CONSTITUTION

1. TITLE

The Title of the Association shall be the :-

BEVERLEY-LEMGO TWINNING ASSOCIATION

2.  AIMS

The aims of the Association shall be :-

(a) to promote and foster friendship and understanding between the people of Beverley and those of the town of Lemgo in Germany and any other town where official Twinning has been sought and approved by the two deciding authorities.

(b) to encourage visits by individuals and groups to and from the linked towns for the development of the social, cultural, educational, recreational, civic and commercial activities of the linked towns.

(c) to support the international twinning and to promote and foster friendship and understanding between the people of Beverley and those of other towns in the United Kingdom and abroad, provided always that no action shall be taken which is prejudicial to the primary aims of the Association at sub paragraphs (a) and (b) above.

(d) to organise fund raising activities to support the aims of the Association and,

(e) to promote or support such other activities as may further the aims of the Association.

3.  ORGANISATION

(a) President of the Association

The Mayor of Beverley shall be the President of the Association

(b) Vice President of the Association

The Deputy Mayor of Beverley shall be a Vice President of the  Association. One or more additional Vice Presidents of the                        Association may be elected at an Annual General Meeting to serve for a period of seven years but this shall not preclude such person from a further appointment at the conclusion of that period.

(c) Officers of the Association

Officers of the Association shall be the the Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and such other officers as the Association may from time to time appoint. The Chairperson, the Secretary and the Treasurer shall be appointed at each Annual General Meeting.

(d) Management Committee

The Association shall be controlled by a Management Committee which shall be appointed at each Annual General Meeting. The Management Committee currently consist of 6 full adult members, of whom the Chairperson, the Secretary and the Treasurer shall be ex-officio. The Management Committee shall be responsible for managing the affairs of the Association in order to meet its aims.

Casual vacancies shall be filled by the Management Committee. The Management Committee shall have the power to co-opt and co-opted members shall have the right to vote and shall continue to serve from the date of their appointment until the next Annual General Meeting.

The quorum shall be one-third of the members(including co-opted members)of the Committee.

The Management Committee Committee shall have the power to set up sub-committees which shall have the power to co-opt to their membership.Co-opted members shall have the right to vote.

The Management Committee shall have the power to remove any member of a sub-committee whose activities are contrary to the aims of the Association.

(e) Vice-Chairperson

A Vice-Chairperson shall be elected at the first meeting of the Management Committee after each Annual General Meeting.

4.  MEMBERSHIP

Membership shall be open to all persons and organisations who are in agreement with the aims of the Association as either full members or group members. Full membership shall be open to individuals, adults or juniors, and to families.Group membership shall be open to other groups and organisations.

The Management Committee shall have the power to refuse membership to any applicant

The annual subscription for membership of the Association shall be determined at the Annual general meeting.

5.  VOTING

Each adult member shall have the right to exercise one vote. Each parent in a family membership shall have a vote. A group membership shall have one vote to be exercised by a nominated member of the group. Only members present at a meeting shall have the right to vote. The Chairperson shall have the casting vote.

6.  MEETINGS

The Management Committee shall call an Annual General Meeting between the 1st.April and the 30th.June each year. Special General Meetings may also be convened by the written application of at least ten members of the Association to the Secretary.

Notices of motions for the Annual General Meeting and Special General Meetings shall be received by the Secretary at least twenty one days before the date of the meeting. At least fourteen days notice shall be given to all members of an Annual General Meeting and any other meetings.

The Management Committee shall meet at least once a quarter and the Secretary shall give all members of the Management Committee not less than seven clear days notice in writing of the date, time and place of the meeting and an agenda of the business to be transacted at such meeting. The Chairperson, in consultation with the Secretary, shall be empowered to cancel any such meeting should it be deemed necessary.

Decisions of the Management Committee shall be made by the majority of votes of those present at the meeting entitled to vote.

The Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer shall be ex-officio members of all sub-committees, in a consultative or advisory capacity and such other individuals may be invited to serve in a consultative or advisory capacity. Such individuals will not be qualified to vote.

The quorum of a sub-committee shall be one-third of voting members.The Sub-Committee Chairperson shall have a casting vote.

The quorum of a General Meeting shall be not less than fifteen members of the Association.

Minutes of any meetings shall not be made public.

7.  FINANCE

The Association financial year shall run from 1st. April to 31st. March.

The income and assets of the Association shall be applied solely to the carrying out of the aims of the Association as set out in the constitution.

At each Annual General Meeting a statement of accounts and balance sheet for the previous year shall be presented. All cheques shall be signed by the Treasurer or any person appointed by the Management Committee. The Management Committee shall have the power to invest any of the funds of the Association in such security or securities as it may decide.

At each Annual General Meeting Auditors, not exceeding two in number, shall be elected.

9.  DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION

The Association may be dissolved any time at a General Meeting of the Association by a majority of not less than three-quarters of the votes of those present and entitled to vote.

In the event of the Association being dissolved any assets or monies remaining after its debts and liabilities have been settled shall be given to a group or groups whose aims correspond as nearly as possible to those of the Association,to be determined at the General Meeting.

Revised August 2018