THE HERTFORD
RULES (last modified 22nd April 2006)
1. The Name, Objects and Territory of the Association
1. The Association shall be called “The Hertford County Association of
Change-Ringers”.
2. The objects of the Association shall be:
a. To further the work of the Church by the ringing of bells, and to
promote all aspects of bells and bell ringing;
b. To encourage the recruitment and training of bell ringers, and to
advance the art of change ringing.
3. In furtherance of these objects, but not otherwise, the Association
shall have powers to:
a. Arrange meetings and instruction;
b. Maintain a Library;
c. Publish Annual and other Reports;
d. Assist in the maintenance of church bells;
e. Engage in other such activities as shall conduce to the objects of
the Association.
4. The territory of the Association (hereinafter called “the
Territory”) shall be the
5. The Association shall be affiliated to the Central Council of
Church Bell Ringers, and shall abide by the rules and decisions thereof.
6. The Association shall be registered with the Charity Commissioners
for
2. Membership
Membership shall be open
to any person interested in bells or bell ringing. The Association shall
provide the following classes of Members:
1. Resident Members, who shall be able to ring at
least 120 changes in one of the standard methods, or to cover with the tenor
for 500 changes. They shall be either resident, or members of a tower,
within the Territory;
2. Probationary Members, who shall be able to handle a bell and be
qualified by residence or tower membership as provided for Resident Members;
3. Life Ringing Members, who shall be elected in recognition of
outstanding services, and all Members who have completed fifty years as a
Resident Member;
4. Non-Resident Members, who shall be able to satisfy the ringing
qualifications of Resident Membership, but who do not reside, and are not
members of a tower, within the Territory;
5. Associate Members, who need not be ringers, but who wish to support
the Objects of the Association.
3. Elections
1. Members in classes 1, 2, 4 and 5 shall be elected at any General or
District Meeting after being proposed and seconded by any two Resident,
Probationer or Life Ringing Members able to vouch that the candidate possesses
the necessary qualifications.
2. A qualified candidate may be provisionally elected to classes 1 or
4 if required to take part in a peal, after being proposed and seconded by any
two Resident, Probationer or Life Ringing Members, but such election must be
confirmed at the Association Annual General Meeting held in the following
calendar year
3. Election to Life Ringing Membership shall take place only at a
General Meeting, after notice has been given to the Honorary Secretary, and the
candidate has been proposed and seconded by two Resident, Probationer or Life
Ringing Members.
4. Subscriptions
1. Subscriptions at the rate appropriate to each class of member, as
prescribed in a Schedule attached to these rules, shall become due on the first
day of January for the year beginning on that date (or on the day of election
during any year). A fifty per cent reduction in annual subscription may be
claimed by Probationary and Resident Members receiving full time education or
of pensionable age.
2. Life Ringing Members are not required to pay any subscription.
3. Associate Members may commute for all future annual subscriptions
by payment of one sum equal to ten annual subscriptions.
4. a. Non-Resident Members
becoming eligible for Resident Membership shall become Resident Members save
that they shall not be required to pay any subscription for the year in which
the change took place.
b. Resident Members becoming eligible for
Non-Resident Membership shall become Non-Resident Members, and shall not be
required to pay any further subscription, provided they have been in Membership
for at least two years.
5. It is the duty of all Members to pay their due subscription, for
which the Association shall issue a receipt.
6. Members who are more than twelve months in arrears shall be deemed
to have resigned their Membership.
5. Privileges of Membership
1. Resident, Probationary or Life Ringing Members
aged 18 or more may seek election as an Officer
of the Association and of its Districts, and may attend, address and vote at
any meeting of the Association and of the District to which they belong; they
may attend the meetings of other Districts and, with the consent of the
chairman, may address such meetings.
2. Resident, Probationary or Life Ringing Members aged less than 18
may attend and address meetings of the Association and of the District to which
they belong, but may not vote upon the election of, nor seek election as, a
Trustee of the Association; they may otherwise vote at meetings of the
Association and of the District of which they are a Member, and may seek
election as a member of their own District Committee; they may attend meetings
of other Districts and, with the consent of the chairman, may address such
meetings;
3. Non-Resident or Associate Members may attend and, with the consent
of the chairman, may address any meeting of the Association and its Districts,
but may not vote nor seek election as an Officer of the Association or its
Districts.
4. All Members, except Non-Resident Members, shall receive a copy of
the Annual Report of the Association. Non-Resident Members are entitled to
receive a copy of the Annual Report for the year in which they were elected.
5. Life Ringing Members shall each receive a certificate of Life
Ringing Membership.
