NIPA: Norther Irealand Photographic Association

NIPA

Northern Ireland Photographic Association

Constitution

1

The Association shall be called, the NORTHERN IRELAND PHOTOGRAPHIC ASSOCIATION( hereinafter referred to as “the Association”).
2
 The Object of the Association is the advancement of photography in all its aspects.
3
 Membership  of  the Association shall be open to all  Photographic Societies  in Northern Ireland whose constitution is approved by the Council of the Association  and which have a minimum of fifteen members or a lesser number if so approved by the Council.
3a
 Affiliation to the Association shall be open to groups of two or more clubs. Such a group will be known as an Affiliated Group and will be entitled to use the wording, “Affiliated to the   Northern Ireland Photographic Association” on group stationery
3b

The following conditions must be fulfilled by an Affiliated Group:

            (a)   It must have a constitution approved by the Council of the Association. Such constitution must contain a dissolution clause.

            (b)   The group must maintain Public Liability Insurance at all times.

            (c)   The group must have a Child Protection Policy

            (d)   An Affiliation Fee must be paid to the Honorary Treasurer of the Association. The time payment is due and the penalty for late payment shall be as set out in Rule 30.  There will be no reduction for new groups.

            (e)   The Council may, at its sole discretion, suspend an Affiliated Group from affiliation.
                    Any suspended group will have the right of appeal to a General Meeting of the
                    Association. Such an appeal will succeed if the group gains a simple majority in
                    favour of ending such suspension.
4

The Association shall be managed by a Council consisting of the following Officers:-

The President
The Vice-President
The Immediate Past President
The Honorary Secretary
The Honorary Assistant Secretary
The Honorary Treasurer

together with:-

The Member from the Association on the Executive Committee of  the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain

One Council Member from each Member Society
Past Presidents, for a period of five consecutive years following their term as Immediate Past President.
Honorary Life Vice-Presidents
any co-opted member/s as stipulated in Rule 15(g).
5
 The Officers and Past-Presidents stipulated in Rule (4.) may not be appointed as Council Members by Member Societies.
6
 All  Past-Presidents  may  attend  and  speak  at  all  General Meetings of  the Association.
7
 At Council Meetings and General Meetings a quorum shall consist of seven Council Members which number must include at least five Council Members who have been  appointed to the Council by Member Societies.
8
 The President shall preside at all Meetings. In his absence the Vice-President shall preside.
If both are absent the Council Members present shall appoint a chairperson from their number.
9
 Each Council Member shall have one vote, except that the President shall also have a casting  vote.
10

Persons being proposed as Officers of the association shall be nominated in writing by the Secretary of a Member Society, or a Council Member, not less than thirty days before the date of the Annual General Meeting,  provided the nominee has given his / her prior consent.
The names of those so nominated shall be stated on the notice convening the Annual General Meeting
11
 Each Officer of the Association must be a bona-fide member of a Member Society, and is to be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting.
12
 At least twenty-one days notice of the venue, date and agenda of the Annual General Meeting shall be given to the secretary of each Member Society and to each Council Member.
13

The Association shall hold an Annual General Meeting between the twenty-first day of March and the twenty-first day of April of each year, at which Council Members plus two representatives from each Member Society should be present, to speak and to vote, and at which it shall:-

(a) Receive the Secretary’s Report,
(b) Receive the Honorary Treasurer’s Report, and adopt the accounts, if passed.
(c) Determine the subscription for the incoming year.
(d) Elect a President, which office may not be held for more than two consecutive years by any one person.
(e) Elect the other Officers stipulated in rule (4), with the exception of the Member from the Association on the Executive Committee of the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain.
(f) Nominate a Council Member for election to the Executive Committee of the PAGB at the PAGB Annual General Meeting to be held in the year following the Association’s Annual General Meeting.
(g) Appoint two auditors, who must have no involvement of any description in the Association’s financial business.
(h) Debate any motion on the agenda, and subsequently, any motion arising in the course of the meeting.
(i) Determine the Affiliation Fee for Affiliated Groups
(j) Attend to any other necessary business.
14
 If an Officer resigns, or cannot execute his duties, the Council shall have authority to co-opt an officer in his place
15

