Constitution

SCOTTISH GLIDING ASSOCIATION

Constitution of September 2001

ANGUS, BORDERS, CAIRNGORM, CONNEL, DEESIDE, DUMFRIES, HIGHLAND, SGC, STRATHCLYDE

1. NAME

The name of the organisation will be the Scottish Gliding Association, hereinafter referred to as the Association.

2. OBJECTS OF THE ASSOCIATION

To promote, foster and develop the sport of gliding in Scotland, and in pursuance of these objectives:

2a. To co-ordinate the activities of gliding clubs, associations and organisations in the Scottish area as defined by the British Gliding Association.

2b. To represent gliding interests in negotiations with the Civil Aviation Office for Scotland, of the Department of Trade and Industry, with other government departments, with local authorities, and other statutory bodies, so far as it is not appropriate for the British Gliding Association to do so.

2c. To assist the training and qualification of gliding instructors.

2d. To liaise with the British Gliding Association.

2e. To borrow or raise money for the purposes of the Association on such terms and on such security as may be thought fit.

2f. To invest as may be though fit the monies of the Association not immediately required for its purposes.

2g. To engage in such other activities as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the aforesaid objects.

3. RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BRITISH GLIDING ASSOCIATION

The association will be complementary to and will not replace the services provided by the British Gliding Association.

4. MEMBERSHIP

4a. The founder members of the Association shall be drawn from the following affiliated organisations:

ANGUS GLIDING CLUB

CAIRNGORM GLIDING CLUB

CONNEL GLIDING CLUB

DEESIDE GLIDING CLUB

DUMFRIES AND DISTRICT GLIDING CLUB

HIGHLAND GLIDING CLUB

SCOTTISH GLIDING UNION

STRATHCLYDE GLIDING CLUB

4b. The Association shall be empowered to affiliate other clubs, associations organisations from time to time.

4c. Affiliate membership shall be open to clubs, associations and organisations actively interested in promoting and developing gliding

4d. Clubs, associations and organisations shall apply in writing for affiliation. Such applications shall signed by the President or Chairman and by the Secretary of the club, association or organisation and accompanied by a copy of its constitution.

4e.Applications for membership shall be sent to the Secretary and shall be considered at the next Annual General Meeting or at the next meeting of the Executive Committee, whichever is sooner.

4f. Each affiliated member of the club shall receive on admission a copy of the Constitution.

4g. Acceptance of membership binds the applicant to observe the Constitution.

4h.Every affiliated member of the club shall be bound to further to the best of his ability the objects, interests and influence of the Association and shall undertake not to bring or join in any action, claim or other proceedings against the Association, its officers or members on account of their bona fide actions not contrary to these presents and carried out in the course of fulfilling the Association's Objects.

5. RESIGNATION

Any club, association or organisation resigning from membership shall intimate this action to the Secretary before the Annual General Meeting.

6. SUSPENSION OF MEMBERS

6a. Should the conduct of any club, association or organisation be in the opinion of the Executive Committee injurious to the character and interests of the Association, the Executive Committee having taken all reasonable steps to ascertain the facts, shall be empowered to suspend all rights and privileges of the club, association or organisation, who must be notified in writing of the Executive Committee's decision.

6b. A club, association or organisation having such action taken against them shall have the right of appeal to a General Meeting of the Association provided that a written notice of appeal sent by recorded delivery is received by the Secretary within 21 days of their receipt of the Executive Committee's decision.

6c.Any club, association or organisation whose subscription shall not be paid by the 30th April of the current financial year shall have rights and privileges suspended until the subscription shall have been paid. '

7. FINANCE

7a. The Annual Club Affiliation Subscription shall be agreed at the Annual General Meeting of the Association and shall be due on the 1st day of January in each year. The subscription will be based on the number of full flying members in each club. A per capita rate is to be set at each AGM and approved by a two-thirds majority of the Association Executive Committee.

7b. The financial year of the Association shall run from the 1st January to 31st December and the accounts of the Association shall be balanced as at 31st December each year and submitted to the Annual General Meeting.

7c. The Executive Committee shall cause proper books of account and a register of members to be kept.

8. MANAGEMENT

8a. The Office Bearers shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting

8b. The Bearers shall be: the Honorary Chairman, Honorary Treasurer, and Honorary Secretary, each of whom shall be drawn from a different member club.

8c. The management and control of the property, funds and affairs of the association shall be vested in the Executive Committee.

8d. The Executive Committee shall consist of the Office Bearers and two representatives from each of the affiliated clubs, associations and organisations. The member clubs from which the Office Bearers are drawn shall each have three representatives on the Executive Committee, one of whom shall be an Office Bearer. The representatives need not be specifically named but for continuity purposes the same members should attend meetings of the Executive Committee or ensure that their substitutes are fully briefed.

