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PART 1.
NAME:
The name of the group shall be known
as the Casino & District Family
History Group Inc. hereafter called
the Group.
AIMS &
OBJECTIVES OF THE GROUP
a)
To assist members in their family
history research.
b)
To assist non
members in their family history
research, within the facilities
provided by the Group, at rates to
be determined by the management
committee from time to time.
c)
To provide a
local genealogical source centre for
the housing of accumulated aids to
research.
d)
To hold regular
meetings to foster friendships and
exchange knowledge and expertise in
research techniques.
e)
To arrange
speakers, displays etc for the
benefit of members and the general
public.
f)
To welcome new
members and keep all members
informed on group activities.
g)
To publicise the
existence of the group and its
resources to the general public to
encourage the study of Family
History and new membership.
h)
To publish a
newsletter at regular intervals and
other literature as required to
provide information to members and
other people.
i)
To affiliate or
enter into friendly co-operation
with other groups having objectives
similar to those of this group.
j)
To enter into
arrangements with any authority,
Government or otherwise, which may
seem conducive to the aims and
objectives of this group, and to
obtain from any such authority,
assistance, privileges or
concessions which the group may
think desirable, and to carry out
and comply with any such assistance,
privileges and concessions.
k)
To enter into any
fund raising venture with the view
of generating income for the
furtherance of the groups
objectives, providing such venture
shall have approval of a majority of
financial members at any ordinary
general meeting.
PART 2.
MEMBERSHIP
1. The
membership
of the Group shall consist of:
a)
Ordinary members
(single, family, aged pensioners,
self funded retirees). Family
membership includes two persons in a
family unit at one address.
b)
Life Members-
Life membership may be given to a
person for their outstanding
contribution to the Group, upon
recommendation of the management
committee submitted to a General
Meeting and ratified by a vote
of 75% of the members eligible to
vote and in attendance at the
General Meeting and presented at an
appropriate time.
c)
Honorary Members.
Honorary membership may be bestowed
upon a person for a specified period
of time for their contribution to
the Group, as determined by the
Management Committee.
2.
A person becomes
a member of the Group upon payment
of the required fees.
3. Members will
abide by the Constitution and By
Laws of the Group.
4. Cessation
of Membership –
A person ceases to be a member of
the Group if the person:
a)
dies or
b)
resigns
membership
c)
is expelled from
the Group
5. Membership
entitlements
are not
transferable.
6. Register of
Members
a)
A register of
members of the Group shall be
maintained, specifying the name and
address of each person who is a
member of the Group, together with
the date on which that person became
a member.
b)
The register must
be kept in NSW and will be available
for inspection by any member of the
Group at any reasonable hour.
c)
Membership shall
be recorded numerically and all
members will receive a receipt and a
membership card, with the renewal of
their number from year to year,
following payment of their annual
fee.
6. Fees
a)
An annual fee
shall be payable by an ordinary
member.
b)
The fee shall be
determined by the Management
Committee and shall be presented for
approval at the September General
Meeting of the membership year.
c)
The membership
year shall be from 1st
January to 31st December
in each year.
7. Members
Liabilities
The liability of
a member of the Group to contribute
towards payment of debts and
liabilities of the Group, or the
costs, charges and expenses of
winding up the Group is limited to
the amount, if any, unpaid by a
member in respect of membership fees
of the Group, as required by rule 5.
8.
Resolution of
disputes
a)
A dispute between
a member and another member (in
their capacity as members) of the
group, or a dispute between a member
and members and the Group, are to be
referred to a community justice
centre for mediation under the
Community Justice Centres Act 1983
b)
If a dispute is
not resolved by mediation within 3
months of the referral to a
community justice centre, the
dispute is to be referred to
arbitration.
c)
The Commercial
Arbitration Act 1984 applies to any
such dispute referred to
arbitration.
9.
Disciplining of Members
a) A complaint
may be made to the committee by any
person that a member of the group:
i)
has refused or
neglected to comply with a provision
or provisions of this constitution,
or
ii)
has wilfully
acted in a manner prejudicial to the
interests of the group.
b) The committee
may refuse to deal with a complaint
if it considers the complaint to be
trivial or vexatious in nature.
c) If the
committee decides to deal with the
complaint, the committee:
i) must
cause notice of the complaint to be
served on the member concerned, and
ii) must
give the member at least 14 days
from the time the notice is served
within which to make submissions to
the committee in connection with the
complaint, and
iii)
must take into
consideration any submissions made
by the member in connection with the
complaint.
d)
The committee
may, by resolution, expel the member
from the group or suspend the
member from membership of the group
if, after considering the complaint
and any submissions made in
connection with the complaint, it is
satisfied that the facts alleged in
the complaint have been proved and
the expulsion or suspension is
warranted in the circumstances.
e)
If the committee
expels or suspends a member, the
secretary must, within 7 days after
the action is taken, cause written
notice to be given to the member of
the action taken, of the reasons
given by the committee for having
taken that action and of the
member’s right of appeal under
clause 10
f)
The expulsion or
suspension does not take effect:
i)
until the
expiration of the period within
which the member is entitled to
appeal against the resolution
concerned, or
ii)
if within that
period the member exercises the
right of appeal, unless and until
the group confirms the resolution
under clause 10, whichever is the
later.
