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Club
Constitution
1. The Club shall be called the “Molesey Photographic Club” and membership shall be open to all interested in photography. 2. The Club’s aims shall be to promote the art and craft of photography; to provide a meeting place for members and to provide technical advice and help to members where practical; and to make enjoyment of photography accessible to the community as a whole. 3.
Membership shall be open to all who share the club’s aims.
There shall be four classes of membership: All of these classes of membership shall have full membership rights. • Country members. The committee has the right to grant Country Membership to members whose first or main club is not a member of the Surrey Photographic Association and who have been full and active members of Molesey Photographic Club for at least five years. Members must apply in writing to the Committee who will consider the request and reply in writing with all the relevant terms. Such members may attend up to a reduced number of external lectures a year in return for a reduced subscription as agreed at the AGM. It is desirable that such members enter their work in the club’s internal competitions and annual exhibition if they wish their work to be considered to represent the club in external competitions. They may not sit on the committee but otherwise have full membership rights. 4. An Annual General Meeting shall be called at the end of each Club season. The annual subscription shall be agreed and approved at the AGM. This subscription shall be payable in September at the first meeting each season. 5. The affairs of the Club shall be managed by a Committee, of up to eleven members, comprising the Officers and other Committee members. 6. The Officers shall consist of a Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. The other Committee members shall include a Programme Secretary, Internal and External Competitions Secretaries, Exhibition Secretary, and Publicity Secretary. 7. All Officers and other Committee members are to be elected each year at the Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting. During the Club season the three Officers may co-opt new Committee members, who are then eligible for election at the following AGM or EGM. 8. Each Officer shall normally serve for a period of no more than 3 years, unless each year at the Annual General Meeting a motion is carried that this period may be extended for a further year. 9. The Committee is empowered to call an Extraordinary General Meeting. Such a meeting may also be convened on a requisition signed by 25% of the ordinary paid-up membership, stating the reason and delivered to the Secretary. The Secretary shall give all members, stating the reason, 14 days notice of the holding of such a meeting. 10. At the Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting, all Club members who are subject to election must be proposed and seconded. All other motions must also be proposed and seconded. All changes to the Club Rules shall have to be carried by at least a two-thirds majority of the paid-up membership present at the meeting. All elections and other motions shall have to be carried by a majority of the paid-up membership present at the meeting. 11. A President, Vice-President(s) and Vice-Chairman may also be elected at the Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting. 12. At Committee Meetings, four shall form a quorum including at least two Officers. At Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings at least one quarter of the paid-up membership shall be the necessary minimum to form a quorum. 13. The Secretary shall keep minutes of all Committee and General Meetings and conduct the Club’s correspondence. The Treasurer shall collect subscriptions and monies owing, and make payments in connection with the Club’s activities. At the close of each Club season a balance sheet shall be drawn up by the Treasurer and inspected by another person appointed by the Committee. 14. The Committee is empowered to suspend or expel from membership such members whose conduct is or has been in the opinion of the Committee prejudicial or detrimental to the Club’s best interest. Such powers are not to be exercised until the individual concerned has been informed of the reason in writing and given the right to respond to the committee. Such response must be lodged with the Secretary within 14 days of being informed. The individual concerned will then have an opportunity to appear before the Committee to give an explanation and has the right to call witnesses. Within 14 days of such an appeal the decision of the Committee shall be conveyed in writing to the individual. If the committee’s original decision stands, the member has the right of appeal to an Extraordinary General Meeting of the club. 15. The Club may enter and hold competitions and exhibitions as deemed fit by the Committee. 16. The Club shall be a member of the Surrey Photographic Association and thus affiliated to the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain. 17. The Club may be wound up only by an Extraordinary General Meeting at which three quarters of members present vote in favour of such action; this number must be greater than one half of the membership. If winding up is agreed the Committee shall appoint a Liquidator to dispose of the Club's assets. The Liquidator shall attempt to maximise the sales proceeds of the Club's physical assets. After meeting all recognised liabilities he shall donate any remaining assets to a body or bodies with aims similar to those of the Club. 18. No alteration or addition to the Club Constitution shall be made except at the Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting called in accordance with clause 9. Any proposed changes to these Rules, other than those proposed by the Committee, should be notified to the Secretary in writing giving 14 days notice. |