8e. Each affiliated member club shall have 2 votes at the executive and general meetings regardless of the number of people present from that club. In addition each Office Bearer shall have a vote at such meetings.

9. POWERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

9a. The Executive Committee shall meet as and when there are matters of interest to the Association members to discuss.

9b. The necessary quorum for the transaction of regular business shall be one-third of the total membership of the Executive Committee. All matters shall require a two-thirds majority of those present and voting.

9c. The Executive Committee shall be empowered to:

9c. 1. Expend any of the funds of the Association in furtherance of any of the objects of the Association or incidental thereto.

9c. 2. Make or change the Rules of the Association

9c. 3. Appoint and dismiss Sub-Committees with specific terms of reference in accordance with the objects of the Association.

9c 4. Ratify or rescind all recommendations and decisions of Sub Committees.

9c. 5. Co-opt persons to and remove such co-opted persons from the Executive Committee or Sub-Committees. The voting rights of co opted members shall be determined by the Executive Committee.

9c. 6. Fill any vacancy occurring in any office or in its own membership between Annual General Meetings.

9c.7 Act as the authority for the interpretation of the Constitution and Rules (if any) of the Association and regulations made thereunder and any matter as affecting the Association and not provided for their in. Decisions of the Executive Committee shall be final and binding on all members.

10. MEETINGS

10a. The Annual General Meeting shall whenever possible be held in the Spring on a date to be fixed by the Executive Committee for the purpose of:

10a. 1. Approving the Minutes of the previous year's Annual General Meeting.

10a 2 Receiving the Annual Report.

10a 3 Receiving the Financial Report and approving the Accounts.

10a 4 Making changes (if any) of the Constitution.

10a 5 Electing Office Bearers of the Association.

10a 6 Confirming the appointments to the Executive Committee of representatives of the affiliated clubs, associations and organisations.

10b. Any resolution which purposes altering the Constitution shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary by the 31st March of that year, signed by representatives of two of the clubs, associations or organisations in current membership.

10c. Notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be sent to each club, association or organisation in current membership 14 days prior to the meeting. The notice shall indicate the date, time and place of the meeting and enumerate the items of business in the order in which they are to be transacted. If less than 14 days but not less than 7days notice is given the meeting can be rendered competent if no written or verbal objection is raised at the time or if a two-thirds majority of those present agreed that the meeting is competent.

10d. A General Meeting of the Association may be convened at any time on the authority of the Executive Committee, or within 28 days of a written request signed by one-third of the membership of the Executive Committee. The purpose of the General Meeting shall be specified in the form of resolutions and full details 10f. these resolutions together with the date, time and place of the meeting, shall be sent in writing to all clubs, associations and organisations in current membership not less than 14 days before the meeting.

10 e. At all Annual or Extraordinary General Meetings:

10 e. 1. Each club, association or organisation shall be entitled to send two representatives to attend and to be heard.

10 e. 2. The quorum shall be one-third of those entitled to attend.

10 e. 3. If a quorum is not present the meeting cannot be heard and must be reconvened within 28 days. Fourteen days notice giving the time and place of the reconvened meeting must be given to all affiliated clubs, associations and organisations.

10e. 4. In the event of there not being a quorum at the reconvened meeting the members present will be deemed to be a quorum and shall be empowered to take any appropriate actions and decisions in accordance with the Constitution and Rules (if any) of the Association.

10e. 5. The Chairman of the Association, in his absence the Secretary or Treasurer, shall preside as Chairman of every General Meeting, but if there be no such Chairman, or if at any meeting they shall not be present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting, or shall be unwilling to preside, the members present and entitled to vote shall chose some member of the Executive Committee, whom failing some other member of the Association who shall be present to preside. No business shall be discussed or transacted at any General Meeting while the chair is vacant except the election of a Chairman.

10e. 6. All the resolutions shall be decided by a two-thirds majority of members present and voting at the meeting.

10e. 7. Proxy votes shall be recognised at all meetings whether of the Executive Committee or at Annual or Extraordinary General Meetings.

11. DISSOLUTION

If, when a dissolution of the Association has been resolved, there remains after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities, any property whatsoever, the same shall not be paid to or distributed among member clubs, associations or organisations, but shall be given or transferred to such other institution or institutions having objects similar to the objects of the Association as may be determined by the members at or before the date of dissolution and, failing any such determination, such property shall be given or transferred to such charitable institutions having as their objects the promotion of amateur sports as may be determined by a judge of the Court of Session and, in so far as affect cannot be given to such provisions, then to some charitable object.