READING CYCLE CAMPAIGN - CONSTITUTION

1. Title

The full title shall be the Reading Cycle Campaign.

2. Definition

In the following rules the term ‘Campaign’ shall be deemed to refer to the Reading Cycle Campaign. The following abbreviations are used:

AGM Annual General Meeting

EGM Extraordinary General Meeting

3. Aims and Objectives

The aims and objects of the Campaign shall be:

• to press for better conditions for cyclists in Reading and its surrounding area.

• to promote cycling in Reading

4. Policy

The charges on the Campaign’s funds in order of priority shall be:

1. the costs of general meetings (namely, the AGM and any EGMs)

2. expenses incurred by officers arranging monthly business meetings, programmes of events, and in preparing and distributing newsletters and notices

3. expenses incurred by officers in pursuit of the aims and objectives of the Campaign in general.

5. Membership

Membership shall be open to any person upon payment of the prescribed subscription.

6. Voting Rights

All members shall be entitled to attend and vote at any general meeting of the Campaign and vote in any postal ballot.

7. Subscriptions

1. The annual membership subscription shall be proposed by the committee and voted on by the members at a general meeting

2. The annual subscription shall fall due for payment on joining the Campaign and thereafter one year later.

3. Membership shall lapse if the subscription has not been renewed three months after the due date.

8. Management of the Campaign

1. The Campaign shall be managed by a committee comprising the following officers:

1. Chairman

2. Secretary

3. Treasurer

4. Membership Secretary

5. Events Co-ordinator

6. Publicity Co-ordinator

7. Campaigning Officers ( number of posts to be decided by committee according to current requirement)

8. Newsletter Editor (layout)*

9. Newsletter Editor (editing)*

10. Newsletter Distribution Co-ordinator*

11. Website Manager

12. Up to two temporary officers co-opted by The Committee

m. see Para 8(viii) below, if necessary CTC Liaison Representative (non-voting)

(* These officers, and only these, may with the agreement of the committee, elect not to serve on the committee).

A person may simultaneously hold any two of the posts of Officer in the Campaign.

The committee will be responsible for the overall co-ordination of Campaign strategy, and where it deems appropriate will appoint a co-ordinator to head up a specific campaign

2. The duties shall include:

1. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the Annual General Meeting, any Extraordinary General Meeting and minutes of monthly and committee meetings

2. The Treasurer shall keep the accounts of the Campaign, ensure they are audited, and present an annual report to the AGM.

3. The Membership Secretary shall maintain a record of all members of the Campaign and process membership applications and renewals

3. The Officers of the Campaign shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. If however there are no nominations for a post or it becomes vacant during the year the committee have the right to appoint. Persons so appointed shall have the same rights as if they were elected at the AGM.

4. Members of the committee, both individually and collectively shall hold office until the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting or for a shorter term if so decreed by an Extraordinary General Meeting.

5. The committee shall have power to invite any person to attend one or more committee meetings for any special purpose. Such persons shall not however be entitled to vote.

6. A quorum of the committee shall be not less than three members.

7. Decisions of the committee shall be by simple majority vote. In the event of a tie the Chairman shall for that vote only have a second or casting vote.

8. If at any time no officer is serving on both the Campaign and Reading DA CTC committees the DA shall be invited to put forward their Rights Officer as an ex-officio (non-voting) member of the Campaign’s committee.

9. Election to the committee

Appointments by election to the committee shall be made as follows:

1. Nominations duly proposed and seconded for the posts of officers of the Campaign shall be notified, in writing to the Secretary not less than seven days before the date of the AGM, together with an acknowledgement from the nominees of their willingness to stand.

1. If there is one nomination only for a post of Officer of the Campaign, that person shall be declared elected to the post.

2. If there are no nominations for a post of Officer of the Campaign, then a nomination of a person present may be accepted from the floor of the AGM, and that person shall be deemed duly elected.

3. If more than one nomination is received for a post of Officer of the Campaign, the a secret ballot shall be held at the AGM and the person receiving the most votes shall be declared elected

10. General Meetings

1. Unless decided otherwise by an Extraordinary General Meeting, the Annual General Meeting shall be held each year on a date to be fixed by the committee.

2. The Secretary shall send out a notice of the AGM to all members not less than 21 days before the date of the meeting. This notification may be included in the Campaign’s newsletter.

3. An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called by the committee at any time or shall be convened by the committee if at least ten members of the Campaign request such a meeting. Not less than 14 days notice shall be given of the meeting and the business to be discussed shall be stated.

4. At an AGM no business shall be voted on except:

1. the acceptance of the minutes of the previous AGM

2. the acceptance of reports from officers

3. the acceptance of accounts

4. the election of Officers

5. the appointment of an auditor

6. any business that the committee may ask to be inserted in the notice announcing the meeting

7. any matter which five or more members wish to be discussed providing notice of the matter is received by the Secretary in writing on or before a date one month prior to the AGM.

5. At an EGM no business shall be voted upon except that which was included in the notice convening the meeting.

6. At an AGM or EGM the Chairman may at his or her discretion allow discussion on any subject and may seek a consensus of opinion of those present. However no binding vote may be taken on any matter not included in the notice convening the meeting.

11. Changes to the Constitution

The committee shall have the power to put forward recommendations for changes to the Constitution to an AGM or EGM.

12. Dissolution Clause.

In the event of the dissolution of the Reading Cycle Campaign, after outstanding liabilities have been discharged, any loan outstanding will be converted to a donation to the organisation to which the loan was originally made, and all remaining assets will be donated to the Cycle Campaign Network, otherwise known as CCN, without let or hindrance.

13. 1998 Data Protection Act

Membership of the Campaign and acceptance of the Rules by the member will be deemed to constitute consent to the holding of relevant personal data for the purpose of the 1998 Data Protection Act.