Constitution
1 Title
1.1 The Society shall be called the Winchester Catholic History Society, herein after referred to
as the Society.
2 Objectives
2.1 The Society aims to develop and foster an interest in, and appreciation of, history,
especially in catholic, local and English history. The Society is to achieve these aims by
meetings, lectures and visits.
3 Membership
3.1 Membership of the Society shall be open to all persons upon payment of the subscription
for the current year. Subscriptions will be valid for the year from 1 September to 31 August
and shall normally be payable at the start of that year. Subscriptions may be taken out
during the year (and a reduced rate allowed at the discretion of the Treasurer).
3.2 If any member’s subscription be in arrears for three months, (normally 30 November), then their membership shall be deemed to have lapsed.
3.3 The Committee of the Society shall have the power of recommending persons for the
election as Honorary Members.
3.4 The amount of subscription payable will be reviewed each year by the Committee and
recommended for approval at the Annual General Meeting.
3.5 The Committee of the Society shall have the power to refuse admission to the Society, to
refuse to renew the membership of any member and to terminate the membership of any
member.
4 Facilities
4.1 Society meetings shall normally be open to both members and to visitors (ie non
members) but the latter will be required to pay the current rate at each meeting attended.
4.2 Society visits shall normally be open to both members and to visitors on payment of the
appropriate fee. However, in the event of a visit being oversubscribed, priority will be
given to members of the Society.
4.3 Any facilities or services offered by the Society may be reserved for the exclusive use of
members only, at the discretion of the Committee.
5 Presidents
5.1 The Society shall have an Honorary President.
5.2 The President of the Society shall normally be the Parish Priest of St Peter and the Winchester Martyrs Catholic Parish.
6 Officers and Committee
6.1 There will be an elected Committee of a maximum of ten members comprising a Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary and up to six other members.
6.2 All Committee members must be fully paid up members of the Society for the whole
of their term of office.
6.3 The election and approval of new Committee members shall take place at the AGM. The term of office for a committee member shall normally be for a period of three years. They will be eligible for re-election at the AGM following the end of their three years.
6.4 The Committee shall meet at least three times a year.
6.5 The quorum for Committee meetings shall be fifty percent (50%) plus one.
6.6 The Committee is responsible for all the administration and management of the Society’s
affairs and is custodian of all the Society’s assets.
6.7 The roles and responsibilities of the Officers and other members of the Committee are set
out in the Terms of Reference (ToR). These ToR may be revised by the Committee from
time to time.
6.8 The Committee has the power to:
a) fill casual vacancies by appointing new members between annual general
meetings.
b) require the resignation of a committee member who has failed to attend three out
of five committee meetings without good reason.
c) require members of the Society to declare business or professional interests in any
of the Society’s affairs or activities.
d) appoint an Honorary President by invitation, who can attend committee meetings
but not vote, and who will remain in office for three years and be eligible for
reappointment.
6.9 Any paid up member of the Society will be eligible for election to the committee.
Nominations should be made with the knowledge of the nominee and must be proposed
and seconded in writing to the Secretary at least seven days prior to the Annual General
Meeting. In the event that more nominations are received than there are vacancies, a vote
shall take place at the Annual General Meeting.
7 Annual General Meeting
7.1 The Society will hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM). This will normally be the
November meeting each year. Only members of the Society shall have voting rights.
7.2 The quorum for the AGM shall be one quarter of the number of paid up members of the
Society or twenty members, whichever is smaller.
7.3 At least twenty one days notice of the Annual General meeting of the
Society shall be given to members of the Society. The agenda (including the text,
proposers and seconders of any resolution) shall be sent to members
seven days before the meeting. The notice and agenda may be communicated by post or
electronic mail.
7.4 The Order of Business at the AGM shall be as follows:
a) Approval of the minutes of the previous AGM
b) Chairman’s Report
c) Presentation of the examined accounts and the report thereon by the Treasurer
d) Approval of subscription payable for the following year
e) Election of the Committee
f) Appointment of independent Financial Examiner
g) Consider any resolution of which due notice has been give
h) To consider other business submitted to the meeting
8 Extraordinary General Meeting
8.1 An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) may be convened either by the Committee or by
written request to the Secretary from one tenth of paid up members of the Society. The
meeting must be held within five weeks of such a direction or request.
8.2 The quorum for an EGM shall be one quarter of the number of paid up members of the
Society or twenty members, whichever is smaller.
8.3 At least seven days notice shall be sent to members of an EGM and shall include the
nature of the business to be discussed.
9 Finance
9.1 The funds of the Society may only be used to further the objectives of the Society. They
must not be used for any other purpose.
9.2 The financial year will run from 1st September to 31st August.
9.3 The Society funds will be held in a bank account in the name of the Society within the
Portsmouth Catholic Diocese Account. The account will be governed by the Rules of the
Portsmouth Roman Catholic Diocesan Trust. Cheques will be signed by in accordance with
the procedures set out in the Terms of Reference.
9.4 The Treasurer will keep a record of all the income and expenditure of the Society and
present a report of the accounts to each Committee meeting. If the Treasurer is unable to
attend the meeting, a written report will be submitted to the Chair for presentation to the
meeting.
9.5 The Treasurer will submit a written statement of accounts to each AGM.
9.6 An independent Financial Examiner shall be appointed at the AGM whose duties shall
be to examine and report on the annual accounts of the Society for submission to the
members.
10 Amendments
10.1 The Constitution may be amended by a two thirds majority of the paid up members of
the Society present at the AGM or EGM.
11. Dissolution
11.1 The Society may be dissolved at an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting by a
resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of paid up members of the Society
of which at least twenty-eight days’ notice shall have been given to members.
11.2 The resolution should include instruction, agreed by the members, for the disposal of any
financial assets or property held by or in the name of the Society.