Constitution of the Friends of St Bride Library

Name

The name of the Association is the Friends of St Bride Printing Library (?the Friends?) or such other name as the executive committee may from time to time decide with the approval of the Charity Commissioners.

Objects

The Friends? objects (?the objects?) are as follows:

1. To raise money to safeguard the future of the St Bride Printing Library.
2. The education of the public by the promotion, support, assistance and improvement of the St Bride Printing Library through the activities of the Friends.
3. To work with the Governors of the Printing Library and others to ensure its future.

Membership

1. Membership of the Friends shall be open to individuals or organisations who agree with the objects and who have made an annual or lifetime donation to the Friends.
2. The Executive Committee may unanimously and for good reason terminate the membership of any individual or member organisation: The individual concerned or the appointed representative of the member organisation concerned (as the case may be) shall have the right to be heard by the Executive Committee before a final decision is made.

Honorary officers

The honorary officers are the Chairman, the Secretary and the Treasurer. The honorary officers are elected by the members from amongst themselves at the Annual General Meeting.

Executive Committee

1. The Executive Committee shall consist of:
   1. the honorary officers above;
   2. a representative of the St Bride Foundation;
   3. the Librarian of the St Bride Printing Library ex-officio or the senior member of staff of the St Bride Printing Library;
   4. the President of the Printing Historical Society ex-officio or his or her nominee;
   5. up to three other people co-opted by the members of the Committee.
2. All elected members of the Executive Committee shall retire from office at the end of the third Annual General Meeting after the date at which they came into office. At this time they may be re-elected. To enable the introduction of a rolling changeover, the first Secretary and Treasurer will retire from office after the second and fourth annual general meetings respectively. The Chairman?s term will run for three years also.
3. Co-opted members of the Executive Committee retain their post for one year. After this time they may be invited to continue in the post for another year.

Determination of membership of the Executive Committee

A member of the Executive Committee shall cease to hold office if :

1. he or she is fails to attend without reasonable cause all Executive Committee meetings held within a period of six months or
2. the Executive Committee resolve that his or her office be vacated.

Meetings and proceedings of the Executive Committee

1. The Executive Committee shall hold at least two ordinary meetings each year. A special meeting may be called at any time by the any members of the Executive Committee upon not less than fourteen days? notice being given to the other members of the Executive Committee of the matters to be discussed.
2. The Chairman shall chair meetings of the Executive Committee. If the Chairman is absent from any meeting, the members of the Executive Committee present shall choose one of their number to be chairman of the meeting before any other business is transacted.
3. Every matter shall be determined by a majority of votes of members of the Executive Committee present and voting on the question but in the case of equality of votes the chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.
4. The Secretary shall keep minutes at meetings of the Executive Committee and any sub-committee.

Administration

The Friends and its property shall be administered and managed in accordance with this constitution by the St Bride Foundation and the Executive Committee.

Receipts and expenditure

1. The funds of the Friends, including all donations, contributions, and bequests, shall be paid into a fund operated by the St Bride Foundation.
2. The funds belonging to the Friends shall be applied only in furthering the objects.
3. The Friends? normal expenditure will be agreed by the Executive Committee and minuted at meetings. Exceptional expenditure can be requested by the Librarian between Executive Committee meetings and authorised by three members of the Executive Committee.

Annual General Meeting

1. There shall be an AGM of the Friends which shall be held in the month of July in each year or as soon as after July as possible. The Secretary shall give at least fourteen days? notice of the Annual General Meeting to all the members of the Friends.
2. The Executive Committee shall present to each Annual General Meeting the report and accounts of the Friends for the preceding year.
3. Nominations for election to the Executive Committee must be made by members of the Friends in writing and must be in the hands of the secretary of the Executive Committee at least fourteen days before the annual general meeting. Should nominations exceed vacancies a vote will be held during the AGM.

Special General Meetings

The Executive Committee may call a special general meeting of the Friends at any time. In addition, if at least ten members request such a meeting in writing stating the business to be considered the Secretary shall call such a meeting. At least fourteen days notice must be given of a SGM. The notice must state the business to be discussed.

Procedure at general meetings

1. The Secretary or other person specially appointed by the Executive Committee shall keep a full record of proceedings at every general meeting of the Friends.
2. There shall be a quorum when at least ten members of the Friends are present at any general meeting.

Notices

Any notice required to be served on any member of the Friends shall be in writing and shall be served by the Secretary or the Executive Committee on any member by the most effective means.

Alterations to the Constitution

1. Subject to the following provisions of this clause the Constitution may be altered by a resolution passed by the members present and voting at a general meeting. The notice of the general meeting must include notice of the resolution, setting out the terms of the alteration proposed.
2. The Executive Committee should promptly send to the Charity Commission a copy of any amendment made under this clause.
3. The Governors of the St Bride Foundation will also be informed.

Dissolution

1. If the Executive Committee decides that it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the Friends it shall call a meeting of all members of the Friends. Not less than fourteen days? notice of the meeting shall be given. The terms of the resolution to be proposed shall be stated in this notice.
2. If the proposal is confirmed by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting, the Executive Committee shall have power to realise any assets held by or on behalf of the Friends.
3. Any assets remaining after the satisfaction of any proper debts and liabilities shall be given or transferred to such other charitable institution or institutions having objects similar to the objects of the Friends as the members of the Friends may determine. If no such institution can be determined, these assets shall be applied for some other charitable purpose.

This constitution was adopted on [date] by the persons whose signatures are given below.

Signed