Community Association Constitution

Constitution of the Shapinsay Community Association

  1. Name
    The name of the Association shall be the Shapinsay Community Association
    (hereinafter called “The Association”).
  2. 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.

  1. Membership
    Membership of the Association shall be open to all persons aged 16 and over living on the
    island of Shapinsay.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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”
  5. 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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.