The Council shall have authority to:-

(a) Determine its own procedure.
(b) Make bye-laws.
(c) Appoint committees for special duties, with powers to be defined at the time of appointment. Members of such committees need neither be Council Members  nor members of Member Societies.
(d)  Elect societies to the Association or suspend societies from the Association. In the case of suspension notice must be given to the secretary of the Member Society concerned, which shall have the right of appeal to an Extraordinary General meeting  called for that purpose.
(e) Recommend to the Annual General Meeting the subscription payable to the Association by Member Societies for the succeeding year.
(f)  Invite any person to attend and speak at Council Meetings, for such period of time, and with such limitations, as may be determined by the Council.
(g)  Co-opt not more than two persons as Council Members for specified purposes.
(h) Admit or Suspend Affiliated Groups to or from affiliation
16
 The President, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Secretary, and Honorary Assistant Secretary shall have the right to attend all committee meetings.
17
 The Council shall meet as often as the affairs of the Association require, on dates fixed by a previous Council Meeting, or on dates fixed by the Honorary Secretary in consultation with the President.
18
 The Honorary Secretary shall give at least seven days notice, in writing, of all  Council Meetings, to Council Members and the secretaries of Member Societies.  The notice shall include the agenda for the meeting.
19

Each Council Member from a  Member Society, as stated in Rule 4 ,shall be appointed by the Member society of which he is a member but subsequently exercise his/her personal judgment in respect of all Council business

He/she shall :-

(a) Attend all meetings as notified by the Honorary Secretary.
(b) Ensure that a deputy attends the Council in his / her absence. In the case of a Member Society situated more than fifty miles from the venue of the meeting the Member Society concerned may authorise the Honorary Secretary to vote on its behalf , but must so inform the Honorary Secretary, in writing, and state the  specific business on the agenda on which he / she may vote.
(c) Ensure that his Member Society is fully informed of all business transacted by the Council.
20
 If a Member Society wishes to have a motion put on the agenda for a Council Meeting the Honorary Secretary of such Member Society must so inform the Honorary Secretary of the Association, in writing, at least fourteen days before the appropriate meeting.
21
 Any motion before a Council Meeting or General meeting must receive a seconder at the meeting
22
 All motions before the Council shall be decided by a simple majority vote, except as otherwise stated in these rules.
23
 Admission of a society to the Association or suspension of Member Societies from the Association can only be passed if at least two-thirds of the voters present at the meeting are in favour of such admission or suspension.
24
 An appeal against any decision by the Council may be made at a Annual General Meeting, or an Extraordinary General Meeting called for that specific purpose.
25

The Honorary Secretary shall:-

(a) Keep the Minutes of all Council Meetings, and General Meetings
(b) Read the minutes of the previous meeting, which,  if accepted as a true record, shall be signed by the Chairman.
(c) Convene all Council Meetings,  and General Meetings, as stated in these rules.
(d) Prepare a formal report of the Association’s   activities for the Annual General Meeting.
26
 The Honorary Assistant Secretary shall assist the Honorary Secretary as requested by him/her, and deputise for the Honorary Secretary if and when necessary.
27
 The Honorary Treasurer shall have authority,  subject only to the Council’s over-riding authority, to conduct all financial transactions on behalf of the Association, except that the Council must give prior consent for any Form of investment of  funds, and for any single payment exceeding two hundred pounds sterling.

