Constitution

Name : Objectives : Membership : Subscriptions : Finances : General Meetings : Officers : Funds : Auditor : Amendments : Winding up

Name

The name of the Society shall be The Bracknell Forest Society.

Objectives

The Society is established for the public benefit for the following purposes in the area within Bracknell Forest:

• To promote high standards of planning and architecture in or affecting the area.
• To educate the public in the geography, history, natural history and architecture of the area.
• To secure the preservation, protection, development and improvement of features of historic or public interest in the area.

Membership

Membership of the Society shall be open to all who support the Objectives of the Society.

There shall be three types of membership:

• Individual Annual Membership. Available to eligible individuals on payment of the individual annual membership subscription in force at that time and valid until the end of the membership year.
• Household Annual Membership. Available to households on payment of the household annual membership subscription in force at that time and valid until the end of the membership year. For the purposes of Household Membership, "household" is defined as "two adults and up to three children under the age of sixteen sharing the same address".
• Corporate Annual Membership. Available to companies and organisations based in the Bracknell area on payment of the corporate annual membership subscription in force at that time and valid until the end of the membership year.

The membership year shall start on 1st January and end on 31st December.

Annual Membership shall lapse if the subscription is unpaid six months after the start of the membership year.

Individual Members shall have the right to cast a vote at General Meetings of the Society. Household Membership shall carry voting rights for two adult members of the household. Voting rights shall only be exercised by Members attending General Meetings in person. Corporate Members shall have no voting rights.

Subscriptions

Changes to the membership subscription rates shall be decided upon at a General Meeting of the Society.

Finances

The Society's financial year shall end on 30th September.

General Meetings

There shall be two types of General Meetings of the Society - Annual General Meetings and Special General Meetings - to which all Members of the Society shall be invited.

The Committee shall convene an Annual General Meeting of the Society in or about November of each year to present the Committee's report and financial statement for approval and to elect the Committee of the Society.

Special General Meetings of the Society shall be held at the determination of the request of 15 or more Members of the Society in writing to the Honorary Secretary of the Society.

At least 14 days' notice shall be given for any General Meeting of the Society.

15 Members personally present shall constitute a quorum for any General Meeting of the Society.

The Chairman, or in his/her absence the Vice-Chairman or another of the Honorary Officers (to be chosen if more than one are present by agreement between them), shall preside at any General Meeting of the Society.

Save as otherwise herein provided all questions arising at any General Meeting of the Society shall be determined by a simple majority of those present and voting. In the case of equality of votes the (acting) Chairman of the Meeting shall have a second or casting vote.

Officers

Nominations for the election of Officers of the Society shall be made at or before the Annual General Meeting. Such nominations shall be in writing supported by a seconder, and the consent of the proposed nominee who must be a Member of the Society must first have been obtained.

The Officers of the Society shall consist of:

Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer.

The Officers shall relinquish their office every year and shall be eligible for re-election at the Annual General Meeting. The Chairman may only hold his/her specific committee position for a maximum period of three consecutive years.

A President and Vice-Presidents may also be elected at a General Meeting of the Society, for periods to be decided at such Meeting.

Funds

The Committee shall, after payment of all proper expenses, use the residue of monies received by the Society as it thinks fit for or towards the Objectives of the Society.

Auditor

If an Auditor is required, the Auditor shall be (re-)appointed at the Annual General Meeting of the Society.

Amendments

The Constitution of the Society may be amended by a two-thirds majority of Members present at an Annual or Special General Meeting of the Society, provided that 14 days' notice of the proposed amendment has been sent to all Members, and provided that nothing herein contained shall authorise any amendment permitting the expenditure of funds of the Society on any Object which is not a charitable object of law.

Winding Up

A proposal to wind up the Society shall be presented at an Annual or Special General Meeting of the Society, provided that 14 days' notice of the proposal has been sent to all Members. The decision to dissolve the Society shall require the assent of two-thirds of the Members present and voting.

In the event of the winding-up of the Society, the available funds of the Society shall be transferred to such one or more charitable bodies having Objectives similar to or reasonably similar to those herein before declared.

Constitution to be agreed at a General Meeting of The Bracknell Forest Society.