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NORTHUMBERLAND ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL COUNCILS CONSTITUTION
(including amendments as at 18 May 2010)
1. Constitution and Name
The Association shall consist of Parish Councils in the historicalcounty of Northumberland and shall be known as the Northumberland Association of Local Councils.
2. Objects
The aims and objects of the Association are to take all such steps as may be necessary or desirable in the interest of parishes, and in particular:
(i) to protect and promote the interests, rights, functions, and privileges of members;
(ii) to assist members in the performance of their duties and to promote and develop the economic, social, cultural and recreational life of parishes;
(iii) to promote a widespread and well-informed interest in local government;
(iv) to promote good local government.
3. Membership
Every parish council in the historical county of Northumberland shall be eligible for membership of the County Association.
4. General Meeting
(a) There shall be a general meeting of the County Association. Every member council shall be entitled to appoint, and be represented by, two persons at the general meeting and in addition the President, Vice-Presidents and Treasurer shall ex-officio be members of the general meeting.
(b) The Auditor shall ex-officio be a member of the general meeting save that he may not vote.
(c) The general meeting may invite other organisations to nominate persons as candidates for co-option to the general meeting, and the general meeting may at its discretion co-opt such persons into membership provided that the number of such co-opted members shall not exceed one-tenth of the total membership.
5. Subscriptions
Each member council shall pay to the County Association on or before 1st July in each financial year ending 31st March a subscription which shall be based upon the number of electors for the parish and the scale of subscriptions shall be fixed from time to time by the General Meeting.
6. Contribution to the National Association
The County Association shall pay to the National Association on or before the last day in July in each financial year such sum as may from time to time be fixed by the National Association and agreed by the County Committee.
7. President, Vice-Presidents, Treasurer and Auditors
(a) There shall be a President and such number of Vice-Presidents as may from time to time be determined by the general meeting, a Treasurer and an Auditor or Auditors, all of whom shall be elected at the annual meeting in each year and shall respectively be eligible for re-election. The President shall preside at general meetings; in his absence the general meeting shall appoint a Vice-President, or some other person from their own number, to preside.
(b) Nominations for the offices of President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Auditor shall be sent to the Secretary twenty-one clear days before the annual meeting, except in the case of nominations by the County Committee to the Association.
(c) Casual vacancies in any of the said offices may be filled by the County Committee.
(d) Each officer shall hold office during the pleasure of the Association.
8. Annual Meeting
There shall be an Annual General Meeting held as the County Committee shall direct. The Secretary shall give to each member council and to every ex-officio and co-opted member of the general meeting not less than 28 clear days’ notice of the date, time and place of the meeting.
The proceeding at an Annual General Meeting shall include:
(a) The consideration and receipt of an annual report and audited accounts
(b) The election of a President, Vice-President(s), Treasurer, and Auditor
(c) The appointment of members of the County Committee
(d) Any business which is proposed by the County Committee, which will normally include the setting of a scale of membership subscriptions for the Association for the following year
(e) Such other business as the Meeting may determine, which is consistent with the provisions of this constitution.
9. Special Meetings
Special general meetings, of which not less than 14 days’ notice shall be given to each member council and to every ex-officio and co-opted member of the general meeting stating the objects of the meeting, may be called at any time by the Committee and shall be called by the Secretary after the receipt of a requisition in writing signed by not less than ten members of the general meeting.
10. Proceedings at General Meetings
The quorum at a general meeting shall be representation from one-tenth of the number of member councils. If at an Annual General Meeting no quorum is present within half an hour of the time appointed for the commencement of business, the meeting shall stand adjourned, to the same place, day and time in the next week, when the quorum shall be five.
11. Area Committees
(a) The general meeting may establish area committees for areas consisting of two or more parish councils as it may deem necessary. The membership of each such committee shall include all the member councils within its area, and each member council shall be entitled to appoint two representatives, one of whom may be the clerk, to its area committee.
(b) Subject to the terms of this Constitution the functions of area committees may be determined from time to time by the general meeting.
(c) Subject to the directions of the general meeting, each area committee may arrange its own business and procedure and may appoint such officers as it may deem necessary. A copy of the minutes of the proceedings of an area committee shall be forwarded to the County Association.
(d) The general meeting may arrange for the Committee of the County Association to carry out its functions under this clause.
12. County Committee
(a) There shall be a County Committee which shall include the President, Vice Presidents and Treasurer by virtue of their offices and not less than twelve and not more than thirty other persons appointed by the Annual General Meeting, provided that not less than two-thirds of the persons so appointed shall be councillors from members councils.
(b) The County Committee shall devise and periodically review a method of election to ensure that the composition of the County committee fairly reflects the geographical coverage of member councils and the method shall be confirmed by the President and Vice Presidents.
