Community Association Constitution
Constitution of the Shapinsay Community Association
- Name
The name of the Association shall be the Shapinsay Community Association
(hereinafter called “The Association”). - Objects
The objects of the Association shall be:-
a) To promote the benefit of the inhabitants of the island of Shapinsay by
Associating with local authorities, voluntary organisations and inhabitants in a
common effort to advance education and to provide facilities in the interest of social
welfare for recreation and leisure time occupation with the object of improving the
conditions of life for the said inhabitants.
b) To secure the establishment of a community school/centre and other
Community facilities (hereinafter called “The Centre”) and to
Co-operate with the local Statutory Authority in the maintenance and
Management of the Centre, for the activities promoted by the Association and its
constituent members in furtherance of the above objects or any of them.
The Association shall be non-party in politics and non-sectarian in religion.
- Membership
Membership of the Association shall be open to all persons aged 16 and over living on the
island of Shapinsay. - Constituent Bodies
Organisations which co-operate in promoting the objects of the Association and are regular
users of the Centre shall be approved as constituent bodies by the Association and whose
names shall be annually recorded on a register, which may be amended from time to time by
the Committee. They shall make such annual contributions to the funds of the Association
as shall be determined by the Committee but may also be liable to par reasonable nightly or
periodically fees in respect of the use by them of the Centre and facilities provided by the
Association. Each constituent body accepted onto register shall have the right to nominate a
member to serve on the Committee of Management. - Management
The property, policy and the affairs of the Association shall be managed by the Committee
elected at the Annual General Meeting, and consisting of;-
a) One representative from each of the constituent bodies and users of the Centre as
recorded in the register provided in clause 4.
b) An Executive Committee consisting of a Chairman, Vice-chair, Secretary and
Treasurer and such other Office bearers as the Association may from time to time
determine and three or more representatives from members of the Association
elected at the Annual General Meeting.
c) Up to three additional members may be co-opted by the Committee if necessary.
The Committee shall have the power to appoint such Sub-Committees as it may from
time to time decide and will determine their powers and terms of reference.
All members of the Committee must retire annually but shall be eligible for re-election
at the Annual General Meeting.
The constituent bodies should be invited by the Secretary to nominate their
representative one month before the Annual General Meeting and advise the Association
accordingly.
- Annual General Meeting
The management committee shall convene an annual general meeting once in each year; not
more than 15 months shall elapse between one annual general meeting and the next. All
members shall be entitled to attend in person or virtually, for the purpose of receiving the
Annual Report and the independently examined statement of accounts of the Committee, of
electing the office bearers and Committee members and to transact any other competent
business. - Chairperson
At all meetings the Chairperson, or in his/her absence the Vice-Chair shall be Chairperson.
In the absence of both, the meeting shall elect a Chairperson to preside at the meeting. - Rules of Procedure at all Meetings
a) The Association may call meetings of the members attending in person or virtually
as they think fit. Such meetings may be entirely virtual meetings or hybrid meetings
as the circumstances allow. A person attending a meeting virtually shall have the
same rights to receive notice, speak, vote and otherwise participate in the meeting as
they would have if attending the meeting in person.
b) Voting – All questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a majority of those
present and entitled to vote thereat. In the case of equality of votes the Chairman
shall have a second or casting vote.
c) Quorum – One third of the Committee members shall form a quorum at Committee
meetings. 60% of the Committee shall form a quorum at General Meetings of the
Association.
d) Minutes – Minute books shall be kept by the Association and the Secretary shall
enter therein a record of all proceedings and resolutions.
- Vacancies
If vacancies occur in the offices or among the member representatives of the Committee,
they shall be filled by the Committee as required. Vacancies occurring among
representatives of constituent bodies shall be filled by the bodies concerned. - Finance
a) All monies raised by or on behalf of the Association shall be applied to further the
objects of the Association and for no other purpose.
b) The Treasurer shall keep proper accounts of finances of the Association and shall
pay all monies not immediately required into an account in the name of the
Association at a bank as shall be determined by the Committee.
c) The accounts shall be examined at least once a year by independent examiners who
shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting.
d) The financial year of the Association shall end on 30 th April and the years accounts,
balance sheet and other relevant documents thereafter be made available to the
Independent examiner for the annual examination in time for the Annual General
Meeting. - Standing Orders and Rules for the use of the Centre
The Committee, in co-operation with the local statutory authority, shall have power to adopt
and issue standing orders and/or rules for the use of the Hall and Centre. Such standing
orders and rules shall come into operation immediately, provided always they shall not be
inconsistent with the provision of the constitution and any operational agreement with the
local Authority in respect of community schools. - Heritable Property
The title to any new heritable property which may be required by or for the purpose of the
Association shall be taken and shall thereafter stand in the name of the Chairman, Vice-
Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer of the Association, and their successors in these
respective offices, hereinafter referred to as “the Association Trustees” - Special General Meeting
A Special General Meeting must be called by the Secretary on receiving a requisition in
writing signed by fifteen members or by a quorum of the Committee or by the Association
Trustees or, by direction of the Chairman. At least 14 clear days’ notice must be given of
any annual general meeting or special general meeting; the notice must indicate the general
nature of any business to be dealt with at the meeting and, in the case of a resolution to alter
the constitution, must set out the terms of the proposed alteration.
- Dissolution
If the Committee by a majority decides at any time that on the grounds of expense or
otherwise it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the Association, it shall call a meeting of
all members of the Association of which meeting gives no less than twenty one days’ notice
(stating the terms of the resolution to be proposed thereat) shall be posted in a conspicuous
place or places and advertised in a newspaper circulating in the neighbourhood. If such
decision shall be confirmed by a majority of those present and voting at such a meeting the
Committee, in association with the Trustees, shall have power to dispose of any assets held
by or in name of the Association. Any assets remaining after the satisfaction of any proper
debts and liabilities shall be applied towards purposes which the law regards as charitable
for the benefit of the inhabitants of the island of Shapinsay as the Committee may decide. - Alteration to the Constitution
Any proposal to alter this Constitution must be approved by a majority of the Committee or
be supported in writing by not less than fifteen inhabitants of the island of Shapinsay and in
the latter case delivered in writing to the Secretary of the Committee not less than twenty-
eight days before the date at which it is to be considered. A resolution to alter this
Constitution shall not be effective unless notice of meeting at which it is proposed shall have
been given in terms of clause 13 and it has been passed by a majority of those present and
entitled to vote at such a meeting. - Equal Opportunities
All activities provided by Shapinsay Community Association shall be open to all who wish
to join, irrespective of their age, sex, race, creed or any disability they may possess. This
Policy should apply to all personnel in office on the Committee, any future employees (at
present the Association has no employees), anyone wishing to participate in any activity run
by the Association. All aspects will be open to members of any ethnic group, and to both
men and women, and all age groups, with the following provisos.
Activities planned and run by and for a particular age group, such as Youth Clubs, Senior
Citizens Clubs, etc. may set age limits agreed by their membership, but should have no other
restrictions governing participants. Similarly, single sex clubs, such as Ladies’ and Men’s
Badminton may so decide among their membership: in this case the Association should
review appropriate provision for the opposite sex. Again, no other restrictions should be
imposed.
In general no exceptions to the overall equal opportunities policy should be implemented.
This Constitution was adopted as the Constitution of the Shapinsay Community Association at a
Public Meeting duly conveyed at the Shapinsay Community Centre on 28 th September 2021 by Ms
A Kirkpatrick (Chair), Mrs L Bews (Secretary) and all members of the Committee.