Constitution

1. THE SOCIETY AIMS.

The North Eastern Police History Society was formed to keep alive the history of the Police Service, especially the Police Forces past and present of the North East of England consisting of the area north of Teesside including Middlesborough to south of Tweedside including Berwick.

2. TITLE.

The Title of the Society shall be "The North Eastern Police History Society" founded on the 17th May 1995.

3. OBJECT.

(a) To assist members in their researches and to publish such information particularly the results of individuals as may be practicable.

(b) To organise Lectures, seminars and similar educational activities.

(c) To raise funds and to invite and receive contributions from any person or persons whatsoever by way of subscription, donation and otherwise provided that the Society shall not undertake any permanent trading activities in raising funds for its charitable object.

(d) To do all such lawful things that shall further the above object.

4. MEMBERSHIP.

(a) Ordinary Members: Ordinary membership of the Society shall be open to any individual person. Applications may be accepted or rejected by the Executive Committee at its discretion and the Executive Committee shall have no liability to state reasons for any rejection. Each Member shall pay a reasonable annual subscription as prescribed at the Annual General Meeting and shall be entitled to such privileges as the Executive Committee shall from time to time decide.

(b) Honorary Members: Honorary membership of the Society may in special circumstances be approved by the Executive Committee. Such honorary members shall not be entitled to hold elected office in the Society or vote at any general meeting.

(c) Annual Subscriptions: All annual subscriptions will be due on the 1st of May of each year payable in advance. If a member joins on or after the first day of November in any year his subscription for that year shall be half the current subscription.

(d) Resignation and Expulsion: A member who wishes to resign his membership shall give notice in writing to the Membership Secretary. Any member whose subscription shall not be renewed by the 1st of July of that year shall be deemed to have resigned as a member of the Society, unless the Executive Committee determine otherwise.

The Executive Committee shall have the right to terminate the membership of any member who in the opinion of the Executive Committee acts in a manner prejudicial to the good name and well being of the Society or fails to abide by this constitution but may first be given the opportunity of hearing by the Executive Committee.

5. PRESIDENT.

The Society shall have a President. The function of the Presidents office is purely honorary and carries no executive or administrative responsibility. Nominations for President shall be approved by the Annual General Meeting on the recommendation of the Executive Committee.

6. GENERAL MEETINGS.

(a) Annual General Meeting.

There shall be an Annual General Meeting of members on the third Wednesday in May. Subject to sub-paragraph .(d). a notice convening an annual general meeting shall be sent to each member at least 7 clear days before the meeting is held. The business of an annual general meeting shall be;

(i) To receive the Chairman's address.

(ii) To receive the report of the Executive Committee for the past year.

(iii) To approve an audited statement of income and expenditure for the past year.

(iv) To appoint auditors.

(v) To conduct such business which arises out of paragraph 14 of the Constitution entitled "Amendment of Constitution" in accordance with the conditions thereof.

(vi) To conduct Any Other Business.

(b) Extraordinary General Meeting.

An extraordinary meeting may be called at any time by the Executive Committee. The notice convening the meeting shall be sent to each member at least twenty-eight days before the meeting and shall specify the matter or matters to be considered.

(c) At all general meetings the Chairman of the Society shall take the chair or in his absence, the vice-chairman or in their absence the meeting shall elect some other member to act as chairman.

(d) Annual report: The notice convening an annual general meeting and the annual report of the Executive Committee and the annual statement of accounts shall be circulated to members.

(e) Procedures at Annual and Extraordinary Meetings.

(i) Resolutions at annual and extraordinary meetings shall be passed by a simple majority of votes cast by members present.

(ii) Each member other than an honorary member shall have one vote on each resolution.

(iii) A quorum for an annual or extraordinary meeting shall be eight members.

(iv) In the event of equal voting the Chairman shall have a casting vote.

7. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

(a) The management of the Society shall be conducted by an Executive Committee consisting of the following officers who will be the Trustees of the Society;

Chairman
(Vice Chairman)
Honorary Secretary
Honorary Treasurer / Membership Secretary
Editor of the NEWSLETTER / Press and Publicity Officer
(Historical Information Officer)

(b) With the addition of four members. Six members shall form a quorum.

(c) Period of service: All officers listed in sub-paragraph (a) shall serve for a period of three years taking up office immediately on conclusion of the Annual General Meeting at which they were declared elected. After completing their term of office they shall be eligible for re-election.

Committee members listed in sub-paragraph (b) shall serve for a period of one year taking up office immediately on conclusion of the Annual General Meeting. After completing their term of office they shall be eligible for re-election.

Vacancies shall be filled by the nominee who receives the highest number of valid votes. In the event of a tie the person acting as Chairman of the Annual general meeting shall draw a lot as he in his absolute discretion shall decide.

In the event of only one nomination being received for a particular post that nominee shall be deemed to have been elected.

(d) Meetings: Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held at such places and times and dates as the Executive Committee shall decide. All meetings shall be convened by the Honorary Secretary. In addition to ordinary meetings a meeting of the Executive Committee shall be convened within fourteen days of the Honorary Secretary receiving a written requisition signed by at least three members of the Executive Committee. Matters discussed by the Executive Committee shall be regarded as confidential.

(e) Expenses of Executive Committee: All expenses incurred by the Executive Committee member wholly on behalf of the Society shall be reimbursed from the Societies funds subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. This will also apply to non-Executive Committee post holders.

8. FINANCE.

(a) Accounts: The Honorary Treasurer shall keep the accounts of the Society in such form and manner as the Executive Committee shall decide and immediately after the third Tuesday in May of each year he shall prepare an account of the income and expenditure and a balance sheet for the preceding year ended the third Tuesday in May which shall be audited by auditors appointed by the annual general meeting.

(b) Financial Year: The financial year of the Society shall end on the 31st March.

(c) Bank Accounts: All monies received by the society shall be paid into an account with the Societies bankers. All cheques drawn on this account shall be signed by the Honorary Treasurer and one other member of the Committee designated by the Executive Committee.

9. MEMBERS' ACTIVITIES.

Members taking part in the activities of any other society or association to do so as individuals and not as members of the North Eastern Police History Society unless sanctioned by the Executive Committee.

10. CONTACT WITH OTHER ORGANISATIONS.

Any formal approach on behalf of the North Eastern Police History Society to or from any other organisation shall be directed through the Executive Committee in order that the Executive Committee's sanction may be sought.

11. ARCHIVAL MATERIAL.

Any archival material given, lent or deposited with the Society or any of its officers shall be recorded in a record to be maintained by a member of the Executive Committee nominated by the Executive Committee. Such material may be lent to or deposited with a suitable institution to be decided by the Executive Committee but otherwise must be carefully preserved by a person or persons and in a manner as may be decided by the Executive Committee.

12. REGISTER OF MEMBERS.

The Society shall keep a confidential register detailing names and addresses of all members. All lists from such registers are the property of the Society and the contents thereof shall not be divulged to third parties.

13. VISITORS.

Members may introduce and entertain quests at meetings and functions organised by the Society except General Meetings, and there shall be kept at the Society premises a Visitors Book which both the member and guest shall sign. The member introducing a guest shall be responsible for his guest strictly observing these rules and the Society By-laws and shall not leave the Society premises before his guest.

No person whose membership has been terminated under rule 4; (d), or whose application for membership has at anytime been rejected shall be introduced as a guest.

14. AMENDMENT TO CONSTITUTION.

These rules may be revoked, added to or altered by a majority of two thirds or more of the members present and qualified to vote at a General Meeting, notice of which has been duly given, specifying the intention to propose the revocation, addition or alteration together with full details thereof.

15. EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY.

Neither the Society nor any officer thereof shall be liable to any member or guest of a member for any loss of or damage to property occurring, from whatever cause, in or about the Society premises; nor for any injury sustained by any member or guest whilst on, entering or leaving Society premises.

16. DISSOLUTION.

If at any General Meeting a resolution for the dissolution of the Society be passed by the majority of the members present and such resolution shall at an Extraordinary General Meeting held not less that three months later, be passed by a majority of two thirds of those present and qualified to vote thereon, The Executive Committee shall thereupon or at such date as may be specified in such resolution proceed to realise the property of the Society and discharge all debts and liabilities.

Should there be any surplus of funds after the discharge of all debts and liabilities and all costs of winding up have been deducted, the Executive Committee shall prescribe that any surplus be divided and given or transferred to the "Police Benevolent Funds" of the North East.

17. INTERPRETATION.

In any question concerning the interpretation of these rules, or the Society By-laws, or in any matter not provided for by these rules, the ruling of the Executive Committee shall prevail subject to verification at the next General Meeting.

In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires, words importing the masculine gender include the feminine.