RoADAR Northeast

RoadaAdmin

Dear Members,

The following constitution was agreed in principle by the members present at this years AGM. This is pending approval from HQ. We will inform you of HQ's decision as soon as we receive it.

EDIT: Confirmation has been received from HQ that our constitution (below) has been approved. (May 2008)

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RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders Northeast Group Constitution

1. The name of the Group shall be the Northeast Group of the RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders (hereafter called 'the Group').

2. The aims of the Group shall be to encourage interest in road safety, to improve driving/riding standards and in particular to help drivers/riders pass the Organisation's advanced driving test.

3. Application for full membership is open to all members of the RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders Organisation, that is, anyone who has passed the Organisation's advanced driving/riding test at any grade, on payment of an annual subscription the amount of which shall be determined by the Group's Committee. Associate membership of the Group is open to people who wish to take the Organisation's advanced driving/riding test. All subscriptions become due on March 31st each year. New members who join after October 1st will not be expected to pay renewals for the first March that passes. Members who reside outside of the Northeast will not be guaranteed tutoring from the Group’s tutors: this area is defined as lying between Middlesbrough in the South, Carlisle in the West and Boulmer in the North.

4. People in all grades of membership and whose subscriptions to the Group are current are entitled to vote.

5. The management of the Group shall be vested in a committee consisting of a chairman, a secretary, a treasurer, a training officer, and up to ten other elected members, all being aged eighteen or over. The committee shall be elected annually at a general meeting of the Group and shall consist of no more than fourteen members. The committee shall meet at intervals of approximately one month and at least six times in any twelve month period. The meetings are to be called by the chairman with a notice of at least two weeks. The secretary shall have the responsibility for the keeping of minutes. Each member has a vote on all matters. Five members shall constitute a quorum.

6. The committee may appoint a suitable person to be a non executive President of the Group. The President shall not therefore be a trustee and shall have no voting rights.

7. The committee shall have power to:
(i) co-opt any member of the Group for a special purpose, the tenure of such a co-opted member to terminate at the next AGM;

(ii) fill any casual vacancy which may occur in any office or in order to make up the number of its members;

(iii) make standing orders for the governing of the Group provided that they shall not be inconsistent with the provisions thereof;

(iv) be responsible for the normal running of the Group and its activities and

(v) put forward to the Group the names of persons who have served the Group well for election to Honorary or Life Members as the Group may determine.

8. The committee shall open banking or other accounts in the name of the Group with such bank and/or similar organisation as the committee may select. Monies received by the officials of the committee on behalf of the members of the Group or others shall be paid into such account or accounts. Cheques shall be signed by any two of three named officers of the committee. The treasurer shall be responsible for reimbursing any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by a member of the committee while on committee business.

9. An Annual General Meeting shall be held in March and this shall be notified to all members at least three weeks before the appointed date. Twelve members eligible to vote shall form a quorum at the AGM or at any Special General Meeting. The secretary shall be responsible for summoning general meetings and for the keeping of minutes of a general meeting. The treasurer shall be responsible for arranging an annual audit of the accounts and shall present the audited accounts at the AGM.

10. Alteration to this Constitution shall receive the assent of two thirds of the members present and eligible to vote at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting. A resolution for the alteration of the Constitution must be received by the secretary at least twenty-one days before the meeting at which the resolution is to be brought forward. At least fourteen days notice of such a meeting must be given by the secretary to the membership and must include notice of the alteration proposed.

11. If a member of the Organisation is convicted of a serious traffic offence the Chief Examiner may expel them from membership. If this occurs, the Group committee must remove the person from Full membership of the Group. At a later date to be decided by the committee that person may be admitted to Associate membership of the Group. If an Associate member is similarly convicted of a serious traffic offence the Committee has the power to expel them from the Group. Their rejoining the Group after a suitable time will be at the discretion of the committee. The committee must discuss such cases with HQ before taking any action. The committee has the power to expel any Associate or Full member from membership of the Group for misconduct prejudicial to the aims of the Group or of the Organisation but such persons should be given the opportunity to present their case to the committee.

12. The Group may be dissolved by a resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of those present and eligible to vote at a Special General Meeting convened for the purpose of which twenty one days notice shall have been given to the members. Such resolution should give instructions for the disposal of the assets held by or in the name of the Group, provided that if any property or assets remain after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities such property shall not be paid to nor distributed among the members of the Group but must be given or transferred to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (Registered Charity No 207823) for dispersal to other Groups or to such other charitable institution or institutions having aims similar to some or all the aims of the Group as the Group may determine and if and in so far as effect cannot be given to this provision then to some other charitable purpose. :lol: