Constitution

1. Constitution

Young Farmers’ Clubs, that have applied for and been accepted as members of the Cheshire County Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs, having their headquarters or take their name or title from areas or districts within the County of Cheshire, or from other districts or areas as may be deemed acceptable in pursuance of the objects of the Cheshire County Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs.

2. Objects

– to advance the education of young members of the public at large in agriculture, home crafts, country life and related subjects

– and in the interests of the social welfare of such members, to provide and promote the provision of facilities for recreation and other leisure time occupations being facilities which will improve their conditions of life and will assist in the development of their spiritual and mental capacities, self-reliance and individual responsibility so that they may grow to full maturity as individuals and members of the community.

3. Definitions

(a) Cheshire County Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs hereinafter referred to as the “Federation”.

(b) Affiliated Club(s) hereinafter referred to as Club(s).

(d) Term of Office from the Annual General Meeting to the following Annual General Meeting.

4. Officials

Executive Officials
President
Deputy President
Chairman
Lady Chairman
Vice Chairman
Vice Lady Chairman
Honorary Treasurer

Non – Executive Officials
Vice Presidents
Life Members
Non voting

5. Management and administration

Executive Committee to consist of:

All Executive Officials.

Four Delegates from each Club to be nominated by the Club.
Delegates should where possible serve for a minimum of one term.
Substitutes accepted.

Past Chairman and Lady Chairman to serve for four terms, from the date of retiring from office.

Co-Opted Members.

Terms of Reference for the Executive Committee

(a) The Executive Committee shall be convened on no less than four occasions per annum, to transact business for general management of affairs and activities in pursuance of the objects of the Federation.

(b) An Extra Ordinary Executive Committee Meeting shall be convened upon request of two or more Member Clubs. Such request should be notified to the Secretary in writing, stating the business to be discussed. A Meeting will then be convened within 28 days.

6. Finance & Management Committee

Shall consist of:

(a) All Executive Officials

(b) The Immediate Past Chairman and the Immediate Past Lady Chairman

(c) One Member from Each Club nominated Annually by the Club (In practice the aim should be a 2 year term but with flexibility initially to ensure there was not a complete change at any one time)

Terms of Reference for the Finance and Management Committee

(a) Shall have vested authority to negotiate terms and arrangements for the supply of Goods and Services to the Federation.

(b) Shall negotiate Terms and Arrangements with any person employed, provided that any persons so employed are not members of the Executive Committee.

(d) Shall be responsible to budget all Federation affairs and make recommendations for Affiliation Fees or such levies as necessary.

(e) Shall be responsible for General Management of Affairs between Executive Meetings.

(f) The Trustees reserve the right to send a representative to attend the Finance and Management Committee Meeting at their discretion.

7. Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting shall be held within 3 months of the end of the financial year. All Members may attend and participate in the discussion of the business transacted, but resolutions and voting will be confined to all Executive Committee Members. All Voting for Officials will be by Ballot.

The Agenda for the Annual General Meeting shall include the election of all

1. Executive and Non-Executive Officers (as detailed in Section 9)

2. Chartered Accountant (to Independently Examine Accounts in accordance with Charities Commission Guidelines)

3. Receive Reports from the Treasurer and Secretary

4. Business prescribed by the Executive Committee

An Extra-Ordinary General Meeting can be requested by 3 Affiliated Clubs, giving notice in writing to the Secretary and stating the business to be on the Agenda. Chairman and Secretary will call such meeting within 28 days. Voting at an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting shall be as at an Annual General Meeting.

8. Elections

President

To be elected annually. Nominations to be in writing and lodged with the Secretary 7 days in advance of the Annual General Meeting. The term of office shall not exceed 3 consecutive terms.

Deputy President

As for President.

Chairman

To be elected annually for one term of office. In the event of Vice Chairman not being elected to Chairman, the rule of eligibility of nominees under election of Vice Chairman shall still apply.

Lady Chairman

As for Chairman

Vice Chairman and Vice Lady Chairman

To be elected annually to serve for one term. Nominations shall be accepted from any Affiliated Clubs other than the Clubs represented by the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Lady Chairman and the Vice Lady Chairman at the commencement of such Annual General Meeting.

Should a nomination not be forthcoming from within the above eligible clubs, then a nomination can be received from the retiring Chairman’s Club for Lady Vice Chairman, and from the retiring Lady Chairman’s Club for a Vice Chairman.

Should a nomination not be forthcoming from within the above Clubs, then a nomination can be received from the retiring Chairman’s Club for Vice Chairman or from the retiring Lady Chairman’s Club for a Lady Vice Chairman.

Should a nomination not be forthcoming from within the above Clubs, then a nomination can be received from the present Chairman’s Club for Lady Vice Chairman and the present Lady Chairman’s Club for Vice Chairman.

The Chairman shall consult with the nominators to reach agreement on the order for the election of office. In the event of failure to reach agreement with the nominators, the meeting should be called upon to decide the voting order.

Honorary Treasurer

Shall be elected annually. Nominations shall be made in writing and lodged with the Secretary 7 days in advance of the Annual General Meeting.

Note 1: No Official shall hold more than one office.

Note 2: If any official who normally serves more than one term but wishes to retire at a coming AGM he or she should, if at all possible, give notice at the Executive Committee Meeting prior.

9. Finance

1. The Financial Year shall end on 31st December each year.

2. Each Club shall subscribe affiliation fees to the Federation at a rate per member as approved at the Annual General Meeting.

3. The Federation may solicit and receive contributions to the General Funds in the form of; Grants, Sponsorship, Donations, Legacies, Subscriptions, Gifts or Loans or otherwise.

4. The Federation may promote, sponsor and arrange events to accumulate profit as necessary for the Funds.

5. A Bank Account(s) as necessary shall be held in the name of Cheshire County Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs.

6. Signatories to the Bank shall be Treasurer and one of the Chairman, Lady Chairman or Secretary. In the event of the Treasurer being indisposed Signatories should be Chairman and either Lady Chairman or Secretary. On no occasion can two signatories be from the same household or immediate family.

7. The Hon. Treasurer or other appointed Official shall be responsible to receive all monies that are indebted to the Federation and to submit all payments from money held at the bank or otherwise to those indebted by the Federation. All such transactions shall be recorded in books of account.

8. The Treasurer or other appointed Official shall:

i Provide to each Finance and Management Committee Meeting all details of all transactions that have taken place since the last meeting and details of bank balances held at the end of the month prior to the meeting.

ii Provide the Finance and Management Committee Meeting with any financial information or otherwise as they deem appropriate.

iii The treasurer or other appointed Official shall at the Annual General Meeting prepare accounts for the previous year. The annual accounts shall be independently examined by a firm of Accountants or Chartered Accountants, following guidelines as laid down by the Charities Commission.

9. In the event of the winding up of the Federation, all stocks of goods, shares, or Holdings and other assets should be realised, and after all debts are settled, the proceeds along with all monies shall then be apportioned to any Affiliated Clubs on a membership basis or any other Charitable Institution.

10. Secretariat

The Secretary shall keep minutes of and circulate as necessary all meetings; he/she shall transact business of the Federation, and arrange the activities as decided by Federation Meetings.

11. General

A Quorum at all meetings shall be at least 1/3 of the voting membership of that Meeting.

In the event of a tie in any vote, the Chairman of the Meeting shall have the casting vote.

Detailed information relating to Financial and Commercial Matters may be deemed confidential by the Executive Committee or the Finance and Management Committee. Details of this nature will be given in writing only upon request of a Club and upon the undertaking from the requesting Club, that such information is held in confidence.

12. Policies & Procedures

All policies and procedures implemented by the Federation must be passed and agreed by both the Finance & Management and Executive Committees.

All affiliated Clubs must follow and adhere to all policies and procedures as implemented by the Federation.

13. Disciplinary

The Executive Committee shall have power to expel or suspend any Club, which

i. Fails to make payment of any monies indebted by that Club to the Federation.

ii. Contravenes the Rules of the Constitution.

iii. Contravenes the Policy & Procedures of the Federation

iv. By their deeds or actions bring into disrepute The Cheshire County Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs.

In the event of such action being taken against any Club, the offending Club(s) should be given an opportunity to repudiate or to offer defence of any accusations made.

In the event of disciplinary sanction being decided upon, such sanctions would not become enforced for 21 days.

Offending Clubs shall have right to appeal. Such appeal to be made in writing within 14 days of such decision. When such appeal is lodged such sanctions would be suspended until the appeal hearing is held.

14. Alterations to the Constitution

Any Resolution to amend or vary this Constitution should be notified in writing to the Secretary within 28 days of the Annual General Meeting, and should appear on the agenda of such meeting and circularised to all Clubs.

The assent of at least ¾ of those present and voting at the Annual General Meeting, or Extra-Ordinary General Meeting must be in favour of the resolution before any such amendment or variation can take effect and providing no amendment is made that would cause the Federation to cease to be a charity in law.

15. Property and assets of the Federation

The Property and Assets of the Cheshire County Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs shall be vested in the Trust of at least 3 and not more than 6 Trustees, who shall serve until retirement or for life. The statutory power for appointing Trustees shall be the Annual General Meeting or the Executive Committee if the number of serving Trustees shall fall below 3.

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