Constitution

CONSTITUTION OF THE BURNSIDE HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC

REGISTERED NUMBER A7235

Date amended and adopted: 17 August 2020

Contact person: Margaret Ford OAM; Phone 0438 838 894

 

  1. NAME

    1. The name of the society shall be the “Burnside Historical Society” (hereafter called “the Society).

  2. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE SOCIETY SHALL BE:

    1. To arouse interest in and to promote the study and discussion of Australian and South Australian history and in particular, the history of the City of Burnside;
    2. To promote the collection, recording, preservation and classification of works, source material and artifacts of all kinds relating to Burnside history;
    3. To assist in the protection and preservation of buildings, works and sites of historical significance in the City of Burnside;
    4. To cooperate with similar societies and other bodies throughout Australia;
    5. To do all such other things as are conducive or incidental to the attainment of any of the above objectives.

  3. MEMBERSHIP

    1. Membership of the Society shall be open to all persons or bodies subscribing to the objectives of the Society and paying the prescribed subscription fee.
    2. Honorary or Life Membership may be conferred on persons or bodies whom the Society considers worthy of such.
    3. A family membership may be granted to members of the same family and living at the same address.

  4. SUBSCRIPTION FEES

    1. Subscription fees shall be determined at each Annual General Meeting and shall be payable annually.
    2. Any member who fails to pay the annual subscription fee within 12 months of it falling due shall be deemed unfinancial and shall automatically cease to be a member.
    3. Honorary and Life Members are exempt from the payment of annual subscriptions.

  5. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

    1. The Annual General Meeting shall be held no later than April each year. At least fourteen (14) days written notice of such meeting shall be sent to each member to the last known address.

  6. ORDINARY GENERAL MEETINGS

    1. Ordinary General Meetings shall be held at monthly intervals, or at the discretion of the committee.

  7. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS

    1. Special General Meetings of the Society may be called at any time by the Committee, and shall be held within thirty (30) days of the receipt by the Committee of a requisition signed by ten (10) members in which the objects of the meeting are specified. At least fourteen (14) days written notice of such meeting shall be sent to each member to the last known address.

  8. COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIETY

    1. At each Annual General Meeting, a Committee comprising the following members shall be elected: President, Secretary, Treasurer and four (4) other members. The Committee may appoint a Vice-President from within the elected committee.
    2. A completed nomination form is required for any Committee position and must be submitted in writing to the Secretary and received no less than seven (7) days prior to the AGM.
    3. The administration of the Society and its finances shall be in the hands of the Committee.
    4. The position of any Committee member absent for three consecutive Committee meetings without leave of absence shall automatically become vacant provided that acceptance of an apology shall be deemed grant of such leave.
    5. The President shall be chairman at all Committee meetings and in the absence of the President, those members present at the beginning of any meeting shall select one of their members to preside.
    6. Unfilled temporary and casual vacancies on the Committee may be filled by the Committee.
    7. The Committee may co-opt any person to assist its deliberations or for other purposes as it deems necessary and may appoint any sub-committee.

  9. QUORUM

    1. The quorum at all ordinary, annual or special meetings of the Society shall be one third the number of financial members, or fifteen (15) whichever is the lesser.
    2. Four members present at a Committee meeting shall form a quorum.

  10. VOTING

    1. At all meetings of the Society and its Committee, the Chairman shall exercise a casting vote only.
    2. A corporate member may nominate one person to exercise one vote on its behalf at any meeting of the Society.
    3. At the option of the Society balloting may be by post or e-mail.

  11. FINANCE  Note:  In accordance with Section 23A of the Act (Associations Incorporation Act 1985 (SA)), the rules/constitution of the association must include the powers of the association with sufficient detail. Refer Appendix “A”

    1. All money received by and on behalf of the Society shall be deposited in an account or accounts at such bank or other recognised Trustee security as the Committee shall from time to time direct.
    2. Cheques are to be signed by any two (2) of the President, Secretary, Treasurer and one other nominated Committee member.
    3. Payments by direct bank transfer may be made at any time by the Treasurer or in his absence by such other person who has also been authorised to sign cheques. Such payments must be approved by the Committee and minuted.
    4. The Committee shall cause proper accounting and other records to be kept, and shall cause such records to be audited (by an auditor or auditors). The Committee shall also cause to be made out and laid before each Annual General Meeting, a balance sheet and a statement of income and expenditure made up to the end of the financial year immediately preceding such meetings, together with a copy of the Auditor’s report, thereon.
    5. The Auditor shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting.
    6. The first financial year of the association shall be the period ending on the next 30 June following incorporation, and thereafter a period of 12 months commencing on 1 April and ending on 31 March of each year.

  12. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

    1. This Constitution may be amended at an Annual General or Special Meeting by a three fifths (3/5) majority of the votes cast. Fourteen (14) days’ notice of any proposed amendment must be given to each member, but accidental omission to give notice to any member shall not invalidate the passage of such amendment.

  13. INCOME

    1. All income and property of the Society shall be applied solely towards the promotion of the objectives of the Society, and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividend, bonus or otherwise to any individual, provided that nothing shall prevent the payment of an honorarium and expenses to a member of the Society or payment being made for services or goods provided.

  14. DISSOLUTION

    1. In the event of the dissolution of the Society, its assets shall become the property of the entity with which the Society has merged, or if not being merged, the assets shall become the property of a similar local history society of South Australia.
    2. Should the number of financial subscribing members be less than fifteen (15), during a period of four (4) consecutive weeks, the affairs of the Society shall be wound up and the Society dissolved.
    3. The Society may be wound up in the manner provided for in the Act.

APPENDIX “A”

S25 – Powers of an incorporated association

For the purpose of carrying out its objects, an incorporated association may, subject to this Act and its rules:

  1. Acquire, hold, deal with, and dispose of, any real or personal property; and
  2. Administer any property on trust; and
  3. Open and operate Authorised Depositing Institution accounts; and
  4. Invest its moneys-
    1. In any security in which trust moneys may, by Act of Parliament, be invested; or
    2. In any other manner authorised by the rules of the association; and
  5. Borrow money on such terms and conditions as the association thinks fit; and
  6. Give such security for the discharge of liabilities incurred by the association as the association thinks fit; and
  7. Appoint agents to transact any business of the association on its behalf; and

Enter into any other contract it considers necessary or desirable.