Surrey Photographic Association Constitution
1. Name
The Association shall be called the SURREY PHOTOGRAPHIC ASSOCIATION (SPA). In this Constitution and any activity of SPA the terms shown emboldened shall be as defined below. This Constitution may only be amended at a General Meeting..
2. Objectives
SPA shall promote and encourage photography and provide such services and activities for the benefit of Members as the Committee consider practicable including publication of a handbook of judges, lecturers and names and addresses of Members.
3. Membership
Subject to the approval of the Committee, membership shall be open to all photographic organisations in the Counties of Surrey and West Sussex, and such others as it would be sensible to admit in accordance with the Constitution of the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain.
All Members of the SPA are affiliated to the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain, except as provided by the PAGB Constitution. All Members shall have public liability insurance cover. Members may resign at any time by giving notice in writing to the Secretary but shall not be entitled to a refund of any part of the current subscription.
A Member whose conduct is deemed prejudicial to the SPA may be expelled by the Committee providing the Member is given full and reasonable opportunity to defend itself before the Committee. Such a Member shall have the right of appeal to a General Meeting before membership is terminated.
4. Subscription
The subscription shall be any figure agreed by a majority vote at an Annual General Meeting. The subscription shall be payable on election to membership and thereafter on the first day of October each year. Any Member paying its subscription before 1 October shall be entitled to a reduced rate if this has been agreed at the previous Annual General Meeting.
Members in arrears after the date of the Annual General Meeting shall be liable to removal from the register of Members. All SPA judges and lecturers shall be informed of the removal.
5. Elections and Appointments
All elected members of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election each year except that the President shall not hold that office for more than two consecutive years. 5 members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum. Member’s nominations for election to the Committee, together with written acceptance of the nominee shall be received by the Secretary not less than seven days before the date of the General Meeting. In the event of an incomplete set of nominations, the Committee may put forward nominations for vacancies, with the approval of the nominees.
Honorary Positions: A General Meeting, on the recommendation of the committee, may appoint Honorary Life Vice-Presidents in recognition of exceptional service to the SPA.
6. Committee
The Committee shall manage the affairs of SPA.
The Committee may:
(i) accept, refuse or terminate membership in accordance with 3 and 4 above.
(ii) delegate such of its functions as it deems appropriate to any sub-committees it establishes.
(iii) co-opt up to 2 committee members who would have full voting rights until the following AGM.
(iv) co-opt advisors for specific purposes (this may be short term or until the next AGM). They may be invited for the whole meeting or specific agenda items and do not have a vote.
(v) deal with any matter not provided for in this Constitution.
7. Sub-Committees
Sub-committees may be established on a standing basis or for a set period of time. The President will be an ex-officio member of all sub-committees as may other officers or committee members if the Committee so decides. Chairs and membership of sub-committees shall be approved by the Committee and Chairs of sub-committees may be Committee members. Where sub-committee chairs are not Committee members they shall be invited to attend the whole or relevant agenda items at Committee meetings as appropriate, but do not have a vote.
8. General Meetings
An Annual General Meeting shall be held before the end of November each year when the following business shall be transacted:
(i) President’s Report
(ii) Treasurer’s and Independent Examiner’s Reports on the accounts for the past Financial Year
(iii) To settle Subscription rates
(iv) Any other previously circulated proposals requiring a vote.
(v) Election of Officers and Committee.
(vi) Appointment of an Independent Examiner.
An Extraordinary General Meeting may be convened by the Committee or at the request of not less than 25% of Members. That request must clearly state the purpose of the meeting and contain a proposal that calls for a vote.
The Agenda shall be circulated to all Members’ secretaries at least 21 days before a General Meeting. The quorum for General Meetings shall be delegates from 25% of Members. Any person belonging to a Member organisation may attend and take part in the discussions at General Meetings, but only delegates may vote. Proposals for amendment of the Constitution must be made in writing and received by the Secretary not less than TWO MONTHS before a General Meeting. No General Meeting shall consider any matter other than those set out in the Agenda for that General Meeting.
9. Voting
Decisions at all meetings shall be by simple majority of delegates present and voting, with the exception of a change to this Constitution or 9 below which shall require a two-thirds majority. In the event of a tie the Chairman shall have a casting vote.
10. Finance
The funds shall be vested in a Bank or Building Society in the name of the SPA. All cheques drawn upon the SPA’s accounts shall bear the signature of two of the authorised signatories, except for cheques up to a value as agreed by the Committee, in which case the Treasurer is able to sign them on his/her own. The Treasurer is also able to undertake online banking transactions up to the same value. No expenditure shall be sanctioned which cannot be met from current funds. No action requiring exceptional major expenditure or ongoing financial commitment shall be entered into without the approval of members at a general meeting. The Treasurer shall ensure that all monies are banked and accounted for in a timely manner.
11. Winding up
In the event of the SPA being wound up, its assets shall be clearly identified and transferred to the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain to be held by them and subsequently distributed in such manner as the PAGB considers equitable to any existing or new federation of the PAGB to which members may transfer.
DEFINITIONS
President: The Spokesman of the SPA; conducts General Meetings, Committee meetings, hosts SPA events and represents the SPA where invited.
Committee: The Officers, being the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, together with up to four elected members and the immediate past President.
Delegate: The person appointed by a Member to attend and vote on its behalf at a General Meeting.
Financial Year: The period 1 August to 31 July
Member: A photographic organisation whose application for membership has been accepted by the Committee and not terminated.
Secretary: Causes minutes to be taken of General and Committee Meetings; maintains contact with Committee members, secretaries, lecturers, and judges, conducts other correspondence for the SPA and has custody of the official Records.
Treasurer: Manages the SPA’s finances within a budget and terms agreed from time to time by the Committee; produces a Statement of Accounts including a Balance Sheet and an Income and Expenditure Account at the end of the Financial Year; submits forecasts of income and expenditure to the Committee.
Independent Examiner: A person appointed at a General Meeting to examine and report on the Treasurer’s Statement of Accounts.
The foregoing Constitution was approved at the 1999 AGM, amended at the
2005 AGM and subsequently amended at the 2011 AGM on Saturday 26th
November 2011, the EGM on 8th March 2014, the EGM on14th March
2015 and the EGM on 30th September 2017.