6. The Association Officers
The Officers shall be elected
at the Annual General Meeting and shall take office upon election. The Officers
shall be:
1. The President, who shall be responsible for the conduct of
Association meetings;
2. The Honorary Secretary, who shall keep a record of the minutes of
Association and Committee of Management meetings, execute
the decisions thereof, and prepare and publish the Annual Report;
3. The Honorary Assistant Secretary, who shall assist the Honorary
Secretary and shall in addition co-ordinate training and education activities;
4. The Honorary Treasurer, who shall give and receive vouchers for
money passed, keep proper books of accounts, and prepare an income and
expenditure account and a balance sheet at 31st December each year, which shall
be audited and presented to the Members at the following Annual General
Meeting;
5. The Honorary Peal Secretary, who shall receive and record the
details of peals rung for the Association and of any members elected in
accordance with rule 3.2, and ensure such members are presented for ratification
to the Association Annual General Meeting held in the following calendar year;
6. The Honorary Librarian, who shall manage the Association’s library;
7. The Central Council Representative(s), who shall attend the
meetings of the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers.
7. The Committee of Management
1. The Committee of Management (“the Committee”) shall be the
Trustees, and shall manage the affairs of the Association; it shall comprise
the Association Officers, the District Secretaries and the Central Council
Representatives ex-officio, and one elected representative (or an elected
deputy) of each District.
2. The Committee shall have power to invest or otherwise deal with the
assets of the Association, and such sums as the Members or others subscribe or
otherwise contribute to the Association, in such manner as the Committee
considers is in the best interests of the Association. Bank accounts as may be
required shall be maintained in the name of the Association, and any one of six
nominated Committee members shall have power to sign cheques, with the
signatures of two such required for amounts exceeding £50.
3. The Committee shall meet at least twice each year, and eight
members shall constitute a quorum. All decisions shall be carried by a simple
majority of members present and voting.
4. The Committee shall have power to invite any person(s) to attend a
Committee meeting, to assist it in the management of the affairs of the
Association, but such invited person(s) shall have no vote and shall not be
counted towards a quorum. The Committee may appoint sub-committees as required,
and may raise funds by any lawful means other than permanent trading.
5. The Committee shall have power to fill any vacancy which arises,
between Association General Meetings, amongst either the Officers of the
Association or the Central Council Representatives.
8. General Meetings of the Association
1. The Annual General Meeting shall take place on the last Saturday in
April in every year (or on such a day as the Committee shall decide). The place
of the meeting shall be decided by the Committee, but so far as possible shall
be within the Districts of the Association in rotation. A special service shall
be arranged at one of the churches at the place of the meeting.
2. The business of the Annual General Meeting shall include the
presentation of reports (which shall include an audited statement of accounts
and balance sheet), the election of Association Officers, and of the Central
Council Representatives when due, the appointment of an Independent Examiner,
the ratification of any provisional elections of members, and any other
business relating to the Objects of the Association.
3. Other General Meetings may be called by the Committee, and shall be
called within six weeks of receipt by the Honorary Secretary of a written
requisition, signed by not less than 20 members, at such time and place as the
Honorary Secretary shall determine. Any notice or requisition of such a General
Meeting shall state clearly the business of the meeting, and no other business
shall be transacted. Fifty voting members shall constitute a quorum. If, within
30 minutes of the advertised meeting time, no quorum has formed, the meeting
shall stand adjourned for between four and six weeks, when it shall be
reconvened and those who attend shall constitute a quorum.
4. Notice of any General Meeting shall be given by the Honorary
Secretary within the previous two weeks by means of an advertisement in “The
Ringing World” or other such paper(s) as the Committee shall determine. Such
published notice shall be sufficient without further communication being sent
to Members.
9. The Districts of the Association
1. The Territory shall be divided into Districts by the Association in
General Meeting, on recommendation of the Committee of Management, which shall
consult with the Districts concerned before making or varying any determination
of District boundaries.
2. Each District shall elect a District Secretary, the representative
(and a deputy) of the District upon the Committee of Management, and other such
District Officers, if any, as it shall determine. These, together with such
elected members as the District shall determine, shall comprise the District
Committee, which shall manage the affairs of the District.
3. The District Secretary shall be responsible for:
a. Calling at least four District Meetings annually;
b. Receiving Members’ subscriptions within the District, issuing
receipts therefor, and passing such money to the
Honorary Treasurer;
c. Informing the Honorary Secretary, in writing, of the names and
addresses of the District’s elected representative (and deputy) on the
Committee of Management;
d. Transmitting to the Honorary Treasurer immediately after December
31st each year a copy of the provisional annual statement of the income and
expenditure of the District, together with all the relevant books and vouchers.
The District Secretary shall confirm or amend the annual statement immediately
following the Annual District Meeting.
e. Transmitting to the Honorary Secretary immediately after December
31st each year a list of Members for the District, together with such other
details as the Honorary Secretary shall request for the purposes of compiling
the Annual Report. The District Secretary shall confirm or amend these details
immediately following the Annual District Meeting.
