Blandford Forum Camera Club

An Extraordinary General Meeting is called for 7.30 p.m, Tuesday 22nd April 2008 at the Club Premises, by the Committee, to ratify the recommendations made at the non-quorate Annual General Meeting held on 1st April, 2008 and to conduct the business not able to be conducted at that meeting.
The following amendments are proposed by the Committee to the Rules of the Constitution:
Rule 3 (d) Delete the sub-rule completely as repayment of those loans is imminent
Rule 4: Add “He may attend any Club activity, vote as an officer, and count as one of a quorum.”
Rule 5: Replace “at least four” by ” a minimum of four and a maximum of eight”
Rule 8: The words “those appointed” to be replaced by “one or more persons appointed…”
Rule 12:After the words “before the date proposed” place a fullstop, delete the rest of the sentence and add the following. “Notice of the meeting and details of the proposed resolution(s) shall be posted on the Club notice board at least 14 days before the intended date of the meeting.”
Rule 13: Replace the Rule entirely with “At committee meetings a quorum shall require the presence of no fewer than five persons who shall comprise officers and members of the Committee, but at least one officer must attend. At an EGM no fewer that 60% of the Paid-up Membership shall be present for the meeting to be quorate”. No quorum is necessary for an AGM. In all three cases, decisions shall be made by simple majority of those present at the meeting, with the Chair of that meeting exercising a right to vote only when such majority cannot be established.
Rule 14: Delete “AGM or”

YOUR ATTENDANCE AT THIS MEETING IS VITAL TO ENSURE THAT THE NECESSARY 60% QUORUM CAN BE OBTAINED,
SIGNED Colin Sansom CHAIRMAN

Reasons for decisions to alter specific rules :
Rule 3(d) Loans to be repaid this month. Rule no longer needed.
Rule 4 The President’s privileges/rights were not explained before and, as we have a very active and involved one, it was felt important to note them.
Rule 5 The one which caused most anguish at the AGM. Now simply altered to create a maximum as well as the existing mimimum.
Rule 8. Merely changed to allow for just one auditor and avoid the plural “those”.
Rule 12.Allows for the probable time delay between the Secretary receiving a requisition and posting a notice, whether it be from Committee or by five-member requisition. Also clarifies the fact that 14 days’ notice to members on the notice board is needed for either type of requisition. Discussions about other means of notifying members, including e-mail, resulted in no change.
Rule 13. Intended to avoid the obvious problem of not getting a quorum at an AGM as happened on April 1st (most apt…) It means simply that no quorum is necessary at AGM but to avoid the possibility that Constitution rules could be altered at AGM (no quorum) Rule 14 has been amended to preclude AGM’s being used to change rules. That means Rule changes can be made ONLY at an EGM which still needs a 60% quorum of fully paid-up members after 14 days notice.
The small alteration to Committee quorums covers a general feeling that 5 ordinary members by themselves might be felt to lack the authority that the presence of an officer should supply.
The use of the words “those present” automatically excludes any form of proxy or absentee voting under which the voter by his/her absence cannot be party to any of the discussion leading up to a resolution.
Rule 14: See explanation about Rule 13 above