FAVERSHAM AND DISTRICT CAMERA CLUB

1. Name of the Club

1.1 The Club shall be named ‘The Faversham and District Camera Club’, from this point onwards referenced “FDCC”.

2. Objectives

2.1 The FDCC’s objectives are to promote, encourage and facilitate interest and participation in any aspects of both film and digital photography. It aims to expand members’ photographic knowledge and skills though a mixture of lectures,competitions, tuition and other activities in a social environment.

2.2 The annual season will run from the beginning of September to the end of May. Various photographic activities may be arranged during the remainder of the year.

3. Membership

3.1 The Club strives to adhere, whenever reasonable and / or practicable to do so, to principles of Equality of Opportunity and to be sensitive to issues arising from a person’s cultural and/or religious heritage.

3.2 It is a condition of membership that members agree to abide by the Constitution. Candidates for membership shall be provided a copy of this Constitution for reference and shall complete the Club’s standard form of application forregistration as a member.

3.3 Any person interested in becoming a Member may attend meetings of the Club in any season as its guest without any obligation to apply for membership.

3.5 The Executive Committee reserves the right to refuse a renewal of membership for any member where in the previous year there have been complaints about the member’s behavior from at least 3 club members or 1 Executive Committeemember.

3.6 On election and after payment of the requisite subscription and issue of a receipt, a candidate shall be a Member of the Club and shall be deemed to have agreed to be bound by this Constitution.

3.7 In the event that a member breaks the club rules or his / her conduct at the club meeting hall, elsewhere or on-line is contrary to the aims of the Club is disruptive and behaves in a manner designed to interrupt the proper and harmonious conduct of the Club or brings the name of the club into disrepute the action shall be as follows:

1. a)  Action shall be taken where an incident is formally reported by at least 3 club members or 1 Executive Committee member.

2. b)  Each incident shall be heard before at a minimum a quorum of Executive Committee.

3. c)  The offender shall be given 1 verbal warning, 1 written warning and ultimately dismissal from the club.

In the event that the incident is considered to be of a serious nature which could bring the entire club’s good name into disrepute, or potentially lead to legal action against the club or its members, any such infringement shall be brought immediately before

CONSTITUTION As Amended following AGM 2018

the Executive Committee, who will make a decision which will be binding; this decision will then be executed accordingly.

3.8 A Membership number shall be provided with the receipt to the candidate which will entitle them to enter competitions and must be used when entering internal FDCC competitions for that season. This Membership number will remain the same for the period of membership and will not change year on year

3.9 Membership is open to people aged fourteen years and older.
Any Member aged 18 and under will be deemed to be a Junior Member.
Junior Members under the age of sixteen must be accompanied by a Parent, Guardian, or such other person who has security clearance for their care.

3.10 Honorary members may be appointed from time to time at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

4. Officers and Executive Committee

4.1 The Executive Committee shall consist of the following Officers: Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Programme Secretary, Competition Secretary with the addition of Common Committee Members, as deemed necessary. The affairs of the Club shall be conducted by the Executive Committee consisting of the said Executive Officers. The position of President shall remain and he/she may attend the committee meetings in an advisory position only.

4.2 All offices shall be held in an honorary capacity, with no financial or other remuneration.

4.3 All Executive Officers, excluding President, shall hold their position for one season only. Elections will be held at the Annual General Meeting to elect candidates for each position for the coming season.

4.4 The President is nominated by the Executive Committee and shall hold his or her position for a maximum term of three consecutive years. At the end of three years he / she must vacate this position unless circumstances required him / her to do so prior to the end of this term. He / she may be re-elected to this position but only after at least one year has passed since he / she last held it.

4.5 The Executive Committee shall have the power to co-opt other Common Committee Members as circumstances require ensuring smooth running of the Club activities.

4.6 The Executive Committee shall meet as required but no fewer than five times each year and a quorum shall be four Members one of whom shall be an Officer.

