Kendal and District Engineering Society Constitution

1. NAME

The name of the Society shall be “The Kendal & District Engineering Society”.

2. OBJECTS

The Objects of the Society shall be to encourage the interchange of ideas and information in all branches of engineering; to increase the knowledge of the Members by talks and to organise visits of an informative nature.

3. MEMBERSHIP

There shall be two classes of Membership.

Members

Membership shall be open to all with an interest in Engineering.

An application form, (Appendix 1), shall be completed and submitted to the Treasurer with the annual subscription, see 4.

Honorary Members

Honorary Members need not pay an annual subscription.

Honorary Membership shall be awarded to those Members who, in the opinion of the Committee, have rendered exceptional service to the Society.

Honorary Members shall be entitled to receive notices and attend any meeting of the Society.

Register of Members

The Treasurer shall maintain a Register of Members with contact details and a record of Subscriptions paid.

4. SUBSCRIPTIONS

The Annual Amount of the Membership Subscription shall be set at the A.G.M. (currently £10-00 per annum).

The Subscription shall be payable on admission to the Society and at the start of each financial year.

Members failing to pay by the end of a financial year shall pay an additional fee of £2-00 and shall be removed from the Register of Members if payment (of the Annual Fee and Additional Fee), is not received by the Treasurer within 4 weeks of the Year End. The Treasurer may issue a written request for payment to any Member whose Annual Fees are overdue.

5. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The organisation of the Society and the booking of Meeting Rooms, shall be carried out by an Executive Committee to be elected at the A.G.M.

The Committee shall meet periodically throughout the year and a quorum shall consist of at least, the President or Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer, and 3 other Executive Committee members.

In order to ensure that the Executive Committee covers a broad section of the engineering industries in the area its membership shall comprise a representative from each of the following industries.

Civil Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Automobile Engineering

Plus four others

6. OFFICERS

President

The President shall hold office for one year and not be eligible for re election until three years have elapsed.

The President will chair all meetings of the Society and have a casting vote in any Committee votes.

Vice president

The Vice President shall be elected at the A.G.M. and will assume the Presidency in the following year.

In the absence of the President the Vice President will chair Meetings and have a casting vote in any Committee votes.

Secretary

The Secretary shall be responsible for all general correspondence and for issuing all Meeting Notices, including A.G.M., E.G.M. and G.M. notices.

Programme Secretary

The Programme Secretary shall be responsible for compiling the Programme of General Meetings and booking and liaising with the Speakers.

Treasurer

The Secretary, Programme Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected at the A.G.M. They will always be available for re election.

7. FINANCIAL YEAR

The Financial Year shall be 1 May – 30 April

8. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting shall be held during the third or fourth week of May in order that the accounts can be finalised and audited.

The Quorum shall be 20 Members, including the President or Vice President and 2 Officers and 4 Executive Committee Members.

Prior to the A.G.M. the Secretary shall give Notice to all Members and invite nominations for the Executive Committee and for Officers.

At the A.G.M. the Secretary shall further invite nominations.

All nominees must be present or have provided the Secretary with his/her proxy and a Proposer and Seconder.

If there is an excess of nominations over vacancies the nominees shall be invited to withdraw their nominations.

If the nominees are unwilling to withdraw their nominations there shall be an election by a show of hands, and nominees will have a vote and the President shall have a casting vote.

At the discretion of the President an excess of nominees may be co-opted as additional members of the Executive Committee.

The Agenda for the AGM shall be

· Apologies for absence.

· Minutes of previous AGM.

· Matters arising from Minutes.

· Secretary’s report.

· Treasurer’s report.

· Programme Secretary’s report.

· Nominations for Executive Committee.

· Nominations for Officers.

· Election of Executive Committee & Officers

· The newly elected President shall take the Chair.

· Any other business.

Any votes at the AGM shall be on a simple majority basis with the President having a casting vote.

9. VISITORS’ CHARGES

Visitors may attend meetings on payment of a ruling charge (currently £3).

There shall be no Visitors’ charge for the Visitors’ Meeting (usually held in the first two weeks of December). Under 25's shall be free.

10. MEETINGS

The Society shall normally meet, at least, monthly from September to April.

Meetings shall be held at differing venues as determined by the Executive Committee having regard for cost and convenience to Members.

Joint Meetings will be held from time to time with local groups from professional engineering institutions.

11. VISITS

At least one visit or excursion will be arranged each summer.

12. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

Any requests for amendments to the Constitution shall be made no less than 28 days before an Annual General Meeting.

This Constitution shall supersede and replace all previous Constitutions.

13. CALLING A SPECIAL MEETING

On receipt of a request signed by at least 24 Members an Extraordinary General Meeting will be called no less than 14 days and no more than 28 days from receipt of the request.

14. DISSOLUTION

If at any Annual General or Extraordinary General Meeting a resolution for the dissolution of the Society is passed, such a resolution shall require to be confirmed at a subsequent General Meeting convened by the Committee by a majority of at least three quarters of the Members present. If so confirmed, the Society shall be deemed to have been dissolved as from the conclusion of that meeting.

The Committee in office shall remain in office for the purpose of realising the assets of the Society and shall distribute the assets, less expenses, to the Members on a pro-rata basis or in such other ways as may be agreed by a majority of the Committee at the dissolution meeting.

April 2012.