STOKE BRUERNE CANAL PARTNERSHIP Revised Constitution Reviewed and re-adopted 13th January 2014 1. 1.1
Purpose The Partnership Board, as constituted below, shall co-ordinate the interests of its members as required, working towards achieving the enhancement of the Canal Corridor in Stoke Bruerne and any reasonable requirements placed upon it by any body.
2. 2.1
Membership The Partnership Board shall consist of representatives of the organisations listed as Appendix A. Representatives of other interested organisations shall be invited to meetings when relevant.
2.2
Membership of the Partnership shall be subject to annual review at the first meeting of the Board in any calendar year. Changes in membership require a 2/3rds majority vote
2.3
Each of the organisations may be represented at Board meetings by either one or two members but shall have only ONE vote, which shall be cast by their nominated delegate. Authorised substitutes are permitted and the Chairman should be notified before the meeting. Others may attend by agreement of the Chair or the Meeting.
3. 3.1
Organisation The Partnership Board shall meet for the purposes set out in 1.1 above, on a monthly basis, or less frequently as dictated by circumstances. The quorum shall consist of a representative from Canal & River Trust, and three voting members.
3.2
At the first meeting of the Partnership Board in any calendar year, it shall elect from its members a Chair and a Vice Chair for that year. The Chair shall preside at all meetings. In the absence of both the Chair and the Vice Chair from a meeting, one of the members present shall be elected Chair for that meeting.
3.3
The business of the Partnership Board shall, as far as possible, be conducted by consensus of the members. If necessary, decisions will be made by simple majority vote. Voting shall be open and by a show of hands. The Chair may vote in all votes and, in the event of a tie, shall have a casting vote. Minutes of Partnership Board meetings will be circulated to all Members and discussed and approved at the subsequent Partnership Board meeting. Approved minutes shall be posted on the Partnership’s website. 1
3.4
The Chair shall convene meetings of the Partnership Board and approve the Agendas.
4. 4.1
Function of the Partnership Board The Partnership Board shall establish such Working Groups as it thinks fit, with agreed terms of reference, and shall receive from the Working Groups relevant proposals and minutes of their meetings.
4.2
Where appropriate, the Partnership Board shall receive from the Working Groups a progress report at each meeting showing progress against programme and, where relevant, cost against budget.
4.3
The Partnership Board shall consider the requirements of each Project, the requirements of the major funders and other relevant matters and, as required, determine measures to meet the overall Project objectives.
4.4
The Partnership Board shall provide the Working Groups with guidance on the delivery of specific items of each Project.
5. 5.1
Administration Board meetings shall be in open forum, subject to 5.2 below. Notice of meetings shall be made on the Partnership’s website and quarterly in the village newsletter GRASS.
5.2
The Board may resolve to go into closed session for matters of a sensitive or commercially confidential nature.
5.3
The Partnership Board shall from time to time make such arrangements as may be necessary to provide secretarial and administrative support. Costs thus incurred shall be funded from specific Project finances.
6. 6.1
Variation The Partnership Board, subject to a two-thirds majority of members present, may amend this Constitution.
7. 7.1
No Formal Partnership Nothing in this document is intended to create any legally binding relationship among the parties, nor a Partnership at law.
Appendix A – Membership 1. Canal & River Trust 2. Stoke Bruerne residents 3. Stoke Bruerne Parish Council 4. Friends of the Canal Museum 5. Canal Museum Management 6. South Northants Council 7. Inland Waterways Association
8. Stoke Bruerne business community 9. BCN Wildlife Trust 10.Northants County Council(information only)
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