The name of the Club will be the Dunmow Photography Club (DPC), (hereinafter called the “Club”).
Subject to Resolution by Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting, the club shall be affiliated to the East Anglian Federation of Photographic Societies (EAF) and/or the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain' (PAGB).
The purpose of the Club is to advance Amateur Photography by means of Lectures, Demonstrations, Exhibitions etc., and to obtain for the Members wherever possible the best current advice on all matters relating to photography.
All members of the general public are eligible to join and become Members of the club, immediately partaking in the rights and privileges accorded to such Members, their subscription due being payable no later than the fourth meeting after their first coming to the club.
There is a lower age limit of 12 years to be a full Member, young persons under the age of 16 years will only be admitted to the club and included in competitions if accompanied by a full member.
The business of the Club will be conducted by Officers elected at the Annual General Meeting and who will form the Committee.
The Committee shall consist of the:
President
Honorary Chairman
Honorary Secretary
Honorary Treasurer
Honorary Competition Secretary(ies)
Publicity Secretary
and, where required, any co-opted Member.
Any THREE of the Elected Committee Members to form a QUORUM.
The term of office for an Officer of the Club (except that of President) shall be until the next Annual General Meeting. At the end of their term of office, each Officer required to do so will submit a brief report to the Club concerning the activities for which he/she was responsible in the past year, after which all the Officers of the Club will then resign.
Should any officer of the Club resign for any reason before their Term of Office is completed, the other Officers shall co-opt a Member of the Club who is willing to accept the post, the appointment being agreed by the other Club Members then present.
The Annual General Meeting will be called once a year, approximately twelve months from the previous one. The Honorary Secretary will notify all Club Members of the due date by email and posting notification on the club website.
The purpose of the Annual General meeting is to inform the Members of the state of the Club’s finances, its condition, to elect Officers to carry out duties of the Club, and to discuss and/or vote on any business which is the concern of the Club.
The Officers of the Club will be elected by a majority vote. Any Member, including past Officers, may stand for election, having first been Proposed and Seconded by two other Members.
All matters pertaining to the Club shall be decided by the Members by majority vote at the Annual General Meeting, and once so decided cannot be altered except at such a Meeting, or upon the Secretary being authorised to call an Extraordinary General Meeting, convened for that sole purpose.
The President is elected at an Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting (convened solely for that purpose) for an unspecified term, only resigning when he/she wishes to do so or upon being called upon to do so by a majority vote of the Club Members at an Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting.
The President’s duties are to take the Chair at the Annual General Meeting when the Officers resign until the new Chairman is elected, and to give rulings and advice on procedure and customs in the Club.
If the President is unable to attend the Annual General Meeting, then the longest-standing Member present will be asked to take the Chair. If he/she declines to do so, then any Member may do so with the agreement of the other Members present.
The Honorary Secretary will keep all necessary Minutes of the Club, Committee and General Meetings, and will conduct the correspondence of the Club with the help of the other Officers where required. He/she will also keep the record of the Proposers, Seconders, and Voting at the Annual General Meeting at which s/he officially retires until s/he is re-elected or superseded.
The Treasurer will collect all Subscriptions and Monies due to the Club, and will pay all accounts outstanding against the Club, and will present for Members’ scrutiny at the Annual General Meeting his/her Balance Sheet of the Club’s Finances, such Balance Sheet having been examined by two members of the Club appointed for that purpose who are not Officers of the Club or hold a post in the Club.
The Subscription will fall due on the first Thursday meeting of the year.
The current membership fee is £25 per quarter.
Should the Annual Subscription be increased by Members’ vote at an Extraordinary General Meeting, the increase will be payable as the Members at that Meeting shall so decide.
If a new Member joins the Club part way through the quarter, a pro-rata subscription will be payable according to custom, or as decided by the Members at an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting.
Only fully paid up members may enter competitions.
Members and guests may be charged additional one-off fees for meetings with external speakers and/or competition judges where advertised in advance of said meeting.
An Extraordinary General Meeting will be called by the Secretary acting upon the authorisation of a Quorum of the Committee, or upon a Petition for the same being presented to him/her by any Member, detailing the reason for calling such a Meeting, together with the signatures of FIVE other Members.
A member of the Club will be expelled if:
Their subscription has not been paid in a reasonable time, and is still not paid at the Meeting following a Warning by a Club Officer who is acting with the authority of the Committee.
There is a majority vote to do so at an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting.
Visitors to Club Meetings will be admitted at the discretion of the Committee Members present at the time.
If the Committee decides that it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the Club it shall call a meeting of all members of the Club, of which not less than 21 days’ notice (stating the terms of the resolution to be proposed) shall be given. If the proposal is supported by two-thirds of those present and voting the Committee shall have power to realise any assets held by or on behalf of the Club. Any assets remaining after the satisfaction of any proper debts and liabilities shall be given or transferred to St Mary’s Church Dunmow or any other registered charity, agreed by the committee should St Mary’s Church not be appropriate at the time.
Any matter not covered by this Constitution will first be discussed by the Committee and then, where necessary, be put to the Club Members for their decision.