CONSTITUTION OF THE DEAL/ST - OMER TWINNING SOCIETY 1. TITLE 1.1 The name is the Deal/Saint - Omer Twinning Society. 2. AIMS The main aims of the Society shall be :- 2.1 To be responsible for and to promote all twinning activities between Deal and Saint - Omer. This responsibility having been originally delegated to the Society by the Borough of Deal on the reorganisation of Local Government in 1974 when Dover District Council was formed, and confirmed by Deal Town Council on its formation in 1996. 2.2 To liaise with Deal Town Council as and when required on matters relating to twinning between Deal and St. Omer. 2.3 To encourage members of the Society to participate in events organised for a better understanding of the French language and way of life, including cultural and social activities. 2.4 To encourage exchanges of people between Deal and Saint - Omer at all levels including Schools, Professions, Families, Youth and Sporting Organisations. 3. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION 3.1 The Management Committee shall comprise up to ten members, being a Chairman, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Secretary and up to seven members, all of whom will be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting of the Society. A Vice Chairman will be elected by the Management Committee. 3.2 A quorum for meetings of the Management Committee shall be five, of whom one must be a member of the Executive Committee. 3.3 Nominations for the Management Committee shall be invited from Members fourteen days before the Annual General Meeting. These nominations to be proposed and seconded and with the consent of the nominee. In the event of more than one nomination being received for the office of Chairman, Honorary Treasurer and Honorary Secretary, or more than seven nominations for members, a ballot shall be held. . 3.4 In the event of any officer or committee member(s) resigning or relinquishing office during the currency of a Society year, as specified in 3.10 below, the Committee shall have the power to appoint a successor for the remainder of that year. 3.5 The Executive Committee of the Society will be the Chairman, Honorary Treasurer and Honorary Secretary who will be responsible for undertaking those activities delegated to it by the Management Committee for the day to day running of the Society. 3.6 Deal Town Council will appoint two of its members to serve on the Management Committee, with the addition of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor as ex officio members. These members are additional to those described under Clause 3.1. 3.7 Voting rights on both the Management and Executive Committees will be by a show of hands, and the Chairman in all cases will have a casting vote in addition to his own. 3.8 The Chairman shall preside at every meeting of the Management and Executive Committees, or in his absence the Vice Chairman shall preside. If both the Chairman and Vice Chairman are absent, the members shall choose one of their number to act as Chairman for that meeting. 3.9 Not less than seven days notice shall be given for all meetings of the Society, with the exception of the Annual General Meeting which shall be not less than twenty eight days. 3.10 The financial year of the Society shall be from the first of March to the twenty-eighth (except leap years when it will be the twenty-ninth) of February. 3.11 The Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held in March as soon as practicable after the end of the financial year, at which the Honorary Treasurer will present copies of the Society’s accounts for the past year. 3.12 The Constitution of the Society may be altered, amended, varied or rescinded either in whole or in part at an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Society duly convened for that purpose, and of which twenty one days notice in writing has been given, provided that any such alteration, amendment, variation or rescission shall be approved by at least two thirds of the members present at the meeting, at which a quorum shall be not less than one third of the members entitled to attend and vote. 4. MEMBERSHIP AND SUBSCRIPTIONS 4.1 Any person shall be eligible for membership who satisfies the Management Committee of their suitability. 4.2 The annual subscription, due on the first of March each year, shall be any such amount deemed suitable and agreed at the Annual General Meeting following recommendation by the Honorary Treasurer to the Management Committee beforehand. 4.3 Membership shall cease if members are more than six months in arrears with subscriptions. 4.4 Any member of the Management Committee to whom powers have been delegated, shall be entitled to be indemnified out of the Society’s assets against all proceedings, claims, expenses and liabilities incurred by him or her by reason of any act authorised by the Constitution or authorised or ratified by the Society, provided that such indemnity shall not extend to the Management Committee member’s own negligence or wilful default, or to the settlement of any claim unless such settlement be authorised or ratified by resolution of the Management Committee. 5. ACCOUNTS 5.1 The Honorary Treasurer shall maintain such accounts as are necessary to ensure that the financial records of the society are accurately kept. 5.2 The Honorary Treasurer shall deposit all monies paid to the Society into a banking account specified by the Management Committee. 5.3 All cheques for payment on behalf of the Society shall be signed by any two of the following officers:- Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Vice Chairman. 5.4 An income and expenditure account for the period up to the end of the Society’s financial year shall be prepared by the Honorary Treasurer and verified by a Society member, or members, appointed by the membership at the Annual General Meeting. 6. DISSOLUTION AND DISTRIBUTIONOF ASSETS 6.1 The Society may be dissolved by a resolution passed by at least two thirds of the members present at the Special Meeting called for that purpose. Notice of the Special Meeting to be given to each member in writing at least twenty-one days prior to the meeting. Such meeting shall be called only on the requisition in writing of at least one third of the members of the Society. Representation of Deal Town Council must also be informed in writing of the Special meeting. 6.2 The basis on which the assets are to be distributed and the liabilities met, shall be determined at the Special Meeting at which the resolution determining on dissolution is passed, subject to the provisions of Clause 6.4. 6.3 The voting on the question of dissolution and for determining the basis on which the assets are to be distributed and the liabilities met, shall be by a show of hands only, and this shall be intimated by the Chairman at the meeting, provided always that if a poll is demanded by any member (before or on the declaration of the result of a show of hands) a poll shall forthwith be taken. 6.4 If upon winding up or dissolution of the Society there remain funds, after satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities, the same shall not be paid to, or distributed among members of the Society, but shall be given or transferred to some charitable institution or institutions approved by the Management Committee. Such institution, or institutions, shall be determined by the Management Committee before the time of the dissolution. APPENDIX DATA PROTECTION As a Private Members’ Club, the Society is exempt from registration under the terms of the Data Protection Act, but, to comply with the Act, the Society is required to inform Members that membership records consisting of name, address and membership status are held on computer. These records are for use within the Society only and will not be available to anyone who is not a Member of the Society. If any Member has any objection to his or her details being held on computer as stated, he or she should inform the Honorary Secretary in writing.