Arethusa Old Boys' Association

CONSTITUTION

1. NAME OF ASSOCIATION

The name of the Association shall be "Arethusa Old Boys Association" (A.O.B.A.)

2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

(a) The Association takes as its aims:

(i) The maintenance of contact and fostering of goodwill and
comradeship between members and old boys.

(ii) The expression and fostering of goodwill between
members and the Shaftesbury Homes.

(b) In pursuance of which it will :

(i) Research and record the history of The Shaftesbury Homes and the
Training Ships "Arethusa".

(ii) Organise fund raising and promotional events and activities, in
support of the A.O.B.A. and The Shaftesbury Homes maritime
projects.

(iii) Publish documents or newsletters for the interest and education
of its members.

(iv) Do all such things as will further the objects of the Association.

3. MEMBERSHIP

(a) Membership of the Association will be open to any person who has
undertaken training under the auspices of The Training Ships Arethusa.

(b) The membership of the Association shall consist of the following
categories:

(i) Member. Those eligible by virtue of past service in The Training
Ships Arethusa.

(ii) Associate. Those who, by their actions or stated intentions, are
willing to make an active contribution to the success of the Association.

(d) Members may not use the name of The Association in any manner
which partakes of a business character. No member shall speak as a
representative of, or in the name of The Association, without the
prior approval of the Committee.

4. SUBSCRIPTIONS

(a) There shall be an annual subscription the rates of which will be fixed by
the Committee and which will fall due on the 1st January each year and
which shall entitle the member to the benefits of membership up to and
including the 31st December of the same year.

(b) It shall be permissible for the Committee to waive for the current
year the subscription of any member joining after 1st September and
at that time paying the subscription for the coming year.

(c) A member whose subscription for the current year has not been paid
by the 31st March shall be deemed to have ceased to be a member of
the Association.

5. CONDUCT

(a) Members are expected to further the aims and activities of the
Association and to abide by the Association's Constitution. Any
member who fails to do so or whose conduct appears likely, in the
opinion of the Committee, to disrupt the Association or to
jeopardise its reputation, shall be liable to have their membership
terminated.

(b) Any decision on the termination is to be made by a majority of at
least two thirds of the full Committee.

(c) A member whose membership has been terminated has the right to
state his case before the Committee either in person or in writing.

6. OFFICERS

(a) The officers of the Association shall be elected for a period of
three years at the Annual General Meeting, one per year in rotation,
and shall be :
1. Chairman
2. Honorary Secretary
3. Honorary Treasurer
A retiring Officer shall be eligible for re-election.

(b) The Association's officers shall not be held responsible for any
payments received from members in the form of cash or coin sent
through the post.

7. COMMITTEE

(a) The government of the Association and the management of it's
concerns shall be entrusted to a Committee subject to the
Constitution of the Association.

(b) The Committee shall be composed of not more than nine elected
members, which shall include the officers of the Association named
above.

(c) The Chairman shall preside over the Committee and at General
Meetings. His responsibility shall be to see that the Constitution
of the Association is observed, that resolutions taken by the
Committee or by the General Meetings of the Association are carried
out, and to promote such measures as shall appear to him advisable
for the welfare of the Association subject to the approval of the
Committee.

(d) The Honorary Secretary shall conduct the administration business of
the Association and ensure that the Minutes are kept of Committee
meetings and General Meetings.

(e) The Honorary Treasurer shall receive and disburse the Association's
monies as directed by the Committee, and other members of the
Committee receiving or paying out money on it's behalf shall be
accountable to him. He shall arrange for the keeping of proper
accounts and for these to be inspected by the Auditor(s) appointed
and laid before the Annual General Meeting for approval. Cheques
shall bear two signatures one of which shall be an officer of the
Association.

(f) A Committee member when elected shall serve for a period of three
years and two Committee members shall retire each year in rotation
but be eligible for re-election.

(g) The Committee shall have the power to co-opt a member to the
Committee to fill a vacancy. Any member so co-opted shall serve out
the unexpired portion left of the term of the Committee man he is
replacing.

(h) Any member of the Committee, whether elected or co-opted, who fails
to attend a meeting within a period of six months without furnishing
a sufficient explanation shall cease to be a member of the Committee
for the remainder of the year, but shall remain eligible for re-election or
re-co-option.

8. COMMITTEE MEETINGS

(a) The Committee shall meet at such times as it shall itself determine,
but not less than twice in each year.

(b) Whenever possible business to be discussed shall be circulated to
the members at least seven days before the meeting.

(c) Business not specified in the notice convening the meeting may be
brought forward for discussion by leave of the Chairman and with the
agreement of the Meeting.

(d) At all meetings of the Committee five shall constitute a quorum, at
least one of whom shall be an officer, and all questions shall be
determined by open vote. In an equality of votes the Chairman shall
have a casting vote.

(e) The Committee may, at it's discretion, invite any member of the
Association or other person to attend a Committee meeting, but such
members or persons shall not be entitled to vote at such meetings.

9. SUB-COMMITTEE

(a) The Committee shall have the power to set up sub-committees as shall
be necessary to consider and report back on any matter within the
responsibility of the Committee. At least two members of such sub-
committee shall be members of the Committee and one or the other of
these shall act as Chairman at their meetings.

10. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS

(a) The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held during
September of each year.

(b) The Annual General Meeting shall transact the following business:

(i) To receive and discuss the annual reports of the officers of the
Association.
(ii) To receive and act upon the report of nominations for the
membership of the Committee
(iii) To receive and to adopt, if thought fit, the audited accounts of
the Association for the financial year ending 31st December.
(iv) Such other business as shall have been given notice of being
brought forward.

(d) Notice of the date and time of the Annual General Meeting must be
circulated to all members at such time as will permit such notice to
reach any member in the United Kingdom twenty-one days before the
meeting.

(e) Any member of the Association may submit motions for discussion and
nominations for membership of the Committee.

(f) Motions for discussion must reach the Honorary Secretary not less
than fourteen days before the date fixed for the meeting. They must
be proposed and seconded.

(g) Nominations for Officers and membership of the Committee must
be similarly submitted and shall be valid only if the person nominated
has expressed consent to nomination.

(h) Where the number of nominations exceed the number of vacancies
members of the Committee shall be elected by those present at the
Annual General Meeting in such manner as the Chairman may think
appropriate.

(i) A quorum for a General Meeting shall be 10% of the membership
for the time being of the Association and shall include one Officer.
(ii) A Special General Meeting may be called by the Committee or by
request to the Secretary, signed by no fewer than ten members.
Such requests must be in writing, and must state the purpose for
which the meeting is to be called. It must reach the Secretary at least
30 days before the date of the meeting. All members shall receive 14
days notice (with agenda) of such meetings. No business shall be
transacted at the Special General Meeting except that for which the
meeting was called.

11. INTERPRETATION AND AMENDMENT

(a) The Committee shall have power to interpret the rules should there
be any difference of opinion concerning them.

(b) The Committee shall have the power to deal with any matter not
provided for in this Constitution.

(c) A rule or rules of the Association may only be changed or a new rule
adopted on the proposal of three members of the Committee or 10% of
the members for the time being of the Association:

(i) By resolution at a General Meeting with a two-thirds majority
of those voting.
(ii) By postal ballot, held at the discretion of the Committee, with a
two-thirds majority of those voting.

12. WINDING UP

(a) The Association may be wound up by a majority of three-quarters of
those attending and voting at a Special General Meeting called for
the purpose.

(b) In the event of winding up or dissolution of the Association any
assets or property of the Association remaining after the discharge
of all just debts and liabilities shall not be distributed amongst the
members but shall become the property of The Shaftesbury Homes
and "Arethusa" or, if this is not possible, some charitable
institution having similar objectives.

December 7th 1991

AMENDMENTS

Approved by Committee 7th December 1991.

Amended and adopted by AGM 5th September 1992.

Amended by AGM 2nd September 1995.

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