The East Anglian Garden Group Constitution

Title
The title of the society shall be The East Anglian Garden Group.

Objects

To make visits to gardens and places of interest to gardeners, and hold lectures on subjects of specific interest.

 Membership

  1. Anyone with a keen interest in plants and gardens.

  2. On payment of the annual subscription a member is entitled to all the privileges of membership and agrees to be bound by these rules.

  3. Any member may resign his or her membership by giving notice in writing to that effect to the Secretary.

Subscriptions

  1. An annual subscription shall be levied by the Committee to cover the cost of administration. The rate of such subscription shall be decided at the Annual General Meeting each year.

  2. All annual subscriptions are payable on the first Saturday in November in each year without demand.

  3. All fees paid must be made payable to The East Anglian Garden Group or EAGG.

  4. If a member fails to pay the subscription notice must be sent to the member calling attention to the failure to pay.

  5. If the member does not pay the amount within 14 days the Committee may terminate the person’s membership.

President

At the annual general meeting a president will be elected, being a person who has given outstanding service to the group. This is an honorary appointment, with no executive responsibilities.

Committee

  1. The management of the group is deputed to a committee for not more than six members who must be elected at the annual general meeting.

  2. In addition to the elected members, the treasurer, secretary, membership secretary and catering officer are ex officio members of the committee.

  3. The treasurer, secretary, membership secretary and catering officer must be elected by the committee to hold office until death or resignation unless removed from office by a resolution of the committee.

  4. Any member may propose a candidate in writing to the secretary at least thirty days before the annual general meeting.

  5. The committee may co-opt a member of the Group to occupy any temporary vacancy on the committee until the next Annual General Meeting.

  6. The committee must meet at least once every six months to examine the accounts and arrange the affairs of the group.

  7. Six members of the committee form a quorum.

  8. Minutes of all the proceedings of the committee must be taken and must be open to inspection by any member of the group on application to the secretary.

  9. The officers and members of the committee are indemnified against risk and expense out of the group property.

  10. The committee may call an extraordinary general meeting at any time for a specific purpose.

Annual General Meeting

  1. The annual general meeting must be held in February in each year on a date to be fixed by the committee.

  2. It must receive from the committee a report, balance sheet and statement of accounts for the preceding financial year and an estimate of receipts and expenditure for the current financial year.

  3. Vacancies in the committee must be filled.

  4. It must decide on any resolution, which may be submitted to the meeting.

  5. Any member who desires to move a resolution at the annual general meeting must give thirty days notice to the secretary.

  6. It must consider any other business as may be determined by the committee.

Expulsion of Members

  1. If at any time the committee considers that the interests of the group require it, they must invite a member to withdraw from the group, by a letter specifying the calendar date by which the withdrawal should be made.

  2. If the member concerned does not withdraw, the committee must submit the question of the person’s expulsion to an extraordinary committee meeting to be held within four weeks after the date of the letter.

  3. The secretary must inform the member in writing of the time and place of the meeting in sufficient time to afford the member proper opportunity of offering an explanation.

  4. At the meeting the member must be allowed to offer an explanation of the member’s conduct, verbally or in writing. If two thirds of the committee members who are present, vote for the expulsion of that person, he or she will immediately cease to be a member of the group.

  5. On ceasing to be a member a person forfeits all right to claim upon the group and its property and funds.

Financial Year

The financial year of the group ends on 31 December and the accounts must be balanced at the day.

Interpretation of the rules

The committee is the sole authority for the interpretation of these rules and the regulations made from time to time.

The decision of the committee upon any question of interpretation, or upon any matter affecting the group and not provided for by these rules or regulations, is final and binding on the members.