Constitution

The Constitution of Exeter Yaroslavl Twinning Association

1) NAME of the organisation shall be the Exeter - Yaroslavl Twinning Association.

2) AIMS of the Association, which is non-party, non-discriminatory and pro-equality, are for the furtherance of mutual understanding and good relations between Britain and the Russian Federation through the link established between Exeter and Yaroslavl, to promote contacts between citizens and organisations of Exeter and Yaroslavl in consultation with the appropriate authorities.

3) MEMBERSHIP of the Association shall be open to all who accept the aims of the Association and agree to abide by its rules, and shall comprise:

a) FULL MEMBERS, paying an annual membership fee.

b) HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS. Membership conferred by the Committee on individuals who, in its opinion, have rendered conspicuous service to the association.

c) AFFILIATED ORGANISATIONS. Organisations whose written applications have been accepted by the Committee. Annual membership fee must not be less than the minimum fee determined by the Committee.

d) FEES. Membership fees shall be reviewed annually by the Committee and approved by the AGM. The Annual General Meeting will take place in October and Membership Fees will be due on 1 September of each year. The fee paid by any person or organisation joining in the period 1 July to 1 September shall provide membership until 31 August of the following year.

e) LAPSING. Any member or organisation nine months in arrears will be regarded as lapsed.

4) GOVERNMENT The affairs of the Association shall be regulated by a Committee which shall comprise Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and up to six ordinary members. The Committee shall be empowered to:

a) Appoint further officers, not necessarily from among the ordinary members;

b) Co-opt further members to assist the committee;

c) Appoint such sub-committees as may be necessary to expedite the work of the Association;

d) By a two-thirds majority vote, suspend or expel any member, who in its opinion is not acting in accordance with the aims and policy of the Association, or is seeking actively to undermine the work of the Association.

e)A Committee quorum shall consist of four members. The committee shall meet at least once every two months.

f)No committee member should participate in decisions concerning matters in which they have a financial or business interest. Any previous or forthcoming such business interests must be declared.

5) GENERAL MEETING

A General Meeting shall, ordinarily, be convened annually by the Committee on its own decision, or may be convened on request by at least one-third of the members, or in an emergency at any time by the Officers of the Association on their own decision. A minimum of one calendar month’s notice in writing shall be given to the members of the Association before convening a General Meeting, except in an emergency.

a) PARTICIPATION. The General Meeting shall be open to:

i) All paid-up members;

ii) Honorary Life Members;

iii) One delegate from each affiliated organisation;

iv) Representatives from organisations which in the opinion of the Committee support the aims of the Association;

v) Guest speakers and other persons invited by the Committee.

b) VOTING. Persons in categories 5(a)(i), (ii) and (iii) are entitled to vote. All other persons are not entitled to vote.

c) WORK. The General Meeting shall:

i) Formulate the main policies of the Association to be implemented by the Committee;

ii) Approve any amendments to the Constitution of the Association;

iii) Elect the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and ordinary members of the Committee. Officers and other Members of the existing Committee may offer themselves for re-election to the same position or for election to a different position on the Committee; additional nominations shall be submitted to the Secretary no later than two weeks before the date of the General Meeting;

iv) Appoint Independent Financial Examiners who shall not be members of the Committee.

d) MOTIONS may be submitted to the Committee and must be received no later than two weeks before the date of a General Meeting.

e) AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION. Motions to amend the Constitution may be submitted, and if accepted by a simple majority vote at the General Meeting must then be presented in writing to the entire membership, requiring a two-thirds majority of votes cast by post or by e-mail for acceptance.

6) FUNDS AND ACCOUNTS Exeter – Yaroslavl Twinning Association shall be a non-profit making organisation and its funds shall be used solely to further the aims of the Association. The Association’s accounts shall be independently financially examined annually. A financial report shall be made and the independently financially examined accounts presented to the General Meeting. Members of the Association shall not receive direct or indirect payment for their services, other than legitimate expenses incurred on behalf of the Association. In the event of dissolution of the Association, the funds of the Association shall be devoted to objectives similar to those of the Association. In no circumstances can such funds be distributed among the members.

7) DISSOLUTION

The Association shall be dissolved at a Special General Meeting by resolution of the persons present and entitled to vote. Members must receive not less than one calendar month’s notice of the convening of such a meeting.

Version approved by members at AGM 15 October and officially adopted after confirmatory vote from 1 December 2020