PROPOSED / DRAFT CONSTITUTION FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF BOLTON ALLOTMENT ASSOCIATIONS

1.	This draft constitution will be discussed at the next ABAS meeting on 14th April 2014 at Astley Bridge Cricket Club. If agreed there will be the appointment of a Management Committee as set out below.           Name
	Association of Bolton Allotment Societies – hereafter the ‘Association’
2.	Aims & Objectives
	The Association will operate as a non-profit making organisation to further the following aims and objectives:
	2.1	To promote the interests of all members in their allotment activities, including co-operating with other Associations and Regional and National bodies in matters of mutual interest.
	2.2	To promote, protect and improve Allotment Colonies (Sites) in the Bolton area.
	2.3	To encourage all Site Societies in the Bolton area to join this Association.
	2.4	To seek funding in support of the Association’s aims and objectives.
	2.5	To conduct negotiations for the benefit and on behalf of allotment holders with the local authorities and private colony landlords on all matters relating to the Bolton area.
	2.6	To take joint appropriate action on behalf of and for the benefit of the members.
	2.7	To undertake such other activities which the Management Committee and members consider appropriate for the benefit of the Association and its membership.
	2.8	The activities in 2.7 may include the purchasing and resale of services and products on behalf of the member societies
	2.9	To facilitate the networking of good practice.
	2.10	To provide equal opportunities to all members without discrimination on any grounds.
3.	Membership
	3.1	Membership of the Association shall be open to:-
		a.	All Site Societies that are located in the Bolton area are eligible to be Members of the Association.
		b	Other Societies (e.g. covering community plots) may be admitted at the discretion of the Committee.
		c	Membership details shall be maintained by the Association Secretary.
4.	Termination of Membership
	4.1	Membership of the Association may be terminated for good and sufficient reason. upon the recommendation of the Management Committee in a resolution to a general meeting of the membership called for that purpose.
	4.2	The member may appeal against such termination at the next available Annual General meeting. The member will be considered ‘suspended’ in the interim period..
5	Officers of the Association
	5.1	The Officers of the Association shall be a Chairperson, a Secretary and a Treasurer. They shall be elected at each Annual General Meeting for a period of one year. Retiring Officers shall be eligible for re-election except that the Chairperson shall serve a maximum of 3 consecutive years with re-election only allowed after at least a further 3 years out of office.
	5.2	The Officers shall be ex-officio members of the Management Committee and of any sub-committee set up for a specific purpose.
	5.3	If desired an Honorary President and Honorary Vice-President shall be elected at an Annual General Meeting.
	5.5	The Honorary President shall chair all meetings of the membership.  In his / her absence the Honorary Vice-President shall chair these meetings. The Chairperson shall chair all meetings of the Management Committee.
	5.6	Where the conduct of any officer is considered prejudicial to the running of the Association, the Management Committee may by a majority vote suspend that officer. The Management Committee will then recommend to a general meeting of the membership called for that purpose that that officer’s appointment be terminated. The officer would then be replaced on an acting basis by a member of the Management Committee.
	5.7	If the recommendation to terminate the appointment of an officer is not upheld at the general meeting then the officer is entitled to resume his / her duties.
6	Management Committee
	6.1	The affairs of the Association shall be conducted by a Management Committee elected annually by the membership at the Annual General Meeting.
	6.2	Each member society may send two representatives to the Annual General Meeting (and any Extraordinary General Meetings) with the right to vote on any motion or proposal. Any further representatives will be treated as ‘observers’ and will not have any voting rights and may only speak to a motion if invited by the Chair.
	6.3	The Management Committee shall consist of no less than 4 and no more than 8 individuals who must be members of a Site Society in membership of the Association..
	6.4	Members of the Management Committee retiring at the end of their term of office shall be eligible for re-election.
	6.5	Casual vacancies shall be filled by invitation of the Management Committee and the persons so appointed (who must be members of a Site Society in membership of the Association) shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting when they shall be eligible for election to the committee.
	6.6	The Management Committee shall meet not fewer than four times in each year and attend the Annual General Meeting and such other membership meetings as shall be arranged.
	6.7	The Management Committee may create a Sub-committee for any specific task and may appoint individuals (who must be members of a Site Society in membership of the Association) to sit on such Sub-committee and determine the powers and terms of reference of any Sub-committee and duration of its activities.
	6.8	A quorum for the Management Committee shall be two officers and two committee members.  A quorum for general meetings of the membership of the Association shall be not fewer than two officers and representatives of six member Site Societies.
	6.9	In the event that no quorum exists for a Management Committee meeting after a period of thirty minutes has elapsed from the notified starting time of the meeting then the members present may discharge the matters notified to the meeting in the “Notice of Meeting” but no business may be discussed under the heading of “Any Other Business”.