10. Right of
appeal of disciplined member
a) A member may
appeal to the group in general
meeting against a resolution to the
committee under clause 9, within 7
days after notice of the resolution
is served on the member, by lodging
with the secretary a notice to that
effect.
b) The notice
may, but need not, be accompanied by
a statement of the grounds on which
the member intends to rely for the
purposes of the appeal.
c) On receipt of
a notice from a member under
subclause (a), the secretary must
notify the committee which is to
convene a general meeting of the
group to be held within 28 days
after the date on which the
secretary received the notice.
d) At a general
meeting of the group convened under
subclause ( c):
i) no
business other than the question of
the appeal is to be transacted, and
ii) the
committee and the member must be
given the opportunity to state
their respective cases orally or
in writing, or both, and
iii)
the members
present are to vote by secret ballot
on the question of whether the
resolution should be confirmed or
revoked.
e) The appeal is
to determined by a simple majority
of votes cast by members of the
group.
PART 3. THE
COMMITTEE
1.
Powers of the
committee.
a)
The Management
Committee shall be called the
Committee.
b)
The Committee
shall control and manage the affairs
of the Group.
c)
The Committee may
exercise all such functions as may
be exercised by the Group, other
than those functions that are
required by this constitution to be
exercised by a general meeting of
members of the Group.
d)
Has power to
perform all such acts and do all
such things as appear to the
Committee to be necessary or
desirable for the proper management
of the affairs of the Group.
e)
The Committee has
the power to form sub-committees,
who shall be responsible to the
committee and to co-opt additional
members to serve on such committees
from time to time.
2.
Composition and
membership of committee
a)
The executive
committee shall consist of
President, Vice-President,
Correspondence Secretary, Minutes
Secretary and Treasurer.
b)
The Management
Committee shall consist of the
executive committee and a minimum of
four and a maximum of nine financial
members.
c)
A committee
member may hold up to two offices
(other than both the president and
vice-president offices).
d)
Each member of
the committee subject to these rules
shall hold office from the time of
their election until all positions
are declared vacant at the next
Annual General Meeting, but are
eligible for re-election.
3.
Election of
committee members
a)
The Committee
shall be elected at the Annual
General meeting and all positions
shall be honorary.
b)
Only financial
members are entitled to stand for
election to the committee, to vote
or to do roster.
c)
Nominations of
candidates for elections to the
committee shall be called for after
the positions have been declared
vacant at the Annual General
Meeting.
d)
If the number of
nominations received is equal to the
number of vacancies to be filled,
the person nominated shall be deemed
to be elected.
e)
If the number of
nominations exceeds the number of
vacancies to be filled, a ballot
shall be held.
f)
If insufficient
nominations are received, any
vacancies remaining on the committee
shall be deemed to be casual.
g)
Retiring officers
shall be eligible for re-election.
4.
Secretary
positions
The secretaries
of the Group must lodge his or her
address with the Group, as soon as
practicable after their election.
5.
Casual vacancies
a)
In the event of a
casual vacancy occurring in the
management committee, a member of
the Group may be appointed to fill
the vacancy until the next Annual
General Meeting.
b)
A casual vacancy
occurs if the member:
·
Dies
·
Ceases to be
member of the Group
·
Becomes insolvent
under administration.
·
Resigns office in
writing to the Secretary
·
Is removed from
office under clause 7
·
Becomes a
mentally incapacitated person
·
Is absent without
the consent of the committee from
three consecutive meetings.
6.
Removal of
committee members
a)
The group in
general meeting may by resolution
remove any member of the committee
from the office of member before the
expiration of the member’s term of
office and may by resolution appoint
another person to hold office until
the expiration of the term of office
of member so removed.
b)
If a member of
the committee to whom a proposed
resolution referred to in subclause
(a) relates makes representations in
writing to the secretary or
president (not exceeding a
reasonable length) and requests that
the representations be notified to
the members of the group, the
secretary or the president may send
a copy of the representations to
each member of the group or, if the
representations are not so sent, the
member is entitled to require that
the representations, be read out at
the meeting at which the resolution
is considered.
7.
Committee meeting
and quorum
a)
Meetings shall be
held at least four times a year
b)
Committee
meetings shall be held at a
convenient time and place as
required.
c)
A quorum
necessary for the transaction of
business of the Group at a
management meeting shall be five.
