AGAINST TURBINES AT CHIPLOW
CONSTITUTION
1. Name
The group shall be known as “Against Turbines At
Chiplow” (hereinafter referred to as “ATAC”).
2. Object
The object of ATAC shall be to defeat the proposal for
an industrial wind farm on land between Bagthorpe, Barmer and Syderstone, known
as Chiplow, in the county of Norfolk.
3. Membership
a. Membership
of ATAC shall be open to all persons aged over eighteen years irrespective of
sex, nationality, race, colour, political or religious belief, who support the
object of ATAC.
b. Application
for membership must be made in writing, seconded by an existing member of ATAC
and approved by a simple majority vote of the Executive Committee whose
decision shall be final.
c. It
shall be a condition of membership that members conduct themselves in a
reasonable manner at all times. Any
member may be excluded from membership for breach of this condition or for any
other conduct contravening the object of ATAC or deemed to bring ATAC into
disrepute, as decided by a majority vote of the Executive Committee.
4. Conduct
of Business
a. The
business of ATAC shall be conducted by an Executive Committee elected from the
membership at an Annual General Meeting. The Executive Committee shall be made
up of Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and up to five other
members.
b. The
Executive Committee shall have the power to appoint replacement officers or
committee members in the event of a resignation. The failure to attend three consecutive meetings without
reasonable cause shall be deemed a resignation.
c. The
Executive Committee may co-opt additional members to serve on the Committee for
specialist tasks or skills, for a time period to be decided by the Executive Committee.
d. The
quorum of the Executive Committee meetings shall be three committee members.
5. Meetings
a. An
Annual General Meeting shall be held each year as far as possible in the month
of July. Notice of the AGM shall be
given by the Secretary to all members and advertised (as deemed appropriate by
the Executive Committee) no fewer than fourteen days before the date of the
meeting.
b. The
purpose of the AGM shall be: to receive an annual report from the officers of
the work done; to elect the officers and Executive Committee members for the
coming year; to appoint the auditors; and to consider any other business which
has been notified to the Secretary in writing at least seven days before the
meeting.
c. An
Extraordinary General Meeting shall be held at the request of the Executive
Committee or upon written request signed by ten members stating the reasons for
their request. Notice of the meeting shall be given by the Secretary to all
members and advertised (as deemed appropriate by the Executive Committee) no
fewer than fourteen days before the date of the meeting.
d. General
Meetings shall be held at the request of the Executive Committee. Notice of the
meeting shall be given by the Secretary to all members and advertised (as
deemed appropriate by the Executive Committee) no fewer than seven days before
the date of the meeting.
e. All
members shall have the right to speak and vote at all meetings. Decisions shall be taken by a simple
majority of those members present and voting, except for constitutional
amendments (Section 8).
6. Finance
a. ATAC
may raise funds by the holding of events and otherwise in order to further its
object, provided that it shall not undertake any permanent trading activities
in raising funds for its object.
b. Moneys
raised by or on behalf of ATAC shall only be applied in furtherance of the
object stated in Section 2 of this constitution.
c. ATAC’s
finances shall be administered by the Treasurer, who shall open and maintain
banking accounts in its name. All cheques
shall be signed by two persons namely the Treasurer together with one of either
the Chairman or the Secretary.
d. The
Treasurer shall keep proper accounts of all assets, income and expenditure and
report on them or deliver them up as required by the Executive Committee or
General Meeting.
e. Such
accounts shall be audited once per year by an independent person or body
selected by the Executive Committee and appointed at the Annual General Meeting.
The audited accounts shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting.
f. The
financial year shall run from 1st July to 30th June
following.
7. Dissolution
a. ATAC
may be dissolved only at an Extraordinary General Meeting by a two-thirds
majority of those members present and voting at the meeting.
b. In
the event of dissolution the remaining portion of money donated and ring fenced
for specific purposes shall be returned on a pro rata basis to the respective
donors. The assets remaining after settlement of liabilities shall be donated
to a local action group or groups fighting a wind farm. In the event of no such
suitable group being identified such remaining assets shall be donated to local
charities.
8. Amendments
to the Constitution
a. Any proposal
to alter or amend this Constitution must be submitted in writing to the
Secretary, proposed and seconded by two members.
b. Amendments
to the Constitution shall be decided only at an Annual General Meeting or an
Extraordinary General Meeting and shall be detailed in the written agenda
circulated to members at least fourteen days before the meeting.
c. Any
decision to amend the Constitution shall require at least a two-thirds majority
of those members present and voting at the meeting.