BERKSHIRE WOODTURNERS ASSOCIATION CONSTITUTION
1 NAME
1.1 The BWA shall be known as Berkshire Woodturners Association (hereafter to be called BWA).
2 AIMS
2.1 To promote an interest in and the development of the art of woodturning and associated disciplines and to encourage new comers to develop skills in these disciplines
2.2 To achieve this end BWA will hold regular monthly meetings for members. Demonstrations will be given by nationally known professionals and by members as required.
2.3 Group tuition will be given as required. Members will be encouraged to visit other venues, exhibitions etc. Further encouragement and progression in skills will be made through regular competitions.
2.4 To achieve the objectives newcomers will be encouraged to attend as guests.
2.5 Members are encouraged to bring such guests to the monthly meetings (other functions may be restricted to members only), particularly with their subsequent recruitment in mind. There will be a reduced attendance fee for such guests.
3 INCOME & FUNDING
3.1 BWA will not be run with any commercial intent.
3.2 The income and property of the BWA will be used solely towards the funding of venues, demonstrators fees, equipment, materials, etc. to fulfil the aims of the association. The committee may also use association funds to subsidise, visits, social events etc. such events being open to all members.
3.3 No member is entitled to incur any debt on behalf of the BWA without the express permission of the committee.
3.4 Members may sell items at BWA organised events such as craft fairs, exhibitions etc. but may be required to make suitable donations to association funds.
3.5 No member shall be paid expenses other than those agreed by the committee.
3.6 The BWA will have suitable Public Liability Insurance.
4 MEMBERSHIP
4.1 Membership is open to all. The committee reserves the right to exclude a person in exceptional circumstances. There will be an annual subscription and meeting fees determined by the committee.
4.2 There shall be one category of membership in general but the committee may award honorary Fellowships to suitable recipients.
4.3 Membership subscriptions are due on the date of the first meeting in each calendar year and will cover the period from January to December – members joining after June will be eligible for half the current fee.
4.4 Upon the failure of any member to pay their subscription by the due date they shall be deemed to have ceased to be a member. Any member, whose membership has lapsed, may rejoin the membership on payment of the appropriate current fees.
4.5 Members may use the name of the Association to indicate their membership.
4.6 All paid-up members may participate fully in all the activities of the association, attend Annual General Meetings or Extraordinary General Meetings, and to vote upon any of the constitutional matters and to serve on the committee of the BWA.
4.7 A copy of this constitution shall be given to each candidate for membership of the BWA prior to them becoming a member. By acceptance of membership of the BWA each member agrees to be bound by this constitution.
4.8 All those who attend meetings and any other events connected with the association do so at their own risk. All personal property is brought to the BWA (or related events) at the risk of the owner of that property. The BWA cannot be held responsible for loss or damage to personal property.
5 CONDUCT OF MEMBERS
5.1 Members must make themselves aware of all aspects of health and safety in terms of specific venue requirements and their own personal materials and conduct.
5.2 All members are required to behave in a manner in keeping with the stated aims of the Association at all times.
5.3Members shall not by word or deed bring the association into disrepute.
5.4 Members, who knowingly participate in unsafe practices, may be excluded immediately by members of the committee and from any future participation in association events and thus forfeit their membership.
6 MANAGEMENT
6.1 The affairs of the BWA shall be managed by a committee, defined below, elected at the Annual General Meeting.
6.2 The committee should consist of EIGHT elected members. These will include: a Chairman; a General Secretary; a Treasurer; an Events Secretary. Other posts may include: Audiovisual Aids; Raffle; Books and Videos; Website and Press, though, where appropriate, these post may be taken up by BWA members outside of the committee. The committee may coopt further members as and when the need arises.
6.3 The members of the committee shall be elected by the members of the BWA at the Annual General Meeting for a two year term of office. One-half of the committee i.e. four members will stand down each year on a rotating basis although those standing down shall be eligible for re-election for additional terms.
6.4 The honorary position of President will be filled by invitation of the Committee as required.
7 COMMITTEE MEETINGS
7.1 The committee shall meet at intervals determined by the business of the association or at least every six months. Meetings shall be convened by the secretary acting in consultation
with the chairman, although a meeting may be convened at any time on the demand of three or more committee members.
7.2 The chairman of the meeting shall exercise a second casting vote if any voting at a Committee meeting shall otherwise be equal.
7.3 If the chairman of the BWA is not present at a meeting, then the committee shall elect a chairman from amongst their number.
7.4 The meeting will be quorate if four members of the committee are present.
7.5 The committee shall be empowered to appoint sub-committees to act on its behalf. The chairman of any sub-committee shall be a member of the committee.
7.6 The committee shall have the power of filling, by invitation, any vacancy which may occur during the current year.
7.7 Officers and committee members shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. If at the Annual General Meeting it is seen that there is only one proposed member for a post, then the meeting chairman may ask the membership to accept the candidate as elected. Where there is more than one proposed candidate for any post then an election will take place by a
show of hands and will be decided by a simple majority.
7.8 All candidates and their proposers must be paid up members of the BWA.
7.9 This constitution may only be amended at an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting at which at least 50% of the membership must be present. Amendments to the constitution may be made on the basis of a simple majority vote.
8 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS / EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETINGS
8.1 The Annual General Meeting will take place during the October meeting.
8.2 The BWA financial year will run from 1st. October to 30th. September.
8.3 The ordinary business to be transacted at each Annual General meeting shall be:
– 8.3.1 Minutes of the previous AGM, matters arising and adoption as a true record. –
– 8.3.2 To receive the chairman’s report of the previous year’s working.
– 8.3.3 To receive the treasurer’s report and adopt the statement of accounts covering the affairs of the previous financial year.-
– 8.3.4 To elect new committee members for the following year.
– 8.3.5 To fix the annual subscription for the coming year, following submission of a committee recommendation.
– 8.3.6 Any Member may, in writing submit a proposal for consideration at the meeting.
– 8.3.7 Any other business.
8.4 The committee may call for an Extraordinary General Meeting at any time. The committee shall also call an Extraordinary General Meeting within twenty one days of being served notice signed by five or more BWA members.
8.5 Notice of an Extraordinary General Meeting, together with the agenda, shall be communicated to all members prior to such a meeting.
9 FINANCE
9.1 The treasurer shall maintain an accurate record of the income, expenses, and assets of the BWA.
9.2 The Association intends to maintain a reserve fund of at least one thousand pounds as a contingency to cover any unexpected expenditure. The Treasurer will report to the committee should any planned expenditure result in the available funds approaching this figure.
9.3 The payment of all bills will be made by the Treasurer following approval from the BWA Committee. If the Treasurer is not available, payment may be made by the Chairman or the General Secretary.
9.4 In the event of dissolution of the BWA then any tangible assets will be sold by the committee within three months of the dissolution and, together with remaining funds, after all debts have been paid, be donated to an organisation such as the AWGB, a Woodland Trust or to any one promoting wood turning and associated interests. The beneficiary to be decided by the remaining members of the BWA.