Our New constitution

BRISTOL 1904 ARTS

(Formerly known as BRISTOL SAVAGES)

The Foundation Members were: Ernest H. Ehlers, Thomas Kingston, Lowry Lewis, George Lingford, W. Evans Linton, FAS. Locke, Stanley Uoyd, J. Miller Marshall, A. Wilde Parsons, W.H. Quick, Frank Stonelake.

RULES

1. Name and Objectives

The name of the Society is BRISTOL 1904 ARTS and its objectives are the appreciation and encouragement of the Arts including the fine and applied arts, music and the performing arts.

2. Membership

Membership shall comprise: (a) Artist members (b) Entertainment members (c) General members

3. General Meetings

(1) The Annual General Meeting shall be held on the last Wednesday of September in each calendar year (or in such other month in that year as the Management Committee may direct) and be called on not less than 28 days' written notice to the members, to receive reports and hold elections as necessary. (2) The Management Committee may summon, in writing, a General Meeting at any time on not less than 28 days' notice to members. (3) The Management Committee shall, upon a requisition signed by not less than 20 members with a proposed resolution, summon a General Meeting on not less than 28 days' notice of the meeting and of the proposed resolution. (4) Any alteration to these Rules may be proposed by the Management Committee or by any member with the written support of 20 other members and shall be submitted to all members at a General Meeting, a copy of the proposed alteration having been sent to all members with the notice of the meeting. (5) Any alteration or resolution under Rules 3(3) or 3(4) may be carried by a majority of at least two thirds of the members present and voting at the General Meeting. (6) The quorum for any General Meeting shall be 40 members. (7) On an equality of votes at any meeting the chair of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.

4. Officers

(1) The Officers of the Society shall be the following: The

President

The Chair

The Secretary or two Joint Secretaries

The Finance Manager

The Marketing Manager

The Operations Manager

The Property Manager

The Entertainment Warden

The Art Warden

The Members' Representative (2) Election of Officers: (a) The Chair shall be elected to serve for a term of three years, all other Officers being elected to serve for a term of one year. (b) The Chair shall be elected from a nomination supported by at least five members of the Society and must be received by a Secretary no later than 50 days before the date of the Annual General Meeting and if more than one nomination is received, a Secretary shall hold a ballot of the members (which may be carried out by email) for ratification at the next Annual General Meeting. (c) The President shall be elected from a nomination supported by at least five members of the Society and must be received by a Secretary no later than 50 days before the date of the Annual General Meeting. If more than one nomination is received, a Secretary shall hold a ballot of the members (which may be carried out by email) for ratification at the next Annual General Meeting. (d) Each other Officer shall be elected at an Annual General Meeting from a nomination supported by two members of the Society and received by a Secretary no later than 14 days before the Annual General Meeting and if more than one nomination is received for the same role, a ballot of members present shall take place at the Annual General Meeting. (e) After completing their terms of office, all Officers shall be eligible for election as an Officer except that, without the approval of the Management Committee: (i) neither the Chair nor the President shall be eligible for re-election tothe same role for at least a year and (ii) the maximum number of consecutive years that a member of the Society may serve as an Officer is five.

5. The Management Committee

(1) The affairs of the Society shall be managed by the Management Committee whose members shall comprise the Officers of the Society. In the event of two Joint Secretaries, both are to be regarded as Officers. (2) The quorum for any Management Committee meetings shall be 6 members. (3) The members present at a meeting of the Management Committee will elect a chair for that meeting if the

Chair is not present. (4) Vacancies on the Management Committee: (a) The Management Committee may appoint a member of the Society to fill any casual vacancy on the Committee until the next Annual General Meeting. (b) Any member so appointed must retire at the next Annual General Meeting but may be elected as an Officer at that meeting. (5) The Management Committee may co-opt one member of the Society who shall serve until the next Annual

General Meeting and who shall be entitled to vote at Committee Meetings.

6. Financial year, Accounts and Auditor

(1) The Society's financial year runs to the end of September. Annual Accounts must be presented each year and adopted at a General Meeting no later than the 3 Ist December of that year. (2) At the Annual General Meeting a member not serving as an Officer shall be elected as the Auditor for the following year.

7. Election of Members

(1) An application for membership must state: (a) The applicant's name and address. (b) That the applicant has been given a copy of these Rules, supports the objectives of the Society and agrees to be bound by the Rules upon admission to membership, (c) That the applicant consents to the Society holding and using relevant data in compliance with current data protection legislation and the current needs of the Society. (2) Election to Membership (a) Applicants must be nominated by any two members to whom they are personally known. (b) All applications for membership shall be notified to all members of the Society prior to an applicant becoming a member. Any member objecting to an applicant becoming a member shall give reasons to a Secretary within 21 days. The Secretary will immediately notify the Management Committee of any objections and the matter will be discussed by the committee before a final decision is made to admit or decline the application. (3) Artist member elections

The Artist membership shall define from time to time the requirements for election as an Artist member, including assessment of an applicant's artistic work.

(4) Entertainment member elections

The Entertainment membership shall define from time to time the requirements for election as an

Entertainment member, including assessment of perfomances by an applicant. (5) General member elections

After three weeks have elapsed from the date of the notification to members, the Management Committee may elect all such applicants receiving a majority of votes in Committee. Membership shall commence upon election.

