Martham Local History Group: Constitution
Constitution
The CONSTITUTION of MARTHAM LOCAL HISTORY GROUP
[As amended at the Annual General Meeting on 22nd September 2015]
1. THE GROUP shall be known as Martham Local History Group or MLHG, and shall seek to link up with other local History Groups.
2. THE AIMS OF THE GROUP
To research the History of the Village of Martham and its environs.
Encourage Group members and the local community to carry out their own research into their historic past.
Eventually to preserve, store and encourage access by the public to Archive material held in a safe, secure place in the Village.
To welcome contributions relevant to Martham from anyone who has documents, artefacts, photographs, memories or information to add to the Archive collection.
To involve the local community in activities in order to learn more about their local Heritage.
To organise meetings with speakers on topics of local interest, occasional visits to places of historic interest and local walks in the area.
Involve local residents in recording their memories of people, places and events, both orally and through the written word.
Contribute to local journals, set up exhibitions and keep publications under review.
3. MEMBERSHIP OF THE GROUP shall be open to anyone who supports the aims of the Group and has paid the agreed annual subscription. The group will not discriminate on the grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, sexuality, disability, religious or political belief, marital status or age.
4. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS shall be held in September each year.
5. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS
Subscriptions shall be proposed by the Treasurer and agreed at each Annual General Meeting. They will become payable on the 1st January, but may be paid from the date of the preceding Annual General Meeting.
Members who have failed to render their subscription by the last day of February in any year shall be deleted from the membership list and will cease to receive financial and other advantages of membership.
Non-members shall be welcome to attend Group events at a fee proposed by the Treasurer and agreed at a Committee Meeting.
6. THE COMMITTEE
The Committee shall meet at least twice between each AGM and shall comprise of Officers (President, Chairman, Vice-chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer) and co-opted members. A quorum shall consist of four members and shall include at least two officers. In the absence of the Chairman and Vice-chairman the committee may elect a temporary chair for that meeting. Officers and co-opted members shall have equal voting rights.
Officers shall be elected for a period of three years and shall stand for re-election at the appropriate Annual General Meeting.
Functions other than the Officers shall be allocated at the first committee meeting after the AGM and shall include publicity, archivist, programme, membership and catering.
Should any Officer or member fail to attend six or more successive committee meetings then they shall be regarded as no longer being committee members and the Committee may, after consulting with the Officer or Member in question, take appropriate steps to fill any vacancy so arising.
7. FINANCE
All monies received in excess of £50 shall be paid by the Treasurer into an appropriate Bank or Building Society Account, withdrawals from which shall require the signatures of at least two of the Officers of the Society who are already signatories. Amounts below this sum shall be receipted and recorded in the accounts, but may be added to a Petty Cash Account operated by the Treasurer.
A financial statement shall be given at each committee meeting.
The accounts should be inspected annually by an independent person. A statement of the accounts should be prepared annually for presentation at the annual meeting and certified as correct by the treasurer and the person who has completed the inspection.
Income accumulated through membership and fund raising should be used for the safe running of the group, for subsidising the expenses of outings and for any other expenses incurred.
Should grant funding that is relevant to the aims of the Group become available at any time, an application may be made by the committee.
If it should become necessary to close the group, any monies held in our bank account or in cash and any equipment owned by the group shall be distributed to another local history group as chosen by members at the final meeting.Archive materials should be offered back to the donor, or to a similar group with a legitimate interest in Martham, or to an accredited museum.
8. THE GROUP reserves the right to promote further activities as it sees fit and disclaims responsibility for any personal injury to persons attending organised events, however caused.
9. AMENDMENTS to the Constitution may only be made at an Annual General Meeting by two thirds of attending members. Proposed amendments shall be included in the AGM Agenda and distributed to members at least two weeks before the date of the AGM.
10. THIS CONSTITUTION, dated 22nd September 2015, supersedes any previous Constitution that may be in existence.
