Re: BATTERY VEHICLE SOCIETY CONSTITUTION

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Re: BATTERY VEHICLE SOCIETY CONSTITUTION

Postby website » Sat Aug 31, 2013 5:32 pm

BATTERY VEHICLE SOCIETY CONSTITUTION (1974 / 2010)

This is the current up to date Constitution

1. The Society shall be known as the Battery Vehicle Society

2. The objects of the Society shall be:

i. To encourage and assist the development of the electric vehicle

ii. To assists Members with the construction and operation of electric
vehicles by amateurs and professionals, and to advise on purchase of an EV

iii. To disseminate information to members and the general public on all
aspects of the present and potential future of the technology and operation
of Battery Vehicles

iv. To encourage the preservation of electric vehicles and to study &
record the history of the electric vehicle to date.

3(a). The Society shall be open to all persons sympathetic to its objects,
subject to the committee's discretion to refuse any application for
membership, and subject to the payment of an annual subscription or other
such subscription (e.g. life subscription) as the committee may reasonably
determine.

3(b). Applicants for membership may be required to give such information
about themselves as the committee may reasonably determine.

3(c). The Society operates an equal opportunities policy and shall be open
to all people regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, sexuality,
lifestyle, religious beliefs, political views, technical proficiency or other
grounds; subject to such persons being sympathetic to the Society's objects.

4(a). The subscription shall be fixed by the Society at an Annual or
Extraordinary general meeting; alternatively the committee may be given the
authority to change the rates of subscription within limits specified at
that meeting.

4(b). Members under 18, over 65, unwaged or registered disabled, may pay a
reduced subscription.

4(c). Other rates of subscription, such as trade membership, may be set by
the committee.

4(d). Honorary Life Members of the Battery Vehicle Society may be proposed
by the committee for approval at an Annual or Extraordinary general meeting.
The intention is that this honour be given in recognition of exceptional
past service to the Battery Vehicle Society. The proposal to appoint an
honorary member shall be accepted if there is a majority vote in favour, and
provided that the candidate has signified their willingness to accept either
in writing or at the meeting. The number of honorary members at any one
time shall be as determined by the committee at that time. Honorary Life
Members will remain members of the BVS for their lifetime, and may receive
free of charge the Battery Vehicle Review and other benefits of membership
subject only to annual registration by completing the membership renewal form.

4(e). The Committee may suspend the membership of any individual or
organization at its sole discretion if that member appears to have: either
acted in a manner prejudice the objects and/or work of the Society; or
brought the Society into disrepute; or given information about any member or
members to any outside person and/or organization without either that
member's consent, and/or the Committee's authority, and/or unless required
by law. A committee member acting in good faith in the interests of the
Society should not be so suspended, as also members of the committee giving
such information to each other.

If suspended the member concerned shall have the right to make representations
to the Committee before the suspension is confirmed: the Committee must
consider such representations (either at a meeting, or telephonically or
otherwise), but need not reinstate the member unless a majority of the
committee so require. Such a suspension must be considered at the next Annual
or Extraordinary General Meeting of the Society, when it must be either
withdrawn, converted to dismissal, or continued as a temporary suspension.
A member so dismissed may be readmitted to the Society only by a majority at
a Committee Meeting.

5(a). Subject to the discretion of the committee, non-members may take part
in Society activities, but may be required to make a financial contribution
to such activities

5(b). Non-members shall not be eligible to vote on Society matters.

6. The Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held in October.
Notice(s) giving the date, time, venue and agenda shall be posted or delivered
to all members not less than 25 days before the date of the meeting. Similar
notice shall be given of any Extraordinary General meeting of the Society.

7. A meeting of the Society is quorate if 70% of members, or ten, whichever
is less, are present.

8. The Secretary shall convene an Extraordinary General meeting if
requested to do so in writing by 25% or more of all members, or at the
request of, and with the agreement of, a majority of the committee.

9. The committee shall normally consist of the Officers of the Society, and
their deputies if any, but other members may also be elected on to it.

10(a). Officers shall normally be elected at the Annual General Meeting,
but where an office falls vacant an officer may be elected at any quorate
meeting of the Society. Should the committee consider it appropriate, a
vacancy may be filled in the meantime by majority agreement of the
committee, subject to ratification at the next Annual or Extraordinary
General meeting of the Society.