8. Membership subscriptions

The annual subscriptions shall be determined from time to time by the Management Committee, subject to ratification at a General Meeting. Subscriptions shall be due on joining and on the Ist October in each year. A member whose subscription shall remain unpaid on the 30th November in that year shall be deemed to have resigned. A new member who has not paid within 60 days of being advised of their becoming a new member is deemed to have forfeited this new membership.

9. Other Membership

(1) The Management Committee may appoint: (a) to Life Membership, as the highest honour achievable as a member of the Society, a member who has given long and eminent service to the Society, such Life Members not to exceed 20 in number and not being liable to pay a subscription. (b) as a Distinguished Member, a member whom the Management Committee wishes so to honour, such members not to exceed 15 in number and being liable to pay the full subscription applicable to the member's class of membership. (c) to Honorary Membership someone who may attend meetings but shall not be entitled to vote, such members not exceeding I Oin number and not being liable to pay a subscription. (2) Temporary Membership - a visitor may be made a temporary member for one day provided that their name has been recorded by a Secretary not less than 2 days before attendance.

10. Guests

(1) A member of the Society may introduce guests to ordinary meetings but the same guest may not be invited more than three times in six months. Guests and host members must together sign the visitor's book. (2) The Management Committee may designate as having 'Freedom of the Society' a former member who has given service to the Society and whose health or place of residence restricts or prevents attendance. The member shall then be entitled to attend meetings or functions when possible but shall not be entitled to vote.

11. Friends

The Management Committee may invite an individual to become a Friend of the Society with such privileges and under such conditions as the Committee may lay down from time to time.

12. Notices

(I) Any notice required or allowed to be given to any member under these Rules is validly given if written and:

(a) sent by post to that member's most recent address given to the Society (in which case it is deemed given to the member 3 days after posting); or (b) given to that member personally; or (c) sent by email to that member's most recent email address given to the Society. (2) Any notice required or allowed to be given by any member to a Secretary under these Rules is validly given if written and sent by post or email to a Secretary at the postal or email address of the Society most recently notified to members. It is deemed given when actually received at that postal or email address.

13. Trustees and Property

(1) The property of the Society, other than cash at the bank, shall be vested in not less than two and not more than four Trustees who shall hold the property upon trust for the members of the Society in accordance with the directions of the Management Committee. (2) The Trustees shall deal with the property as directed by resolution of the Management Committee and entry in the minute book shall be conclusive evidence of such resolution. (3) The Trustees shall be members and nominated by the Management Committee and shall hold office until death or resignation unless removed by resolution of the Committee. (4) The President is nominated as the person to appoint new Trustees within the meaning of section 36 of the

Trustee Act 1925 and the President shall by deed duly appoint the person or persons so nominated as the new

Trustee or Trustees. 14.Use of the Society's name

Members shall not use the name of Bristol 1904 Arts in any advertisement or circular or for any professional purpose save that Artist and Entertainment members may refer to their class of membership.

15. Employment and Other Contracts

(1) The Society may engage employees on such terms as the Management Committee decides. (2) All contracts of employment will be made by a Secretary and will state that the Secretary is the employer on behalf of the Society for the time being. (3) A Secretary may enter into contracts as agent for the members with the approval of the Management

Committee. (4) All other contracts between the Society and any other person are made by the Trustees as agents for the members unless the Management Committee instead authorises any one or more of the Officers to enter into a contract as agent for the members.

16. Indemnities and limitation of liability

(I) Full indemnity out of the Society funds is given to: (a) Trustees against all payments and other liabilities properly incurred by them as Trustees. (b) The Officers against all payments and other liabilities properly incurred by them in the exercise of their duties or powers for the Society.

(c) Every Trustee, Officer or other member entering into any contract on behalf of the members against all payments and other liabilities properly incurred by them in connection with that contract. (2) The liability of Trustees, Officers or other members entering into any contract for the Society and the liability of any members on whose behalf the contract is made is limited to the assets of the Society.

17. Borrowing powers

(1) The Management Committee may from time to time authorise the borrowing of money by the Society for the purposes of the

Society for generalupkeep or with the sanction of a General Meeting, for any other expenditure, additions or improvements. (2) When so borrowing the Committee shall have power to raise in any way, any sum or sums of money and to raise and secure the repayment of such sums in such manner or on such terms and conditions as they think fit and in particular by mortgage of or charge upon all or any part of the property of the Society.

18. Expulsion The Management Committee shall have power to expel a member when, in their opinion, it would not be in the interests of the Society for them to remain a member. A member shall not be expelled unless given not less than 14 days written notice to attend a meeting of the Committee and written details of the complaint made against them. The membermay attend before the Committee to answer such complaint and shall not be expelled unless at least two thirds of the Committee then present vote in favour of expulsion. 19. Dissolution

(1) The Society may be dissolved by a resolution passed by a two thirds majority of the members voting when the vote is taken but only if there is at least 50% of the current membership voting in favour of the resolution. (2) The resolution takes effect immediately unless it expressly states that it is to take effect on a specified date not more than 4 weeks later. (3) As soon as the resolution takes effect the Management Committee must pay or otherwise settle all debts and other liabilities of the Society. All monies and assets remaining shall be distributed amongst such charitable societies and like institutions as the

Management Committee shall think fit.