Constitution

NELSON SQUARE GARDENS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

THE CONSTITUTION

As Adopted on 17 October 1995 and As Revised at a Quorate General Meeting of 7 December 2004

NAME

  1. The Association shall be known as Nelson Square Gardens Community
    Association (NSGCA)

OBJECTS

  1. The Objects of the Association shall be:
    1. To promote the exercise of residents’ rights and the maintenance and improvement of their housing conditions, amenities and environment
    2. To provide facilities for recreation and amenity and to encourage a community spirit
    3. For the furtherance of these Objects to represent the interests of residents in consultation with the local authority and other bodies
    4. To promote the harmonious functioning of a diverse community and to work towards the elimination of any form of discrimination within it

MEMBERSHIP

  1. The Association shall have the power to affiliate to anybody whose objects may be of benefit to its Membership
  1. Membership shall be open to all residents living in Helen Gladstone House, Rowland Hill House or Vaughan House on the Nelson Square Gardens Estate, irrespective of race, colour, ethnic or national origins, sex, disability – mental or physical, age, religion or religious belief, political beliefs, background, appearance or cognitive ability
  1. All Residents within the area of the Nelson Square Gardens Community Association will be automatically Members of the Association unless they write to the Secretary stating they do not wish to be a member. Residents can obtain a copy of the Constitution on request from the Association
  1. It shall be a condition of Membership that Members at all times conduct themselves in a reasonable manner at meetings or in premises used by the Association. Any Member may be excluded for a breach of this condition, or for any other conduct contravening the Objects of the Association, by a majority of those present and voting at any Committee or General Any Member so excluded shall have a right of appeal to the following General Meeting

SUBSCRIPTIONS

  1. Any monies raised by or on behalf of the Association shall only be applied in furtherance of the Objects of the Association

CONDUCT OF BUSINESS

  1. The business of the Association shall be conducted by a Committee elected at each Annual General Meeting, which shall consist of a Chair, Treasurer, Vice Chair, Secretary and not less than two other Members. No two or more Officers shall be elected from the same household
  1. Elected Councilors of the Landlord Authority shall not be eligible for election as Officers of the Association, nor shall they represent the Association in its dealings with the Council or any other body
  1. The election or removal of Officers or Committee Members may only be carried out by a General Meeting of the Association. The Committee may temporarily fill any vacancy arising on the Committee until the next General Meeting. The Committee may temporarily co-opt other Members to the Committee

COMMITTEE MEETINGS

  1. The Committee shall meet as necessary and not less than six times in each year. Committee Meetings shall be open to any Member of the Association wishing to attend who may speak but not vote (unless they have been excluded at a General Meeting)

GENERAL MEETINGS

  1. At least four of the Committee’s meetings each year shall be General Meetings of the Association open to all Members to speak and vote. The decisions of General Meetings of the Association shall be binding on the Committee. All decisions shall be taken by a simple majority of Members present and voting. All Members shall be given not less than seven days’ notice of any General Meeting by means of publication on Notice Boards

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS

  1. The Committee shall call an Annual General Meeting of the Association each year in the month of May. Not less than seven days’ notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be given to all Members by means of publication on Notice Boards

At this meeting:

  1. The Committee shall present an Annual Report of the Association
  2. Sub-committees shall present an Annual Report and Accounts of their activities
  3. The Committee shall present the Audited Accounts of the Association for the previous year
  4. The Officers, Committee and Auditor for the next year shall be elected
  5. Any proposals submitted to the Association in writing not less than seven days in advance of the meeting shall be discussed

SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING

  1. The Association shall call a Special General Meeting at the request of a majority of the Committee; or on receipt of a written petition by not less than fifteen Members of the Association giving reasons for their request. The Association shall give not less than seven days’ notice of the holding of a Special General Meeting, to be published on Notice Boards, which shall take place within 21 days receipt of the request or petition

QUORUM

  1. The Quorum for Committee Meetings of the Association shall be one-third of its membership or four members, whichever is the less. The Quorum for all General Meetings shall be one-third of the Membership, or fifteen Members, whichever is the less

SUB COMMITTEES

  1. The Committee may appoint such sub-committees as may be required to carry out the activities of the Association. Such sub-committees shall be directly accountable to the Committee. The Committee shall agree in advance the terms of reference of any sub-committee, which may then act and apply for any finance raised by itself or on its behalf only within those terms. The Chair and Treasurer of the Association shall be ex-officio Members of any sub-committee
  1. Where any sub-committee is to continue in existence beyond the Annual General Meeting following its appointment, its Members shall submit themselves for re­ election at that meeting and annually thereafter
  1. All sub-committees shall keep proper accounts of income and expenditure, and a proper record of all meetings, and shall report on them or deliver them up as required by the Committee or General Meeting
  1. The Committee or General Meeting may dissolve any sub-committee whereupon the accounts, records and assets, financial and otherwise of the sub-committee shall pass into the hands of the Committee

DUTIES OF OFFICERS

  1. The CHAIR (or in his/her absence the Vice Chair or other Committee Member) shall conduct the meetings of the Association
  1. The TREASURER shall open and maintain a banking account in the name of the Association. All cheques shall be signed by the Treasurer and one of two other Committee Members nominated by the Committee as signatories. The Treasurer shall keep proper accounts of income and expenditure and report on them or deliver them up as required by the Committee or General Such accounts shall be audited by a qualified accountant or a non-Member of the Association appointed by the Membership at the Annual General Meeting
  1. The SECRETARY shall be responsible for the convening of all meetings and the giving of the prescribed notice to Members. S/he shall ensure that a proper record is kept of all meetings of the Association, its Committee and sub­ committees in the form of Minutes and shall deliver up such records as required by the Committee or General Meeting. The Secretary shall permit the Minutes to be examined on receipt of not less than seven days’ notice by any two members of the Association
  1. If the Chair, Treasurer or Secretary roles are vacant then the Committee will agree to carry out the functions until a new person can be appointed Any Member(s) or Officer(s) delegated to represent the Association in consultation with any other body shall act on the instructions of the Association and shall report back to the following Committee or General Meeting, whichever is the Only elected Members of the Association shall be delegated to consult with the local authority on matters of housing management
  1. Duties of any Officer in their absence or non-election may be carried out or shared by designated Committee Members until ratification or reporting to the next General Meeting

ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION

  1. Any proposal to alter this Constitution must be submitted to the Association not less than 28 days before the General Meeting at which it is to be discussed. Not less than fourteen days’ notice shall be given of such a meeting together with the wording of the proposed alteration(s). Any alteration shall require the approval of two-thirds of those present and voting at the meeting

DISSOLUTION

  1. If the Committee, or if a Committee no longer exists, any ten Members of the Association shall decide that the Association should be dissolved, they shall give at least fourteen days’ notice to all those eligible for Membership of a meeting at which the matter shall be discussed. For the sole purpose of dissolution a Quorum need not apply and the Association may be dissolved by a two-thirds majority of those The assets, financial and otherwise remaining when the Association has satisfied its liabilities, shall be applied for such purposes to the Community as the meeting shall decide

THE REVISIONS TO THIS ORIGINAL CONSTITUTION OF
17 OCTOBER 1995 WERE AGREED AT A GENERAL MEETING HELD ON 7 DECEMBER 2004