Constitution

ST ANDREWS FAIRTRADE TOWN CAMPAIGN CONSTITUTION
(ratified by membership on 5th July 2005)

NAME

The name of the group shall be 'St Andrews Fairtrade Town Campaign'.

OBJECTIVES

The primary aim of the group is to achieve and maintain Fairtrade Town status for St Andrews, as detailed in the Fairtrade Foundation's Fairtrade Town Goals and Action Pack. The Fairtrade Foundation monitors this status annually.

The group will also perform an educational role as and when requested by other interested parties by giving talks and providing literature as available. The group may involve itself in other areas and with other organisations to promote fair trade as required.

AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION AND OBJECTIVES

This constitution may be amended by a vote of three-quarters of the total membership at an AGM. However, the AGM may not under any circumstances reduce the proportion of members necessary to change this constitution. A copy of the new constitution, signed by the office-bearers, shall be forwarded to the Fairtrade Foundation within 7 days of any amendment being voted in.

MEMBERSHIP

Members will be those who have expressed a commitment to promoting the objectives of the group. All members have the right to be involved in all decision-making and have voting rights. Each member will have one vote, the exception being the Chairperson, who will not take part in a vote unless the vote is tied. S/he will in this event have a deciding vote, which will be binding.

OFFICE BEARERS

There will be four elected posts, namely:
o Chairperson
o Vice-Chairperson
o Secretary
o Treasurer
These posts will be elected annually at a general meeting of the group. During this part of the AGM, the chair will be taken by a member who is neither an existing nor a prospective office-bearer.

MEETINGS

The group will meet bi-monthly for the conduct of normal business. Additional meetings may be called by members by giving at least one week's notice to the Secretary. The Secretary shall communicate (by phone/voicemail, email or post - it will be the members' responsibility to check their voicemails, etc) to members, at least a week in advance, the date, time and location of all meetings.

Meetings may be held at any venue agreed by members. A member of Fife Council and/or a member of St Andrews Community Council will be invited to attend meetings. Neither the Fife Councillor nor the Community Councillor will have a vote unless they are also members of the group. Nor shall any other non-member attending a meeting have a vote.

FINANCE

Fund raising will be carried out as needed to facilitate the ongoing business of the group. All monies raised by the group shall be used to further the above-noted objectives of the group and for no other purposes.

The group will open a bank account in the name of the group with a Bank or Building Society as the group shall from time to time decide. The group shall authorise in writing at least three of its members, one of whom shall be the Treasurer, to sign cheques on behalf of the group. All cheques must be signed by no fewer than two of the three or more authorised signatories.

In carrying out its activities, the group shall not incur such debts as will leave it insolvent.

The Treasurer shall be responsible for keeping proper accounts of the finances of the group and will give reports at meetings.

The financial year of the group shall run from AGM to AGM. The Treasurer will present a financial statement at the AGM. This statement, along with the relevant accounts, will be audited at least once a year, no later than a month after the AGM, by an independent, qualified accountant. Any changes to the statement and accounts requested by the auditor will be communicated to members within a month of the auditor communicating them to the Treasurer.

On dissolution of the group any assets remaining after all debts and liabilities have been discharged will be handed to the Fairtrade Foundation, currently Suite 204, 16 Baldwin Gardens, London EC1N 7RJ, to be administered in a manner which is exclusively charitable at law.

Updated: 26th August 2010