Banbury and District Twinning Association
Constitution
1. Name of the Association
The name of the Association shall be the BANBURY AND DISTRICT TWINNING ASSOCIATION.
2. Aims of the Association
(a) To promote and foster friendship and understanding between the people of Banbury and District and those of other towns with which the Association may form links.
(b) To encourage visits by individuals and groups to and from linked towns, particularly by children and young people, and the development of personal contacts, and by so doing to broaden the mutual understanding of the cultural, recreational, sporting, educational and commercial activities of the linked towns.
(c) To organise fund-raising activities to foster the aims of the Association.
3. Membership
Membership shall be open to all persons or organisations in sympathy with the aims of the Association. There shall be four categories of membership:
(a) Individual Membership
(b) Family Membership, being open to all members of a family excepting sons and daughters over the age of eighteen years;
(c) Corporate Membership. Corporate membership does not of itself entitle members or employees of the organisation which is a member to the rights of individual or family membership. Corporate membership entitles not more than two members of the organisation to the same rights conferred on individual or family members; and
(d) Junior Membership
4. Management Committee
The affairs of the Association shall be conducted by a Management Committee consisting of 15 members, one of which shall be, ex-officio, the Town Mayor of Banbury (who shall be the President of the Association for the time being), and the remaining 14 to be elected by the Association, being broadly representative of organisations, associations clubs and individuals in the district.
(a) The Management Committee shall have the power to co-opt and co-opted members shall have the right to vote.
(b) The quorum shall be 6.
(c) The Management Committee shall have the power to set up sub-committees, which shall have power to co-opt to their membership, with power to the persons co-opted to vote on the sub-committee to which they have been co-opted.
5. Election of Officers and Management Committee
At the Annual General Meeting of the Association the members shall elect:
(a) a Chairman;
(b) a Vice Chairman;
(c) an Honorary Secretary;
(d) an Honorary Treasurer;
(e) an Honorary Membership Secretary;
(f) five elected ordinary members of the Management Committee to hold office for two years;
(g) additional elected ordinary members of the Management Committee to hold office for one year so as to bring the total number of elected ordinary members of the Management Committee to ten; and
h) an Honorary Auditor.
6. The Officers
The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Management Committee, the Honorary Secretary and the Honorary Treasurer shall be ex-officio members of all subcommittees.
7. The Management Committee
The Management Committee shall call an Annual General Meeting of the Association between 1st January and 3lst March of each year, giving each member at least fourteen days' notice in writing.
8. Voting at the AGM
(a) Only members present at the meeting shall be entitled to vote.
(b) Each individual member shall be entitled to one vote and each family or corporate member shall be entitled to two votes, provided that two members of such family or organisation are present at the meeting. The Chairman shall have a casting vote but no other member shall have more than one vote if he attends in more than one capacity.
9. Special General Meetings
A Special General Meeting of the Association may be called at any time by the Chairman or on a written request signed by at least twenty members of the Association and delivered to the Honorary Secretary, containing details of the matter to be discussed. At least twenty-eight days' notice must be given.
10. Accounts
Audited accounts to 31st December of each year shall be submitted to each Annual General Meeting.
11. Money
All monies received on behalf of the Association shall be kept in safe custody of the Honorary Treasurer and all cheques drawn on the Association shall be signed by any two of the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Honorary Treasurer or Honorary Secretary.
12. Subscriptions
All subscriptions shall be determined at the AGM or at a Special General Meeting and be payable within two months thereof. New members shall pay the subscription at the time of joining the Association.
13. Amendments to the Constitution
Amendments to the Constitution shall be made at the AGM or a Special General Meeting. Notice of the proposed amendment shall be given in writing to the Honorary Secretary at least twenty-one days before the meeting and details shall be given in the notice convening the meeting. No such amendment shall be carried unless not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting at the meeting vote in its favour.
14. Dissolution of the Association
In the event of the dissolution of the Association, all surplus funds shall be transferred to such charity or charities, as the Committee shall in its absolute discretion decide.