CONSTITUTION AND RULES
SWALLOWFIELD PARISH ALLOTMENT ASSOCIATION
RULES AND CONSTITUTION NAME, OBJECTS AND POWERS
1. Name The name of the Society shall be The Swallowfield Parish Allotment Association
2. Aims of Society
To assist all members in the pursuit of gardening as a recreation and to promote health, education and community fellowship whilst sustaining and developing environmental conservation.
3. Objects
(a) To actively cooperate with groups and organisations with a view to increasing the provision of allotments and improving standards and facilities
(b) To establish a working relationship with Swallowfield Parish Council as landlords with the object of improving facilities, carrying out essential landlord maintenance, preparation of allotment gardens for letting, producing publicity about availability of allotments and early consultation on allotment matters e.g. proposed site changes, rent levels and reviewing the tenancy agreement which sets out responsibilities of the landlord and the tenant.
(c) To administer any distribution service, communal maintenance machinery and equipment.
(d) To help new gardeners on the site in whatever way is appropriate including providing where possible introduction to a nearby experienced gardener with the view to special help during early months of tenancy.
4. Powers
The Society shall have full power to do all things necessary or expedient for the accomplishment of its objects. No sectarian or party political questions shall be introduced into any meeting and no action of the society shall be directed towards the propagation of political or religious doctrines, racial or gender discrimination or take part in any political party or religious denominational activities.
MEMBERSHIP
5. Members
The Society shall consist of Allotment & Leisure Gardeners within the Parish of Swallowfield or of such other persons as the committee may admit to membership.
6. Subscriptions
Members will be required to pay such annual subscription as may be determined by the Annual General Meeting as part of the Treasurer’s report and be included in the agenda convening the meeting. Members joining part way through a financial year will pay one twelfth for each month or part of a month remaining in the current financial year
7. Cessation of Membership
A member shall cease to be a member in the following eventualities:
(a) The member’s death
(b) The member’s resignation
(c) The non-payment of the annual subscription thereof for a period of 3 months after has become due
(d) Failure to abide by the Tenancy Agreement rules
(e) The expulsion of a member under Rule 8
8. Expulsion of members
A General Meeting may, by a vote of two thirds of the members present and entitled to vote, expel any member for conduct detrimental to the Society, provided that a notice specifying the conduct for which it is intended to expel, is sent to the member at the address entered in the register of members at least one calendar month prior to the date of the meeting. (see rule 35)
LIST OF MEMBERS
9. List of Members The Committee of Management shall allocate the keeping of an alphabetical membership list updated annually
to one of its members in which shall be entered the following:
(a) Name, address and telephone number of member
(b) Date of joining and leaving
(c) Date of receipt of joining subscription and renewal subscriptions.
Any member may see the entry in respect of themselves recorded in the official list of members and in their own interest must notify any change of address to the Secretary.
GOVERNANCE AND DAY TO DAY MANAGEMENT
10. Governance of the Society shall be vested in the General Meetings
11. Day to Day Management delegated to the Committee.
COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT AND OFFICERS
12. Committee
The Committee must be members of the Society and shall consist of a Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and at least 2 but no more than 6 Committee Members as may be determined at a General Meeting.
13. Election
The Committee of Management will be elected from members of the Society at the Annual General Meeting and will take office at the end of the Annual General Meeting at which elected until the end of the next Annual General Meeting.
14. Mid – Term Vacancies The Committee of Management may fill any vacancy arising during the year. Members appointed will be full voting members of the committee and count towards a quorum.
15. President and Honorary Vice Presidents
The Annual General Meeting may elect a President and/or Honorary Life Presidents as may be required. These offices will be honorary and non-voting unless the office holder is a member with normal voting rights.
16. Co-option
The Committee of Management may co-opt any member to the Committee to assist in its work. Such co-opted members will be non-voting and not count towards a quorum.
17. Powers of Committee
The Committee shall have full power to supervise and manage the day to day work of the Society according to the rules for the purpose of accomplishing its objectives.
MEETINGS OF COMMITTEE MANAGEMENT
18 Frequency of meetings
The Committee of Management will meet quarterly or more frequently if required by decision of the Committee.
19. Quorum at Committee Meetings A quorum for meetings of Committee of Management shall be 4 or such other number as may be agreed at a General Meeting.
20. Emergency Actions
The Chairman and/either the Secretary or Treasurer may take any executive emergency actions required where it is not practicable for the business to be decided upon at a regular or special committee meeting. Details of the action will be reported and recorded at the next meeting of the Committee of Management.
