1 TITLE: The Society shall be known as "CHELMSFORD CAMERA CLUB".
2 OBJECT: The object of the Club shall be the practice and encouragement of the art and science of photography in all its branches.
3 MEMBERSHIP: The Club shall consist of Members, Family Members, Overseas Members, Junior Members and Honorary Members. All members, except Junior Members, shall be entitled to vote at a General Meeting.
4 SUBSCRIPTION: The subscription shall be payable annually in advance. The amounts for Members, Family Members, Overseas Members, Senior Citizens, Unemployed and Junior/Student Members shall be as decided at each Annual General Meeting of Members.
5 JUNIORS & STUDENTS: Membership of the Club is not open to children under the age of 14years. Young people between the ages of 14 and 18 years are welcome to join as Junior Members , with the proviso that written authority is obtained from a parent or legal guardian and those under 16 must be accompanied by a responsible person. Student Members are those aged between 18 years and 21 years and still in full-time education. Student members are entitled to all member benefits, including voting rights.
6 FAMILY MEMBERSHIP: Family Members shall be husband and wife, and children qualifying as Junior Members. The husband and wife shall individually be entitled to all the rights of Members, and their children entitled to the rights of Junior Members.
7 HONORARY MEMBERS: Honorary Membership may be granted at the discretion of the Committee, to any person in recognition of services rendered to the Club.
8 TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP: Membership of the Club will cease by default in subscription as already defined, prejudicial conduct, resignation or any cause deemed good and sufficient by the Committee.
9 MANAGEMENT: The business of the Club shall be managed by a President and a Committee consisting of the Officers (Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Programme Secretary, Print Competition Secretary, Projected Image Competition Secretary, External Competitions Secretary and Exhibition & Publicity Officer) and such other Members as shall be required to bring the Committee to thirteen in number. The President, Officers and Members of the Committee shall retire annually, but shall be eligible for re-election at the Annual General Meeting. An Auditor, or Auditors, for the Club Accounts shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting. The Committee shall be empowered to fill any casual vacancy in their number, but the person or persons so appointed shall hold office only until the next following Annual General Meeting and shall then be eligible for re-election. The Committee shall have power to co-opt any Members for special duties or because of personal qualifications.
10 COMMITTEE: The Committee shall be empowered to make such bye-laws, not inconsistent with these Rules, as may from time to time be deemed necessary, and shall have power to appoint any Sub-committee requisite for the conducting of its business. The Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer shall, ex officio, be Members of all Sub-committees. For all Committee meetings, FIVE Members shall form a quorum.
11 SELECTION COMMITTEE: The Committee shall consist of the External Competitions Secretary and FIVE Members appointed by the Club Committee to serve for a period of one year and reappointed by the Committee.
12 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: The financial year of the Club shall close on the 31st March and the Annual General Meeting of Members shall be held within two calendar months thereafter, when reports of the year's work, together with the financial statement, duly audited, shall be presented.
13 SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING (SGM): If at least 6 members of the club have a serious point or complaint that they wish to be considered by the committee, then they will ask the secretary for a Special General Meeting to discuss these issues. The meeting will be chaired by the current chairman.
14 EXTRA ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING (EGM): If the chairman and committee wish to propose a change to the constitution or the way the club is managed, then the chairman will arrange for an Extra Ordinary General Meeting to discuss the proposals with the members. The meeting will be chaired by the current president.
15 VOTING: At any Committee or General Meeting, in the event of an equality in voting on any matter other than an alteration to the Constitution and Rules, the Chairman of the meeting shall have a second, or casting, vote.
16 DISSOLUTION: The Club may be dissolved by the members at an Extra Ordinary General Meeting held after at least four weeks notice and the resolution shall only be deemed passed if more than three quarters of the votes cast are in favour. In the event of dissolution of the club, subject to there being no debtors or creditors for settlement which would ordinarily be organised paid and collected as a priority, any residual funds in either current account or savings accounts, plus the funds from any saleable assets, once realised, will be distributed equally between two charities, the British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK. Any residual equipment will be offered to other local camera clubs.
17 ALTERATIONS: This Constitution and Rules shall not be altered nor added to except by votes of a majority of one quarter of those Members present at an Annual or Special General Meeting, due notice of which must have been given to all Members. Written notice of any alterations or additions proposed by a Member, supported by SIX other Members, must be given to the Secretary at least four weeks previous to the meeting and placed by the Secretary on the agenda of the notice convening that meeting.
18 INTERPRETATION: The Committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of these Rules and the decision of the Committee upon any matter affecting the Club and not provided for by these Rules shall be final and binding upon Members.
Date of last amendment: 25th May 2023