CAGS – Croydon Area Gay SocietyConstitution of the Croydon Area Gay Society
Adopted 9 February 1994
and amended 22 April 1994, 8 May 2013 and 16 May 2017
1. The Society shall be called the Croydon Area Gay Society.
2. Aims
2.1 To promote the principle that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) people are entitled to lead their lives openly without fear, prejudice or hostility.
2.2 To work towards the positive representation in education and media of the lives of LGBT people.
2.3 To promote pride and mutual support within the LGBT community in Croydon.
2.4 To encourage a variety of social, cultural, recreational, and educational events to benefit the LGBT community in Croydon.
2.5 To help and support LGBT people in difficulties.
2.6 To work with other community groups to ensure that the needs of local LGBT people are taken into account at all levels.
3. Membership
3.1 Shall be open to all who support the aims of the Society, and pay the subscription.
3.2 Honorary Life Membership
3.2.1 Honorary Life Membership may be conferred upon a member of the Society in recognition of outstanding service to the Society.
3.2.2 Nominations for Honorary Life Membership may only be made by the Committee of the Society and must be approved by the Society in General Meeting.
4. Guests and other non-members
4.1 Non-members may be admitted to meetings of the Society, but the Officers of the Committee shall retain the absolute right to refuse admission.
5. Subscriptions
5.1 Persons applying to the Society for membership shall pay not less than such minimum subscription as the Committee of the Society shall decide.
5.2 The right to vote at any General Meeting of the Society is restricted to fully paid-up members.
6. The Committee
6.1 The management of the Society unless otherwise stated, shall be deputed to a Committee comprising the Officers and up to nine ordinary members.
6.2 The Officers shall be Chairperson, Secretary, and Treasurer.
6.3 The Committee shall he responsible for managing all aspects of the work of the Society, and shall have the power to regulate its proceedings by means of standing orders or in ally way it deems fit within the provisions of the Constitution, except that the Committee shall ensure that it maintains an accessible record of its proceedings and causes to be maintained an up to date register of members and accurate and accessible account of all financial transactions entered upon by the Society.
7. Annual General Meeting
7.1 The Annual General Meeting shall be convened once in each calendar year at a date, time and place to be determined by the Committee, provided that not more than 15 months shall have elapsed between consecutive AGMs.
7.2 There shall be written notification given of the date of the AGM to all notifiable members of the Society at least 3 months prior to the date of the AGM.
7.3 There shall be further written notification given of the AGM to all notifiable members of the Society at least 14 days prior to the date of the AGM, and notice shall include the time and place of and details of the business to be transacted at the Meeting, including all proposed resolutions to be submitted to the Meeting.
7.4 The Annual General Meeting shall be responsible for
7.4.1 electing the Committee
7.4.2 approving the Treasurer's audited statement of accounts for the year
7.4.3 adopting the report of the Chairperson
7.4.4 appointing an auditor
7.4.5 deciding on any resolution which is submitted to the meeting.
7.5 Election of the Committee
7.5.1 At the Annual General Meeting all the Committee members shall stand down but shall be eligible for re-election.
7.5.2 Candidates for the Committee must be members of the Society of at least six months' standing and must be nominated, in writing to the Secretary, by two other members of at least six months' standing; such nomination to be received by the Secretary not less than seven days before the Annual General Meeting. The nomination must be endorsed by the candidate, showing willingness to stand for election.
7.6 Procedure at Elections
7.6.1 The Committee shall appoint a Returning Officer to supervise the elections.
7.6.2 All elections at the Annual General Meeting shall be by secret ballot.
7.6.3 In case of equality of votes, the member in the Chair shall draw lots.
7.6.4 In the case of any post or posts being uncontested, the candidates for these posts shall be subjected to a vote of confidence by a simple majority of those voting.
7.6.5 Defeated candidates for any office may, subject to prior nomination, seek election as an ordinary member of the Committee.
7.6.6 Members shall have the right to a postal vote on application to the Secretary Such votes must be received by the Secretary not less than 24 hours before the AGM.
7.7 Resolutions
7.7.1 Any Resolutions proposed and seconded by members for consideration at the AGM must be in writing and received by the Secretary not less than forty-two days before the AGM.
7.7.2 Voting on these Resolutions at the AGM shall be by secret ballot.
7.7.3 Members shall have the right to a postal vote on application to the Secretary Such votes must be received by the Secretary not less than 24 hours before the AGM.
