NINFIELD FLOWER GROUP CONSTITUTION

As at January 2022

1. TITLE: The Club shall be called Ninfield Flower Group.

2. OBJECTIVE: The Group is an educational organisation formed to stimulate interest in the art of flower arranging, by promoting talks, demonstration, discussions, exhibitions and competitions.

3. MEETINGS: Will normally be held once a month.

4. SUBSCRIPTIONS: The subscription shall be payable on the admission of membership and subsequently due on the first meeting in October. Members joining after April shall pay half the annual subscription for that year. Any member failing to renew the subscription within two months shall automatically cease to be a member.

5. OFFICERS OF THE GROUP: Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.

  • 5.1 The Chairman shall be the executive head of the Group and shall preside at all meetings of the Group and the Committee; shall preside at the Annual General Meeting and at any other extraordinary meeting.

  • 5.2 The Secretary shall be responsible for implementing the business of the Group as directed by the Officers and Committee. The Secretary shall be responsible for retaining the business records of the Group.

  • 5.3 The Treasurer shall be responsible for the collection of all monies due to or payable by the Group. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the Group’s funds and their safe deposit. Monies drawn out of the Group’s account shall be signed by any two of the following: Chairman, Secretary, or Treasurer.

  • 6. The COMMITTEE:

    • 6.1 The Committee shall consist of the three Executive Officers plus up to 6 Members. Committee meetings should be held approximately every 4 weeks, the date to be decided at the previous Committee meetings. Should a vacancy arise during the year, the Committee have the power to co-opt.

    • 6.2 When a full Committee is not available, a quorum shall include at least the Chairman or Secretary.

    • 6.3 The Vice Chairman should be elected at the first Committee meeting after the Annual General Meeting. The Vice Chairman, in the absence of the Chairman, will preside at meetings of the Group or Committee. In the absence of both Chairman and Vice Chairman, the meeting shall be presided over by a member elected by the Committee.

    • 6.4 For any duty defined by the Committee, the Committee may appoint one of their Members to form a Sub-Committee. The Chairman of such Committees are responsible to the Executive Committee, but have no independent authority.

7. ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE: No Committee is to be elected “en bloc”.

  • 7.1 The Officers and Committee Members shall hold office for a period of one year, but shall be eligible for re-election.

  • 7.2 The Chairman and / or Secretary and Treasurer must at some time have served on the Committee.

  • 7.3 That the calling notice for the AGM to be normally held in the following February, together with the nomination slips, be distributed to Members as they pay their subscriptions for the year October to September. Nominations to be returned by a date specified in December.

8. FINANCE

  • 8.1 The Treasurer shall be responsible for the collection of monies and the maintenance of appropriate financial records.

  • 8.2 The Accounts should be examined and certified annually by a suitably qualified person, who should be approved by those Members attending the Annual General Meeting.

  • 8.3 All cheques to be signed by two Officers of the Group.

9. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING:

  • 9.1 The Annual General Meeting of the Group shall normally be held in February of each year.

  • 9.2 The Chairman and Treasurer shall be required to report on the Group’s business during the preceding year.

  • 9.3 The election of Officers and Committee shall take place in accordance with Section 7. Where there is only one Nominee for each office, such Nominee shall be declared elected if Members so wish. Where there is more that one Nominee, election shall be by ballot of the Members present at the AGM.

10. RESPONSIBILITY FOR BELONGINGS: The Group cannot accept responsibility for the safe custody of any article belonging to, or in the charge of, any member or guest.

11. AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION AND TERMS OF REFERENCE

  • 11.1 Alterations to the Constitution and Terms of Reference of the Group shall only be made if presented to the Members at the AGM or at any other extra-ordinary meeting.

  • 11.2 An extra-ordinary meeting can be called either by the Committee or by a signed written request, stating reasons, from a minimum of 10 fully paid up Members of the Group. On submission to the Officers, Members should be notified of details of the requested meeting within 30 days.

  • 11.3 Proposals made, seconded, discussed and adopted following those meetings become effective immediately.

12. CLOSURE OF NINFIELD FLOWER GROUP: Should the remaining fully paid up Members of Ninfield Flower Group decide that the Group should close, any funds remaining should be distributed amongst local groups with similar interests in accordance with the wishes of the Members.

13. HONORARY MEMBERS: The Committee may confer Honorary Membership of the Group to any person they decide worthy of such an honour.