21. Conduct of Meetings
At all meetings of the Committee every question shall be decided by a majority of votes and if the votes are equal the Chairman shall have a casting vote in addition to his/her vote as a member. In the absence of the Chairman, an acting Chairman elected at the committee meeting shall preside for that meeting.
FINANCE
22. Financial Records
The Treasurer will keep in date order a record of all income and expenditure related to Society’s financial transactions and all expenditure must be supported by a supplier’s receipt or appropriate voucher which shows the date of expenditure, the total amount and the purpose for which payment was made. Receipts for membership fee income will be given, recording the date paid, the duration of the membership fee e.g. to 31st March 2011, and the name of the member. This receipt will be proof of membership.
23. Banking
The Treasurer shall open an account with a bank or building society in the name of the Society. Payments will only be made with written approval from at least 2 committee members.
24. Annual Accounts Format
If no other activity is envisaged then a simple Income and Expenditure account and a balance sheet will suffice. In the event of other activities needing to be presented separately e.g. shows, trading, then a separate simple sub account will be introduced with agreement of the Committee of Management.
25. Loans & Borrowing
Loans, borrowing or other credit arrangements will require a specific decision at a Committee of Management meeting or general meeting before any contractual transaction is entered into.
26 Annual Accounts
The treasurer will prepare accounts on an annual basis to present to the AGM. Prior to the AGM the accounts will be independently inspected by an appropriate person who may be an auditor if required under any circumstance.
The accounts will be prepared for the year (or other period as applicable) to 31st March.
The inspected accounts shall be circulated as part of the agenda for the Society’s Annual General Meeting signed by the Honorary Auditor and Treasurer.
27 Mid Term Vacancy
Where for any reason the Treasurer ceases to hold office the Committee of Management will appoint an Acting Treasurer and ask the Honorary Auditor to carry out an interim audit in preparation for the new Treasurer taking up office.
28 Membership Fee
Membership fees will be determined at the AGM.
GENERAL MEETINGS
29. Annual General Meetings
The Annual General Meetings shall be held at such times as the Committee of Management or a General Meeting shall determine as soon after the audit of accounts is completed as is convenient.
30. Special General Meeting
A Special General Meeting shall be held whenever the Committee of Management thinks expedient or whenever a written requisition for such a meeting by 5 members is delivered to the Secretary. A Special General Meeting shall be convened by Committee of Management within 4 weeks of receipt of request. Should the Secretary fail to convene the meeting the members signing the requisition may convene such meeting by giving such notice themselves
31. Notice of General Meeting
At least 21 days notice by all appropriate means including a letter,text or e-mail to all existing members.
32. Voting at General Meetings
Every member present at a General Meeting and not otherwise disqualified shall have one vote and where the votes cast in any matter are equal then the Chairman shall have the casting vote in addition to his/her vote as member. Members who are not allotment tenants shall not have the right to vote on questions affecting allotment tenant members only.
33. Quorum at General Meetings A quorum at General Meetings shall consists of five members or 25% of membership whichever is the greater.
34. Arbitration
In case any dispute arises between the Society or any of its officers and any member or persons claiming on behalf of a member or under the Rules, or in case of any complaint against any member, application may be made to the Committee of Management for redress, and should the Committee not bring the parties to agreement, the matter in dispute may be submitted to arbitration.
One arbitrator shall be appointed by each of the parties concerned, and one by the Committee of Management.
The decision of the arbitrators shall be final, and the costs of such arbitration shall be shared between the parties as determined by the arbitrator. In this rule the word ‘Member’ includes any person aggrieved who has for not more than 6 months ceased to be a member.
DISSOLUTION OF THE SOCIETY
35. Dissolution
The Society may at any time be dissolved by consent of 75% of the members, testified by their signatures to an instrument of dissolution. Instructions for dissolution will clearly set out what is to happen to any assets and residual cash after payment of expenses. Cash may be lodged with Swallowfield Parish Council and held against any reformation of a successor Society or shall be given to another group with a similar aim.
COPIES OF RULES
36. Copies of Rules
A copy of the rules of the Society shall be delivered free by the Secretary to every member on joining and on demand and the Committee of Management shall provide the Secretary with sufficient copies of the said Rules for this purpose.
AMENDMENTS OF RULES
37. Mode for Amending Rules
The rules may be amended by resolution of a three fourths majority of those attending a General Meeting called for that purpose.
ADOPTION
38. Adoption of the Constitution
This constitution was adopted for The Swallowfield Parish Allotment Association on 17th August 2010 in the presence of the following: