Meadows Festival Constitution

MEADOWS FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION
PO Box Number: : 12758,
Edinburgh EH8 9YP

Telephone : 07511 247 444
Registered Charity Number: SCO 17116
_____________________________________________

CONSTITUTION OF THE MEADOWS FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION

1) NAME
The name of the Association will be the Meadows Festival Association (herein after referred to as the Association).
2) AREA OF OPERATION
The area of benefit for the purposes of this constitution shall be deemed to be the central area of Edinburgh south of Princes Street. Any reference to the area of benefit shall be construed accordingly.
3) OBJECTS
The Association shall be non-party in politics, non-sectarian in religion and charitable in nature.
The aim of the Association is to provide educational, recreational and social development of the residents of the area of benefit, where such provision is made in the interests of social welfare and of improving the conditions of life within the area of benefit, and for the purposes to associate with the Local Authorities, informal educational establishments, voluntary organisations, community groups and inhabitants in the area of benefit.
In the furtherance to the foregoing objects the Association shall have the power to promote: -
a) Children’s art exhibitions and displays.
b) To provide recreational facilities for the elderly.
c) To provide social, cultural and sporting events for the young people within the area of benefit.
d) To raise funds and to provide financial support for the local community groups and voluntary organisations which seek to further the objectives of the Association.
4) MEMBERSHIP
Membership of the Association shall be open to: -
a) All persons who, having attained the age of sixteen years, have a place of work or residence in the area of benefit, or who attend an educational course at an establishment in the area benefit. The Committee can co-op members from outwith the area as the need arises.
b) Any voluntary, educational or community organisations operating in the area of benefit which satisfy the Management Committee that they are organisations whose objectives are of a similar nature to the objects of the Association and that the membership by the said organisations would be of benefit to the Association (hereinafter referred to as "associated organisations")



5) TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP
The Management Committee shall have the right to terminate any membership for any good and sufficient reason, but provided an individual member or one representative of an associated organisation shall have the right to appear and to be heard prior to such a decision.
6) MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Subject to the powers of the Association in General Meetings the Managements Committee shall have sole responsibility for the formulation of policy and the general management of the Association without prejudice to the foregoing generality.
a) The Management Committee shall have executive control of the Association.
b) The Management Committee shall have power to delegate any of their responsibilities to a sub-Committee appointed by and responsible to the Management Committee.
7) COMPOSITION OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
The Management Committee shall be composed of up to 20 members, being a Chairperson, a Secretary, a Minutes Secretary, a Treasurer and up to 16 members. They shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Association. Five members of the Management Committee shall be a quorum with each member having one vote and the Chairperson having a casting vote if necessary. The Minutes Secretary shall, inter alia, be responsible for the writing of the minutes of the meetings of the Association, General Meetings of the Management Committee and sub-Committees thereof. All minutes shall be open to inspection by all members of the Association.
8) ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS
The Association shall in one year hold a General Meeting as its Annual General Meeting in addition to any other meetings in that year, and shall specify the meeting as such in the notices calling it. The Annual General Meeting shall be held in October or November of each year.
9) EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETINGS
All General Meetings other than the Annual General Meeting shall be called Extraordinary General Meetings.
The Management Committee may, whenever it thinks fit, convene an Extraordinary General Meeting and Extraordinary Ordinary General Meetings shall also be convened by the Management Committee on the requisition of 3 members in writing.

10) QUORUM OF GENERAL MEETINGS
Ten members, or one quarter of the total membership (whichever is the greater) present in person shall be quorum for General Meetings.
11) NOTICE FOR GENERAL MEETINGS
Notice for General Meetings shall be in writing to all members and shall be posted not less than two weeks prior to such General Meetings.
12) CHAIRPERSON
At General Meetings the Chairperson shall be the Chairperson of the Management Committee duly elected at the General Meeting as chair of the General Meeting.
13) AGENDA
At the Annual General Meeting, the agenda shall be in the following form, or as near thereto as circumstances permit.
a) Reports by the office bearers;
b) Reports by the Management Committee;
c) Report by the auditors;
d) Election of the auditors;
e) Election of members of the Management Committee;
f) Election of the office bearers;
14) VOTING RITES
At General Meeting all full members present shall be entitled to vote. In addition one representative duly appointed by Associated Organisations, present in person shall be entitled to vote. Voting shall be on a show of hands or by ballot at the discretion of the Chairperson.
15) SUBSCRIPTIONS
All individual full members shall pay such subscriptions, annual or otherwise, as the Management Committee from time to time may determine.
16) FINANCE
All moneys raised by or on behalf of the Association shall be applied to further the objects of the Association and for no other purpose. Without prejudice to the foregoing generality, no office bearer or other member shall be paid or given any sum of money or honorarium except in so far as the payment is for reimbursement of outlays actually incurred for the benefit of the Association.
For the purposes of this clause, it is deemed that inter alia travel expenses, payments for time occupied and ex gratia payments are not for the benefit of the Association.
17) BANK ACCOUNTS
All bank accounts shall be operative on any two signatures of the Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer or other member of the Management Committee for the time being.



18) ACCOUNTS
A financial report will be given to each meeting of the Management Committee by the Treasurer. The financial year will be from 1st October to 30th September.
19) AUDITORS
The accounts of the Association shall be audited by professionally qualified Accountant. The Association shall pay all fees due to the auditor for his professional services.
20) AMENDMENTS
Any resolution to alter this constitution will be submitted to the Association in General Meeting. Any such resolution must be passed by a two-thirds majority of those present and entitled to vote. Proposed alterations, objects membership, finance, amendments, dissolution to articles 3, 3, 16, 20 or 21 of the constitution shall be notified to HM Inland Revenue, to ascertain whether or not such proposed alterations would affect the charitable status of the Association and in the event that such alterations do effect the said status, they shall not be implemented.
21) DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION
If the members decide that dissolution of the Association is necessary or advisable, it shall be dissolved by a General Meeting convened for that purpose. 28 days notice of that meeting shall be given in writing to all members and associated organisations. If such a decision is confirmed by at least two-thirds majority of those present and voting at the meeting, then after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities including the return of those items advanced or on loan, the assets shall not be paid or distributed to the members, but shall be given to such other charitable organisations with objects similar to those of the Association as the Association may decide. The Association shall then be declared dissolved.

APPENDIX – PRACTICE RULES
1) The Association may elect Office Bearers or any number of joint organisers, or may operate as a co-operative organising group and may elect a chairperson for each meeting from the individual members of the committee.
2) Each committee member should have a specific area of responsibility and there should, if possible, be two committee members dealing with each area of responsibility.
3) No event should be organised without the consent and concurrence of the committee.
4) Orders of contracts, verbal or written to the value of £50.00 or more shall require to be approved by the committee in advance.
5) Each event or area of responsibility should be allocated a budget limit which shall not be exceeded without the express consent, in advance, of the committee.
6) In accordance with paragraph 3 above the participation of the Armed Forces and their associated groups in the Festival itself, should be discouraged as not promoting a harmonious atmosphere.