Constitution

1. Name:

The society shall be called 'The Lecale & Downe Historical Society.'

2. Aims:

The society is established for charitable purposes only, to assist community by promoting the study of history and environment, and in particular the of the barony of Lecale and adjacent areas in County Down

3. Membership:

The society shall be open to all who subscribe to its aims, are admitted to membership by the committee, and who pay the relevant subscription as shall be decided and reviewed from time to time by the executive committee.
Membership shall lapse if any subscription is unpaid six months after it is due.

4. Honorary membership:

Honorary members may be elected by the society in recognition of outstanding service rendered to the society or its aims.

5. Committee:

At the annual general meeting each year those paid-up and honorary members of the society who are present shall elect an executive committee of ten members to lead and manage its business.
Each member nominated for election to the executive committee must be proposed and seconded by other members present and must have signified their willingness to serve. If nominations exceed the number of vacancies a secret ballot shall take place.
Within two weeks of election the members of the executive committee shall meet to elect its officers, which must include a chairman, vice-chairman, secretary, treasurer, and the holders of such other responsibilities as are deemed to be necessary. The names of all office-holders shall be conveyed to the general membership at their next meeting.
The annual general meeting shall elect an honorary president to serve for a period of three years. That person shall also be a member of the executive committee.
The president shall not be eligible to serve for two successive terms
In the event of a president leaving office before the end of the three year term, a successor shall be elected for a three year term at the following annual general meeting.
The executive committee may fill any vacancies arising amongst its number, except that of honorary president, and may co-opt up to five additional members from among the members of the society.
The chairman of the executive committee shall not be eligible for re-election to that post for more than five successive years.
The executive committee may appoint sub-committees, of which a majority must be members of the executive committee.
The quorum for any meeting of the executive committee shall be four, of whom one must be the chairman, vice-chairman, secretary, or treasurer.
The executive committee shall meet at least twice in each year.

6. Meetings:

General meetings of the society shall be chaired by the president. In the absence of the president the chair shall be assumed by the chairman or vice-chairman of the executive committee, in that order.
In the absence of the chairman, meetings of the executive committee shall be chaired by its vice-chairman or by the president, in that order.
An annual general meeting shall be held in May of each year. The business of the meeting shall include presentation of the minutes of the previous annual general meeting, and of any intervening special general meetings; reception of the committee's report for the previous year and the audited accounts of the society; appointment of the honorary auditor and election of the members of the executive committee.
Special general meetings may be held at any time at the instance of the committee or of not fewer than ten members who submit a request in writing to the secretary and whose membership has at that time been continuous for at least twelve months.
Notification of any special general meeting of the society, specifying the business to be transacted, shall be transmitted by post to all members seven clear days before the said meeting. Accidental omission to give notice of any meeting to, or non-receipt of notice of any meeting by any member shall not invalidate the proceedings at that meeting.
Ordinary general meetings of the society shall be held from time to time at the instance of the committee.
All meetings of the society must be called by the secretary or chairman, acting for the committee, or by such other of its members as the committee may decide.
At any meeting each paid-up member being an individual person shall have one vote.
The quorum for any general meeting shall be fifteen members.
At any meeting of the committee or of the society the chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote in the event of a tie. In any matter of the interpretation of the constitution the decision of the chairman of the executive committee shall be final.

7. Finance:

The affairs of the society shall be managed by the executive committee, and the committee shall administer all funds and other assets of the society.
The treasurer shall keep a full record of the income and expenditure of the society. The accounts of the society shall be audited annually and those audited accounts shall be presented to the members at the annual general meeting.
In the event of the winding up of the society, its funds and assets shall pass to such body having charitable objects as may be selected by a majority of the members present and voting at a meeting of the society convened for that purpose.

8. Amendment:

Amendments to the constitution may only be made at an annual general meeting, provided that notice of motion to propose any such amendment has been given in writing to the secretary at least thirty days before the date of the meeting, and has subsequently been included in the notification of the meeting.
No amendment shall be made to the constitution of the society unless approved by two-thirds of the members present and entitled to vote.
No amendment may be made to this constitution which would cause the society to cease to be a charity at law.

9. Winding up:

In the event of the society being wound up its assets shall not be distributed to the members but shall be transferred to another charitable body having similar aims.