Constitution

Constitution

(Final Draft January 2013)

 

MISSION STATEMENT:

Our mission is to promote the use of Manston Airport for an increasing number of flights, destinations and passengers.  We also wish to promote the use of Manston for increased cargo operations and to support the development of its aircraft maintenance facilities.
We aim to encourage achievable solutions to develop an environmentally conscious, economically sustainable and socially aware airport.

MEMBERSHIP:

Membership shall be open to all people who share the objectives of the Group.

There shall be two categories of membership.

1)         Supporters.  These will comprise all those who have signed and given their details on the contact form on our website.  They will be sent newsletters by email only.

2)         Members.  These will pay a subscription.  The amount will be determined by the Committee and can be ratified by the membership at the following AGM.  Members can opt to have the newsletters sent to them by post rather than by email.

Persons discovered to be undermining or opposing the aims of the Group shall be removed from membership.

OFFICERS OF THE GROUP

The Steering Group shall elect a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Membership Secretary, Treasurer, Webmaster, and other such office holders as becomes necessary for particular tasks.
Membership can agree to delegate day-to-day decisions and business of the Group to Office Holders or Steering Group Members, but the Officers will call general meetings to make important decisions or those effecting expenditure and the future of the Group.

The Chairman shall:

a)         Arrange meeting places and give notice of meetings of the Members and the Committee;

b)         Compile an agenda for the meetings and circulate to committee members at least 48 hours in advance.

The Secretary shall:

Compile and circulate the Minutes of the meetings to the Committee, and to the Members.

The Treasurer shall:

a)         keep proper records of the Group’s financial transactions in accordance with current accepted accounting rules and practices;

b)         develop and implement control procedures to minimise the risk of financial exposure, such procedures to be reviewed regularly;

c)         ensure that bills are paid and cash is banked in accordance with the procedures developed under (b);

d)         if appropriate, prepare an annual budget for the Group, and regularly inform the Committee of progress against that budget;

e)         ensure that all statutory returns are made including VAT, income tax and corporation tax if appropriate;

f)           make all records, procedures and accounts available on request to Steering Group.

The Membership Secretary shall:

a)         Maintain a register of the Members of the Group, which shall be available for inspection by Members on request.

b)         Send out welcome packs to any paid up members of the Group

The Webmaster shall:

a)         Keep the Why Not Manston? webpage up to date and relevant.

b)         Incorporate any changes that are deemed appropriate by the Committee

c)         Enhance the web presence of Why Not Manston? through social media

CONDUCT OF THE GROUP

The activities of the Group will at all times be conducted in accordance with the following policies and codes of practice.

Meetings

The group will hold regular meetings to inform members of developments and make decisions on actions.  All meetings will be conducted in a civil manner without the use of expletives, racist, sexist or other discriminatory language.  The officers of the Group may exclude any Member who does not comply with basic civility.
Notice of meetings will be emailed to Members and agendas drawn up accordingly.  Members may ask the Chair in advance to add items to the agenda or bring up such items under ‘any other business’.

Annual General Meeting

The group shall hold an AGM every year, and must give at least 28 days’ notice of an AGM, to all Members and Supporters.  If the Committee wishes to propose a Resolution at the AGM, its wording must be sent to the membership at least 28 days before the AGM.
Any Resolution to be considered at the AGM must be notified to the Committee no less than 42 days before the AGM, and must be proposed and seconded by two Members of the Group.  Unless withdrawn, it can then be discussed and voted on by a show of hands at the AGM.  Voting rights are held only by fully paid-up Members of the Group.

STEERING GROUP

Committee

The affairs of the Group shall be run by a Committee.  The Committee shall consist of the six Officers listed above, plus a maximum of three further Committee Members.  (If one person combines two of the Officerships, that leaves room for four further Committee Members.)
During the year, up to three additional Committee Members can be co-opted by the Committee.  Co-opted Members can stand for election at the AGM, or may again be co-opted by the Committee after the AGM.
All Members of the Committee must have paid the Subscription to become Members of the Group, before they can stand as Committee Members.
The Committee can set up a Sub-Committee at any time.

INDEMNITY

So far as may be permitted by law, every Member of the Steering Group and every officer of the Group shall be entitled to be indemnified by the Group against all costs, charges, losses, expenses and liabilities incurred by him or her in the execution or discharge of his or her duties or the exercise of his or her powers, or otherwise properly in relation to or in connection with his or her duties.  This indemnity extends to any liability incurred by him or her in defending any proceedings, civil or criminal, which relate to anything done or omitted or alleged to have been done or omitted by him or her as a Member of the Steering Group or Officer of the Club and in which Judgment is given in his or her favour (or the proceedings are otherwise disposed of without any finding or admission of any material breach of duty on his or her part), or in which he or she is acquitted, or in connection with any application under any statute for relief from liability in respect of any such act or omission in which relief is granted to him or her by the Court.

So far as may be permitted by law, the Group may purchase and maintain for any member of the Committee or Officer of the Group insurance cover against any liability which by virtue of any rule of law may attach to him or her in respect of any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust of which he or she may be guilty in relation to the Group and against all costs, charges, losses and expenses and liabilities incurred by him or her and for which he or she is entitled to be indemnified by the Group.

DISSOLUTION

The Group may be dissolved at any time by the approving votes of 75% of those present in person or by proxy at a General Meeting.  The Group may also be dissolved (without the need for any resolution of the Members) by means of not less than thirty days’ notice of such an action
In the event of the Group being dissolved, its assets shall not be distributed amongst the Members, but shall be paid to a similar organisation or, if no such group exists, at the direction of the Steering Group to a registered charity of their choice.
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