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BY-LAWS
(as amended on 5th
February 1965, 3rd May 1967 and 29th January 2003)
The name of the Society shall be "The Anglo Belarusian Society"
(hereinafter called "the Society". Irrespective of its name the Society
intends to cover and receive members from all other constituent parts
of
the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.
II. OBJECTS
The
objects of the Society shall be:
(a) The diffusion,
interchange and publication of knowledge relating to Belarus, its
people
and its culture.
(b) The raising
receiving and holding of monies, properties and assets for the
above-mentioned object,
(c) The promotion of
all other lawful activities as may be conducive or incidental to the
attaining of the above-mentioned objects as shall from time to time be
directed by the Council.
III. CONSTITUTION
The Anglo Belarusian
Society consists of an unlimited number of Members (including corporate
members), whether residents in the United Kingdom or otherwise, elected
as hereinafter provided.
IV.
MEMBERSHIP
Every application
for Membership of the Society shall be submitted as an application form
and accompanied by the current Annual Subscription fee. The Council of
the Society will confirm the applicant's admission as a Member of the
Society unless they believe the applicant's admission would be
prejudicial to the aims of the Society which event the application
shall
be referred by the Council the Annual General Meeting for a decision.
Members
may resign by a written resignation addressed to the Secretary.
The Council may, after giving the Member as opportunity of explaining,
terminate his Membership, if:
(a) a Member, by his
conduct, either within the Society or in any sphere of his activities,
is behaving in a manner prejudicial to the By-laws, objects or good
name
of the Society; or
(b) a Member fails
to pay the Annual Subscriptions for more than one year
V. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION
The Annual
Subscription for Members shall be a sum of money determined by the
Council from time to time. Annual Subscriptions are due by the time of
every Annual General
Meeting.
VI. PATRONS, THR
PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENTS
The Council may from
time to time invite such persons as are prepared to lend their names,
influence and other assistance to the furtherance of the objects of the
Society, to become Patrons, Presidents and Vice-Presidents of the
Society.
Patrons, President
and Vice-Presidents of the Society shall be entitled to attend all
meetings of the Council and express their views.
VII. THE OFFICERS
The governing body
of the Society shall consist of a Council comprising a Chairman, such
number of Vice-Chairman as the Society may from time to time elect, a
Treasurer, a Secretary, and a number of co-opted Members which shall
not
exceed one third of the total of elected Members and who shall be
entitled to exercise full voting rights. The Council will have the
management and direction of all the affairs of the Society, subject to
the control of a General Meeting.
Prior to each Annual
General Meeting the Council shall propose a list of Officers for the
ensuing year, by fourteen days notice in writing to the Members, and a
vote on a show of hands shall take place at the Annual General Meeting.
VIII. THE CHAIRMAN
AND VICE-CHAIRMAN
The duty of the
Chairman shall be to take the Chair at every meeting of the Society and
the Council, to regulate and keep order in all the proceedings, and to
carry into effect the By-laws of the Society.
In the absence of
the Chairman, one of the Vice-Chairman or the Secretary shall take the
Chair, and in the case of the absence of those officers, another Member
of Council shall take the Chair.
The Chairman or
acting Chairman shall not vote on any questions brought before the
meeting, except where a casting vote be necessary, in which case he
shall give such casting vote.
IX. TREASURER AND THE
TRUSTEES
The Treasure and the
Chairman shall be ex-officio the Trustees of the Society, and the funds
of the Society shall be vested in their names.
The Treasurer shall
keep a regular account of receipts and payments in the mode which may
seem most proper to the Council, who shall have the direction and
control of the money in his hands.
The accounts of the
Treasurer may, when necessary, be audited by an auditor chosen by the
Society at the Annual General Meeting. The auditor shall report at the
following Annual General Meeting the particulars of the receipts and
expenditure of the past year and the general state of the funds and
property of the Society.
X. THE COUNCIL
The Council shall
meet at such times as shall be appointed by the Chairman or, in his
absence, by one of the Vice-Chairmen, the Treasurer or the Secretary,
due and sufficient notice being previously given.
No business shall be
transacted in Council unless there be three or more members present.
The method of voting
in Council shall be by show of hands or by secret ballot if two members
so request. The majority of votes shall decide every question, and in
the case of an equality of votes the question shall be decided by a
casting vote of the Chairman. Any Member of Council who shall be
personally interested in the question before the Council shall withdraw
during the consideration and decision of the same. The Chairman on
behalf of the Council shall present and cause to be read to the Annual
General Meeting a report on the general concerns of the Society for the
preceding year.
Minutes of the
proceedings of the Council shall be taken by the Secretary. They shall
be read over the next meeting and sighed by the Chairman or Acting
Chairman as correct. The Council may appoint sub-committees and such
committees as it may think fit, with such terms of reference and powers
to act as it may determine.
The existence of a
vacancy in the function of the Officers shall not invalidate the
proceedings of the Council.
XI. THE SECRETARY
The duty of the
Secretary or acting Secretary shall be to attend all meetings of the
Society and of the Council, to take minutes of all proceedings and
record them. He shall also take steps to provide papers to be read at
the meetings. He shall also carry out such functions as the
Council may reasonably require
XII. INCOME AND
PROPERTY
The income and
property of the Society, wheresoever derived, shall be applied solely
towards the promotion of the objects of the Society as set out in these
By-laws, and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred directly
or
indirectly, by way of dividend, gift, division, bonus or otherwise by
way of profit to the Members of the Society, except by way of repayment
of out-of-pocket expenses.
XIII. ANNUAL GENERAL
MEETINGS
These shall be held
for the transaction of the general business of the Society. The minutes
of the last Annual General Meeting shall be read and signed as correct,
a statement of the accounts presented, the election of the members
shall
take place, announcements made and papers read and discussed. The
decision of the Chairman upon all questions of order and the conduct of
the meeting shall be final.
The Quorum for the
Annual General Meeting shall be five members.
Notices of an Annual
General Meeting accompanied by the agenda must be posted to all the
Members fourteen days before the day fixed for the meeting.
XIV. EXTRAORDINARY
GENERAL MEETING
The Council may from
time to time call a Extraordinary General Meeting when it seems to them
necessary. Notices containing the draft resolution must be posted to
all
the Members fourteen days before the day fixed for the meeting.
XV. DISTRIBUTION OF
PROPERTY ON DISSOLUTION
If, upon the winding
up or dissolution of the Society there remains, after the satisfaction
of all its debts and liabilities, any property whatsoever, the same
shall not be paid to or distributed among the Members of the Society
but
shall be given with charitable intent to the Francis Skaryna Belarusian
Library in London or any other charitable institution having objects
similar to the objects of the Society or any of them.
XVII. ALTERATION OF
THE BY-LAWS
The Council may at
any General Meeting propose the enactment of any new By-law or
alteration or repeal of any existing By-law. Any two members may
recommend to the Council the adoption, alteration of repeal of any
By-law. Such recommendation shall be considered at the next meeting of
the Council and tabled at the next General Meeting.
Any adoption,
alteration or repeal of any By-law shall be made by a two-thirds
majority of the Members present at a General Meeting.
XVII. INTERPRETATION OF THE BY-LAWS
The
Council shall have power to determine any question that may arise
concerning the interpretation of these By-laws. |
