Deanshanger Village Heritage Society

Constitution

Constitution

Revision January 2022 Version 2

CONSTITUTION

1. NAME
The Name of the Society is the DEANSHANGER VILLAGE HERITAGE SOCIETY (DVHS)

 

2. OBJECTS
The Society is a not-for-profit, voluntary organisation established for the benefit of the local community in the village of Deanshanger and its surrounds in the County of Northamptonshire, with the following purposes:

Aims of the Society:

  • • Provide an historic educational resource for the public
    • Create and preserve an archive of the history, social, architectural and environmental heritage of the village and surrounds
    • Record and preserve a library of villager’s memories of the past
    • Promote improvements and interest in the heritage of the village and its surrounds
    • Help to monitor planning development proposals in the village and its surrounds
    • Organise heritage and environmental projects in and around the village for the benefit of the community

In furtherance of these the Society through its Executive Committee will have the following powers:

  • To promote Deanshanger Village Heritage Society
  • To promote research into subjects directly connected with the objects of the Society and to make publicly accessible, where possible, the results of any such research.
  • To act as a co-ordinating or partner body with the local authorities, planning committees, and all other statutory authorities, voluntary organisations, charities and persons having similar aims to those of the Society.
  • To promote activities of a charitable nature.
  • To collect social history and information in relation to people, and any place, erection or building of historic interest in Deanshanger and its surrounds
  • To hold meetings, lectures and exhibitions.
  • To educate and to offer heritage advice and information.
  • To raise funds and to invite and receive contributions by way of subscription or donation.

 

3. MEMBERSHIP
Membership is open to all who are interested in actively furthering the purposes of the Society. No member shall have power to vote at any meeting of the Society if his or her subscription is in arrears.

Junior members must be aged less than 18 years at the time their subscription is due and not entitled to vote at any meeting of the Society.

Corporate members have a single vote and can appoint a representative to vote on its behalf at all meetings, and whose name must be declared to the Honorary Secretary prior to each meeting

 

4. SUBSCRIPTIONS
The Society’s subscription year runs from 1st January to 31st December.

The subscriptions are:
Adult members per year £1.00
Junior members per year £1.00
Corporate members per year £10.00

Rates will be determined by the Executive Committee and endorsed at the Annual General Meeting. Membership will lapse if the subscription is unpaid three months after it is due.

 

5. MEMBER MEETINGS

An Annual General Meeting will be held in March/April of each year to receive the Executive Committee’s report, checked accounts and to elect Officers and Members of the Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee will decide when ordinary meetings of the Society are to be held. Special General Meetings of the Society can be held at the written request of fifteen or more members whose subscriptions are fully paid-up.

A quorum for a Members Meeting of the Society will be constituted by 10 attending members

The Committee will give at least 7 days notice of Annual and Special General Meetings of the Society

 

6. OFFICERS & EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Nominations for the election of Officers will be announced at the Annual General Meeting. Nomination papers to be circulated 14 days prior to the AGM. A Seconder must support each proposed nomination and the consent of the nominee must have been obtained.

The election of Officers will be completed before the election of Executive Committee members at the Annual General Meeting

All nominees standing for election must declare any financial or professional conflict of interest likely to be of concern to the Society prior to election.

The Officers and members of the Executive Committee will normally be resident or work in Deanshanger

The Officers of the Society consist of:
Chair
Vice Chair
Honorary Secretary
Treasurer

The Executive Committee will consist of the Officers and up to five other members and has power to co-opt further members if necessary.

The Executive Committee is responsible for the management and administration of the Society.

The Executive Committee must meet at least six times a year at intervals of not more than two months. A quorum shall be a minimum of four.

 

7. TEAMS
The Executive Committee may constitute Teams that it considers necessary for the benefit of the Society’s work. The Executive Committee will appoint the Leader of each Team and the proceedings of each Team will report to and be confirmed by the Executive Committee. Members of the Executive Committee can be members of a Team.

 

8. DECLARATION OF INTEREST

It is the duty of every Member who is in anyway directly or indirectly interested financially or professionally in any item discussed at any Committee or Member meeting to declare such interest.

 

9. EXPENSES OF ADMINISTRATION AND APPLICATION OF FUNDS
The Executive Committee can, out of the funds of the Society, pay all proper expenses of administration and management of the Society. Remaining funds of the Society will be used by the Executive Committee to further the purposes of the Society.

 

10. INVESTMENT

All monies not required for immediate and everyday operations will be invested by the Executive Committee for the benefit of the Society.

 

11. AMENDMENTS

This Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority of members present at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting of the Society, provided that 14 days notice of the proposed amendment has been made accessible to all members.

 

12. WINDING UP

The Executive Committee may choose to dissolve the Society subject to a majority vote at an Annual General or Special General meeting. This is subject to all members being given 14 days notice of the intended dissolution.

In the event of the Society’s dissolution any remaining funds of the Society will be donated to a similar organization along with its Minutes, Archive and Record Books (called The DVHS Collection). The monies to be used to care for and preserve the DVHS collection

The aforementioned similar organization must be approved by at least 5 members of the Society at the time of dissolution.

______________________________________________________