4. The first meeting of the District in any year (arranged so far as
possible before the end of January) shall be the Annual District Meeting, at
which shall be elected:
a. The District Secretary and other District Officers, if any;
b. The other members of the District Committee;
c. The District’s representative (and deputy) on the Committee of
Management. The Annual District Meeting shall receive and consider an annual statement
of income and expenditure and conduct any other business relating to the
Objects of the Association.
5. Notice of District Meetings shall be given by the relevant District
Secretary in accordance with the procedures detailed in rule 8.4.
10 Management of Funds
The expenses paid by the
Honorary Treasurer from the Association’s funds may be:
1. Those of General Meetings and of meetings of the Committee of
Management.
2. The cost of printing, binding and distributing the Annual and other
Reports.
3. The cost of maintaining the Peal Book.
4. The cost of maintaining the Association Library.
5. Postage, stationery and sundry expenditure incurred by Association
and District Officers.
6. Central Council affiliation fees and the reasonable expenses of
representatives attending Central Council meetings.
7. The costs of advertising Association and District Meetings, courses
and practices.
8. Administrative and other expenses incurred in respect of the
Hertford County Association of Change-Ringers Bell Restoration Fund.
9. Other expenditure as the Committee of Management shall determine.
11. Peals
Every peal rung for the
Association shall be entered in the Association’s Peal Book, and published in
the Annual Report. A peal shall be recognised as rung for the Association and
so recorded, subject to:
1. Proof of composition.
2. The participants being Members (or having been provisionally
elected in accordance with Rule 3, such election(s) having been ratified
subject to Rule 11.5).
3. The conductor informing the Honorary Peal Secretary, in writing,
and within one month, of the particulars of the peal, including the composition
(unless such is apparent from the published report), and of the names, if any,
of any person(s) provisionally elected before the peal;
4. The conductor transmitting to the Honorary Peal Secretary, within
one month, a prescribed fee per member taking part, together with the
subscription(s) and address(es), if known, and the
name of the proposer and seconder,
of any provisionally elected participant(s), for which sums the Peal Secretary
shall send the conductor receipt(s). The fee shall be levied with the aim of
generating income to cover the cost of maintaining the Peal Book, and shall be
as prescribed in a Schedule attached to these Rules.
5. Any provisional elections being ratified at the Association Annual
General Meeting held in the following calendar year.
12. Dissolution of the Association
1. The Association may be dissolved by a resolution presented at a
General Meeting called for this purpose. The resolution must have the assent of
two thirds of those present and voting. Such resolution may give instructions
for the disposal of any assets remaining after satisfying any outstanding debts
and liabilities. These assets shall not be distributed among the members of the
Association, but will be given:
a. To charitable bell restoration funds as the Association may select;
b. To the St Albans Diocesan Board of Finance for the religious and
charitable purposes of the said Diocese, or transferred to such other
charitable institution or institutions having objects similar to some or all of
the objects of the Association as the Association shall determine and, if in so
far as effect cannot be given to this provision, then to some other charitable
purpose.
13. Rules
1. All Members of the Association upon election shall accept these
rules and shall abide by them whilst they remain in membership.
2. Any question of interpretation of the Rules shall be a matter for
the Committee of Management, subject only to a decision of a General Meeting of
the Association.
3. No alteration of, addition to or deletion from these rules shall be
made so as to cause the Association to cease to be a charity in law.
4. No alteration to these Rules shall be made save at the Annual
General Meeting or at a General Meeting called for this purpose. No amendments
or alterations shall be made without the prior written permission of the Charity
Commission to the objects clause, the dissolution clause or this clause.
Alterations to these Rules shall receive the assent of two thirds of the
members present and voting at an Annual or other General Meeting.
5. Notice of any proposed alteration, addition to, or deletion from
these rules must be sent, in writing, to the Honorary Secretary, to be received
at least eight weeks before the General Meeting at which such proposal is to be
discussed. In the case of proposed amendment to the objects clause, the
dissolution clause or the rules clause, this period of notice shall be extended
to twelve months.
THE SCHEDULE TO THE RULES
(See Rules 4 & 11)
Subscriptions
a. Resident, Associate and Probationary Members shall subscribe £7.00
annually;
b. Non-Resident Members shall pay one subscription of £7.00 upon
election, subject to Rule 4.4.b.
Peal Fee
The fee shall be 0p per
member taking part for each peal.
THE HERTFORD
RULES (Last modified 26th April 1997)
1. Title
This fund shall be known as “The
Hertford County Association of Change-Ringers Bell Restoration Fund”.
2. The object
of the Fund shall be the provision of financial assistance by way of grants to
church authorities incurring expenditure on the provision, maintenance or
improvement of their bells and bell installations or for the maintenance of the
fabric of their towers and belfries in the county of Hertfordshire and the
ecclesiastical parishes of Chipping Barnet, Monken
Hadley and Great Stanmore.
