GUISBOROUGH BRIDGE CONSTITUTION
1. Name
The name of the Association is the "The Guisborough Bridge Association".
2. Objects
The objects of the Association are to:
• To promote the benefit of the inhabitants of Guisborough and the neighbourhood thereof (hereinafter called the ‘area of benefit') without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, race or of religious or other opinions by associating together the said inhabitants and the local authorities, voluntary and other organizations in a common effort to advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and other leisure-time occupation with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants.
• To establish or secure the establishment of a Community Centre (hereinafter called ‘The Bridge') and to maintain and manage the same, whether alone or in co-operation with any local authority or other person or body in furtherance of these objects
• To operate in alignment with the objects of the ‘Churches Together In Guisborough' to advance the Christian religion. (See Appendix A for Constitution of Churches Together in Guisborough)
The Association shall be non-party in politics and non-sectarian.
3. Powers
In pursuance of the Objects but not otherwise the Association may:
• I. Acquire any property necessary for the achievement of the objects and to maintain and equip it for use.
• II. Employ and remunerate staff not being members of the Executive Committee.
• III. Co-operate with other charities, voluntary bodies and the statutory authorities in. furtherance of the objects and exchange information and advice with them.
• IV. Raise funds by any lawful means except permanent trading (activities undertaken in support of the objects for which costs are recovered and an occasional surplus may be generated excepted).
• V. Accept gifts for any purpose connected with the Objects.
• VI. Do anything else within the law that is necessary in carrying out the Objects.
4. Membership
• I. Membership of the association is open to any individual who is interested in furthering the objects and who is a member or regular attender of one of the member churches of ‘Churches together in Guisborough' . Membership of the Executive Committee and the right to vote at general meetings is restricted to members 18 years of age or over.
• II. The Executive Committee may make provision for non-voting categories of membership including junior membership, associate membership and honorary membership.
• III. The Executive Committee must keep a list of members in each category
5. General Meetings
• I. There must be an Annual General Meeting of the members of the Association once in every calendar year
• II. At the Annual General Meeting the members will:
• Receive the Executive Committee's report for the previous year
• Receive the Treasurer's report and accounts for the previous year
• Elect the Executive Committee for the following year
• Determine any other matter of which notice has been given.
• III. A Special Meeting of the members of the Association may be held at any time if called by the Executive Committee or if at least ten members of the Association make a written request to the Executive Committee.
• IV. A Special General Meeting must be called within one month of such a request
• V. A General Meeting requires twenty-one days notice to be given to the members specifying the matters to be dealt with.
• VI. A quorum at a General Meeting is fifteen members present in person or a minimum of one third of the membership, whichever is the greater number. If there is no quorum the meeting will be adjourned for at least fourteen days and the number present at the adjourned meeting if at least four will constitute a quorum for that meeting.
• VII. The Chairman of the Executive Committee or in their absence some other member of the executive committee takes the chair at General Meetings.
• VIII. Except where this constitution provides for a larger majority on a specific question, every question is decided by a majority of the votes cast. In the case of equality of votes the Chairman has a second or casting vote.
6. Executive Committee Composition
• I. The Executive Committee (“the committee” also known as ‘the steering team') is the body responsible for the management of the Association.
• II. The Committee consists of a minimum of three and a maximum of seven individuals who are either members of the Association or appointed representatives of organisations in membership
• III. The members of the Committee are elected annually at the Annual General Meeting and normally hold office until the end of the Annual General Meeting the following year. Individuals are eligible for re-election for up to 5 years.
• IV. A member of the Committee who resigns by written notice to the committee, who is absent for three consecutive meetings of the committee or who is disqualified by law from acting as a charity trustee, ceases automatically to be a member of the Committee.
• V. Casual vacancies in the Committee may be filled by the Committee by co-option and a co-opted member will have the same voting powers and hold office for the same period as the Committee member they replace.
7. Executive Committee: Procedures
• I. The Committee must meet at least four times in every calendar year. A special meeting of the Committee may be called at any time on a minimum of seven days notice. A quorum at Committee meetings is three.
• II. At the first meeting of the Committee in every year the members must appoint from among themselves a Chairman, Treasurer and other honorary officers as they think fit.
• III. Every question is decided by a simple majority of the Committee members present and voting at a meeting. In the case of equality of votes the chairman of the meeting has a second or casting vote.
