Railway Philatelic Group – Constitution

1.   Name

The Society shall be known as the Railway Philatelic Group.

2.   Objectives

The objectives of the Society shall be the study and collection of knowledge, material and information relating to any aspect of railways and philately, transportation of mails, parcels, newspapers and letters sent by rail, and any other philatelic representation of railways in any form and in all its branches for the benefit of the members.

3.   Management

(a)   The affairs of the Society shall be managed by a Committee to be elected at the AGM.
(b)   The Committee shall consist of a Chairman/woman, Secretary & Treasurer plus an additional number of Committee members, as required, to fulfil specific posts as identified by the committee prior to each AGM.
(c)   Officers shall be elected annually at the AGM.
(d)   At any Committee meeting a quorum shall consist of not less than half the members, at least one of whom shall be the Chair, Secretary or Treasurer.
(e)   The Committee shall have the power to fill by co-option any vacancies that occur, such appointments to be confirmed at the following AGM.
(f)   The Secretary shall keep correct minutes of all meetings of the Society, committee(s) and any sub-committee(s) and shall convene meetings of the Society and committees and give all notices required by the rules.
(g)   A resolution in writing signed by all the members of the Committee shall be valid and effective as if it had been passed at a meeting of the Committee.

4.   Membership

(a)   Membership shall be open to any persons upon written application to the Society. No application shall be admitted until the subscription has been received by the Society.
(b)   The Committee shall have the power to suspend from all rights and privileges of Membership, for such period as may seem fit, any member whose conduct appears prejudicial to the character, interests or good order of the Society, or who contravenes the Constitution or its rules.
(c)   All changes of address must be notified to the Membership Secretary.
(d)   All members shall be bound by the rules of the Society.

5.    Honorary Life Members

(a)   Not to exceed 10 in number at any one time.
(b)   A proposal for Honorary Life Membership will be put to the Committee for unanimous approval prior to being placed before the membership at the Annual General Meeting.

6.   Subscriptions

(a)   Membership shall extend from 1st October to 30th September in each year, but any new member joining on or after 1st July in any year, shall not be required to pay an annual subscription until 1st October for the ensuing year.
(b)   The annual subscription shall be such sum as shall be determined by the Committee and proposed for approval at the following AGM. Such subscriptions shall be payable by 1st October each year.
(c)   Any member whose subscriptions remain unpaid at 31st December shall be debarred from the privileges of membership and if still unpaid at 1st February the Committee shall have the power to delete his or her name from the roll of Members.

7.   Meetings

(a)   The Society shall hold an annual convention within 12 months of the Society’s year-end.
(b)   The Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held at the annual convention, for the purpose of:
•  approving the accounts and reports for the year
•  electing officers and members of the Committee
•  transacting any other relevant business.
Notice of the AGM shall be sent to all members, at their last known address, not less than 21
days in advance. The quorum for an AGM shall be 10 members plus 4 Committee members.
(c)   An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be called for a date as soon as practical after the receipt by the Secretary of a written requisition signed by 20 members or an appropriate resolution of the Committee. Any such requisition or resolution shall specify the reason(s) for calling the said meeting and a notice thereof shall be sent to every member at their last known address, not less than 21 days before the date fixed for the meeting, and shall set out the reasons therefore. The meeting shall have no power to deal with any other matter.
(d)  Where the Extraordinary General meeting has been called by a members requisition, the quorum shall be two-thirds of the members signing the requisition plus 4 Committee members.
(e)   Where the EGM has been called by resolution of the Committee, the quorum shall be two-thirds of the Committee plus 10 members.
(f)   Each Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting shall be conducted by the Chairman/woman or, failing whom, by another member of the Committee elected by those present.
(g)   A postal vote from a fully paid up member shall be valid for any meeting providing it is received by the Secretary no later than seven days before the meeting.
(h)   All votes of the Committee, Annual General and Extraordinary General meetings shall be by simple majority. In the event of an equality of voting the motion before the meeting shall be declared lost.

8.   Finance

(a)   The financial year shall run from 1st October to 30th September.
(b)   The Treasurer shall keep books and accounts showing the financial affairs of the Society. The accounts shall be signed by an independent Accounts Examiner and presented to the Committee within 6 months following the end of the financial year. This statement of accounts shall be submitted to the Annual General Meeting.

9.   Activities of the Society

The Committee shall have the power:

(a)    to publish, as often as may be decided by the Committee, a bulletin, newsletter and/or           journal
(b)    to publish, or sponsor the publication of, papers and books and to hold or support                    exhibitions, displays, competitions and meetings on any aspect of railway philately
(c)    to organise philatelic auctions and postal auctions and to circulate philatelic sales                   packets and maintain a library, all for the sole use of members
(d)    to undertake any other activity that may seem conducive to assist any of the foregoing           objects at the discretion of the Committee.

The Committee shall set the Rules for any competition(s). Rules and regulations for other activities and events are to be prepared by the officer appointed to administer the event or activity, subject to the approval of the Committee.

10.   Changes to the Constitution

 Any variation of this Constitution may be made only at an Annual General Meeting, or at an Extraordinary General Meeting specially convened for the purpose, and shall take effect from the beginning of the following Society year, unless the meeting fixes some other date.

11. Winding-up

 (a)   If the Committee decides it is necessary or advisable to wind-up the Society, not less than 28 days notice is to be given in writing to all members by post to the last known address. The notice is to state the reason(s) and term(s) of the proposed winding-up and request written approval or otherwise.
(b)   If the proposal is confirmed by the consent of 75% of those members who have replied to the letter specified in 11(a) above, the Committee shall have the power to realise all the assets held by or on behalf of or in trust for the Society. If on winding-up of the Society any assets remain after all debts and liabilities have been fully satisfied, such assets in whatever form they exist are then to be disposed of to (an) organisation(s) having philatelic objects similar to the Society. This disposal will have been specified in the Notice of Winding-Up, and no member shall benefit individually from such disposal.

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