The Honorary Treasurer shall:-

(a) Receive all monies payable to the Association.
(b) Keep proper accounts, and see that such are kept by the Hon.Treasurers of  all committees appointed by the Council.
(c) Prepare an Annual Income and Expenditure Account and Balance sheet, and see that, where appropriate, these are prepared by the treasurers of all committees appointed by the Council.
(d)

See that all accounts are audited.
(e) Prepare audited copies of the main accounts, and those of such committees as he / she may decide, to be issued seven days prior to the Annual General Meeting, or an Extraordinary General Meeting when required, to all members of  such a meeting.  In the case of society representatives to General Meetings two copies shall be sent to the Secretary of each Member Society who should forward a copy to each of the Society’s  representatives.
(f) Be a signatory to all  the Association’s bank and investment accounts
(g) The Honorary Treasurer will issue to the Honorary Treasurer of each Member Society a request for payment of the Annual Subscription. This request to be issued at such time as ensures that it will be received by the thirtieth day of November in the current year.
28
 The Financial Year shall end on the last day of February.
29
 The funds of the Association shall be deposited in a bank account, or invested as agreed by the Council. Cheques must be signed by one signatory out of three  appointed by the Council.
30

The Annual Subscription shall be due on the thirtieth day of December in the current year. Any Society whose subscription is not received by the Honorary Treasurer by this date will be suspended from the Association, and such suspension will apply until the Annual Subscription is received.

New Member Clubs, or former Member Clubs being readmitted to membership after an absence in excess of three years, will pay a reduced membership fee. This reduced fee will be one third of the full fee for the first year of membership and two thirds of the full fee for the second year of membership.
31
 All motions concerning finance can only be passed if at least two-thirds of the voters present at a meeting  vote in favour of the motion.
32
 Alterations  or  amendments  to  this  Constitution  can  only  be  made  at a Annual General Meeting or an  Extraordinary General Meeting called for that purpose. Such an alteration or amendment can only be passed if at least two-thirds of the voters present at the meeting vote in favour of the amendment. 
33
 At an Extraordinary General meeting Council Members plus two representatives from each Member Society should be present, to speak and to vote.
34
 Member Societies must receive at least twenty-one days notice of an Extraordinary General Meeting, and such notice must state the specific business for which the meeting is called.
35
 An Extraordinary General Meeting must be called by the Honorary Secretary upon  receipt of a written request for such a meeting signed by the Chairmen, Honorary Secretaries and Council Members from not less than four Member Societies, except as stated in rule 36. Such a request must state the business for which the meeting is to be called, and  must be received by the Honorary Secretary at least thirty days before the proposed  date of the meeting.
36
 An Extraordinary General Meeting called to consider an appeal against the suspension of a Member Society must be called by the Honorary Secretary upon receipt of a written request for such a meeting signed by the Chairman, Honorary Secretary and Council Member from the Member Society concerned.
37
 At an Extraordinary General Meeting called to consider an appeal against suspension  of a Member Society the appeal shall be upheld if the Member Society concerned  receives a simple majority in its favour.
38
 Any Member Society resigning from the Association must so inform the Honorary Secretary, in writing,  and receipt of such a letter of resignation must be acknowledged by the Honorary Secretary.
39
 Member Societies will normally be liable for all subscriptions due prior to and on the date of a letter of resignation.           
40
 Should the association be wound up then each Member Society shall contribute equally to defray the winding up costs, including the payment of any outstanding creditors. Monies realised through the realisation of assets shall be set against such debts and winding up costs and any remaining balance shall be divided equally amongst the Member Societies.
41
 The Council shall have power to appoint ,from time to time , Honorary Life Vice- Presidents. Those so appointed shall have the right to attend and speak at all General Meetings and Council Meetings.
42
 The Association will support and apply the Child Protection Policy, adopted by the 38th Annual General Meeting, together with any subsequent amendments approved by Council in order to ensure that the policy continues to conform to any changes in the Child protection Act legislation. Each member society must have a Child Protection Policy and appoint a Child Protection Officer.
 
April 2008

 

Copyright 2007 NIPA: Norther Irealand Photographic Association