Draft Constitution for the Beech Park Residents Association initial community meeting

1.   NAME

The name of the Association shall be Beech Park Residents Association

2.   AREA

The area to be served by the the Beech Park Residents Association shall be within the LF Foxrock / Beech Park electoral area as defined by DLRCC which consists of circa 600 houses 

3   AIMS

The aims of the Association are to promote the best interests of the residents of the area to be served by the Association, to protect and improve conditions and amenities in the Area of the Association for the benefit of members of the Association and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing,:

(a) to promote a sense of community and neighbourliness among residents of the area

(b) to promote the preservation and improvement of the area as a suburban residential estate

(c) to monitor issues and problems affecting the area

(d) to promote public interest and participation in issues affecting the area

(e) to provide a forum for open discussion of issues affecting the area

(f) to make representations in the interests of the members of the Association as a whole to all levels of government, other public authorities, organisations and persons whose decisions and actions may affect the area

(g) to publish from time to time of a newsletter for the purpose of informing members and residents generally of matters of common interest.

(h) to co-ordinate the activities of the Association with organisations having similar objectives

(i) to promote cultural, educational and recreational activities for the residents of the area.

The Association shall be non-party political and non-sectarian.

 4.   MEMBERSHIP

Membership of the Association is open to all residents in the area of Foxrock-Beechpark area who are 18 years of age or older. Any such resident, having paid the annual subscription, shall be deemed to be a member of the Association.  The Secretary shall maintain the membership roll.

The Committee shall have the power to admit other persons and organisations with an interest in the area of Foxrock-Beechpark  to associate membership of the Association on such terms as the Committee may from time to time decide, except that associate members shall not be entitled to vote or hold office.

5.   SUBSCRIPTION

The initial annual subscription for the Beech Park Residents association is to be set at  25 euros per household that would like to be ome members of the Beech Park Residents association

6.   OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE

The officers of the Association shall be the Chairperson, the Vice Chairperson, the Secretary and the Treasurer.  The Officers shall be members of the Association and shall be elected each year at the Annual General Meeting.

The Committee of the Association shall consist of the Officers and eight other members of the Association elected each year at the Annual General Meeting.  The Committee shall have the power to co-opt not more than two additional members of the Association as members of the Committee

The Committee may fill any vacancy among the Officers or on the Committee during the year by co-option from the members of the Association.

A member of the Committee may be removed from office if he or she conducts himself or herself in a manner deemed prejudicial to the interests of the Association in the opinion of at least two thirds of the Committee.

7.   MANAGEMENT

The general management of the affairs of the Association shall be vested in the Committee, which shall perform all such acts as may be deemed necessary or expedient to further the objectives of the Association.  The Committee shall have full power to delegate authority to sub-committees, individual officers and members of the Committee, and other suitable persons to act on behalf of the Committee as may be required from time to time in relation to specific matters.

8.   FINANCIAL PROCEDURES

The Association shall have one or more bank account(s) into which all monies received by the Association shall be lodged.  The Treasurer shall maintain appropriate financial records and submit appropriate financial statements for the preceding year to the Annual General Meeting.  Cheques shall be signed by any two Officers of the Association, i.e. the Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer.  

The accounts of the Association shall be closed for audit purposes on the last day of December in each year.

A suitably qualified person, not being related to any member of the Committee, shall be appointed by the Committee as the Auditor of the Association.  The functions of the Auditor shall be decided by the Committee from time to time.

The Committee shall have full power to maintain insurance to such extent as may be deemed appropriate by the Committee from time to time.  

9.   COMMITTEE MEETINGS

All meetings of the Committee shall be convened by the Secretary, at the direction of the Chairperson.  The Secretary shall give due notice of dates and times of such meetings to each member of the Committee.

Any three members of the Committee, by giving written notice to the Secretary, may call a meeting of the Committee.

A quorum for committee meetings shall be five members, including at least one Officer.

The Secretary shall keep minutes and records of attendance of all meetings of the Committee.

10.   ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held on a date decided by the Committee no later than ….. months after the date of the immediately preceding Annual General Meeting.  Written notice of the meeting shall be delivered to the residence of each member at least seven days prior to the date of the meeting.

The agenda of the Annual General Meeting shall, without limitation, include the approval of the minutes of the last Annual General Meeting and any subsequent Extraordinary General Meeting and any Treasurer’s report, and the election of Officers and members of the Committee.

All members of the Association may submit motions for debate at the Annual General Meeting.  Such motions must be received by the Secretary not later than two days prior to the date of the meeting.

11.   EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called by written requisition signed by a majority of the Committee or not less than twenty five members of the Association delivered to the Secretary who shall convene such a meeting as soon as practicable by written notice delivered to the residence of each member at least seven days prior to the date of the meeting.  Only the business stated in the requisition may be debated at the Extraordinary General Meeting and details of such business shall be included in the notice of meeting.

12.   GENERAL MEETING PROCEDURES

A quorum for a General Meeting shall be     members.  If a quorum is not present, the meeting shall be re-convened and all members informed of the new date and venue.  Those present at a re-convened meeting shall constitute a quorum.

At all General Meetings each member will have one vote only.

Voting at all General Meetings shall be by show of hands, except when a ballot is demanded and such demand is supported by not less than twenty-five members.

The Secretary shall keep minutes of all General Meetings. 

13.   DISSOLUTION

The Association may be dissolved only by the vote of not less than two-thirds present at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose.  An audited financial report shall be presented at such meeting.  The dissolution will not be effected until assets are disposed of and liabilities discharged.  In the event of insufficient funds to clear liabilities, the deficiency shall be contributed, in equal shares, by the existing members.

14.   INDEMNITY

All Officers of the Association shall be indemnified by the Association for any expenses incurred in executing their duties on behalf of the Association.

15.   ACCEPTANCE OF CONSTITUTION

Membership of the Association shall constitute the acceptance of this Constitution as amended from time to time.

16.   INTERPRETATION

The Committee shall have full power to decide any questions arising for which no provision is made in this Constitution.

17.   AMENDMENT OF CONSTITUTION

Notice of any motion to amend this Constitution shall be given in the notice calling the General Meeting at which the amendment is to be proposed.

This Constitution shall not be amended save by the affirmative vote of at least two thirds of the votes cast at a General Meeting.

Adopted at Annual General Meeting held on             . Amended at Extraordinary General Meeting held on