4.7 The Executive Committee may appoint such Sub-Executive Committees as they may consider expedient. No Sub-Executive Committee may incur any expense on behalf of the Club without specific authorisation from the Executive Committee.

4.8 Decisions of any Executive Committee Meeting shall be those of the majority of the eligible Members present and voting.

4.9 In the event of an equality of votes at an Executive Committee Meeting, the person in the chair for such meeting shall have a casting or additional vote.

4.10 Executive Committee Roles and Job Descriptions will be published independently to the Constitution and the roles may vary year on year at the discretion of the Executive Committee

4.11 The Treasurer should only hold his / her position for three years but this could be extended to a maximum of five years if no suitable candidate is available.

5. Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings

5.1 An Annual General Meeting shall be held each year in the month of May. At least thirty days’ notice in writing or by email of such meeting shall be given to each member. This notice shall include details of items that require consideration and possible response by club members. All responses or requests for additional items for consideration / discussion at the A.G.M. MUST be returned in either email or writing in a proposal format to either the Chairman or Secretary no less than ten calendar days prior to the A.G.M.

5.2 The Business of the Annual General Meeting shall include: Minutes of the previous A.G.M., Annual reports by Executive Committee members, Statements of Accounts and Balance Sheets, Election of all Committee members for the forthcoming season and any new resolutions brought to the attention of the Chairman or Secretary in writing or by email in a proposal format no less than ten days prior to the date of the A.G.M.

5.3 All nominations for Executive Committee positions must be presented with signatures of two Club members as proposer and seconder and must be presented to the Chairman or Secretary in writing or by email in a proposal format no less than ten days prior to the date of the A.G.M. All nominees must have given their prior consent for nomination to the position.

5.4 An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be called upon a resolution of the Executive Committee, or upon a request submitted to the Secretary signed by not less than 20% of the members setting forth the purpose for which the meeting is desired. No matters, other than those set out in the Agenda prepared by the Executive Committee on the one hand and those set out in the said request on the other hand, shall be discussed at the meeting. Each member shall be given at least ten days’ notice in writing or by email of such meeting which, in the case of a request by members, shall be held within one month of the receipt of the said request by the Executive.

5.5 Junior and Honorary Members may attend Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings and may join in the discussion. Junior Members and all Honorary Members shall be entitled to vote and shall be considered as part of the requisite quorum.

5.6 Decisions of any Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting shall be those of the majority of the eligible Members present and voting.

5.7 In the event of an equality of votes at an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting, the person in the chair for such meeting shall have a casting or additional vote.

5.8 For all business at an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting the quorum shall be not less than 20% of the eligible Members.

5.9 Any changes to this Constitution voted by a majority of the eligible Members at an Annual General meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting shall be recorded by the Secretary as an amendment. All members will then be informed of the change(s).

6. Financial Matters

6.1 The Treasurer shall maintain accounts, bank all monies and pay all debts in a timely manner and is responsible for organizing the annual audit of the accounts by reputable persons or institutions. Audited accounts shall be presented to the Executive Committee at the first opportunity after completion.

6.2 The Club’s financial year shall end on 31st August in each year. The un- audited Interim set of accounts shall be balanced and presented to the attending members at the Annual General Meeting. A full set of audited accounts will be available for inspection early in the new Club Season.

6.3 The Club shall maintain such Bank or Building Society accounts as the Executive Committee consider convenient and all cheques and orders for the payment of money from any such account shall be signed by such Executive Committee Member(s) or as are duly authorized by the Executive Committee.

7. Subscriptions

7.1 The annual membership subscriptions shall be such amounts as the Club may determine.

7.2 Such subscriptions shall be due and run from the 1st September without demand except that a Member joining or rejoining part way through the year shall pay a proportional amount to cover the remainder of that year. Such amount shall be determined by the Treasurer.

7.3 Any Member whose subscription is overdue by more than two months without a reason acceptable to the Executive Committee shall be deemed to have resigned membership and all offices of the Club.

