​Constitution of The Manorial Guild

 

“Honour, Integrity and Dignity” 

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1, NAME

2 OBJECTS

3, POWERS  

4, NON PROFIT

5, MEMBERSHIP

6, REGISTER OF MEMBERS

7, COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT

8, MEETINGS  

9, AUDIT  

10.0 PROXY.

11.0 COMMON SEAL

12.0 FINANCE  

13.0 INSURANCE  

14.0 EXPULSION OF MEMBERS

15.0 AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

16.0 DISSOLUTION

17.0 RECORDS

 

1.0 Name

“Manorial Guild also know as The Manorial Guild” (Hereinafter to be called the Guild)

 

2.0 Objects, Aims

 

• To promote the study of Manorial History and Traditions.

• To organise social events and meetings as desired by the membership.

• To promote the Manorial System and to support the British Monarchy

• To develop a Manorial Guild that members will feel proud to belong to

• To promote the preservation and donation of manorial records to the national archives.

• To promote awareness of the Lord's privileges and responsibilities in the local community.

• To promote awareness and the preservation of Manorial Rights and Privileges of members.

• To promote comradeship among like-minded men and women who are interested in Manorialism.

• To bring together Honourable people for the purpose of Charity, Benevolence and Social Activities.

 

3.0 Powers

The Guild has power to do all such things as are necessary, incidental or conducive to the attainment of the objects of the Guild.

 

4.0 Non Profit

The property and income of the Guild shall be applied solely towards the promotion of the objects of the Guild and no part of that property or income may be paid or otherwise distributed directly or indirectly to members of the Guild provided that nothing shall prevent the reimbursement of expenses incurred on behalf of the Guild.

 

MEMBERSHIP

 

5.1 General

Membership of the Guild shall be open to any person who is interested in manorialism, history and heraldry,

 

5.2 Applications

Applications for membership shall be in writing on the prescribed form.

 

5.3 Categories of Membership

The categories of membership shall be as follows:

Full Membership

Full Life Membership

 

5.3.1 Ordinary member

Ordinary member is any person over the age of 16 years who fulfils section 5.1

 

5.3.2 Life member

Life membership may be conferred upon any member in recognition of outstanding service to the Guild.

The decision for the awarding of life membership shall be made at the AGM and follow the recommendation of the management committee.

The recommendation may only be approved by a majority of the financial members at the AGM.

There will not be more than ten (10) life memberships in operation at any one time and no more than two (2) life memberships will be awarded each year.

 

5.4 Annual Fees

Annual subscription fees will be decided at The Annual General Meeting each year.

Persons joining the Guild during the financial year will pay a quarterly pro rata subscription as follows:

 

Person joining from 1st Mar to 30th May Full Membership fee £40.00

Person joining from 1st June to 31st Aug 3/4 Membership fee £30.00

Person joining from 1st Sept to 31st Nov 1/2 Membership fee £20.00

Person joining from 1st Dec to 28th Feb 1/4 Membership fee £10.00

 

6.0 Register of Members

The Membership Secretary shall maintain an up to date register of members of the Guild

Showing name, address, telephone number and date of payment of fees.

Information on individual members may not be divulged by publication without the agreement of the individual member.

 

COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT

 

7.1 Elected Members

At the Annual General Meeting all elected positions shall be declared vacant and the Guild shall elect a Committee of Management (hereinafter called "Governing Council of The Manorial Guild") from the members.

"Governing Council of The Manorial Guild" shall comprise:  Honorary President, Vice President, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Publicity and Marketing Secretary, Minutes Secretary, Editor News Letter, Honorary Webmaster, Events Co-ordinator, Events Officer, Insurance Advisor , Committee Members.

7.1.1 Co-opted Members

The Committee may co-opt any member of the Membership for other duties as required.

 

7.2 Powers of Committee

The Committee shall have and exercise the sole control, direction and management of the Guild, its premises and equipment.

 

7.2.1 Sale of Assets

Notwithstanding section 7.2 the Committee may not enter into any transaction or  undertaking or sale that will affect 25% or more of the Guild's assets without the approval of 50% of the Guild members attending a specially convened Extraordinary General  Meeting.

 

DUTIES OF THE MEMBERS OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

 

7.3.1 Chairperson

The Chairperson is responsible for coordinating the Guild’s activities.

The Chairperson may delegate specific tasks to the membership as required.

The Chairperson shall preside at the Annual General Meeting, Extraordinary General

Meeting and designated Committee Meetings as required.

The Chairperson shall present to the members at the Annual General Meeting a written

report covering the activities of the Guild for the past year.

The Chairperson may not hold office for more than two consecutive years.

 

7.3.2 Secretary

The Secretary shall at all times keep or cause to be kept, an up to date register of  members, a register of attendance at all meetings, also a full and complete record of all proceedings at Annual General Meetings,

Extraordinary General Meetings and Committee Meetings, a record of official correspondence received and sent and any other records and duties

Which may be required. All correspondence received will be actioned by the Committee

 

7.3.3 Treasurer

The Treasurer shall keep a full and complete record of all financial transactions, pay all monies received into the appropriate bank account of the Guild within 14 days of  receiving same, and shall pay all accounts duly passed for payment by the Management Committee and generally ensure that the accounts are properly conducted and shall produce an independently audited statement to the Annual General Meeting.

 

7.4 Duties of Appointed Officers

The Management Committee may appoint the following additional positions:

Librarian

 

7.4.1 Membership Secretary

The Membership Secretary shall keep a register of members as per section 6, shall receive and process new applications and membership renewals and ensure that monies received are passed directly to the Treasurer or banked directly into the Guild account.

