Adopted on 12 November 1996 and amended at the 2005 and 2010 Annual General Meetings.
1 NAME
The Association shall be called the Ripon Writers’ Group (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Group’).
2 AIM
The Group shall provide a forum for those interested in all forms of writing, in which practical experience may be shared and mutual encouragement provided.
3 MEMBERSHIP
Membership shall be open to all aged eighteen years or over on payment of the current annual subscription. The Group may elect individuals as honorary members, without payment of the annual subscription, in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the Group. Honorary members shall be entitled to attend meetings but not to vote.
4 COMMITTEE
(a) The Group shall be administered by a committee of not more than seven and not fewer than four members elected at each Annual General Meeting for a term of one year. All members of the
committee shall be eligible to stand for re-election.
(b) The committee shall include the members elected to the honorary offices of Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary. These posts must be held by three different people.
(c) Additional honorary office holders, who may or may not be elected members of the committee, may be appointed to undertake specific tasks necessary to the functioning of the Group. A member
may hold more than one such office.
(d) The duties of each office shall be defined in writing and agreed at a meeting of the Group.
5 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Committee shall convene an Annual General Meeting in November, which all members shall be entitled to attend for the purpose of:
a. receiving the President’s and Chairman’s annual report and the Treasurer’s statement of accounts.
b. electing the Committee for the following year
c. voting on proposals to amend the Constitution in accordance with clause 9 below
d. making and receiving proposals on the conduct of the Group’s affairs.
6 EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
Any five members may call an Extraordinary General Meeting by giving 28 days’ notice, in writing to the Secretary, who shall give not less than 14 days’ notice to members. Both notices shall state the purpose of the meeting.
7 RULES OF PROCEDURE AT MEETINGS
a.Quorum: at any meeting at which a vote is taken on a matter of substance concerning the Group’s affairs, one half of the members entitled to vote shall form a quorum.
b. Voting: subject to 7a above, matters shall be decided by a simple vote.
c. Minutes: Minutes shall be taken of all meetings of the Group and the Committee.
8 FINANCE
All moneys raised by or on behalf of the Group shall be used solely to defray the Group’s running costs or otherwise further its aims. The Treasurer shall maintain proper accounts of all income and expenditure and present to the Annual General Meeting a statement of accounts for the year ended. In the event of the Group’s dissolution, any moneys remaining, after the discharge of debts and liabilities, shall be applied towards any purpose agreed by members at the time that dissolution is decided.
9 AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION
This constitution shall be amended only at a properly convened Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting.
Any proposed amendment shall be delivered in writing to the Secretary not less than 28 days before the date of the meeting at which it is to be considered. The Secretary shall notify members of the proposed amendment at least 14 days before the meeting in question.