	6.10	Where the conduct of any member of the Management Committee is considered prejudicial to the running of the Association, the Management Committee may by a majority vote suspend that member The Management Committee will then recommend to a general meeting of the membership called for that purpose that that member’s appointment be terminated. The member may then be replaced by a co-opted person (see 6.5)
	6.11	If the recommendation to terminate the appointment of a member is not upheld at the general meeting then the member is entitled to resume his / her duties.
7	Voting
	7.1	Each Member Society shall have up to two votes at any general meeting subject to there being two of its members present at the meeting who are authorised to represent that Society.
	7.2	The Chair of the meeting shall have a casting vote in the event of equal numbers of votes being cast both ‘for’ and ‘against’ the motion under consideration.
8	General Meetings
	8.1	General Meetings may be called upon the request of not less than one representative member from each of four Site Societies.
	8.2	The purpose of any such meeting must be given in writing to the Secretary or other officer not less than twenty-one days before the date of the meeting and the Secretary shall publish notice of such meeting and its purpose not fewer than seven days before such meeting taking place.
9	Annual General Meeting
	9.1	The Annual General Meeting shall take place not more than ten months after the close of the Association’s financial year and ordinarily shall be held within four months of the close of the financial year.
	9.2	The purpose of the meeting shall be to receive the Report and Audited Accounts for the year and to elect the Officers and Management Committee for the coming year.  Officers and Committeemen shall hold office in each year until the election of in-coming Officers and Committeemen.
	9.3	The meeting shall also consider and determine such matters which shall have been duly notified to the Secretary for the attention of the Meeting.
10	Finance
	10.1	The income and property of the Association from wherever it is obtained shall be applied solely to the promotion of the purposes of the Association as set forth in this Constitution and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly in any manner by way of profit to any individual member of the Association; provided that nothing herein shall prevent the payment in good faith of those proper out-of-pocket expenses incurred in the case of the Association’s business by any officer or other member appointed to act on behalf of the Association.
	10.2	The financial year shall run from 1st April to 31st March.
	10.3	Any expenditure in excess of £50 must be explicitly authorised by a vote at the Management Committee. This sum may be reset at each Annual General Meeting.
11	Grants
	11.1	Grants may be sought in support of specific projects in furtherance of the aims of the Association.
12	Subscriptions
	12.1	Subscriptions to the Association shall be such as are determined at the Annual General Meeting of the Association upon the recommendation of the Management Committee. The Association shall set a rate per signed up member of each society and thus Societies shall pay a sum based on the number of members of each society.
	12.2	Existing members who shall not have paid such subscriptions as are determined by the Association within sixty days of the due date shall be deemed to have ceased membership of the Association and shall not enjoy benefit of membership of the Association.
13	Bank Account
	13.1	The Management Committee shall ensure that such bank accounts are opened as are deemed necessary for the proper regulation of the Association’s affairs.
	13.2	Not less than two signatories of whom one must be the Treasurer shall operate such bank accounts. All such bank accounts shall be operated for the exclusive benefit of the membership of the Association of Bolton Allotment Societies.
	13.3	The Treasurer may operate an imprest account for the discharge of petty cash expenditure. Necessary expenses incurred by Officers of the Management Committee shall be re-imbursed upon receipt by the Treasurer of a written itemised claim.  Honoraria may be paid on the recommendation to the membership by the Management Committee to Officers of the Association in recognition of any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in the discharge of their duties.
14	Auditors
	14.1	An auditor shall be appointed who is not a member of the Management Committee to audit the accounts and report thereon to the Annual General Meeting.
15	Affiliatioms
	15.1	Affiliations shall be sought to such organisations having similar purposes to that of the Association as are deemed to be of benefit to the Society
16	Alterations to this Constitution
		Alterations to this Constitution may be effected at any General or Annual General Meeting of the membership which has been duly notified of the proposed change(s) and which accepts the alterations voting in favour of the proposal(s) with a majority of not less than two thirds of the members present.  Each and every such proposal shall be voted upon separately.
17	Disputes
	17.1	Disputes will be initially considered by the Management Committee.
	17.2	Where the dispute involves the Management Committee or cannot be resolved by the Management Committee it shall be referred to a general meeting of the membership especially called for that purpose
18.	Dissolution
	18.1	Dissolution of the Association shall be determined upon the recommendation of the Management Committee at a general meeting of the Membership of the Association especially called for such purpose.
	18.2	Upon the voting of two-thirds of the Membership attending such meeting agreeing to accept the recommendation of the Management Committee the committee shall have power to realise all assets held by or on behalf of the Association.
	18.3	After the satisfaction of all proper debts and liabilities any remaining assets shall be given or transferred to such other similar bodies having the same or similar objects as the Association as may be determined by the Association or failing that to some other charitable purpose.
This CONSTITUTION was adopted as the constitution of the Bolton Allotment Association at a meeting held at:-
Signed:                                                        ___________________________________ (Chairperson)
____________________________________ (Secretary)