Constitution

1. The Society shall be known as the Littleton and Harestock Gardening Club.

2. The objects of the Society shall be:

a) to promote and organise monthly horticultural meetings/visits of interest to Members;

b) to provide horticultural theory and practical guidance for Members.

c) to encourage the local community to appreciate the different aspects of gardening as a hobby.

3. The office of President shall he filled by election at the Annual General Meeting.

The President post is ex-officio. but will be invited to all Committee Meetings.

a)The Committee may recommend to the Membership the appointment of a ‘Patron’. This position acknowledges the services of an individual member who, over many years, has provided guidance, encouragement, advice, influence and contributed greatly to the running and success of the Club. The position is honorary and lifelong. The individual can attend Committee Meetings and has the right to vote at such meetings. At any one time no more than two Patrons can be elected.

4.The Society to be managed by a Committee consisting of a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Committee Secretary, Treasurer and other members filling various posts as required at the time.
One Member of the Committee may be appointed as the Society’s representative on the Littleton and Harestock Show Society.

5. The Annual General Meeting will be held in March and the gardening year will commence in April (w.e.f April 2009). a) All Officer and Committee posts to be filled by election at the Annual General Meeting in March.

Retiring Officers and Committee Members can stand for re-election. The elections to take place in March at the Annual General Meeting.

6. The Committee shall have power to fill by co-option any vacancy that may occur between Annual General Meetings, subject to the same rules as applied to elected Members.

7. At Committee meetings, four shall form a quorum and the Chairperson shall preside. In the absence of the Chairperson the Vice-Chairperson shall preside and in the event of both being absent, a Committee Member from amongst those present shall be chosen to do so.

8. The Committee may form such Sub-Committees as it may require.  A Sub-Committee must have at least two members.  One member of the Sub-Committee must be a member of the main Committee.  The Sub-Committee shall organise itself so that one of its members takes the role of secretary and one the role of chairman of that Sub-Committee.  The main Committee may delegate to a Sub-Committee such powers and duties as it may see fit.  Club members may be co-opted to a Sub-Committee either by the main Committee or the Sub-Committee (with the approval of the main Committee).  Sub-Committees shall be responsible and answerable to the main Committee at all times.

9.The Committee shall fix the subscription rate for Club members each year.

10. All fully paid Members are eligible to vote. Outcome of any voting is by simple majority basis. The Chairperson has a casting vote in the event of a balanced result, The number of fully paid Members to form a quorum must total ten.

11. The Accounts of the Club are to be examined yearly by an independent examiner selected by, but not a member of, the Club Committee and then approved at the Annual General Meeting. A copy of the independent examiner’s Accounts Sheet shall be available on request. All financial transactions must be approved by the Committee. All cheques and other forms of payment (principally direct debit) being signed by one of the following:- Chairperson, Treasurer.

12. The Annual General Meeting, which will be held in March, will have an Agenda which will include the following business: —
a) to receive and, if approved, adopt the Statement of Accounts: period = 1st February to 31st January;
b) to appoint the Officers and Members of the Committee;
c) to deal with any resolutions which have been proposed, seconded and submitted to the Secretary, at least. 14 days prior to the Meeting, including changes to the Constitution;
d) to approve the investment or expenditure of surplus Club funds.

13. A Special General Meeting may be convened at any time by the Committee for the following purposes:
a) to deal with any matter of which the Committee has given notice;
b) to deal with any special matter of which the Members requiring the meeting have given notice.

14.A Special General Meeting must be organised, if a request to do so is made in writing from ten Club Members.

15.Any meeting of the Gardening Club, including the Annual General Meeting, any Special General Meeting, any ordinary meeting of the Club and any meeting of the Committee, may be held by video or audio conference if necessary.

16.If the Committee decides that the Club should be dissolved, then a Special General Meeting must be convened in accordance with the Rules above to consider the dissolution proposal.

17.In the event of the dissolution of the Club, the funds and property of the Club shall be disposed of for the benefit of the Parish of Littleton and Harestock as may he determined by the Committee holding Office immediately prior to the dissolution in any manner which is exclusively charitable at law.

18.If a quorum of such a Committee cannot be found, then all funds and property will he distributed for the good of the Parish by the Parish Council.

DATE OF THIS ISSUE : 28th March 2021 VERSION NUMBER: 1.6