8.
Voting and
decisions
a)
Each member at
the meeting is entitled to one vote
except the chairperson who may
exercise a second or casting vote to
decide any issue with equality of
votes.
b)
Every motion
shall be put through the chair,
moved and seconded.
PART 4
GENERAL MEETINGS
1.
Calling of and
holding of annual general meetings
-The
annual general meeting will be held
in March each year .
2.
Business at
annual general meetings:
a)
confirm the
minutes of the preceding annual
general meeting.
b)
Receive reports
from committee members on activities
of the Group during the preceding
financial year
c)
To elect the
executive and management committee.
d)
To receive and
consider any financial statement
required to be submitted to members
under the Act.
3. Notice of
annual general meeting
– an annual
general meeting must be specified as
such in the notice convening it.
4. General
meetings:
a)
There shall be at
least four general meetings of the
Group each year.
b) The quorum
necessary for the transaction of
business of the Group at a general
meeting shall be eight with at least
two executive.
c) No item of
business shall be transacted at a
general meeting unless a quorum of
members eligible to vote is present.
d) General
meeting notification will be placed
in the Group’s newsletter.
e)
A special meeting
may be called:
·
By the committee
at any time
·
On receipt by the
secretary of a written request
thereof signed by eight members
whose fees, if payable are not in
arrears and stating the reason for
which the meeting is required.
·
The secretary
must, at least 14 days before the
date fixed for the holding of the
special meeting, give a notice to
each member specifying the place,
date and time of the meeting and the
nature of the business proposed.
·
The notice maybe
delivered to the members personally,
posted or by electronic transmission
to an address specified by the
member for such notices.
f)
Upon any question
arising at a general meeting of the
Group, a member has one vote only
and where there is equal votes, the
chairperson has a casting vote.
g)
All votes shall
be given personally, proxy votes are
not permitted.
h)
Postal ballots
are not to be conducted by the
Group.
i)
Visitors and
guests may take part in discussions
of group matters but may not vote.
PART 5
MISCELLANEOUS
1.
Insurance
– The Group shall
effect and maintain insurance.
2.
Sources of funds:
a)
The funds of the
Group shall be derived from annual
subscriptions, donations and subject
to any resolution passed by the
Group in general meeting, such other
sources as the committee determines.
b)
The committee
shall choose the financial
institution to be used by the Group.
c)
All money
received by the Group shall be
deposited as soon as practicable to
the credit of the Groups bank
account.
3.
Management of
funds:
a)
Subject to any
resolution passed by the Group in a
general meeting, the funds of the
Group are to be used in pursuance of
the objects of the group in such
manner as the committee determines.
b)
All cheques,
drafts, bills and other negotiable
instruments shall be signed by any
two members of the Group authorised
to do so.
4.
Property
a)
The Group shall
keep a register of all books,
software and hardware owned by the
group.
b)
Access to and
usage of the equipment shall be
determined from time to time by the
executive committee.
5.
Change of name,
objects and constitution
An application to
the Director –General for
registration of a change in the
Groups name, objects or constitution
in accordance with section 10 of the
Act is to be made by the public
officer or a committee member.
6.
Custody and
inspection of the books.
a)
except as
otherwise provided by these rules,
custody and control of the various
books, records and other documents
relating to each of the executive
positions, shall be vested in the
person occupying such position,
during their tenure.
b)
Except as
otherwise provided by this
constitution, the public officer
must keep in his or her custody or
under his or her control all
records, books and other documents
relating to the Group
c)
The records,
books and other documents of the
Group shall be open for inspection,
free of charge by any member of the
Group at any reasonable hour.
7.
Dissolution of
the Group
a)
the Group shall
be deemed to be defunct if the
membership of the Group falls below
eight or if a special meeting called
for the purpose decides by a
majority of 75% to dissolve it.
b)
If upon winding
up or dissolution of the Group there
remains after satisfaction of all
debts and liabilities any property
whatsoever, the same shall not be
paid to or distributed amongst the
members of the Group but shall be
given or transferred to some other
Group having objects similar to
those of this Group and which shall
prohibit the distribution of its or
their income and property amongst
its or their members and which is a
authority or Institution approved by
the Commissioner of Taxation as a
authority or institution referred to
in Division 30 of the Income Tax
Assessment Act, 1997.
c)
In furtherance of
the objects of the Group to
amalgamate with any one or more
incorporated organisations having
objects similar to those of the
Group and which shall prohibit the
distribution of its or their income
and property amongst its or their
members to an extent at least as
great as that imposed upon this
Group and which is a fund, authority
or institution approved by the
Commissioner of Taxation as a fun,
authority or institution referred
to in Division 30 of the Income Tax
Assessment Act, 1997.
8.
Financial Year.
The financial
year for the Group will be from 1st
January to 31st December. |
