The Ramsgate Society Constitution

1. Name
2. Objects
3. Membership
4. Susbscriptions
5. Meetings
6. Honorary Officers
7. Executive Committee
8. Elections
9. Nominations
10. Register
11. Appeals
12. Expenses of Administration
13. Investment
14. Borrowing
15. Declaration of Interest
16. Amendments
17. Winding Up

1. Name
The name of The Society shall be The Ramsgate Society.

2. Objects
The purpose of The Society shall be to promote and encourage the following objects by charitable means but not otherwise:

• To encourage high standards of architecture and town planning in Ramsgate.
• To stimulate public interest in and care for the beauty, history and character of the town and its surroundings.
• To encourage the preservation, development and improvement of features of general public amenity or historic interest.
• To pursue these ends by means of meetings, exhibitions, lectures, publications, other forms of instruction and publicity, and promotion of schemes of a charitable nature.

3. Membership
Membership shall be open to all who are interested in the aims of The Society. Membership shall lapse if the subscription shall remain unpaid six months after it is due.

4. Subscriptions
Annual General Meeting may make arrangements to vote by post on a form provided by the Honorary Secretary. A President or Vice-President may also be elected at a General Meeting of The Society.

• Annual Renewals - The annual subscription amount shall be determined by the Executive Committee. Any proposed changes are to be approved by the membership (to whom due prior notice of the change has been given) in a General Meeting. Renewal subscriptions become due from 1 April.
• New Members - The subscriptions of new members joining in January shall be deemed to start from 1st April following.
• Life Membership - Life Membership is available to applicants at an amount equal to ten times an annual subscription.
• Joint Membership - An amount equivalent to one and a half times the annual subscription rate shall apply.
• Junior Members (normally up to the age of twenty-five) - pay 50% of the adult subscription. Only Junior Members above the age of 15 years shall have the right to vote.

5. Meetings
The financial year of The Society shall end on 31 December and an Annual General Meeting shall be held in any month following the end of the financial year but before 31 May.

6. Honorary Officers
The Honorary Officers of the Executive Committee shall consist of:

CHAIRMAN
VICE-CHAIRMAN
HONORARY SECRETARY
HONORARY TREASURER

Additional honorary appointments may be made by the Committee according to need.

7. Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall consist of the Officers and not more than six elected members, all of whom shall relinquish office annually and shall be eligible for re-election at the Annual General Meeting.

The Executive Committee shall have the power to co-opt members, including hold-ers of additional honorary appointments, who shall be full members of the Executive Committee. Other co-opted members may attend in an advisory and non-voting capacity. The Executive Committee shall have the power to appoint sub-committees as shall be deemed necessary. All sub-committees and holders of additional honorary appointments shall be responsible to the Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee, or any sub-committee which may be appointed, shall have the power to invite persons who may have specialised knowledge to attend any meeting of the Executive Committee of sub-committee in an advisory capacity.

The Executive Committee shall be responsible for administering the affairs of The Society and make any decisions on its behalf. A quorum for meetings of the Executive Committee shall consist of half its members.

8. Elections
All elections shall normally be by ballot. Members unable to attend the Annual General Meeting may make arrangements to vote by post on a form provided by the Honorary Secretary. A President or Vice-President may also be elected at a General Meeting of The Society for periods to be decided at such a meeting.

9. Nominations
Nominations shall be sent to the Honorary Secretary twenty-eight days before the Annual General Meeting on a form signed by the proposer and seconder, and signifying that the consent of the nominee has been obtained. Each member shall be entitled to send in nominations for the Honorary Officers and for the Executive Committee up to the number of places to be filled.

10. Register
An attendance register shall be kept at all Executive Committee meetings and the attendance record of members shall be published with the nomination papers.

11. Appeals
The Executive Committee shall have the power to make appeals, solicit donations and canvass for monies for carrying out the objects of The Society.

12. Expenses of Administration
The Executive Committee shall, out of monies received by The Society, pay all proper expenses of administration and management of The Society and shall use the residue of such monies as it thinks fit for, or towards, the objects of The Society.

13. Investment
All monies at any time belonging to The Society and not required for immediate application for its objects shall be invested by the Executive Committee upon such investments, securities or property as it may think fit, but so that monies subject or representing property subject to the jurisdiction of the Charity Com-missioners or of the Secretary of State for Education and Science shall be in-vested in such securities as may for the time being be prescribed in law.

14. Borrowing
The Executive Committee may borrow for the objects of The Society such monies at such a rate of interest and in such a manner as it may think fit.

15. Declaration of Interest
It shall be the duty of every member who is in any way directly or indirectly interested financially or professionally in any item discussed at any meeting or The Society (including any meeting of any committee or sub-committee) at which he or she may be present to declare such interest and he or she shall not discuss any item (except by invitation of the Chairman) or vote thereon.

16. Amendments
The Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority of members present at an Annual or Special General Meeting, provided that ten days notice of the pro-posed amendment has been sent to all members, and providing that nothing con-tained therein shall authorise any amendment permitting the expenditure of the funds of The Society on any object which is not of a charitable nature.

17. Winding Up
In the event of the winding up of The Society the available funds of The Society shall be transferred to such one or more charitable bodies having objects similar to those herein declared as may be chosen by the Executive Committee and ap-proved by the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales.