THE TADWORTH AND WALTON-ON-THE-HILL RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION
CONSTITUTION, RULES AND STANDING ORDERS1. The Association shall be called “The Tadworth and Walton-on-the-Hill Residents’ Association”.
2. The objects of the Association are the welfare of the community in Tadworth and Walton-on-the-Hill, the good government of the district, and the preservation and improvement of its amenities. These objects shall be attained by:-
a) Discussing at meetings of its members matters of importance to the district.
b) Taking such action as may be necessary to give effect to resolutions passed at such meetings.
3. Membership of the Association shall be open to all Residents of the Ward of Tadworth and Walton-on-the-Hill of 18 years of age and over but to no others. Membership and Life Membership shall include a member’s spouse or partner and any surviving spouse or partner.
4. The management of the Association shall be vested in a Committee consisting of not more than 18 elected members of the Association. Four seats on the Committee shall be reserved for Tadworth residents and four for Walton-on-the-Hill residents and if not filled will be held open available for future nominations. In the event of a Committee member moving between Tadworth and Walton-on-the-Hill he/she shall continue to occupy the reserved seat for the remainder of the Association’s year. The remaining ten places will be filled by nominees elected at the AGM or co-opted by the Committee irrespective of their residence as provided by Clause 10. The Committee shall meet at regular intervals; the quorum for such meetings to be 3 Officers and 4 other members.
5. The Committee shall be elected at the AGM and shall hold office for one year. Nominations for the Committee must be sent to the Hon. Secretary in writing not less than three days before the date of the meeting. Election en bloc to the Committee is acceptable provided a Resolution to that effect is first adopted by the Meeting save and except that any Member of the Committee co-opted to the Committee since the previous AGM must be proposed and elected individually by the Meeting.
6. The Officers of the Association shall be a President, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary and Assistant Secretary. The Officers of the Association shall be elected by the Committee.
7. The Committee shall have all the usual powers of management and in particular the authority to take any action it considers advisable to protect and advance the Objects of the Association.
8. An Investment Committee consisting of the Officers of the Association shall have the power to invest surplus funds in the Association’s name within the provisions of the Trustee Investments Act 1961, as amended, a quorum for this Committee shall be 3.
9. The Annual General Meeting shall be held not later than 31st May in each year, when a report of the past year’s work, and of finance, shall be presented, and the auditor or independent examiner for the ensuing year be appointed.
10. The Committee shall have the power to fill vacancies on the Committee by co-opting members to serve until the next AGM. The Committee shall also have the power to form sub-committees to which it may co-opt other members of the Association.
11. No member of the Association elected to any Local Government Authority or holding office in a political organisation shall be eligible to become and elected member of the Committee.
12. A Special General Meeting of the Association may be called by the Committee or on the requisition of not less than twenty subscribing members, such requisition to state the objects for which the meeting is to be called, and to be delivered to the Secretary. Any such meeting must be called within one month of the Committee’s decision or of the date of the requisition.
13. The business of each Special General Meeting shall be stated on the Agenda, and no business may be transacted other than that for which the meeting is called.
14. All General Meetings of the Association shall be open to its members and to the Press. The need for the Committee to provide adequate Notice of any General Meeting shall be satisfied by a Notice being displayed at various public locations in Tadworth and Walton-on-the-Hill at least fourteen days before the date of the Meeting. Notwithstanding this, although every effort will be made to notify members individually, this cannot be and is not guaranteed.
15. No party politics shall be introduced at any meeting of the Association save and except in giving consideration to clause 17 and for no other reason.
16. A Special Meeting of the Committee shall be convened on a written request being made to the Secretary by not less than four members of the Committee.
17. At a General Meeting the Association may nominate candidates for election to the Reigate and Banstead Borough Council and may contribute to the election expenses of such a candidate such sums of money as the Committee may approve. Any such nominee would stand as a Residents Association candidate not affiliate to any political party.
18. The books of the Association shall be made available for inspection by members provided that notice, in writing, be given to the Secretary.
19. Alterations in, or additions to, the Constitution, Rules and Standing Orders shall only be made at an Annual General Meeting by a resolution, notice of which has been given to the Secretary on or before 31st January in each year, and which, when submitted to the Meeting is passed by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting.
20. Each member of the Association is entitled to receive a copy of the Constitution Rules and Standing Orders.
21. The Annual Subscription to the Association shall be not less than £2 due on 1st January, the first year’s subscription to be paid at the time of joining. Subscriptions of members joining in December shall cover membership for the following financial year, which shall end on 31st December.
22. Any person eligible for membership may be elected a Life Member on payment of twenty pounds and upwards.
23. It shall be the responsibility of a member to remit his/her subscription during the calendar year and if it is not received by the date of the Annual General Meeting following with or without application then such membership may be held to have lapsed at the discretion of the Committee.
1. All motions shall be submitted in writing before being placed on the Agenda save and except that the AGM and any adjournment thereof in the case of a matter of urgent and significant public importance as to which the Chairman shall be the sole judge and his decision shall be final a motion may be proposed without previous notice but such motions shall not be declared carried unless passed by three-quarters majority of those present and voting.
2. The proposer of a motion shall be allowed up to fifteen minutes for his/her speech. The seconder and all succeeding speakers, five minutes each. The seconder may be allowed to reserve his speech.
3. No members shall be permitted to speak more than once on the same motion, except the proposer, who shall have the right to reply, but shall not introduce any fresh matter.
4. All amendments to motions shall be submitted to the Chairman in writing. No member shall be at liberty to move more than one amendment upon any motion.
5. When an amendment is made to any motion, no second amendment shall be considered until the first is disposed of, if the amendment is carried it shall be put as a substantive motion, upon which a further amendment may be moved; if the amendment be negative, then a further amendment to the original resolution may be moved.
A motion “that the question be now put” may be moved at the end of any speech, and shall be moved, seconded and put to the meeting without debate, but shall not be declared carried unless three-fourths of the meeting voting are in its favour. The mover of the original motion shall, however, have the right to reply.
6. When an amendment is under discussion, this motion shall lonely apply to that amendment, and shall not be taken on the original resolution until all amendments have been disposed of.
7. A motion of “ the previous question” shall, for all purposes of order, be dealt with as an amendment.
8. Every resolution shall be voted upon a show of hands; no division shall be taken unless the vote is challenged.
9. The Chairman may give a casting vote.
10. The decision of the Chairman on any point of procedure shall be final.