The Friends of St James the Great, Thorley
CONSTITUTION
As Adopted on 21st February 1983 and Amended on 18th March 1984 and 1st October 2021
1. The name of the Association shall be 'The Friends of St. James the Great, Thorley'.
2. The objects of the Association shall be to help and support the Rector and Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. James the Great, Thorley (subject to any necessary faculties being obtained) to:-
(a) maintain and embellish the fabric, furnishing and fittings of St. James the Great, Thorley.
(b) maintain, protect and beautify the churchyard of the said Church.
3. Membership shall be open to anyone professing support of the objects.
4. The Officers shall be a Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary.
5. The management shall be in the hands of a Committee consisting of two members appointed by the Parochial Church Council of St. James' (the appointed members) and six members elected by the Association (the elected members). A President and one or more Vice Presidents may be appointed, if desired, at any Annual General Meeting. The Committee may co-opt additional members as necessary and invite the Incumbent to be an ex-officio member.
6. The appointed members of the Committee shall be appointed annually by the Parochial Church Council. The elected members of the Committee shall be elected at the Annual Meeting of the Association but retiring members of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election. The Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer shall be appointed by the Committee.
7. The Annual Meeting shall take place in the month of March and the Accounts will be made up to 31st December in every year.
8. Special Meetings must be convened by the Secretary upon a request by the Committee or members upon a similar notice which shall state the business to be considered at the meeting. At the Annual Meeting (or Special Meeting) every member including the Chairman shall have one vote and in the case of equality of votes the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote. The Committee shall meet every 3 months and additionally as required and shall appoint a Chairman to preside at such meetings. Each member including the Chairman shall have one vote and in the case of equality of votes the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote. The Committee may determine that any Annual General, Special General or Committee Meeting be held entirely online or as a hybrid meeting with attendance both in person and online.
9. Until otherwise determined by a General Meeting, the minimum annual subscription shall be £5.00. Subscriptions become due on 1st January.
10. Notices to members (other than notices of meetings of the Committee) shall be deemed sufficient if published in such form and such manner as the Committee shall determine and posted on both Church Notice Boards, provided that at least seven days' notice shall be given of all General Meetings.
11. Until otherwise determined by a General Meeting six members present shall form a quorum at General Meetings and four at a meeting of the Committee.
12. The Secretary shall:-
(a) Issue all notices of Meetings.
(b) Keep minutes of all Meetings.
(c) Keep a record of membership and report thereon when required to do so by the Committee.
(d) Perform such other duties as usually pertain to the office of Secretary.
13. All sums collected shall be handed over to the Treasurer who shall pay the same into a bank account in the name of the Friends of St James the Great, Thorley. The Treasurer shall account for any monies collected to the Annual Meeting and when required to do so by the Committee. He shall also perform such duties as usually pertain to his office. All cheques must be signed by at least two members of the Committee.
14. The trustees shall invest any monies not required for the immediate purposes of the Association in securities in which trust money may by law be invested with power from time to time to transpose such investments.
15. The Committee may from time to time in pursuance of the objects of the Association make grants out of the surplus funds of the Association towards expenditure incurred or to be incurred by the Parochial Church Council and deemed by the Committee to be in conformity with those objects.
16. Alterations to this Constitution shall receive the assent of two-thirds of the members participating in and voting at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting convened for the purpose. Provided that no alterations to clause 2 (objects), 18 (dissolution) or this clause shall take effect until the approval of the Charity Commissioners or other authority having charitable jurisdiction shall have been obtained, and no alteration shall be made which would have the effect of causing the Association to cease to be a charity at law.
17. All members of the Friends shall accept this Constitution and shall abide by it while they remain in membership. Any question or interpretation of the Constitution shall be a matter for the Committee.
18. In the event of the Association being dissolved, any assets remaining after satisfying any outstanding debts and liabilities shall not be distributed among members of the Association, but shall be used for such charitable purposes or given or transferred to such other charitable institution or institutions having objects similar to some or all of the objects of the Association as the Association may, with the approval of the Charity Commissioners or other Authority having charitable jurisdiction, determine.