7.7.4 Postal votes shall be invalid on any Resolution which is amended in any way at the AGM.
7.7.5 In the case of equality of votes on a Resolution the member in the Chair shall have a second and casting vote.
8. Vacancies on the Committee
8.1 The Committee shall have the power to appoint a member of at least six months' standing to fill any vacancy on the Committee that may arise during the year.
9. Co-option
9.1 The Committee shall have the power to co-opt up to three additional members. Persons so co-opted must be members of the Society of at least six months' standing.
10. Committee Meeting
10.1 The Committee shall meet at such regular intervals as it shall decide to examine the accounts and to arrange the affairs of the Society
10.2 Four members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum.
10.3 The Committee may appoint a Vice-Chairperson.
10.4 The Committee meetings shall be open to Society members and there shall be an item on the agenda enabling Society members to speak.
10.5 Minutes shall be taken of all meetings and these Minutes shall be open to inspection by any member of the Society.
11. Extraordinary General Meeting
11.1 An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be convened for the purpose of considering and deciding upon any one or more of the following matters: i.dismissing one or more of the members of the Committee and electing members to fill the vacancies thereby occurring; ii.considering and deciding upon alterations, amendments and additions to this Constitution; iii.considering and deciding upon a motion to dissolve the Society and upon the consequent disposal of assets which the organisation may hold.
11.2 An EGM may be convened for considering and deciding upon any other matter that shall be deemed to merit such consultation.
11.3 An EGM may be convened at any time by the Committee and shall be convened upon receipt by the Secretary of a requisition so to do signed by 10 members or 20% of the membership, whichever is the lesser number.
11.4 There shall be notification given of any EGM to all notifiable members of the Society at least seven days prior to the date of that meeting and the notice shall include details of the business to be transacted at that meeting.
11.5 Only items included on that agenda shall be considered at that EGM.
11.6 Voting on any Resolution at the EGM shall be by secret ballot.
11.7 Members shall have the right to a postal vote on application to the Secretary Such votes must be received by the Secretary not less than 24 hours before the EGM.
11.8 Postal votes shall be invalid on any Resolution which is amended in any way at the EGM.
12. Procedure at General Meetings
12.1 The Chair shall be taken by the Chairperson, or in the case of his or her absence, by a member selected by the Committee.
12.2 In the case of equality of votes on a Resolution, the member in the Chair shall have a second and casting vote.
13. Interpretation of the Constitution
The Committee shall be the sole authority for interpreting this Constitution.
14. Alterations to the Constitution
14.1 The Constitution can only be amended by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast at an Annual General Meeting, or an Extraordinary General Meeting.
14.2 Details of the proposed amendments shall be sent out with the notice convening that Meeting.
15. Winding Up
15.1 A Resolution to dissolve the Society shall be made only at an EGM convened for that purpose and such a Resolution shall be carried only if at least two-thirds of the members present and entitled to vote, vote in favour of such dissolution.
15.2 A Resolution to dissolve the Society shall contain an instruction to a nominee of the meeting determining and authorising the disposal of the assets of the Society and this instruction shall be conclusive provided that it conforms with the aims and objectives of the Society and that all the outstanding financial debts and obligations charged to the Society shall have first been discharged.
16. Trustees
16.1 There shall be not less then two, nor more than three Trustees of the Society.
16.2 The sum of Six Thousand Pounds being that part of the monies retained in the Society's Special Fund (originally called 'The Gay Centre Appeal Fund' by resolution of 4th October 1982 shall constitute the capital sum invested in the Trustees, and shall not be reduced other than by resolution of an Extraordinary General or Annual General Meeting of the Society or its successor.
16.3 Such resolution shall require a two-thirds majority of the members present.
16.4 Any monies in excess, of the capital sum shall be vested in the Trustees to be dealt with as the Committee or an Extraordinary General or Annual General Meeting shall from time to time direct by resolution and subject to the provisions of the Trust Deed appointing the Trustees.
16.5 The Trustees shall hold office until death or resignation or until removed from office by a resolution of the Committee provided that such resolution shall be approved at the next General Meeting and such approval shall require a two-thirds majority of those members voting.
16.6 Where by reason of any death resignation or removal it is necessary to appoint a new Trustee or Trustees the Committee shall by resolution nominate the person to be appointed subject to confirmation as provided in 16.5.
16.7 For the purpose of giving effect to such resolution the Chairperson Secretary and Treasurer for the time being shall be the persons to appoint new Trustees of the Society within the meaning of Section 36 of the Trustees Act 1925 and they shall by Deed duly appoint as Trustees the persons so nominated.