SOUTH LIVERPOOL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY (incorporating L.A.P.A.)
CONSTITUTION & RULES (April 2021)
CONSTITUTION
1. NAME OF THE SOCIETY: The Society shall be called “The South Liverpool Photographic Society Incorporating L.A.P.A.”.
2. OBJECTIVE:
The object of the Society shall be the advancement of the art and science of photography. b. To consider the rules of the governing bodies, the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain and the L. & C.P.U., which are likely to affect the Society.
3. MEMBERSHIP:
Membership shall be by annual subscription, which is dependent on the type of membership held. Subscriptions will be reviewed annually.
Types of membership will be:-
3.1 Ordinary membership:
3.2 Junior membership: A member who is less than eighteen years old at the beginning of September is entitled to be a junior member at a concessionary rate. (Members & visitors under the age of 18 must be accompanied at all meetings and other events by a parent or guardian, or an adult who has the specific agreement of the parent/guardian, who will be responsible for their safety at all times).
3.3 Student membership: A member who is unwaged and who is enrolled on a training course for a significant part of the time is entitled to be a student member at a concessionary rate.
3.4 Honorary membership: This may be granted to any person for their contribution to club activities by a vote of the majority of the elected Committee Members. The honorary member will be entitled, with the exception of a constitutional vote, to full membership rights, and all membership fee payments will be waived until that membership is withdrawn by a majority vote of the elected Committee Members.
4. MANAGEMENT:
4.1 The membership of the Society will each year at the Annual General Meeting elect a Management Committee who will be responsible for the running of the Society’s affairs.
4.2 The membership through the Annual General Meeting or at any Extraordinary Meeting shall make, alter or evoke rules of the Society consistent with the objectives of the Society’s constitution.
5. ALTERATION TO THE CONSTITUTION OR RULES:
5.1 No alteration shall be made to the constitution or rules of the Society without the consent of the membership at an Extraordinary Meeting or Annual General Meeting.
6. MEETING (QUORUM)
6.1 For any official meeting of the Society to take place, a minimum number of members must be present. The number of members to form a quorum for Annual General Meetings, the Management Committee and any sub-committee will be defined in the Society’s rules.
RULES
1. MEMBERSHIP
1.1 Any person interested in photography shall be eligible for application for membership of the Society.
1.2 Members will be informed of the current subscription rate and any amendments thereto, if and when they become necessary.
1.3 Any member may be asked to resign or be expelled from the Society at the decision of the Committee.
2. SUBSCRIPTIONS
2.1 All subscriptions shall fall due on the 1st of September each year and shall be payable to the Treasurer.
2.2 The Society’s main season shall run from the 1st September to the 30th June (With a Summer Season running in July & August for which an entrance fee will be payable.
2.3 Members joining the Society between 1st September and 31st December shall pay the full membership subscriptions. Members joining after 31st December shall have subscriptions calculated on a quarterly basis.
2.4 If the subscriptions of any members is in arrears after two months, the Committee may authorise the Treasurer to intimate to the member that unless the said amount due is paid within one month from the date of such notice the membership shall lapse.
2.5 Visitors shall be charged a entrance fee, which will be determined by the Committee, and must enter their names in the visitor’s book.
3. MEETINGS
3.1 The Annual General Meeting shall not be held later that the 31st August each year.
3.2 At the Annual General Meeting, the minutes of the last meeting shall be read.
3.3 The Committee shall have the power to call an Extraordinary General Meeting at their discretion. They shall also call an Extraordinary General Meeting within 21 days of the written request for such a meeting, signed by no less than 20 members of the Society.
3.4 Unless otherwise provided, a minimum of 21 days clear notice of every General Meeting shall be given, specifying the place, the day and the time of such meeting and the general nature of the business to be discussed. The only items under discussion at such a meeting are those for which the meeting was called.
3.5 A quorum at a General Meeting shall consist of 21 members or 50% of the paid up members, whichever is the less.
4. COMMITTEE
4.1 The Committee shall consist of the 13 elected Members. The following (13) Honorary Appointments shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting, President; Vice President; Immediate Past President, Secretary, Treasurer; and 8 ordinary members who will have their roles determined by The Committee.