• IV. The Committee may appoint sub-committees to advise them or carry out specific tasks in the management of the Association but sub-committees must always report back to the Committee as soon as possible.
• V. The Committee must keep minutes of its meetings and proceedings and keep safe all records relating to the Association
• VI. The Committee may make rules to govern its own proceedings and the proceedings of sub-committees so long as they are not inconsistent with the provisions of this constitution.
8. Executive Committee: Nominations
• I. Every candidate for election to the Committee must be nominated and seconded by members of the Association and must give their consent to stand for election. Nominations and consents must be notified to the Chairman in advance of the Annual General Meeting
9. Finance
• I. All funds belonging to or raised by the Association must be paid directly into a bank account in the name of the Association (see iv below) and may only be used in furthering the Objects
• II. No member of the Committee may be employed by the Association or receive any payment or other benefit from its funds except for reasonable out of pocket expenses reasonably incurred for the purposes of the Association
• III. The Committee is responsible for the keeping records of accounts and for the preparation of an annual report and annual statement of accounts for the Association
• IV. The Committee shall maintain an account or accounts for the Association at a bank, building society or similar financial institution and make regulations governing the signatories (of whom there must be at least two) who shall be members of the Committee, on such accounts.
10. Amendment of Constitution
• I. The provisions of this Constitution may be amended at a General Meeting by resolution passed by two thirds of the members present and voting but:
• Notice of the terms of the proposed amendment must be given with the notice calling the meeting.
• Clauses 1,2,9,11 and this clause 10 must not be amended without the prior written permission of the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales.
11. Dissolution
• I. The Association may be dissolved at a General Meeting by resolution passed by two thirds of the members present and voting
• II. In the event of dissolution the members of the Committee holding office will remain responsible for the orderly winding up of the affairs of the Association
• III. After paying or making provision for all debts and liabilities of the Association the Committee shall transfer any remaining assets to one or more registered charities having similar Objects chosen either by the members in General Meeting at the time of dissolution or afterwards by the Committee.
This Constitution was adopted at the Annual General Meeting held
at……Guisborough Methodist Church Hall………………………………………………….
on……9th April 2001………………………………………………….
Signed
Chair of meeting…………………………………..
Secretary of meeting………………………………
Appendix A: The Constitution of “Churches Together in Guisborough
1. Name
The organization shall be called “Churches Together in Guisborough”, (CTG).
2. Basis
The basis shall be that of the “Council of Churches in Britain and Ireland”, namely: ‘A fellowship of churches which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the scriptures and therefore seek to fulfill together their common calling to the glory of one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.'
3. Association
CTG shall be associated with the Council of Churches in Britain and Ireland (CCBI)
4. Objects
A. To draw the churches within Guisborough into greater understanding and unity.
B. To enable the churches to share more fully in the ecumenical movement.
C. To enable the churches to bear a more united witness in the community and to serve it more effectively
D. To give expression to their common faith and devotion.
5. Membership
A. Membership of CTG shall be open to each local church within the town of Guisborough which affirms the basis and which desires to promote the objects and share in the work of CTG. But, like CCBI, we accept that a church which on principle has no credal statements in its tradition, and therefore cannot formally subscribe to the statement of faith in the Basis, may be a member of CTG if it satisfies the member churches that it manifests faith in Christ as witnessed to in the scriptures, and is committed to the aims and purposes of CTG, and that it will work in the spirit of the Basis. The representatives shall be the Ministers and up to two others from each participating church.
B. CTG may co-opt members not being more than a quarter of the total number of church representatives.
C. CTG may invite representatives of other bodies to attend as observers.
6. Officers
The officers of CTG shall be a Chairman and Vice-Chairman, an Honorary Treasurer and one or two Honorary Secretaries, to be elected at the annual meeting.
7. Meetings
CTG shall meet not less than three times a year. The first shall be the annual meeting (which must be held before the first day of April) at which the accounts shall be presented, officers elected and reports submitted.
8. Executive
The officers shall constitute the executive committee.
9. Finance
Each fully participating church shall be asked to contribute each year towards the work and expenses of CTG at a rate or rates to be fixed at the annual meeting.
10. Amendment of the Constitution
CTG shall have power to amend the constitution, but representatives of any church shall have the right to require that any proposed amendments be submitted to the member churches.