7.4 The Executive Committee may, at their discretion, waive all or part of any subscription or in case of financial hardship accept payment of a subscription by installments.

7.5 No person shall take part in a Club competition or enter for Club exhibitions unless his or her subscription is paid up to date.

7.6 The Executive Committee reserves the right to charge for selective events.

8. FDCC Property and Member’ Property

8.1 No "FDCC" property shall be removed from the Club without the consent of a member of the Executive Committee.

8.1.1 Only members may borrow the Club’s property and will be financially liable for any loss or damage sustained.

8.1.2 The member must sign a register held by the Executive Committee itemizing the equipment that they are borrowing.

That, on collection, it is shown to be in good order and is for the member’s use only. Also, that they know how to use it.

The register to show the date of the loan, the date of the return, and a signature from the Executive Committee member who holds the equipment stating that all is returned in good order. Should this not be the case, the member who borrowed the equipment will be financially liable for loss or damage sustained to that equipment.

8.2 The FDCC will not be held responsible for any loss or damage to members’ property however caused.

8.3 The FDCC reserve the right to display on the FDCC website or Social Media page any club members image that has scored top marks in any of the FDCC competitions to help promote the club. If a member does not want an image to be displayed they must formally notify the Chairman, Secretary or Competitions Secretary of this immediately after the competition. Whilst every effort is taken to protect the copyright of an image the FDCC will not be held responsible for any loss or damage to members’ copyright for an image that has been displayed on the FDCC website or Social Media page.

8.4 The FDCC may offer members the opportunity to display high quality images in a named section of the FDCC Gallery on the FDCC website so as to promote both the individual photographer and the FDCC, however the FDCC will not be held responsible for any loss or damage to members’ copyright for an image that has been displayed on the FDCC Gallery.

9. Expulsion of Members

9.1 The Executive Committee shall have the power to expel any Member whose conduct shall in their opinion render his / her continued membership untenable. In an event where the incident is considered to be of a serious nature which couldbring the entire club’s good name into disrepute, or potentially lead to legal action against the club or its members, any such infringement shall be brought immediately before the Executive Committee, who will make a decision which will be binding; this decision will then be executed accordingly without the need for consultation with the member in question.

Otherwise the Member shall be given not less than seven days’ notice in writing or by email to attend a meeting of the Executive Committee, such notice to specify the complaint made.

9.2 So far as is reasonably practicable the meeting of the Executive Committee shall be held on a date and at a time convenient to both the Member and the Executive Committee.

9.3 No Member shall be expelled without first having an opportunity of appearing before the Executive Committee and answering the complaint and without a Resolution in favour of expulsion by at least two-thirds of the Executive Committee Members present and voting at such meeting.

9.4 A Member who is expelled shall not be entitled to any refund of subscription.

10. Dissolution

10.1 If at any General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting a resolution to wind up the Club is passed by the required number of Members present and voting, the Executive Committee shall as soon as reasonably practical act as follows:

10.2 All debts and liabilities of the Club shall be fully discharged;

10.3 Any remaining assets and property shall be sold by an independent source to the best value. This money and any funds remaining after all debts have been paid will be donated to a charity nominated by the Executive Committee in consultation with the Members.

10.4 Upon completion of the disposal of the assets the Club shall be dissolved.

11. Constitution Changes

11.1 This Constitution shall not be changed except by a two-thirds majority of the eligible Members present and voting at an Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting.

12. Interpretation and Definitions

12.1 The Executive Committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of this Constitution and their decision shall be final and binding.

12.2 ‘Eligible Members’ means Members who are liable to pay the full membership subscription and have paid (whether or not waived in whole or in part) and also includes Junior Members and Honorary Members. ‘Total Eligible Membership’ shall be construed accordingly.

12.3 Unless the context otherwise requires, the singular includes the plural and vice versa and the masculine includes the feminine and vice versa.