10(b). All Officers shall resign at each Annual General meeting and shall
be eligible for re-election.

11(a). Officers of the Society shall be
Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Editor of the Battery Vehicle Review,
Membership secretary;
Publicity officer, Competitions secretary, Archives secretary, and Sales
officer.

11(b). Any of the last four positions may be left vacant at the
Society's discretion.

11(c). No one person may hold more than one of the first three positions.

11(d). Additional positions may be created at the Society's discretion.

11(e). Deputies to any of the positions may be elected at the Society's
discretion.

12(a). The committee shall be responsible for the day to day running of the
Society.

12(b). The majority decision of the committee shall be sufficient to make
decisions, obtained with or without the holding of a formal committee
meeting.

13. Officers of the Society shall be responsible for communication with
outside bodies and persons on the Society's behalf. Assistance from others
may be sought where appropriate, however the responsibility remains with the
Officer(s) of the Society.

14. Any decisions required to be taken by the Society may be delegated by
the Society at either an Annual or Extraordinary General meeting to the
committee or to an appropriate nominated Officer.

15. The Treasurer shall be responsible to the Society for all its financial
affairs.

16(a). Accounts of the Society's finances shall be prepared each year for
the period ending on 31 March, and submitted to the Annual General Meeting
for approval.

16(b). The committee shall each year appoint an auditor, honorary or
otherwise, for the purpose of auditing the Society's accounts. The auditor
shall not be a member of the Society.

17. Cheque signatories to be two members of the committee, normally the
Treasurer and one other committee member. The committee will nominate the
committee members authorised to sign cheques and advise the bank
accordingly.

18. The Society shall not own any vehicle (see also section 19).

19(a). Subgroups may be formed for any purpose which is of special interest
to some members of the Society, either geographical, specialisation, or to
undertake specific tasks.

19(b). Membership of a Subgroup shall be optional.

19(c). The constitution and Officers of a Subgroup shall be in accordance
with the Constitution of the Society, but changes may be made to suit the
specific needs of the Subgroup, subject to ratification at an Annual or
Extraordinary General meeting of the Society.

19(d). Subgroups may have their own funds, their own subscription, and own
vehicles or other items of interest. In the event of ownership the Subgroup
has legal responsibility for the item(s) concerned. Disposal of any item
that the Society has funded, in whole or in part, can only be made with the
approval of the Society.

20(a). A newsletter or Society magazine may be published by the Society and
distributed free of charge to all members.

20(b). The newsletter may be distributed to others at the discretion of the
committee.

20(c). other items may be distributed to members (and others) at the
discretion of the committee.

21(a). All normal expenditure incurred on behalf of the Society shall,
with the approval and at the discretion of the committee, be reimbursed from
Society funds.

21(b). In cases of hardship, and where of benefit to the Society,
additional assistance with expenses may be given at the discretion of the
committee, be reimbursed from Society funds.

21(c). The committee shall decide, by majority decision, all normal and
regular expenditure. Any major expenditure, not of a normal nature, should
be approved by majority decision by the committee and then put to an Annual
or Extraordinary General meeting of the Society.

22. Changes to the Constitution may be made only at an Annual or
Extraordinary General meeting of the Society.

23(a) The Society shall not be dissolved or its affairs wound up, except as
may be required by law, without the consent of at least 66% of the members
present at an Annual or Extraordinary General meeting, and of 75% of all
members whether present or not.

23(b). If the Society is wound up the assets shall be distributed to a
similar organisation or organisations, as the members as defined in 23(a)
shall determine, and not to the members.

24. In the event of non-renewal of membership a member shall receive one
further issue of the Society's newsletter, and may also be sent a membership
reminder, before the member's name is deleted from the list of members.


Original: AAT 3.1.74
Revised: 1976, 1979, 1983, 1984, 1995, 1999, and 2000 - And approved by
the AGMs.
Changes to para. 2 and 11(a) - 2006 AGM
Changes to para. 3(c), 4(d) and 20(a) - 2008 EGM
Changes to para. 4(e) and 6 - 2009 AGM
Revised: MRP - September 2010 to reflect the 2008 and 2009 changes.

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