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Leicester Wyvern Probus Club Constitution (revised 2019)

1. TITLE

The name of the club is the Leicester Wyvern Probus Club.

2. AIM

To promote fellowship amongst retired professional and businessmen.

3.MEMBERSHIP

3.1 Membership is open to men who have retired from full-time employment in a profession or business.
3.2 An Applicant for membership shall be initially introduced by an existing member on at least one occasion as a guest at a luncheon and his application proposed by an existing member.
3.3 An application shall be in a form acceptable to the committee and shall be approved or rejected as the committee decides.
3.4 If the application is approved membership shall be confirmed in writing to the applicant and announced at the next lunchtime meeting.
3.5 Subject to the subsequent provisions relating to honorary remembers, the number of members shall be limited to fifty-five (55) unless otherwise approved at an annual general meeting or at a special general meeting.
3.6 If it sees special circumstances, the committee may permit an existing member to become an Honorary Member, for as long as it decides, provided that the number of Honorary Members shall be limited at any time to fifteen percent of subscribing members.

. 3.7 An Honorary Member shall be deemed a member for all purposes except that he shall not;-

count towards the membership limit of fifty-five,
be eligible to be an officer or committee member,
be required to pay an annual subscription.
be entitled to attend meetings unless he informs the secretary by 10am on the Monday prior to the meeting.
have voting rights entitling him to vote on any matter put before members.

If the committee decides (whether or not at the request of the honorary member) that an honorary member shall no longer be such, then, unless he resigns, he shall revert to ordinary membership, even if the normal membership limit is thereby exceeded.

4. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE

4.1 The officers shall be a president; the immediate past President; a vice president; secretary; the treasurer and a speaker secretary.

4.2 The committee shall comprise of the officers; and up to three other members, who the committee may nominate to be assistant to the secretary, treasurer and or speaker secretary.

4.3 The committee (except the immediate past President who is ex officio), and an auditor for the purposes of Rule seven, shall be elected annually at the general meeting.

4.4 The president and the immediate past President shall hold their respective offices for one year only and, normally, no other office maybe held for more than three consecutive years by the same member.

4.5 Committee meetings shall be held when called for by the president or secretary and a quorum at committee meetings shall be four except as specified in Rule 8.

4.6 The committee shall be responsible for the running of the club and to that end, and subject to these rules, may in particular deal with emergencies, uncertainties and omissions in such ways as it considers appropriate.

5. MEETINGS OTHER THAN COMMITTEE MEETINGS

5.1 An ordinary meeting shall be held once in every month, except December. A program of dates shall be intimated to members in advance, and any change notified at least 14 days in advance of the new date. Meetings shall usually take place in the last week of the month, except for the combined meeting with Leicester Probus Club when that club is the host. The March meeting shall be the annual general meeting.

5.2 The normal venue shall be the Leicestershire Golf Club, but may be changed by the committee if it considers it necessary or desirable to do so in the interests of the club.

5.3 Special general meetings (which may follow an ordinary monthly meeting) shall be held at the instance of the committee, or on the written request to the secretary by at least five members, and the secretary shall give all members at least fourteen days’ notice in writing of such meetings and the business to be dealt with.

5.4 A quorum at annual and special general meetings shall be twelve and, except as provided in Rule 10, voting shall be by simple majority (the chairman having a casting vote in case of equality) by a show of hands or such other means as the chairman may decide. However, voting shall be restricted to members present in person.

6. SUBSCRIPTIONS AND OTHER CHARGES

6.1 The club year shall run from 1st April until 31st March.

6.2 The annual subscription and joining fee shall be decided at the annual general meeting or at a special general meeting.

6.3 The annual subscription shall be due on the 1st of April each year and payable within two months.

6.4 Members joining after July shall pay the joining fee and half the annual subscription in their first year.

6.5 A member taking luncheon shall be responsible for paying the cost of his luncheon and of any guest invited by him. Any member absent, but who has not notified his absence to the secretary, preferably by email, by 10 am on Monday preceding the meeting shall similarly be responsible unless the committee at its sole discretion determine there really are extenuating circumstances.

7. ACCOUNTS

At each annual general meeting the committee shall present for acceptance accounts for the year ended on the previous 31st January, audited by the member elected for the purpose under rule 4.3 and agreed by the committee.

8. TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP

1.1 If a member: –

a. is more than two months in arrears with any payment due from him; or

b. is absent from six or more meetings in any period in one year; or

c. conducts himself within or outside the club in any way which, in the opinion of the committee Is, or maybe, detrimental to the club, the committee may terminate his membership but shall not do so without first giving him a reasonable opportunity to explain and comment in writing or aurally.

1.2 For the purposes of this Rule a quorum shall be six.

9. DISSOLUTION

9.1 Dissolution of the club may only occur following a resolution passed at an annual general meeting or special general meeting

9.2 Any surplus funds shall be paid to such charity, or charities, as the meeting so decides

10 ALTERATIONS AND ADDITIONS ETC. TO THE CONSTITUTION

10.1 No alterations of, nor additions, nor replacement of this constitution shall be made except by resolution carried by a majority of at least two-thirds of the members present (in person or by proxy) at an annual or special general meeting, notice of which meeting shall contain details of the proposed changes.

10.2 A member intending to attend such meeting by proxy shall give the secretary at least three days’ notice in writing stating the name of his proxy.

10.3 A member, ‘present by proxy’ only, shall not count towards the required quorum