4.2 All members of the Committee shall retire annually, but are eligible for re-election subject to being nominated and seconded.
4.3 The day to day running and management of the Society shall be vested in the Committee.
4.4 The Secretary shall keep minutes of all meetings and conduct the necessary correspondence of the Society.
4.5 The Committee shall have the power to co-opt any Society member for Committee purposes. Members so co-opted may serve on the Committee for as long as their services are required.
4.6 Five members shall constitute a quorum for a Committee meeting.
The Committee shall have the power to appoint a sub-committee at their discretion, who shall report to the Committee but have no executive powers.
4.7 The Committee shall meet at least once a month, except where the majority of the Committee decide that a meeting is not necessary.
4.8 The President shall be empowered to take emergency action when necessary, but shall consult two other Committee members. Any action taken must be reported within 28 days to a meeting of the Committee. Any member of the Committee may resign at any time by giving no-tice, in writing, to the Secretary
4.9. The Officers shall report to each meeting of the Society Committee with regard to the business of the office held.
5. VOTING
5.1 At any General Meeting, a resolution put to the membership shall be decided with a show of hands or a ballot paper, whichever is applicable.
5.2 The President will announce the result of the vote.
5.3 The President at any meeting, in the event of an equality of votes, shall have a casting vote in addition to his own deliberate vote.
5.4 Only fully paid up members, and life members are entitled to vote at any meeting. Subject to this condition the member shall have only one vote.
5.5 Any member who is unable to attend a General Meeting may register a proxy vote on the business to be transacted at the meeting by obtaining a proxy voting form from the Secretary before the General Meeting. The Chairman will cause such a vote to be recorded or counted as if that person were present.
6. AMENDMENTS ADDITIONS & DELETIONS TO CLUB RULES
6.1 Amendments, additions and deletions to club rules shall be approved by the members at the Annual General Meeting, or a Special General Meeting called in accordance with rule 3 (c) or (d).
6.2 All proposals for amendments to the rules or the constitution, must be in writing, showing the name of the proposer and the seconder, 21 clear days before the Annual General Meeting. Such proposals will be submitted to the Secretary, recorded, posted on the club notice board and brought to the attention of the membership at club meetings, so that the members can di-gest and, if necessary, approach the proposer or seconder for clarification. The proposal can then be put before the Annual General Meeting for the purpose of discussion and approval, whereby a vote can be taken for the acceptance or rejection.
7. FINANCE.
7.1 The Treasurer shall cause true accounts to be kept of the monies received and expended by the Society, matters in respect of such receipts and expenditure, assets, credits and liabilities for the Society.
7.2 The accounts will be closed by the 31st August each year and audited by two members of the Society who shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting each year.
7.3 The Treasurer shall present to the Annual General Meeting a set of accounts for the pre-ceding year and their acceptance shall be put before the meeting.
7.4 The Treasurer shall deposit with a bank or building society appointed by the committee monies of the society in a bank account in the name of the South Liverpool photographic Society and the said bank or building society shall be empowered to honour such transactions authorised by the treasurer.
7.5 Prior to any transaction the Treasurer will obtain written approval from one of the members of the panel of signatories
The panel of signatories shall consist The President, Secretary, Treasurer and one other committee member.
7.6 The funds of the Society shall be devoted to the stated objectives of the Society.
7.7 The monies of the Society in the possession of the Treasurer shall be limited to a sum agreed by the Committee.
7.8 Dissolution of the Society: At a General Meeting a resolution for the dissolution of the Society, of which due notice was given, shall be passed by a majority of at least two thirds of the members present. The Committee shall thereupon or at a future date, as shall be specified, proceed to wind up the Society. If upon winding-up there remains after the settlement of all debts and liabilities any cash or property this shall be given to other societies or organisations having objects similar to the objects of this Society. Members of the Committee at the time of disso-lution shall decide how the distribution of assets is carried out.
8. COMPETITIONS
8.1 For the purpose of all competitions there will be one standard category.
8.2 Only fully paid up members may enter competitions.
8.3 Details of competition rules will be shown in the Society’s website
8.4The Committee shall have the right to set and amend the competition rules as deemed necessary