(c) The County Committee may co-opt any Vice-President, and not more than six additional members. The number of such additional members shall not exceed one quarter of the total membership of the Committee.
(d) Casual vacancies on the Committee and gaps in geographical coverage following other co-options shall be filled by the Committee.
(e) Except for ex-officio and co-opted members, members of the County Committee shall serve for a period of three years and a third of their number will retire each year at the end of the Annual General Meeting. The County Committee shall devise and periodically review a method to implement this provision, and the method shall be confirmed by the President and vice Presidents.
13. Chairman and Vice-Chairmen of Committee
The County Committee shall at its first meeting in each year after the Annual General Meeting appoint a Chairman, and such number of Vice-Chairmen as the County Committee may determine. The Chairman and Vice Chairmen shall each hold office during the pleasure of the Committee and shall respectively be eligible for re-election except that no Chairman or Vice-Chairman shall serve in the same office for more than three consecutive years. Casual vacancies shall be filled at the next meeting of the Committee. The Chairman shall take the chair of the Committee whenever he is present. A Vice-Chairman shall perform the duties of the Chairman in his absence. If at any meeting the Chairman and the Vice-Chairmen are absent, the Committee shall elect a chairman for that meeting from among their number.
14. Sub-Committees
The CountyCommittee shall have power (i) to appoint sub-committees which may include members of the general meeting other than members of the Committee, (ii) to make rules for the transaction of its business, and (iii) to delegate any of its functions to such sub-committees. The President and the Chairman and the Vice-Chairmen of the County Committee shall be ex-officio members of every sub-committee. A sub-committee may co-opt not more than one-quarter of its number from persons other than members of the general meeting.
15. Place and Notice of Meeting
The Secretary shall give to every person entitled to receive the same, not less than seven clear days’ notice in writing of the time and place of meetings of the Committee or of any sub-committee, specifying in such notice the business to be transacted.
16. Functions of the CountyCommittee
(a) Subject to the provision of this constitution, the Committee may provide for the conduct, management, control and administration of the affairs of the County Association and may take such steps, incur such expenses, acquire and dispose of such property, enter into such commitments or arrangements and employ such servants or agents as may be suitable for carrying the policy of the Association into effect.
(b) The Committee shall control the banking and investment of the Association’s funds.
(c) No money shall be borrowed by or on behalf of the Association without the Committee’s consent.
(d) The Committee shall present an annual report and submit the audited accounts to the Annual General Meeting.
17. Omission to give Notice of Meeting
The accidental omission or failure to give notice of any general meeting or any meeting of the Committee, or of any sub-committee or any member council or person entitled to receive the same of the non-receipt of any such notice as aforesaid shall not invalidate the proceedings at any such meeting.
18. Voting
(a) At all meetings every question may be determined by voice but a question shall be determined by a show of hands if demanded except in any case in which not less than one-third of the persons present demand a ballot when the voting on that question shall be by ballot.
(b) The person presiding at a general meeting, a meeting of the Committee, or a sub-committee shall, in addition to his being entitled to vote in the first instance, have a second or a casting vote in the case of an equality of votes.
19. Expenses of Representatives and Members
Subject to sufficient money being available for the purpose, the necessary travelling, subsistence and other incidental expenses of representatives or members attending meetings:
(a) of the National Association, of the National Council and of any part thereof;
(b) of the County Association (other than the Annual General Meeting), of the Committee and of any sub-committee thereof;
may be met wholly or partly from the funds of the County Association.
20. Resignation from Membership
Any Parish Council wishing to terminate its membership of the County Association may do so by sending its resignation in writing to the Secretary at least three calendar months before the 31st day of March in any year, and the notice shall become effective on that day. Each such council shall continue to be liable for the payment of its subscription up to and including the date on which a notice as aforesaid becomes effective.
21. Definition of Member Council
In this constitution, the term ‘parish council’ means a council of a parish, town or of a group of parishes (and includes the parish meeting of a rural parish not entitled to elect a parish council), and the term ‘member council’ excludes any such council which at the relevant time has not paid its subscription for the current year.
22. Alterations of Constitution
Any alteration to, or amendment of, or addition to this constitution may from time to time be made at any general meeting if approved by a majority or not less than two-thirds of the persons present and voting.
Notice of any motion for such alteration, amendment, or addition, other than a notice given pursuant to a resolution of the County Committee, must be given in writing to the Secretary of the County Association not less than one calendar month before the meeting, and a copy of every such notice, including those given pursuant to a resolution of the County Committee, shall be sent by him to every member council and to each ex-officio and co-opted member of the general meeting, at least twenty-one clear days before the meeting at which it is to be considered.
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