Sandton Amateur Radio Club Constitution
1. Name
1.1. The Club shall be known as the SANDTON AMATEUR RADIO CLUB.
2. Aims and Objectives
The aims and objectives of the Club shall be:
2.1. To further the interests of its members in all aspects of amateur radio, electronics and related fields.
2.2. To provide an amateur radio communication service to the community when required.
2.3. To further the aims of the South African Radio League where these are compatible with the aims of the Club.
3. Membership
3.1. Membership shall be open, subject to the discretion of the Committee, to all persons interested in the aims and objectives of the Club. The forms of membership are:
3.1.1. Full Member, being an adult with an interest in amateur radio or related fields.
3.1.2. Family Member, being additional members of the immediate family of a Full Member who are ordinarily resident at the address of the Full Member.
3.1.3. Student Member, being a full-time student at a recognised educational institution.
3.2. All members shall abide by the Constitution of the Club. The Committee shall have the power to expel any member whose conduct, in the opinion of at least three-quarters of the full Committee, renders that person unfit to be a member of the Club. No member shall be expelled without first having been given an opportunity to appear before the Committee.
4. Subscriptions
4.1. The annual subscriptions for membership shall be set by the Committee.
4.2. All subscriptions shall be due and payable on presentation of a Membership Invoice.
4.3. The financial year shall run from 1 July until 30 June of the following year.
4.4. A member shall be deemed to have resigned from the Club if the membership renewal fee remains unpaid 60 days after presentation of the initial invoice. Members in arrears shall not have voting rights.
4.5. The Committee shall have the power to waive or reduce subscriptions for any member in special circumstances for a period not exceeding two years at a time.
5. Finance
5.1. All monies received shall be deposited promptly in the Club’s bank account. Withdrawals require the signature of the Treasurer or his nominated deputy. All expenses resulting in payment of Club funds will require the authority of the Chairman or Secretary.
5.2. No member of the Club may incur any debt on behalf of the Club beyond the funds available.
5.3. The accounts of the Club shall be open for inspection by any member at any Committee meeting.
6. Membership of the Club’s Committee
The Club’s affairs shall be administered by a Committee elected at the Annual General Meeting. The Committee in whom the Club’s property shall be vested shall consist of:
6.1. A Chairman who will preside at all meetings at which he is present. No member may hold this position for more than two consecutive years. He may be re-elected after a break of one year.
6.2. A Vice-Chairman who will act as Chairman in the absence of the Chairman.
6.3. A Secretary who will be responsible for:
6.3.1. Keeping minutes of all meetings of the Club.
6.3.2. Ensuring that all correspondence is correctly handled.
6.3.3. Maintaining an accurate list of all members.
6.3.4. Maintaining an assets register of Club property.
6.4. A Treasurer who will be responsible for:
6.4.1. Keeping the Club’s accounts.
6.4.2. Advising the Committee on all financial matters.
6.4.3. Preparing the accounts of the Club and presenting them at the Annual General Meeting.
6.5. Ordinary Committee Members.
6.6. There shall be no fewer than three Ordinary Committee members.
Additional members may be co-opted onto the Committee as required.
7. Proceedings of committee members
7.1. The quorum of the Committee shall be at least 60% of the number of committee members.
7.2. The committee may meet and adjourn as it thinks fit.
7.3. Questions arising at any meeting shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members present.
7.4. If at any meeting the chairman or vice chairman is not present within ten minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting, the members present may elect one of their number to be chairman of the meeting.
8. Annual General Meeting
8.1. The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held within 3 months of the start of any financial year.
8.2. At least 21 days’ notice must be sent by post or appropriate electronic medium or delivered to every member of the date, time and venue of the Annual General Meeting as agreed by the Committee.
8.3. The quorum for the AGM shall be 20% of voting members present in person or by Proxy.
8.4. The agenda for the meeting shall be as follows:
8.4.1. Notice of meeting.
8.4.2. Apologies for absence.
8.4.3. Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting.
8.4.4. Chairman’s report.
8.4.5. Secretary’s report.
8.4.6. Treasurer’s report.
8.4.7. Election of a new Committee.
8.4.8. Election of Chairman and Secretary.
8.4.9. General. The Secretary is to be advised in writing at least 7 days prior to the Annual General Meeting of any matter to be tabled under this heading.
9. Special General Meeting
9.1. A Special General Meeting may be called for a specific purpose by the Committee or ten Full Members at a reasonable date, time and venue.
9.2. The requirement to specify the time for the meeting will be met if it is stated that the meeting will start immediately after, or a specified period after, the end of another meeting or a function of the Club to be held on the same day as that on which the Special General Meeting is due to be held.
9.3. Notice of a Special General Meeting must be sent by post or appropriate electronic medium or delivered to each member at least fourteen days before the meeting and the agenda must be provided with such notice.
9.4. The quorum for a Special General Meeting shall be 20% of the members present in person or by proxy.
10. Adjournment
10.1. If within half an hour after the time appointed for an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting, if convened upon the requisition of members, shall be dissolved. In any other case it shall stand adjourned to a day not earlier than seven days and not later than twenty-one days after the date of the meeting and if at such adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within half an hour after the time appointed for the meeting, the members present in person or by proxy shall be a quorum.
10.2. Where a meeting has been adjourned, the Club shall, upon a date not later than three days after the adjournment, give written notice to each member of the Club stating -
10.2.1. the date, time and place to which the meeting has been adjourned;
10.2.2. the matter before the meeting when it was adjourned; and
10.2.3. the grounds for the adjournment
11. Amendments to the Constitution
11.1. The Constitution may only be amended at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose.
12. Winding up of the Club
12.1. The decision to wind up the Club may only be taken at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose.
12.2. The funds and any other assets of the Club shall, after the payment of all outstanding debts, be disposed of as directed by the members at the final Special General Meeting. The funds and assets may only be distributed to a club(s) and/or other legal association(s) of persons having aims and objectives similar to the aims and objectives of the Sandton Amateur Radio Club. Specifically no funds or assets may be distributed to any member(s) of the Club or any other individual person.