Littletown Residents Association
CONSTITUTION

1. Name
The name of the group is Littletown Resident’s Association.

2. Area
The area covered by the group is identified on the attached map.

3. Aims
The aims of the group are to:

• Be non party political
• Represent the majority view of members
• Provide regular information to all members
• Regularly consult all members
• Promote membership to all eligible to join
• Monitor itself, it’s work, finances and membership
• Build partnerships and improve community relations between Landlord(s), the council, other local agencies and members
• Improve housing and other services in the area
• Promote equal opportunities within the community
• Provide and promote training for members on areas of the group’s activity and concern
  

4. Equal Opportunities
The group shall uphold equal opportunities and work for good relations among all members of the community, specifically prohibiting any conduct which discriminates or harasses on the grounds of race, gender, age, sexuality, disability and religion.

5. Membership
Membership of the group is open to all residents, over the age of 16, living within the defined area who accepts the rules of the Association. Such members shall be called Full members.
All Full members shall have one vote at general meetings of the Association.
Junior membership is open to all young people below the age of 18 who accept the rules of membership as laid down from time to time by the Committee. Junior members shall not have the right to vote at general meetings of the Association.
Membership must be publicised to all members.
The Secretary will maintain a register of all members.
The members present at a meeting which discusses the termination of a member of the Committee may unanimously and for good reason agree to terminate the membership of that member: provided that the member concerned shall have the right to appeal in person to the Committee, accompanied by a friend, before a final decision is made.

6. Honorary Officers of the Committee
At the Annual General Meeting Full members shall elect from amongst themselves a Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer and such other Officers as the Association shall from time to time decide.

7. The Committee
Any Full member shall be entitled to stand for election to the Committee.
Not less than 6 nor more than 20 committee members (including the Honorary Officers) elected by and from the Full members shall hold office from the conclusion of the AGM.
The Committee may in addition co-opt up to 2 additional members: provided that at any time not more than one third of the members of the Committee shall be co-opted members.
All members of the Committee shall retire from office together at the end of the Annual General Meeting next after the date on which they came into office but they may be re-elected.
A member of the Committee shall cease to hold office if he or she:

1. is absent without the permission of the Committee from 3 or more consecutive meetings and the Committee agrees that his or her office should be declared vacant; or
2. Notifies the Committee a wish to resign: provided that at least three members of the Committee will remain in office when the notice of resignation is to take effect.

All Committee members shall be given not less than 7 days notice of each committee meeting.
The Committee shall monitor all aspects of the work and finances of the Association.

8. Meetings and proceedings of the Committee
The Committee shall hold at least 10 ordinary meetings each year.
The Chair of the Association shall act as chair at meetings of the Committee. If the Chair is absent from any meeting the Vice Chair will chair the meeting. If neither person is present the members of the Committee present shall choose one of their number to be Chair of the meeting before any other business is dealt with.
There shall be a quorum when at least one third of the number of members of the Committee or seven members, whichever is the greater, are present at a meeting of the Committee.
Every matter shall be decided by a majority of votes of the members of the Committee present and voting on any matter but in the case of an equality of votes the Chair of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.
The Committee may appoint one or more sub-committees for the supervision of any activity which the Committee feels would be more conveniently undertaken by a sub-committee. Any sub-committee appointed shall promptly report its proceedings to the Committee.
The Committee shall keep minutes, in books kept for the purpose, of the proceedings at meetings of the Committee and any sub-committee.
The Committee may from time to time make and alter rules for the Association and the conduct of its business, the summoning and conduct of its meetings and the custody of its documents. No rule shall be made which conflicts with this constitution.

9. Special meetings of the Committee
A special meeting of the Committee may be called at any time by the Secretary or by three members of the Committee. Not less than four days’ notice shall be given to the other members of the Committee of the matters to be discussed but if the matters include an appointment of a co-opted member then not less than twenty-one days’ notice, in writing, shall be given.

1O. Annual General Meeting
There shall be an Annual General Meeting of the Association which shall be held in the month of September each year or within three months if that is not possible.
The Committee shall convene every Annual General Meeting and the Secretary shall give at least twenty-one days’ notice to all members.
If the Chair or Vice Chair of the Association are not present at the Annual General Meeting the persons present shall appoint a chair of the meeting before any business is dealt with.
The Committee shall present to each Annual General Meeting the annual report of the Association and the statement of accounts for the preceding financial year.
Nominations for election to the Committee must be made, in writing, by full members of the Association and must be in the hands of the Secretary 14 days before the Annual General Meeting commences. Election shall be by ballot and only where nominations are not submitted for the positions of Officers or membership of the Committee will nominations be taken from the floor of the meeting.

11. Special general meetings of members
The Committee may call a special general meeting of members at any time, If at least members request such a meeting, in writing stating the business to be considered, the Secretary shall call such a meeting. The notice must state the business to be discussed and at least 21 days notice must be given.

12. Procedure for General Meetings
The secretary shall keep a full record of proceedings at every General
Meeting of the association.
There shall be a quorum when at least one tenth of the number of members or seven members of the Association, whichever is greater, are present at any general meeting.

13. Finance
The Treasurer shall open a cheque book bank or building society account in the name of the Association. The Treasurer will keep records of the Association’s income and expenditure. The Treasurer shall report the balance in the account to the Committee at every committee meeting.
The Committee shall appoint its Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer as authorised signatories for any cheques, and cheques shall be signed by at least 2 of the authorised signatories.
The signatories should be from different households and not related to one another.
The Association’s accounts shall be kept up to date and accounts for each year shall be independently examined and presented to the AGM.
As a condition of the registration scheme, the Association shall allow the City Council to inspect their accounts and other financial records as and when necessary.

14. Alterations to the constitution
The Constitution may be altered by a resolution passed by not less than two thirds of the members present and voting at a general meeting (Annual or Special). The notice of the meeting must be sent out to all members 21 days before the meeting and set out the details of the proposed alterations.

15. Dissolution
Following a decision made by the Committee, the Association may only be dissolved at a Special Meeting called for that purpose and must be advertised 21 days before the meeting.
All Full members shall be invited to the meeting and details of the resolution must be included in the notice of the meeting.
If the proposal is confirmed by a two-thirds majority of those present and entitled to vote the Committee shall have the power to realise any assets held by the Association.
Any assets (financially or otherwise) remaining after the payment of all debts and liabilities shall be given or transferred to another organisation which has aims similar to those of the Association as the members of the Association present at the meeting shall decide.

16. Arrangements until the first Annual General Meeting

This constitution was proposed as the constitution of the Littletown Residents’ Association for adoption at their next public meeting.

The following people were elected as members of the interim Committee to serve until the first Annual General meeting.

Signed
…………………………………..                                        ………………………………………..
Chair of Meeting                                                             Secretary of Meeting

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Date of Meeting

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