Leicestershire  Repeater  Group

CONSTITUTION

(total revision 2006, amended May 2009)

  1. NAME           
    The name of the organisation shall be the Leicestershire Repeater Group, hereinafter referred to as the Group.
  1. AIMS
    The aims of the Group shall be to promote the interests of Amateur Radio and in particular to fund, design, build and maintain the electronic apparatus known as Repeaters, Beacons and such kindred devices as is deemed to be beneficial to the advancement of Amateur Radio in general.

  2. MEMBERSHIP

Membership of the Group shall be open to any individual interested in Amateur Radio.

a) Ordinary membership shall be granted to any individual upon payment of a subscription, subject to the approval of the committee. Annual renewals shall also be at the approval of the committee.  The amount of the subscription shall be decided by the committee.

Membership subscriptions shall be due annually on the 1st day of the month of the anniversary of joining the Group. If a member’s subscription is more than two months overdue his/her membership shall lapse.

b) Honorary Life membership may be granted to individuals by agreement of an AGM

c) The committee may waive an individual member’s subscription, for a set period of time, at their discretion 

d) A reduction of 25% in the current rate of subscription for membership is available to qualifying individuals on application.

Family Membership – Each immediate family member after the first paying member will qualify for the reduction.
Full time students, Disabled persons, registered unemployed and individuals of State pensionable age also qualify for membership subscription reduction.                      
Special Note  Individuals can qualify for one reduction in subscription only. Other concessions are at the discretion of the Group Committee, which is the final arbiter in all matters of qualification.

e) All members shall abide by the constitution of the Group. The committee shall have the power to expel any member whose conduct, in the opinion of the majority of the full committee, renders that person unfit to be a member of the Group, or who brings the Group into disrepute. No member shall be expelled without first having been given an opportunity to appear before the committee.

  1. AFFILIATIONS
    The Group shall be affiliated to the Radio Society of Great Britain, said society being authorised to act on its behalf in negotiations with OFCOM
  1. COMMITTEE
    The day to day running of the Group shall be carried out by a committee, which is elected and managed according to the following rules:

5.1 A committee consisting of the following members shall be elected at each AGM

a) Chairman

b) Secretary

c) Treasurer

d) Engineering Manager  

e) Site Manager

f)   Three ordinary members  

No member may be elected to continuously hold the same position as officer for more than 3 years in succession. That member may be elected to the same position after a break of one year. Officer means Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Engineering Manager and Site Manager. In the event that no volunteer comes forward to fill any of these posts, then the existing post-holder, if willing, may stand for another year subject to the usual electoral process

5.2 An elected committee shall have the power to co-opt members for any purpose. Such members shall have full voting rights if approved by the committee.

5.3 Committee meetings shall be held monthly.  All committee members shall be given 7 days notice of such meetings wherever possible. The quorum for the committee shall be 5. In the absence of a quorum business can be dealt with but any decisions taken only become valid after ratification at the next committee meeting at which a quorum exists. Where necessary the Chairman of the meeting shall have a second and casting vote.

  1. MINUTES OF MEETINGS

    6.1 Minutes of all General and Committee meetings shall be taken and produced within 21 days of the meeting. A copy of any such minutes, once approved by the committee, shall be supplied promptly, and in a typed form, to any member upon request provided that the request is accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope. Requests for minutes shall be sent to the Secretary. 

    6.2 In the event that it has been impossible to elect or co-opt a secretary for whatsoever reason then section 6.1 above shall not apply.
  1. EXPENDITURE

    7.1 All expenditure shall be at the discretion of the committee

    7.2 When making purchases for whatever reason, efforts should be made to secure the lowest prices and receipts for goods and services should be retained.

    7.3 Any committee member with a vested interest in any payment put before the committee shall declare his/her interest and shall take no further part in the approval process. Any committee member with such a vested interest in a payment may not be a signatory to any cheque, drawn on the groups account, relating to such a payment
  1. ACCOUNTS 

    An approved set of accounts shall be given out to members at the AGM.  All monies received by the Group shall be promptly deposited in the Group’s bank account. The bank accounts shall be maintained in the name of the Group and two authorised officials shall sign all withdrawals and payment instructions, one of whom will normally be the Treasurer. 
  1. LEGAL ADVICE

    Legal advice shall be taken with regard to the insurance of and of the law applicable to the Group as and when required.

  2. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETINGS

10.1 An EGM may be called by the committee, or any 10 members.

Said meeting shall be arranged for a date within 28 days of the request being received by the committee.

10.2 Notice of any EGM shall be sent to all members by 1st class mail, or electronically, at least 14 days in advance of the meeting. Such notice shall contain the following:

a) Date and venue of the meeting.

b) Method and if not called solely by the committee, names and callsigns of members who have called the meeting.

c) Reason(s) for which the meeting has been called.

d) A brief agenda for the meeting.

e) No other business may be transacted at the EGM

  1. CONSTITUTION

    The constitution may only be amended by agreement of a General Meeting. Notice for said meeting shall be 28 days given to all paid up members. Said notice to state amendment(s) being proposed. Provision shall be made for postal voting. Scrutineer(s) shall be appointed by a vote of the members attending to count the votes cast and to decide on the admissibility of any postal votes. The scrutineer(s) decision(s) shall be final and binding.
  1. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

    An AGM shall be held each year in the month of May. All members shall be given 28 days notice of said meeting by post or electronically. Postal voting is not allowed except for matters relating to amendments to the constitution. Proxy voting is not allowed.   

  2. EQUIPMENT

    The Chairman, in conjunction with the Engineering Manager and the NoV holders shall maintain a list of all MAJOR equipment. Said list shall be updated whenever the status of a piece of equipment changes. Each entry shall relate to a specific item or group of items and shall contain the following detail:


13.1

a) Date of entry.
b) Brief description of item.
c) Comment/reason for entry i.e. acquired, sold, discovered by way of inventory, change of location
d) Make, Model and serial number where appropriate                                  
e) Location where item is held
f) Signature of person making entry

13.2 Said list shall be made available for inspection by members at any General Meeting.

13.3 In order that the equipment list be kept up to date an inventory of equipment shall be carried out at least every six months.

13.4 Generally, all equipment in use by the Group shall be the property of the Group, either purchased or donated . Items on short or long term loan, the property of individual members, or others, shall be accurately minuted and a written and signed statement as to ownership shall be maintained by the Secretary. All such statements to be signed by the Secretary and the beneficial owner and a copy shall be held by all parties involved.

14. WINDING UP OF THE GROUP


14.1 The decision to wind up the Group may only be taken at an EGM called specifically for that purpose, and that purpose only.   

14.2 The winding up decision may only be ratified by a simple majority of the members attending that final EGM. Postal and proxy voting is not allowed. 

14.3 The funds and assets of the Group shall, after discharge of all liabilities, be disposed of as directed at that final EGM to a society or charity with similar interests.

  1. GENERAL MEETINGS

At all types of properly convened General Meetings decisions shall be by a simple majority of the members attending. At all such meetings the Chairman of that meeting shall have a second and casting vote.

15.1 Only fully paid up members, having been members of the group for a minimum of three months may attend and vote at General Meetings.   

 

Abbreviations used in this document
 The Group:     Leicestershire Repeater Group
 AGM:             Annual General Meeting
 EGM:      Extraordinary General Meeting   
 Member:     Ordinary, Life or Committee

Total revision: May 2006, amended May 2009.