 

7.4.2 Newsletter Editor

The Newsletter Editor shall coordinate the regular publication of the Guild's newsletter.

 

7.4.3 Librarian

The Librarian shall be responsible for the control of the Guild's Library. This includes the maintenance of an Accession Book recording the book's title, author, publisher, supplier, cost and date of purchase and the recording and control of books on loan.  

 

7.4.4 Subcommittees

Subcommittees may be formed, when necessary, for specific or special purposes. These subcommittees will be coordinated by an appropriate member of the Committee and will be responsible to the Committee.

 

7.5 Election of the Committee

Members of the committee shall be elected by ballot at the Annual General Meeting in the order listed above (Section 7.1). These ballots shall be decided by simple majority and in the event of a tie another ballot shall be held to decide between the tying candidates.

A returning officer for the ballot shall be appointed at the meeting. Nominations shall be in writing or by verbal proposal and the nominee's acceptance thereof must be made in the same way.

Elected members shall take office immediately after the declaration of the result of the ballot.

Any committee member absent from three consecutive committee meetings without reasonable excuse shall be deemed to have vacated the position.

Any committee member may be removed from the position by vote of a Special General Meeting.

Vacancies arising during a term of office of the committee shall be filled by vote of the committee.

 

MEETINGS

8.1 Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting shall be held within two (2) months after the month of January for the election of officers, appointment of auditors, submission of the Treasurer's report, submission of the Chairperson’s report and any business that may be subject to a Notice of  Motion. Fourteen (14) day's notice in writing shall be given to all financial members.

Nominations for officers of the Guild may be given in writing to the Secretary prior to the AGM, or taken verbally at the AGM.

Quorum for the AGM shall be 20% of the financial members. If a quorum is not present then a general meeting will automatically be called seven (7) days later at the same time and will  be valid irrespective of how many members attend.

 

8.2 Extraordinary General Meeting

An Extraordinary General Meeting will be convened if 10% of the financial members request it in writing, or if over 50% of the Committee request it. Fourteen (14) days notice in writing will be required for an Extraordinary General Meeting. Quorum for an EGM will be the same as for the AGM.

 

8.3 Committee Meetings

Committee Meetings shall be held as required by the Chairperson. The Secretary or an appointed officer of the association, shall advise all committee members of the time and place of such meetings at least seven days before the date fixed, unless it is decided otherwise by mutual agreement of all committee members. Half the elected members of the committee shall comprise a quorum.

 

8.4 Voting

Voting at all meetings will be by show of hands except in the case of elections of officers  where a position is contested when a secret ballot will be held.

In the event of equality of  votes the Chairperson of any meeting shall have a second or casting vote.

 

8.5 Minutes

The Secretary shall keep, or cause to be kept, detailed minutes of proceedings of every Annual General Meeting, Extraordinary General Meeting and every meeting of the Committee in a book and such book shall be signed by the Chairperson of the meeting in question and shall be conclusive evidence of the proceedings minuted at that meeting, and shall be binding on all members.

The book in which the minutes are so entered shall be kept by the Secretary and shall be available for inspection by financial members of the Guild on application to the Secretary.

 

9.0 Audit

The accounts submitted to the Annual General Meeting shall be subject to an annual audit by a suitably qualified independent person appointed by the members at the previous Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting.

 

10.0 Proxy

Any financial member being absent from an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting may appoint in writing another financial member attending as his or her  proxy to make his or her views known to the meeting and to vote on his or her behalf.

 

11.0 Common Seal

The Common Seal of the Guild engraved with the name of the Guild shall be kept in the care of the Chairperson.

The seal shall not be used or affixed to any deed or document except pursuant to the resolution of the Committee, and two members of the Committee both of whom shall  subscribe their names as witnesses.

 

12.0 Finance

All monies received shall be banked intact and all payments from the Guild shall be made by  cheque.

All cheques issued on behalf of the Guild shall be signed by any two (2) members of  the Committee.

All accounts relating to the routine running of the Guild shall be presented to and passed for payment by the Committee.

Items of a capital nature which will form part of  the fixed assets of the Guild require the approval of the majority of financial members at a convened Meeting.

 

3.0 Insurance

The Committee shall maintain current Public Liability Insurance for the Guild as required.

 

14.0 Explulsion of Members

Any member acting in a manner contrary to the objects of the Guild, or stealing from the Guild, may be expelled by decision of the majority of the Committee of Management.

The Committee shall issue a written notice to such member specifying the grounds for expulsion within seven days of the Committee decision.

The member so affected shall have the right of written reply to the Committee and shall have the right to appeal to an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting called for the purpose, if the Committee rejects the appeal.

The member so affected will be reinstated if a majority of members at the specially convened meeting so decide.

Notice of such meeting will be subject to 14 days notice in writing. Any such appeal must be made within the particular financial year.

 

15.0 Amendments to the Constitution

The Constitution of the Guild may be altered, added to, or appealed at any Annual General  

Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting of the Guild by resolution passed by not less than seventy five percent of the financial members of the Guild present at that meeting.

Any proposed amendments to the Constitution shall be submitted in writing to the Members one (1) month prior to the Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting. Members will be advised of the approved changes via the Guild newsletter after ratification.

 

16.0 Dissolution

If upon the winding up of the association there remains after satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities any property whatsoever, the same shall not be paid to or distributed amongst the members, or former members, but shall be given or transferred i. to another association incorporated under the act which has similar objects; or  ii. for charitable purposes

Which association or purposes, as the case requires, shall be determined by resolution of the members.

 

17.0 Records

All current books, records and documents of the Guild shall be held and maintained by the Officer elected by the Guild to carry out the duties recorded in such books, records or documents. All other books, records and documents are to be stored at a location determined by the Committee.

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