Constitution

DURSLEY ’91 PROBUS CLUB CONSTITUTION (Revised May 2021)

1. Title.

The club shall be called Dursley ’91 Probus Club.

2. Objectives.

The Objectives of the Club shall be to provide and promote social contacts and fellowship among retired and partially retired professional and business men.

3. Area.

The area of the club shall be Dursley and district.

4. Membership.

1. Membership of the club shall be available to wholly or partially retired professional or business men residing in or having worked in the area above. The maximum number of members shall be decided from time to time by the committee.

 

2. All applications for membership shall be made to the secretary by completion of a prescribed form which shall be countersigned by two Members. Acceptance into Membership shall be subject to the approval of the Club Management Committee whose decision shall be final. Providing Membership has not reached an upper limit as determined by the Club, the applicant shall be admitted to Membership immediately. If however the upper limit has been reached the applicants name shall be placed on a waiting list to be maintained by the Secretary in chronological order, the applicant shall then be admitted to Membership when a vacancy arises. A Prospective member may visit the Club as a guest of a Member before making an application to join.

 

3. The Presidents of the Rotary Club of Dursley and Cotswold Tyndale Rotary Club shall be invited to become Honorary Members of the Club during their terms of office.

The Club Management Committee shall at their discretion have the power to appoint honorary members who may be additional to the current upper membership limit.

5. Guests.

A Member may bring a guest to an ordinary Meeting of the Club, but the same guest shall not attend more than three meetings in any one year.

6. Club Year.

The Club’s financial year shall commence on the 1st April in each year and the Annual General Meeting, of which three weeks’ notice shall be given by the Secretary, shall be held in May of each year.

7. Subscriptions.

At the Annual General Meeting the Management Committee will present to Members for agreement any proposed changes in subscription rates for the ensuing year, namely:

1. Fee for joining the Club.
2. Annual Subscription. A Member joining the Club after the 30th September shall pay half the Annual Subscription.

Membership of the Club will lapse in the case of any Member whose subscription remains unpaid for three months after the Annual General Meeting, unless at the discretion of the Management Committee, exceptional circumstances prevail e.g. long term absence. Requests for dispensation will be submitted to the Secretary in writing.

8. Officers.

The Officers of the Club shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.

9. Management Committee.

There shall be a Management Committee which shall consist of the Officers of the Club, the immediate Past President and other Members. The Management Committee shall carry out a review before every AGM to decide the maximum size of the Management Committee.

The Management committee shall have the power to co-opt any Member or Members of the Club to serve on the Committee for the current year. The duties of the Management Committee shall be to:

1. Preserve the interests of the Members.
2. Regulate the procedure and conduct at meetings of the Club.
3. Arrange special functions, talks and visits.
4. Control the finances of the Club.
5. Deal with the general administration of the Club.

10. Appointment of Officers and Management Committee.

1. The President shall be nominated by the Management Committee and his nomination shall be subject to endorsement at the Annual General Meeting. His term of office shall be for one year. However, circumstances may arise where a second term of office may be necessary, subject always to endorsement by the Annual General Meeting. In any event immediately following his Presidency or Presidencies he will serve one year in an ex-officio capacity.

 

2. The Vice-President shall be nominated by the Management Committee in anticipation of his succession to the Presidency in the following year. His nomination shall be subject to the endorsement at the Annual General Meeting. Throughout his year he will act as Welfare Officer.

 

3. The Secretary and Treasurer, shall be nominated by the Management Committee and their nominations shall be subject to endorsement at an Annual General Meeting.

 

4. The existence of the vacancy or vacancies on the Management Committee will be announced to the members at the January meeting. Anyone interested in joining the committee shall contact the secretary for a nomination form.

 

5. If, having decided the maximum size of the Management Committee, there are more nominees than vacancies a ballot will be held at the AGM. Only those members present at the AGM can vote. In the event of both nominees recording the same number of votes, the selection will be decided by the toss of a coin.

 

6. Those members of the Management Committee who wish to continue on the committee shall be nominated for endorsement at an Annual General Meeting.

All nomination forms must be presented to the Secretary, on an approved nomination form, proposed and seconded by two Club Members, not later than the Monthly Club Meeting immediately preceding the Annual General Meeting.

11. Special Meetings.

A Special General Meeting of the Club may be called by the Secretary on a request, inwriting, of not less than ten Members.

12. President’s Casting Vote.

In the event of voting on any matter being equal, the President of the Club shall at any meeting have a second or casting vote.

13. Policy.

The Club shall be strictly non-political and non-sectarian. The Club shall not raise funds for or donate funds to charitable or religious organisations except where a visiting speaker specifically requests his/her fee is to be donated to a named charity. The club shall not expect members to solicit charitable donations from other members within the activities of the Club. Where it is thought appropriate the Committee may approve a donation in lieu of the payment of a charge.

14. Meetings.

The Club shall meet normally in the morning on the second Monday of each month at a time to be notified.

15. Accounts.

A statement of Account for the period ending 31st March each year, duly audited by a person appointed for that reason by the Club, shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting by the Honorary Treasurer.

16. Amendment to Rules.

Club rules may be amended at an Annual General Meeting, or at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose, of which three weeks’ notice shall be given. The proposed amendment shall be specified in the notice convening the Meeting.

17. Disbandment of the Club.

Should the Club be disbanded, any balance of the Club’s assets remaining after payment of all debts shall be donated to such charitable cause, or causes, as the Management committee may decide.

18. Cheque Signatories.

There shall be three Authorised Cheque Signatories. The President, Secretary and Treasurer.

Cheques require two signatures, one of which will always be the Treasurer’s.

19. Management Committee Meetings – Quorum

A quorum shall consist of not less than four or one third of the Management CommitteeMembers, whichever is the greater. The President and/or Vice-President must always be present.