Southfields Triangle Residents’ Association and Neighbourhood Watch (July 2015)

Aims: Promoting the community, protecting the environment, liaising with local representatives, preventing crime, helping the vulnerable.

Constitution

1 The Association shall be known as the Southfields Triangle Residents Association (Southfields Triangle Residents ‘Association and Neighbourhood Watch) hereafter referred to as the Association.

2 The Association shall have the power to affiliate to any other Body whose objects may be of benefit to its membership.

3 Membership shall be open to all residents living in Balvenie Grove, Bowman Mews, Gatwick Road, Granville Road Hambledon Road, Lainson Street, Longfield Street, Merton Road, Pulborough Road, Smeaton Road, Standen Road, The Baulk, Wincanton Road and Wimbledon Park Road from Granville Road to Pirbright Road or Crowthorne Close.

4 All Members shall have full voting rights and be eligible to serve as officers of the Association, or members of the Management Committee.

5 At least one General Meeting of the Association, in addition to the Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held each year and shall be open to all Members to speak and vote. The decisions of the General Meetings of the Association shall be binding on the Committee. All decisions shall be taken by a simple majority of Members present and voting. All Members shall be given not less than fourteen days’ notice of any General Meeting.

6 It shall be a condition of membership that Members at all times conduct themselves in a reasonable manner at meetings or in the premises used by the Association. Any Member may be excluded for breach of this condition, or for any other conduct contravening the objects of the Association, by a majority of those present and voting at any Committee or General Meeting. Any person so excluded shall have the right of appeal to the following General Meeting.

7 All Members may make donations as suggested by the Committee.

8 Any donations or other monies raised by or on behalf of the Association shall only be applied in furtherance of the objectives of the Association; all monies shall be dealt with via the Treasurer.

9 The business of the Association shall be conducted by a Committee elected at each AGM, which shall consist of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary and not less than four other members. (The composition of the Committee shall, as far as possible, represent the multi-racial character of the area.) The elected Officers all hold office for one year and shall be eligible for re-election. All Members shall have equal opportunity to contest the elections, which shall be decided by the majority vote of the entire membership present at the AGM.

10 Nominations for the Committee may be made at any time prior to the election of the Committee. Where possible they should be in writing (stating the full name and address of the member nominated).

11 The election or removal of Officers or Committee members may usually only be carried out by a General Meeting of the Association. However, any Committee member not attending for three months may be deemed disqualified. The Committee may temporarily fill any vacancy arising among the Officers of the Association from its other Members until the next General Meeting of Members.

12 The Committee shall be empowered to co-opt suitable persons as and when necessary.

13 The Committee shall meet as necessary as and not less than four times in each year. Committee meetings shall be open to any Member of the Association wishing to attend who may speak but not vote.

14 The Committee shall call an AGM of the Association annually. Notice of the AGM shall be given to all Members and all those eligible for membership. At this Meeting:

• the Committee shall present an annual report of the Association; • the Committee shall present the independently examined accounts of the Association for the previous year; • the Officers and the Committee for the next year shall be elected; • any proposals submitted to the Secretary in writing not less than seven days in advance of the Meeting shall be discussed.

15 The Secretary shall call a Special General Meeting at the request of a majority of the Committee or on receipt of a written petition by not less than ten Members of the Association giving reasons for their request. The Secretary shall give not less than seven days’ notice of a Special General Meeting, which shall take place within twenty-one days of the receipt of the request or petition.

16 The quorum for Committee Meetings shall be one-third of its elected membership or four Members, whichever is the greater. The quorum for all General Meetings shall be one-third of the membership or twelve Members, whichever is the less.

17 Notice of all Meetings where required shall be sent to each Member’s dwelling and shall include the date, time, and place of the Meeting and an agenda of matters to be discussed.

18 The Chairman (or in his/her absence the Vice-Chairman or other Committee Member) shall conduct the Meetings of the Association. When voting is equally divided, the Chairman has the casting vote.

19 The Treasurer shall open and maintain a bank account in the name of the Association. All cheques shall be signed in accordance with the current bank mandate but must always have a minimum of two signatures. The Treasurer shall keep proper accounts of income and expenditure and report on them or deliver them up as required by the Committee or General Meeting. Such accounts shall be examined annually by an independent examiner appointed by the Committee.

20 The Secretary shall be responsible for the convening of all Meetings and the giving of the prescribed notice to Members. The Secretary shall ensure that a proper record is kept of all Meetings of the Association and its Committee in the form of minutes, and shall deliver up such records as required by the Committee or General Meeting. The Secretary shall permit the minutes to be examined on receipt of not less than seven days’ notice by any two Members of the Association.

21 Any Member(s) or Officer(s) delegated to represent the Association in consultation with any other Body shall act on the instruction of the Association and shall report back to the following Committee or General Meeting, whichever is the sooner. Only Members of the Association shall be delegated to act on behalf of the Association.

22 Any proposal to alter the Constitution must be submitted to the Secretary of the Association not less than fourteen days before the Meeting at which it is to be discussed. Not less than fourteen days’ notice shall be given of such a Meeting, together with the proposed wording of the proposed alteration(s). Any alteration shall require the approval of two-thirds of those voting at the Meeting.

23 If the Committee (or if this no longer exists, any ten Members of the Association) shall decide that the Association shall be dissolved, they shall give at least fourteen days’ notice to all those eligible for membership of a Meeting at which the matter shall be discussed. For the sole purpose of dissolution a quorum need not apply, and the Association may be dissolved by a two-thirds majority of those present. The assets, financial and otherwise, remaining when the Association has satisfied its liabilities, shall be applied for such purposes of benefit to the community as the meeting shall decide.