Constitution of the Club
Constitution of the Club
1. AIMS The aims of the Kent Field Club shall be :
a) the study and recording, for the benefit of the public, of the distribution and ecology of the fauna and flora of Kent .
b) the promotion of Nature Conservation in Kent , in association with the relevant bodies.
c) the provision of a means of communication between fellow naturalists within Kent by means of formal and field meetings, publications and any other appropriate means.
2. MEMBERSHIP The Club shall consist of Honorary, Ordinary, Family and Junior Members.
3. OFFICERS The Officers of the Club shall be : The President , two Hon. Joint Secretaries, the Hon. Meetings Secretary, the Hon. Treasurer, the Hon. Editor, the Hon. Assistant Editor and the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Executive Committee.
4. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE The business of the Club shall be conducted by an Executive Committee elected at each A.G.M. from among the members of the Club, and consisting of a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, the other officers of the Club and six Ordinary members. The Executive Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancies which may arise before the next A.G.M. and to co-opt a maximum of four additional members. Officers of the Club shall be eligible for re-election except that no Member shall serve as President or as Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the Executive Committee for more than two consecutive years in the same office. Ordinary members shall serve for a maximum of three years. They shall then be ineligible for election as Ordinary members for one year. The Executive Committee shall be vested with the following special powers :
a) the appointment of Recorders who shall be responsible for the maintenance of records, identification of material and advice, if required, in their own specialist fields.
b) the organisation of Groups to cater either for local or for specialist interests within the Club as the need may arise.
c) the appointment of Sub-Committees, provided that all acts and proceedings of any such Sub-Committee shall be fully reported back to the Executive Committee as soon as possible.
d) The Executive Committee shall meet at least once a year and meetings shall be called by the Hon. Joint Secretaries as appointed by the Executive Committee or on receipt of a written request for such a meeting signed by not fewer than five Members of the Executive Committee or on receipt of a written request by the President or Chairman. At least 10 days' notice shall be given to committee members, but failure on the part of any member to receive such a notice shall not vitiate any proceedings of the meeting. The quorum for a meeting of the Executive Committee shall be five members.
a) The President shall take the Chair at the A.G.M. and other formal meetings of the Club.
b) The Chairman of the Executive Committee shall take the Chair at meetings of the Executive Committee, and shall deputise for the President should the need arise.
c) The Vice-Chairman of the Executive Committee shall deputise for the Chairman should the need arise.
d) The Hon. Joint Secretaries shall keep a list of the Members of the Club, shall take minutes at all formal meetings of the Club and shall conduct the other business of the Club under the direction of the Executive Committee.
e) The Hon. Treasurer shall receive all monies due to the Club and shall pay out all monies due by the Club, shall keep the books of the Club and shall submit an audited account to the A.G.M. The Club's invested funds shall be held in the names of the Chairman and the Hon. Treasurer for the time being. The Club's banking account shall be held in the name of the Club and shall be operated by the Hon. Treasurer and the Hon. Joint Secretaries.
f) The Hon. Editor, assisted by the Hon. Assistant Editor, shall be responsible for the production of the publications of the Club.
a) HONORARY MEMBERS shall be nominated by the Executive Committee and their names submitted for election to the next formal meeting of the Club.
b) ORDINARY MEMBERS. Persons who are interested in the study of Natural History can apply for Ordinary Membership by completing the application form. Forms must be sent to the Hon. Joint Secretaries for submission to the Executive Committee for approval. If approved, the membership of the candidate shall be considered to have commenced on the date of receipt of application.
c) FAMILY MEMBERS. Any close relative of any Ordinary Member residing at the same address can join the Club as a Family Member, by the same means as an Ordinary Member.
d) JUNIOR MEMBERS. Any person under the age of 18 years shall be admitted as a Junior Member by the same means as an Ordinary Member.
e) EXPULSIONS. The Executive Committee shall recommend to the Club that the expulsion of any Member be considered should the occasion arise.
f) RESIGNATIONS. Any member wishing to resign shall give notice to the Hon. Joint Secretaries before the first day of December, failing which he will be liable for payment of his subscription for the ensuing year.
7. SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions shall be due on the first day of January of the year to which they refer. The first annual subscription of Members joining after the first day of October in any year will be held to cover the period till the end of the next year following. Ordinary Members shall pay the full subscription rate, Family Members a quarter of the full subscription rate and Junior Members half the full subscription rate. Any Member whose subscription is in arrears by more than twelve months shall cease to be a Member. The full subscription rate shall be fixed by approval of the A.G.M.
8. PRIVILEGES OF MEMBERS Honorary, Ordinary and Junior Members shall enjoy all the amenities of the Club. They shall be entitled to attend and vote at all meetings of the Club, to receive copies of the Transactions and Bulletin of the Club, and to benefit from the services of the Recorders of the Club. Organisations shall enjoy the privileges of one Ordinary or Junior Member insofar as voting and receipt of publications is concerned, but all their own members will be allowed to attend any meetings of the Club, and to benefit from the services of the Recorders. Family Members shall enjoy all the privileges of Ordinary Members except the receipt of the Club's Transactions and Bulletin.
a) Formal and field meetings shall be arranged at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
b) The A.G.M. shall be held in March or April in each year when a report shall be presented by the Executive Committee and the election of the Officers, the Ordinary Members of the Executive Committee, and the Auditor shall take place. At least 10 days' notice shall be given to Members but failure on the part of any Member to receive such notice shall not vitiate the proceedings of the meeting.
c) An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be called by the Hon. Joint Secretaries at the request of the Executive Committee or on receipt of a written request for such a meeting signed by not fewer than ten members of the Club and giving their reason for requiring such a meeting to be called. Such a meeting shall be held within four weeks of the receipt of the request by the Hon. Joint Secretaries. At least 10 days' notice shall be given to Members with an agenda indicating the purpose for which the meeting is being called, but failure on the part of any Member to receive such notice shall not vitiate the proceedings of the meeting. Only matters on the circulated agenda may be discussed at the meeting."
d) The quorum for a General Meeting of the Club shall be ten Members.
e) The Chairman shall have a casting vote at all meetings.
10. PUBLICATIONS The main publication of the Club shall be called the Transactions of the Kent Field Club. In addition an account of the Club's activities shall appear in the Bulletin of the Kent Field Club. A copy of these two publications shall be sent to all Honorary, Ordinary and Junior Members.
11. AFFILIATIONS The Club shall be affiliated to such bodies as the Executive Committee shall determine. Such affiliations must receive the approval of the Members at the next A.G.M.
12. CHANGES TO THE CONSTITUTION The Constitution of the Club shall be changed only at an A.G.M. or an Extraordinary General Meeting. Proposed changes to the Constitution must be made in writing to the Secretaries not less than four weeks before the meeting at which they are to be considered. Any proposed changes to the Constitution shall have one proposer and one seconder. If passed by a majority of the Members present and voting at the first General Meeting at which they are considered, they shall be presented before the next subsequent General Meeting, and if again passed, they shall be deemed effective, provided that no amendment shall be made to paragraphs 1, 14(a) and (b) and this present paragraph 12 without the consent of the Charity Commissioners and no amendment shall be made which would cause the Club to cease to be a charity in law.
a) The funds of the Club shall be applied only to its stated aims.
b) The Members shall not receive payment either direct or indirect for their services or for anything except legitimate expenses incurred in the work of the Club, as previously approved by the Executive Committee.
a) In the event of the dissolution of the Club any funds remaining after discharge of all liabilities shall be devoted to charitable objects similar to those of the Club.
b) Insofar as effect cannot be given to subparagraph (a) above such funds shall be devoted to some other charitable purpose.
c) A motion to dissolve the Club may only be made at an Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting in respect of which an agenda has been circulated to Members which includes a statement of the reasons for advocating dissolution and such dissolution may not be effected without approval of a two-thirds majority of Members present and voting at the meeting