Garston & District Historical Society

2011 Garston Historical Society AGM

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE CONSTITUTION

The Society has a simple Constitution which sets out how the organisation is managed. This requires that everything is carried out in an orderly manner and that the Members have democratic participation and control. This ensures efficiency and harmonious running, and safeguards the Society from mismanagement or abuse. This protects the membership in the event of 'things going wrong' assuming that the constitution has been observed. To date the Society has not seen fit to apply for Charity Registration on the basis of having a limited financial level. This would be possible in the future if for instance premise ownership and/or paid staff were taken on.

Charity Registration would also help with fundraising if this was needed on a larger scale.
In practice the constitution states that Society will operate on charitable principles.

For reasons of simplicity the Constitution does not seek to elaborate every detail, so from time to time the membership may be consulted about detailed interpretations!

The constitution sets out the following:-

1. Name - 'Garston and District Historical Society', the 'District' not being rigidly defined to enable flexible membership acceptances.

2. Aims and Objects

2.1 To bring together all who are interested in the history of the Garston area, and Liverpool in general.

2.2 To promote a programme of activities:

2.2.1 To increase interest in local history and industrial archaeology by means of visits, publications and lectures.

2.2.2 To encourage research into aspects of local history and industrial archaeology.

2.2.3 To records by means of documents and photographs, the life and environment of gasrton as it exists today.

2.3 To collect, or identify the whereabouts of, information and material related to all aspects of the history of the area.

2.4 To seek to ensure the preservation of features of local history, past and present, and to do this if desirable in assocation with other agencies

3. Society powers:-

3.1 To lease or purchase premise and to raise funds for such purposes by all valid means.

3.2 To link or affiliate to and assist other organisations with similar aims and objects.

3.3 Membership:- widely open by application approved by the Committee.

4. Meetings:-

An Annual General Meeting with fourteen days notice to members in writing.
The AGM shall elect annually the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and such other Officers as the meeting may decide. The quorum shall be 12 members.
Other or Special General Meetings may be held by Committee or Chairperson decision or by written request of five members.
The Committee shall be appointed annually at the AGM and consisting of up to 12 elected members. There may be up to 4 committee co-opted members. The quorum shall be four members, one of whom shall be either the Chairperson or Secretary. The Committee may fill any vacancies which occur

5. Finance:-

Financial Year is from April 1st. to March 31st of the subsequent Year and there shall be an annual Audit of the accounts.
All financial transactions shall be recorded in an Account book, and a Bank Account established in the name of the Society, with two of the three main Officers as signatories for cheques etc
No individual member or Officer of the Society may benefit from the Funds.

6. Indemnity

Adequate insurance shall be implemented for all risks.

7. Alteration of the Constitution

Consideration of this may only take place with fourteen days' notice being given to members, and requires a 2/3 majority at a General Meeting.

8. Dissolution

A proposal for this requires 21 days' notice for a General Meeting to notified to all members. In the event of approval, property and monies shall be dispersed in accordance with the requirement that historic artefacts shall be offered to National Museums of Liverpool and other dispersals made to charitable organisations or causes as agreed by the meeting.