No.

HEADING

RULE

1

Title

Title of the Society shall be The Dover and East Kent Scottish Society

2

Objectives

The objectives of the Society shall be to promote social harmony amongst members,  to promote interest in the Culture, History, Literature, Music and Dancing of Scotland and to assist deserving people of Scottish descent. 

3

Membership

Ordinary membership of the Society shall be available to persons who are of Scottish birth or descent and to wives/ husbands/ partners  of such persons. Descent means no further than grandparents. Any person wishing to become a member shall be proposed and seconded by current members at a Committee or General Meeting.

4

Life Members

The Society may admit Life Members, persons who are of Scottish descent, on payment of one subscription of twenty pounds after ten consecutive years membership.  The Committee may admit as an Honorary Member or Honorary Life Member any person(s) deserving of such as a reward for exceptional dedication, commitment, patronage  or otherwise effort on behalf of the Society. (subject to eligibility provisions of rule 3).

5

Associate Members

Associate membership shall be available to persons not qualified for membership in accordance with rule 3. Any person wishing to be an associate member should be proposed and seconded at a Committee or General meeting.  An associate member shall enjoy the same privileges as members and be charged the same fees. Associate members may be elected to membership of the Committee.  They may attend the Annual General Meeting and take full part in the proceedings, except that they will not be eligible to vote on any matter, unless they are members of the Committee.

6

Resignation

A member may resign at any time by giving notice in writing to the Secretary of the Society, but no part of the subscription paid by the member shall be returnable.

7

Expulsion

The Committee may expel or suspend from privileges of membership for such period as they may decide, any member, who, in the opinion of the Committee has acted in manner detrimental to the interests of the Society.

8

Visitors

Every member, including associate members, shall be allowed to introduce visitors and guests, to all Society events, unless specified otherwise by the Committee from time to time.

9

Subscriptions

The annual subscription shall be £5.  The annual subscription shall become due on the 1st April of each year. Any member whose subscription has lapsed by one  year may be removed from membership without notice, though the Committee may seek to continue membership by notifying such members and on receipt of outstanding subscriptions. The first subscription of a new member shall be payable on application for membership – However, where this occurs after St Andrews’ night, subscription will be held over for the following financial year, though member benefits will commence immediately.

10

Committee

a)    The affairs of the Society shall be conducted by a Committee consisting of the President, Vice-president, Secretary, and Treasurer and up to ten other members of the Society who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. A majority of Committee members shall be of Scottish descent. An Assistant Secretary may be appointed if appropriate and a volunteer comes forward)

b)    The Committee shall have power to appoint a member to fill any vacancy until the next Annual General meeting.

     c)  Five shall form a quorum.

     d)  The Committee shall have power to appoint sub-committees, and to

          co-opt additional members as they consider necessary.

     e)  The Committee shall have power to co-opt members of the Society for

           specific  responsibilities. These members need not be members of the

          Committee.

     f)    The Committee shall be empowered to give financial assistance as they

            think fit.

g)    The Committee may make charitable donations from time to time as they see fit and decided at Committee meetings and in accordance with rule 2, to predominantly Scottish organisations.

h)    The Committee will make provision for the safe handling and storage of any Assets of the Society.

i)      The Committee will make declaration of any personal business interests which may pose a potential conflict of interests of The Society.  The Committee will decide any consequential action as per paragraph (a)

11

Meetings of the Committee

(a)The Committee shall meet as often as may be necessary to examine accounts, to transact the business and to arrange and manage the affairs of the society.

(b)The Committee will assume full Executive Powers whereby a decision made by the Committee will also have been deemed to have been made by The Society.  No decision may be made other than by the Committee.   Where, exceptionally, a delay in making a decision would have detrimental effect on The Society, The President, vice-president and/or Secretary may seek consensus from the Committee prior to holding a Committee meeting. Any decision thus made will be entered onto the Agenda at the next meeting.

12

Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held in the month of April upon a date and time fixed by the Committee for the following purposes :-

    a)   To receive from the Committee a report, Balance Sheet and  

            Statement of Accounts duly audited for the preceding financial year,

    b)   To elect members of the Committee,

    c)   To elect auditor(s)

    d)   To decide upon any resolution which may be duly submitted to the

            meeting.

(e)   To decide on any proposed rule changes which have been duly

       submitted to the meeting. 

(f)    After the previous year’s statements and reports have been disclosed,   office bearers and the committee will stand down and either the outgoing President, a Senior Member or past President will take the Chair and preside until the incoming or returning President is duly installed. The President, so elected , will then take the Chair.

(g)  Notification to members of the AGM will be by any suitable and reasonable  method as decided by the Committee.

(h)  Any rule change decided at the AGM will have immediate effect other than for changes to subscriptions which will take effect the following April 1^st.

   (i)  The President or in his or her absence, the Vice-President, shall preside

        at all meetings and shall have the casting vote.

    j)  Ten members will represent a quorum

   (k) The auditor may be any member of The Society including a Committee

         member other than the Treasurer.

   (l)  A committee member may hold more than one office at any time.

13

Notice of Business of A.G.M.

a)     Nomination for Committee.  All nominations for elected members to the Committee shall be forwarded to the Secretary at least 14 days before the Annual General Meeting and shall be signed by two members, proposer and seconder, who have secured the nominee's consent to act on the Committee. This may be by whatsoever method is decided by the Committee.

b)     Existing Committee Members will automatically be nominated for the following year unless they specifically remove their name from such nomination.

     c)    Resolutions.  Any member desirous of moving any resolution at the

            Annual General Meeting shall give notice in writing to the Secretary not

            less than 14 days before the date of such meeting. Such resolutions

            shall be signed by two members who are prepared to move and second

          it.

    d)   Change of Rules of the Society.  The rules of the Society can be altered

         or amended only at the Annual General Meeting after notice of such

         alteration or amendment signed by three members has been sent to the

         Secretary at least 21 days before the date of the Annual General

         Meeting.  The proposed alteration or amendment shall be notified to each

         member along with the notice calling for the Annual  General Meeting at

         least 10 days before the date of the meeting. Such notification will be

         made by any suitable and reasonable method as decided by the

         Committee.

    e)  The nomination for Committee membership and notification of

         resolutions or proposed rule changes may be made by whatsoever

         method is decided by the Committee but must be made by the due dates

         as detailed above.

14

Financial Year

The Financial Year of the Society shall end on the 31st March of each year, when the accounts of the Society shall be balanced and the accounts, as soon as is practicable after the end of the financial year be audited by the Society's auditor(s).

15

The Secretary

The Secretary (together with Assistant Secretary if appropriate) shall conduct the correspondence and shall keep the minutes of all Committee Meetings of the Society.  The Secretary shall prepare a yearly report which shall be read at the Annual General meeting. The Secretary will maintain a membership List.

The Secretary will maintain safe storage of historical and archival material as agreed by the Committee.

16

The Treasurer

The Treasurer shall collect the subscriptions of members, keep an account of receipts and expenditure and report balances at Committee Meetings and shall submit a statement, after audit, to the Annual General Meeting.

17

Interpretation of Rules

The Committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of rules and the decision of the Committee upon any question of interpretation or upon any matter affecting the Society shall be final and binding on the members.

18

Officers

The offices of President and Vice-President shall only be available to persons of Scottish birth. Where no one of Scottish birth is nominated as President or vice –president then these offices are available to members whose Scottish ancestry is not more remote that that of parent.

Where more than one member is nominated as President or vice-president then these offices will be subject to a vote by members  but order of precedents will always be

1. Scottish birth
2. Scottish Parent