CONSTITUTION OF THE WESTERN CAPE MILITARY HISTORY SOCIETY
1 Name
The name of the Society shall be “Western Cape Military History Society”, hereinafter referred to as “the Society”.
2 Aims of the Society
The aim of the Society is to create an awareness of military history.
3 Members
3.1 Membership shall be open to all who are interested in furthering the aims of the Society.
3.2 Members will be admitted on payment of the annual membership fee.
3.3 Neither the Committee nor the Members shall be held personally liable for the debts and obligations of the Society or arising from any meetings, outings or from any other activities of the Society. The Society is recognized as a separate legal persona.
4 Committee
4.1 The Committee shall consist of at least 3 persons, namely Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.
4.2 Additional members may be co-opted by the Committee to ensure the smooth running of the Society.
4.3 The Committee will be elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) to serve until the next AGM. The Committee will at its first meeting elect its office bearers.
4.4 The Committee, acting in good faith, shall not be held liable for any acts carried out on behalf of the Society.
5 Annual General Meeting
5.1 The Annual General Meeting of the Society should be held annually, with two weeks’ notice thereof.
5.2 A quorum of at least 20% of the Members is required to be present in person or by proxy at the AGM as well as at any Special General Meeting.
5.3 Should there not be a quorum, the meeting shall be postponed to the third Thursday of the following month or to another suitable day in that week. It will be held at the same time. The Members present shall form a quorum.
5.4 A Special General Meeting may be called at the request of at least one third of the Members of the Society, with two weeks’ notice thereof.
5.5 At the Annual General Meeting the following is to occur:
5.5.1 The Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting and any Special General Meetings since the previous Annual General Meeting are to be read/circulated and accepted.
5.5.2 The annual statement for the previous financial year is to be presented by the Treasurer for acceptance by the meeting.
5.5.3 A report on the activities of the Society during the previous year is to be presented by the Chairperson.
5.5.4 The annual subscriptions for the following year are to be proposed and accepted. The annual subscriptions are to be determined by the outgoing Committee.
5.5.5 A Committee is to be elected.
5.5.6 Any other business, of which notice of at least two weeks has been given, is to be discussed.
5.5.7 Proxies (via mail or email to the Society’s email address used for newsletters) from Members who are unable to attend the meeting and whose subscriptions are up-to-date will be accepted up to twenty-four hours before the time of the meeting.
5.5.8 A simple majority of votes shall prevail.
6 Finances
6.1 The annual subscription will be levied on the members of the Society to cover the running expenses of the Society.
6.2 The amount of this subscription will be determined by the outgoing Committee and presented to the Annual General Meeting for approval.
6.3 Any profits of the Society may not be distributed to Members but must be used for the furthering of the aims of the Society.
6.4 The collection and safe storage of subscriptions is the responsibility of the Committee.
6.5 The Committee is to open an account with a banking institution. This account shall operate as the Committee deems fit.
7 Meetings and Outings of the Society
7.1 The frequency of meetings of the Society shall be at the discretion of the Committee.
7.2 The Committee will also arrange the occasional outing.
8 Discipline of Members
8.1 The Committee may suspend the membership of individuals who bring the Society into disrepute.
8.2 Members who do not pay their subscription within the year of membership are considered to have become lapsed members.
9 Society Records and Accounting
9.1 The Committee shall keep proper records of the affairs of the Society, including a record of Members.
9.2 The Committee shall scrutinise the accounting records annually. An annual statement signed by the Chairman and Treasurer shall be presented for acceptance at the AGM.
9.3 The financial year end shall be the last day of December.
10 Dissolution
10.1 The Society may be dissolved, or merged with another society with similar purposes and objectives, only:
On a Resolution passed by not less than two thirds of Members present at a duly constituted Special General Meeting of Members.
10.2 The assets of the Society shall accrue to the Society with which the merger is effected, or to a Society as nominated by the meeting.
11 General Indemnity
11.1 Members and the Committee shall be indemnified by the Society for all acts done by them in good faith on its behalf. It shall be the duty of the Society to pay all costs and expenses which any person incurs or becomes liable for as a result of any contract entered into, with the Committee’s approval, or any act done by him or her, in his or her said capacity, in the discharge, in good faith, of his or her duties on behalf of the Society.
11.2 No Member of the Society (including the Committee) shall be liable for the acts, neglects or defaults of any other Member or for any loss, damage or expense suffered by the Society, which occurs in the execution of the duties of his or her office, unless it arises as a result of his or her dishonesty, or failure to exercise the degree of care, diligence and skill required by law.
For all enquiries, contact the Treasurer at info@wcmhs.co.za.