Committee shall have the power to deal with the same at their discretion.