Constitution
CONSTITUTION OF THE CHICHESTER WINE SOCIETY
Please select the triangle on the right side to see the details of each section.
| “SOCIETY” | means the Chichester Wine Society |
| “CHAIRMAN” | means the chairperson of the Committee for the time being of the Society |
| “COMMITTEE” | means the Committee of the Society comprising a Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and such other persons who may from time to time be elected thereto |
| “OFFICERS” | means the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer of the Society |
| “SOCIETY YEAR” | means any period of one year commencing on 1st July |
| “REGISTER OF MEMBERS” | means the Honorary Secretary’s Register of Members |
The name of the Society shall be THE CHICHESTER WINE SOCIETY
The tasting and appreciation of wine for the education and fulfilment of the members
In furtherance of the objects in clause 3 the Committee shall have the following powers:
(a) To arrange such tastings and events for the benefit of the members as they shall deem appropriate
(b) To maintain such bank and building society accounts as may be appropriate and make provision for the signature of cheques and other orders for payment (c) To enter into such agreements and arrangements necessary for the proper running of the Society
(d) To do all such other lawful things as shall further the attainment of any of these objects
The Officers and such other members of the Committee from time to time shall be indemnified out of the property of the Society and thereafter by the Members against all damages, costs and expenses incurred in the proper running of the affairs of the Society. Provided that for the purposes of this clause “Members” shall mean:
(a) those persons whose names are recorded on the Register of Members in the current Society Year.
(b) Those persons not included in (a) who were on the Register of Members for the immediately preceding Society Year unless such person before the commencement of the current Society Year shall have notified the Honorary Secretary in writing of termination of membership
And Provided further that the Society shall be entitled to assume that a person is not a member if that person’s subscription has not been paid by the 1st December after the commencement of the Society Year
(a) Any person may be admitted to membership who shall be deemed by the Committee to be a fit and proper member of the Society and a person so admitted shall be referred to as a Member
(b) In each Society Year Members shall pay an annual subscription at such rates and at such times as shall be fixed by the Committee
(c) The Committee shall have the right to determine the maximum number of Members and to refuse membership or the renewal of membership to any person as they shall think fit without assigning any reason therefor
(d) The Honorary Secretary shall maintain a Register of Members (e) For the purposes of clauses 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12 hereof “Members” shall have the same meaning as set out in the proviso to clause 5 hereof
(f) The Committee may also at their complete discretion admit to Life Membership any person deemed to have performed exceptional service to the Society or otherwise to be worthy of special treatment and such person shall be a Life Member who shall be entitled to all the privileges and be subject to all duties of a member of the Society (save for the indemnity referred to in clause 5 and save for any distribution under clause11) without further payment annual or otherwise.
(a) A general meeting of the Society known as the Annual General Meeting shall be held at a time and place determined by the Committee not less than once in any calendar year. Not less than eighteen months shall elapse between each Annual General Meeting
(b) The business of the Annual General Meeting shall be as follows :
(i) To receive and consider the annual report of the Committee on the work of the preceding year;
(ii) To receive and consider the annual accounts;
(iii) To elect or re-elect the Officers and members of the Committee (iv) To transact any other business brought forward by the Committee (v) To transact any other business of which written notice has been
given to the Committee by any Member not less than fourteen days before the date of the meeting.
(a) The Committee shall consist of a minimum of 3 Members
(b) The Officers and other members of the Committee shall be elected from Members at every Annual General Meeting and shall be subject to annual re-election by a show of hands of Members attending
(c) The Committee may appoint any person who is a Member to be a member of the Committee to fill a casual vacancy. Any person appointed a member of the Committee under this sub-paragraph shall hold office until the first Annual General Meeting after his/her appointment.
(d) The Committee may from time to time appoint any person, whether a Member or not, to be a co-opted member of the Committee
(e) The office of a member of the Committee (including the Officers) shall be vacated if such member :
(i) ceases to be a Member
(ii) resigns his/her office by notice in writing to the Society
(a) The quorum at any general meeting shall be 5 Members
(b) The Chairman or in his/her absence the vice-chairman of the Committee shall preside at any general meetings and at any meetings of the Committee. If none of these Officers is present and willing to act the meeting shall elect its own Chairman from the members of the Committee present
(c) In the case of an equality of votes the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote
Proper books of account shall be kept by the Honorary Treasurer who shall produce a statement of account in each Society Year for the purposes of clause 7 (b) (ii)
If the Committee by a simple majority decides at any time that is necessary or advisable to dissolve the Society it shall call a meeting of all Members who have the power to vote, of which meeting not less than 21 days’ notice (stating the terms of the resolution to be proposed) shall be given. If the decision is confirmed by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting, the Committee shall have power to dispose of the Society’s assets. Any assets remaining after the satisfaction of the Society’s debts and liabilities shall be divided equally among all Members and upon the completion of such division the Society shall be dissolved
The foregoing clauses may be repealed or amended and new powers or rules added by a resolution passed at any Annual or Special General Meeting by a majority of not less than three-fourths of the Members present at the meeting and voting on the resolution