Meon Valley Arts Society

CONSTITUTION & RULES

1. TITLE

The Society shall be called The Meon Valley Arts Society.

2. OBJECTS

The objects of the Society shall be to promote interest in and study of the Decorative and Fine Arts. This may be achieved by a programme which includes:

(a) Lectures to members of the Society at monthly or other intervals.

(b) Visits to Private Houses, Museums, Collections, Exhibitions and other places of relevant interest.

(d) The opportunity to take an active part in Conservation, Church Recording, Cataloguing and Guiding.

(e) Other ways as the Committee shall decide in support of the Arts and Conservation.

3. MEMBERSHIP

(a) Membership shall be open to any adult who applies to the Honorary Membership Secretary.

(b) Membership shall be limited to such number as the Committee shall at any time decide.

(c) Should the number exceed the agreed figure, a waiting list shall be kept and applications dealt with in the order in which they are received.

(d) The subscription to the Society shall be reviewed from time to time by the Committee.

(e) Members who fail to renew their subscription by a specified date each year shall have their names removed from the membership list of the Society. Any member who wishes to retain his or her membership during temporary absence from the area or have a temporary inability to attend Meetings may, at the discretion of the Committee, pay a retaining fee.

(f) If, in the opinion of the Committee, the conduct or action of any member be injurious to the interests of the Society, the Committee may terminate such membership.

(g) The Committee may elect, by unanimous decision only, Life Members and Honorary Members who have done valuable work for the Society or whose Membership would be in the interest of the Society. Honorary Membership shall be for a period of one year.

4. OFFICERS

The Honorary Officers of the Society may include a Patron, a President and not more than FOUR Vice-Presidents whom the Committee shall have power to appoint from time to time. The Honorary Offices of Patron, President and Vice-Presidents shall be tenable for FOUR years and shall entitle the holders to all privileges of ordinary members, save that they shall not be entitled to vote at any meeting or nominate candidates for the Committee.

The Executive Officers of the Society shall be the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman, the Treasurer and the Secretary, all of whom shall be nominated annually by the Committee for election at the Annual General Meeting for the ensuing year. If there is more than one nomination for any office, the Committee shall vote by paper ballot.

Neither the Chairman nor the Vice-Chairman may hold the same office for more than THREE consecutive years and no Executive Officer including Programme Secretary may serve for more than FIVE years unless the circumstances are exceptional.

5. COMMITTEE

The affairs of the Society shall be managed and its funds administered by the

Committee.

Any member of the Society may propose or second members, whose consent to act shall first have been obtained, for election to the Committee. Such nominations must be sent to the Secretary in writing, signed by the proposer, the seconder and the nominee, at least FORTY TWO days prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting.

The Committee shall consist of not more than FIFTEEN members to include a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary and with power to co-opt additional members for special duties. The Committee shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting.

The Committee shall meet at least THREE times a year and on such other occasions as circumstances shall require.

A quorum shall consist of one more than half the total membership of the Committee.

In the event of an equality of votes, the Chairman shall have the casting vote.

Updated: 3 August 2017 - Change of Name