3. In
furtherance of the object of the Fund provision of financial assistance by way
of grants may be made to church authorities incurring expenditure in taking
into their care bells pending their installation in a tower.
4. Definition
References to “the Association”
shall mean the Hertford County Association of Change-Ringers.
5. Trustees, Treasurer, Independent Examiner and Administration
The Trustees of the Fund, referred
to hereinafter as the Trustees, shall be the Honorary Secretary, Honorary
Assistant Secretary and Honorary Treasurer for the time being of the
Association and six elected Life or Resident members of the Association, being
one nominated by each of the Association’s six Districts. The Honorary
Treasurer and Honorary Independent Examiner of the Fund shall be the Honorary Treasurer
and Honorary Independent Examiner for the time being of the Association. The
Fund shall be administered by the Trustees. Five Trustees shall form a quorum
at a meeting. A casual vacancy amongst the elected Trustees shall be filled by
the Committee of Management of the Association. The Association’s rules in
respect of membership and of the Committee of Management are attached as an
appendix to this constitution.
6. Grants
1. An
application for or proposal to make a grant, of more than the amount prescribed
in the Schedule attached to these rules, from this fund shall only be
considered at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting of the
Association. Notice of an application must be made to the Trustees at least
eight weeks before the General Meeting at which the application shall be
discussed.
2. Following
notice duly given, the Trustees shall consider such applications or proposals
and shall make recommendations to the Meeting of the Association at which the
application shall be considered. The Trustees shall give notice of a proposal
to make a grant from this Fund in accordance with the rules of the Association
on giving notice.
3. Grants
shall be made from this Fund only for the purposes outlined in the objectives
in Rule 2 above. A grant may be made at a General Meeting of the Association,
subject to the requirements of Rule 6(i) above, if
approved by two thirds or more of those members of the Association present and
voting. To be eligible to vote on such matters, such members must fulfil the
requirements of the rules of the Association on voting.
4. Following
such approval a grant shall be made at such time as the Trustees shall decide
except that the Trustees shall be given absolute discretion to reduce, but not
to increase, a donation in the exceptional circumstances that they unanimously
feel it in the interests of the Fund and the Association to do so. They shall
inform the Association of any such action at the next General Meeting of the
Association.
5 Where
such an application or proposal would involve consideration of a grant equal to
or less than the amount prescribed in the Schedule attached to the Rules, and
particularly where the proposed work was, or had been, an urgent repair to
bells and/or bell installations and/or bell towers, then the Trustees, in their
absolute discretion, may approve and make grants from the Fund without the need
to satisfy the requirements of Rules 6.1 to 6.4 hereof.
7. Disbursements
Any payments drawn on this Fund
under Rule 6 above or required under Rule 9 below,
shall be made over the signatures of two Trustees of the Fund. All
administrative and other expenses incurred in respect of the Fund other than
those specifically relating to the acquisition and realisation of investments
shall be borne by the Association.
8. Accounts
1. The
Honorary Treasurer shall prepare accounts consisting of a Balance Sheet as at
31st December in each year, and an Income and Expenditure Account for the year
ending on that date.
2. These
accounts shall be presented to the Independent Examiner of the Fund who shall
satisfy himself as to the correctness thereof.
3. These
accounts duly audited shall be submitted for approval to the Annual General
Meeting of the Association next after the 31st December to which the accounts
of the Fund have been prepared.
9. Investments
The Trustees acting together shall
have the power to invest or otherwise deal with the assets of the Fund and such
sums as the Association or others shall contribute or from time to time decide
to transfer to the Fund, in such manner as they think fit in the best interests
of the Fund.
10. Dissolution of the Fund
1. If
it shall be decided to dissolve the Fund, such decision being taken only at an
Annual General Meeting of the Association following notice given at the
previous Annual General Meeting, the assets shall be disposed of to either or
between both of the following:-
a. To other charitable
Bell Restoration Funds as the Association may select.
b. To
the St Albans Diocesan Board of Finance for the religious and charitable
purposes of the said Diocese.
2. In
the event that the Association becomes defunct, it shall be allowed for the
Trustees in office at the time the Association became defunct, after five years
non-working of the Fund, to cause it to be dissolved and its assets applied as
under Rule 10(1)(b).
11. Provision for changes of Rules
1. No
amendment of, addition to or deletion from these rules shall be made which
would cause the Fund at any time to cease to be a charity in law.
2. No
amendment, addition or deletion whatever shall be made except at a General
Meeting of the Association following notice given in detail of the proposed
alteration in accordance with the Rules of the Association on changes in its
rules, and approved by two thirds or more of those members present and voting.
APPENDIX
To save space in this
report, please refer to Association Rules 2, 5, 6 and 7.
SCHEDULE
The amount referred to in
Rules 6.1 and 6.5 shall be £250.00.