Constitution

Club Constitution (see below for amendment of October 2007)

The Club shall be known as The Upton Wine Appreciation Club.
The Club’s Objectives. “To provide a social activity and learning for those residents of the village of Upton who are interested in wine.”
The meeting place of the Club shall be the Upton Village Hall or otherwise as decided by the Executive Committee.
Membership shall be limited to the residents and their immediate families of the village of Upton and who are over the age of eighteen years.
New members may not be admitted to membership to enjoy any of the privileges of membership without an interval of at least two days between their application for membership and their admission, nor may persons becoming members without prior application be admitted to privileges of membership without an interval of at least two days between their becoming members and their admission.
Members may not attend a meeting of the Club unless they have paid their annual membership fee.
Membership of the Club shall automatically lapse if the annual membership fee is not paid by the second meeting of the membership year.
The Executive Committee may deprive any member of his/her membership if his/her behaviour in a Club meeting or meetings is considered to be unsatisfactory.
The financial year of the Club shall be from 1st September to 31st August and the Annual General Meeting shall be held in September each year.
Every year the Honorary Treasurer shall submit the accounts to an auditor appointed by the Executive Committee.
At the Annual General Meeting the Honorary Treasurer shall submit an income and expenditure account and a balance sheet for the previous year.
The control of the Club shall be vested in an Executive Committee and shall consist of the following elected at the Annual General Meeting:
The officers shall be Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, and three other committee members.
No person shall be deemed to be a member or be entitled to vote at a General Meeting unless his/her subscription for the current year is fully paid.
At the Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting, voting on candidates for any office including for membership of the Executive Committee and on any other motion or resolution shall be by show of hands unless a ballot is demanded. In the event of a ballot being demanded ballot papers and a suitable receptacle to receive them shall be provided and a teller appointed by that meeting.
Notice of intention to move a resolution at the Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting, the terms of the resolution and the Names of the proposer and seconder, shall be given to the secretary not less than ten days prior to the meeting. The terms of the resolution and the names of the proposer and seconder shall be made known to the members by the secretary as soon as he /she is able to do so, prior to the meeting.
The Executive Committee may, whenever it thinks fit, convene an Extraordinary General Meeting. Extraordinary General Meetings may also be convened on requisition in accordance with the following provisions.
Notice in the form of a motion giving the reason and the names of the proposer and seconder, shall be given to the Secretary who shall put the motion to the next Club meeting. If the motion is carried by the majority of the members present and voting in this behalf, an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be held not less than two weeks or more than four weeks after the date the motion is carried.
Members shall be given at least seven days notice in writing of an Extraordinary General Meeting, such notice to specify the place, the day and the hour of the meeting and the general nature of the business to be transacted. The accidental non-receipt of such notice by any member shall not invalidate any resolution passed or proceedings held at any Extraordinary General Meeting.
The Constitution shall not be altered by the Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting unless a resolution which would give effect to the change be carried by a seventy-five per cent vote of those members present and voting in this behalf; all other resolutions shall be decided on a majority vote of those present, except that mentioned in Article 23 below.
The Executive Committee shall meet as often as is necessary to transact the business of the Club and three members shall constitute a quorum. A resolution in writing signed by all members of the Executive Committee shall be as valid and effectual as if it had been passed at a meeting of the Executive Committee duly convened and constituted.
The Executive Committee may appoint sub-committees to transact the business of the Club. Each sub-committee shall consist of a secretary who shall be a member of the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee shall make all appointments to vacancies caused by the resignation or incapacity of officers and other Committee members or of the Auditor, subsequent to each Annual General Meeting.
The powers of the officers and ordinary members of the Executive Committee shall be limited by the provisions of this Constitution and by Standing Orders approved from time to time by the Executive Committee.
The Club shall not be wound up or dissolved except at an Extraordinary General Meeting convened for that purpose, at which the resolution winding up or dissolving the Club shall be carried by a seventy-five per cent vote of those present and voting in this behalf.
In the event of the dissolution of the Club any monies, goods and equipment held by the Club after all liabilities have been met shall be passed to the Upton Village Hall Amenities Trust or a charitable or similar purpose decided by the Executive Committee.

Standing Orders

No officer or member of the Executive Committee shall have the power to pledge the credit of the Club or shall spend more than £150 on any item without authority from the Executive Committee.
A statement of the Club’s finances, together with the total membership, may need to be presented at each ordinary Executive Committee Meeting.
Reports from those members appointed to manage the Club’s business shall be received at each ordinary Executive Committee Meeting.
The Chairman shall have a discretionary casting vote.
If a member of the Executive Committee is unable to attend a meeting the Secretary or another member of the Committee shall be informed as soon as possible.
If the Chairman is not present at an Executive Committee Meeting the chair shall be taken by the Secretary during his/her absence.
If the Secretary is not present at an Executive Committee Meeting, a member shall be elected from those present to take the Chair during their absence.
These standing orders shall only be suspended or amended by a majority vote of 75% of those present and voting at a meeting of the Executive Committee or an Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting.
The Committee shall arrange for the collection of both membership and annual subscriptions from members and the Treasurer shall take charge of the monies without delay.
The Club shall maintain a bank account, and all withdrawals shall require the signatures of two member of the Executive Committee.
Only members who have paid their annual subscriptions may take part in meetings and no one under the age of eighteen years may be present at any meeting when alcohol is being served.

Amendment, 17th October 2007

An Extraordinary General Meeting was held on Wednesday 17th October 2007 at 8p.m. in Upton Village Hall to consider and vote on the under mentioned proposed changes to the Club’s constitution

At our AGM on 19th September we debated the proposed amendments to Clause 4 of the Club’s constitution, regarding membership limitations, previously circulated. After a full and frank discussion it was generally agreed that we needed to give the Committee discretion to accept membership from those individuals who are considered to be closely connected to the Village such as former residents and those who live a few yards outside the parish boundary. In addition it was agreed that we should have a category of “Guest Member” to accommodate visitors to the village but that visits by these “members” would be limited.

Paragraph number 4 of the Club’s constitution previously read:-
“Membership shall be limited to the residents of the Village of Upton and their immediate families and who are over the age of eighteen years.”

Paragraph number 4 proposed wording:-
“Membership shall be limited to the residents of the Village of Upton and their immediate families and ·who are over the age of eighteen years. In addition the Committee may, at its discretion, accept membership from those individuals who, though not residents, are closely connected to the Village of Upton.”

Paragraph number 4a proposed wording:-
“A category of “Guest Member” shall be set up to allow visitors to the Village to come with their hosts who are members, with a limit of two Guest Members per household at any one meeting. The acceptance of applications and money for Guest Member attendance at a meeting shall be at the discretion of the Committee once demand for places at the meeting from Members has been assessed. Attendance by a Guest member shall be limited to two visits per Club year.”

Proposer Mike Collins
Seconder Fiona Betts

The above amendments were carried nem con.