Group Constitution

LowerBurghMeadow badge logo #1 LOWER BURGH MEADOW CONSERVATION GROUP CONSTITUTION

1. Name                                                                                                                                               The group will be called Lower Burgh Meadow Conservation Group and will be referred to as “the group” for the purpose of this document.

2. Aims and Objectives.                                                                                                           

  • Monitor and record the flora and fauna of Lower Burgh Meadow, ensuring records are shared with local, regional and national charities and groups as appropriate.
  • Work closely with Chorley Council and other partners to carry out a planned programme of practical conservation work to enhance the ecology of Lower Burgh Meadow.
  • Raise awareness of the ecology of Lower Burgh Meadow through events, displays in the visitor centre, and other educational materials.
  • The group define ‘conservation’ as ‘enhancing’, not strictly as ‘keeping entire’ or ‘unchanging’.
  • Be represented at the Yarrow Valley Country Park Advisory Group.
  • Fundraise to further the aims and objectives of the group.

3. Membership  Membership will be open to anyone aged over 16 years of age, members under 16 years of age are welcome and must be accompanied by a Parent or Guardian. All members will be subject to regulations of the constitution and by joining the group will be deemed to accept these regulations and codes of conduct that the group has adopted. Membership will be open to anybody regardless of sex, disability, ethnicity, nationality, religion and other beliefs.

4. Membership Fees Membership will be by a payment of Subscription, the amount decided by members at each AGM. New members joining the group will pay a percentage relative to the time left in the year they joined.

5. Officers of Lower Burgh Meadow Conservation Group The officers of the group will be Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Officers and will be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). All Officers will retire each year but will be eligible for re-appointment. The Committee has the right to create other posts that will aid the running of the group. The Officers of the group are able to make a decision for and on behalf of group members, outside a meeting, should an instance occur. The said Officers will by a majority of the vote, 2 or 3 for, will have the Decision.

6) Yearly work plan. The method for developing the group’s yearly work plan, will be as follows :-  The group secretary will ask at each of the group’s June meeting for suggestions for the following year’s work plan, to be sent in by the start of the group’s July meeting. The group will at each July meeting, go through all the suggestions. The group will then choose a member to put a suggested work plan together for the following year. That work plan will be gone through at the group’s August meeting. The agreed work plan will then be sent to Chorley Council early September for their approval.

Group members will then on any work day follow the work plan, which has already been agreed. A chosen member will give the members that attend a work day from 10am, a brief on the day’s work ahead.  If in the process of any work day, any member who would like a alteration to the work plan, must state their case and any member opposed to the alteration states their case, the members present on that work day take a vote, the majority vote will take the decision. In the case of a tied vote, the secretary present at the work day, will have an additional casting vote.

7. Group management. The group will be managed by the Chair Person, Vice Chair person, Secretary, Treasurer and members attending the group meetings. The committee will be made up of Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and a maximum of 10 committee members. Any Vote that needs to be taken to reach a decision, will be by a show of hands, for, against and abstentions. All members over the age of 16 attending the meeting will be eligible to vote. The majority vote will be the decision taken. The quorum for business at the meeting will be 3. The committee meeting will only be for committee members of the group. Any decision made in the committee meeting will be reported back to the group meeting. The Committee will be responsible for adopting new policy, codes of conduct and rules that affect the organisation of the group. The Committee will have powers to appoint sub-committees as necessary and appoint advisors to the Committee as necessary to fulfil its business. The Committee will be responsible for disciplinary hearings of members who infringe the group’s rules/regulations/constitution. The Committee will be responsible for taking any action of suspension or discipline following such hearings. To become eligible to be proposed for a committee position, a member must have attended 4 work days in any 12 month period. Committee members will be proposed and seconded and voted on individually at the groups AGM.

8. Finance All monies will be banked in an account held in the name of Lower Burgh Meadow Conservation Group. The Treasurer will be responsible for the finances of the group. A statement of annual accounts will be presented by the Treasurer at the Annual General Meeting. Any cheques drawn against group funds should hold the signature of the Treasurer plus Chair Person, or Secretary.

9. Annual General Meetings At least 21 days notice will be given by the secretary to group members of a pending annual general meeting. The AGM will receive a report from officers of the Committee and a statement of the audited accounts. Nominations for officers of the Committee will be sent to the Secretary prior to the AGM. Elections of officers and Committee members are to take place at the AGM. To call an Extraordinary General Meeting, a proposer and seconder will be needed. Procedures for EGMs will be the same as for the AGM.

10. Discipline & Appeals All complaints regarding the behaviour of members should be submitted in writing to the Secretary. The Committee will meet to hear complaints. The Committee has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action including the termination of membership. The outcome of a disciplinary hearing should be notified in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the member against whom the complaint was made. There will be the right of appeal to the Committee following disciplinary action being announced.

11. Dissolution A resolution to dissolve the group can only be passed at an AGM or EGM through a majority vote of the membership. In the event of dissolution, any assets of the group that remain will become the property of another group with similar objectives to those of the group.

12. Amendments to the Constitution The Constitution will only be changed through agreement by majority vote at an AGM or EGM.

13. Declaration Lower Burgh Meadow Conservation Group hereby adopts and accepts this constitution as a current operating procedures  regulating the actions of members.

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