PAPERWEIGHT COLLECTORS CIRCLE
CONSTITUTION
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PAPERWEIGHT COLLECTORS CIRCLE CONSTITUTION |
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CONSTITUTION & RULES 1. NAME The name of the organisation shall be the Paperweight Collectors Circle. 2. AIMS AND PURPOSES To provide a forum within which glass paperweight enthusiasts can make contact to discuss all aspects of paperweights. To encourage and promote the collection of antique and modern glass paperweights and related objects. To encourage artists, makers and distributors through continued patronage as collectors and through the development of a wider base of collectors, and to this end to endeavour to attract and assist new and novice collectors. To increase knowledge of and awareness of paperweights, through the provision and exchange of information and appropriate social and educational activities. 3. DEFINITIONS In these Rules the following words and expressions bear the meanings hereby assigned to them, that is to say: ‘The Circle’ means the Paperweight Collectors Circle; ‘The Committee’ means the Committee of the Paperweight Collectors Circle.
4. MEMBERSHIP Membership of the Circle is open to all persons interested in the collection of glass paperweights and related objects. Every member shall be bound by and submit to the rules of the Circle. All applications for membership shall be forwarded to the Secretary who shall have absolute discretion in deciding on the acceptability of each application. In cases of doubt the application shall be submitted to the Committee for final decision. Vice Presidents The Committee may wish from time to time to recognise the contribution that individuals have made to the Circle or to the paperweight art in more general terms by appointing such persons as Vice Presidents of the Circle; these are honorary lifetime memberships. The number of Vice Presidents shall be limited at any one time to six. A Vice President may serve as a Committee member if elected to do so. Guests On payment of the appropriate fee guests will be welcome to attend functions. They will be encouraged to become members. Expulsion. Any member whose conduct is considered by the Committee to be detrimental to the good interests of the Circle may be called upon to explain such conduct. In the event of the Committee failing to accept the explanation the member may be asked to resign and if failing to resign may be expelled from the Circle by resolution of the Committee. Such decision of the Committee shall be final and any member so expelled shall not be entitled to be repaid any part of his or her subscription for the year and shall forfeit all rights to or claims upon the Circle. 5. COMMITTEE The management of the Circle shall be vested in a Committee consisting of the Chairman, Treasurer, General Secretary and not less than three or more than seven other members. The Committee shall allocate to members of the Committee by agreement the following roles, and any other role that becomes necessary:
Five (5) members shall constitute a quorum for committee meetings. Principal Committee Members: Chairman and Treasurer The Chairman and Treasurer of the Circle shall serve at least one full year as members of the Committee prior to nomination for election to either of these positions. All members of the Committee shall serve for one year, and will be eligible for re-election at the Annual General Meeting of the Circle save as provided below. No member shall occupy the office of Chairman for longer than three consecutive years. However, this rule does not preclude a second or subsequent term, so long as the terms are not consecutive. 6. MANAGEMENT The Committee shall have the power to:
7. ALTERATION OF RULES The Committee shall have the authority to amend existing rules and introduce new rules if deemed to be of benefit to the Circle and its members. Any new rule shall be unanimously agreed by the committee in a regular Committee meeting. Any new rule so introduced will be brought to the AGM for approval or deletion by the members attending the AGM. 8. GENERAL MEETINGS The Annual General Meeting of the Circle (AGM) shall be held once during every calendar year and the Committee shall be obliged to give a minimum of 21 days notice in writing of the date and venue. An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called by the Committee or by not less than 10 members of the Circle who shall give not less than 30 days notice in writing to the Secretary. Any such notice must specify the object of the meeting and the resolution to be put before the meeting. Any member wishing to place any resolution before the Annual General Meeting or any Extraordinary General Meeting shall give notice thereof in writing to the Secretary not less than 21days before the date of such meeting. At General Meetings any resolution shall be carried provided it is supported by a simple majority on the basis of a show of hands. A quorum of members at any General Meeting shall be twenty (20) members present in person. 9. MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS Membership of the Circle is open to persons living overseas as well as in the Subscriptions are due annually on 1 January and are valid through to 31 December each year. In the first year of membership any person wishing to join the Circle after 1 August will receive membership valid to 31 December of the following year, after which membership renewal will be due annually on 1 January. A member may be deemed by the Committee to have allowed his or her current membership to expire if he or she has not paid the current membership by 31 March. 10 . FINANCIAL MATTERS Meeting Fees At all members’ meetings of the Circle an entrance fee will be charged to members and guests to offset the cost of the room hire and other necessary costs of the meeting. Meeting fees shall be charged at the same rate regardless of location or venue. The Committee shall have the authority to set meeting fees. Any change to meeting fees will be notified in writing to members. Collection of meeting fees is the responsibility of the meeting organiser and/or Treasurer. If the Treasurer is not present at a meeting, the meeting organiser will be responsible for ensuring that any money collected together with a note of the income and expenditure is sent to the Treasurer. The organiser can be either an elected Committee member or a co-opted member leading an event. Speakers Fees Speakers fees/expenses as approved by the Committee will be paid out of Circle funds. Committee: Out of pocket expenses Any out of pocket expenses incurred by Committee members for the day to day running of the Circle, will be paid by the Circle on the production of full receipts to the Treasurer. Expenses should be kept to a minimum wherever possible. Any large expenses shall be approved by the Committee before expenditure is committed. Club Trips and Visits All club visits and outings will be self-funding by the participants. Any terms and conditions relating to payments and deposits will be put in writing to those taking part. Exhibitions Wherever possible competitive quotes will be sought by the Committee for staging exhibitions, e.g. insurance, hire of equipment, advertising, venue hire and any other sundry items. These expenses will be agreed by the Committee and paid from Circle funds. 11. SALE OF PAPERWEIGHTS AT CLUB MEETINGS The sale or trading of paperweights at members’ meetings, or any event organised by the Circle is solely at the discretion of the Committee, taking into account the suitability of the event and/or venue and the availability of space. Anyone bringing more than 25 weights to a meeting will be considered as a 'dealer'. (i) Anyone wishing to trade as a dealer at meetings must be a registered member of the Circle for at least 3 years before being allowed to trade at members’ meetings. (ii) Dealers or individual members wishing to sell paperweights at members’ meetings must contact the Committee member organising the meeting in advance. Requests to book space should be made by email or letter, once members are notified of the date and specific location of a meeting. The meeting organiser will confirm the booking (or not as the case may be). No one will be permitted to sell unless they have a confirmed booking. (iii) One table will be allocated for private sales, and individual members may bring up to 25 weights each for sale. (iv) Dealers will be allocated one 6 foot table each, unless circumstances allow for more. (v) Neither the Circle nor members of the Committee accept any responsibility or liability for any loss, damage or breakages to paperweights, glassware or other goods offered for sale or displayed by dealers, individual members, artists or speakers at meetings or events organised by the Circle. 12. ACCOUNTS The Treasurer shall be responsible for the custody of the Circle’s funds, keeping the accounts of the Circle and submitting a statement of the financial position in the form of an income and expenditure account and balance sheet for the financial year ending 31 December. This shall be prepared for distribution at the Annual General Meeting. The accounts shall be prepared by the Treasurer and audited by a trusted Committee nominee for distribution at the AGM. 13. MERCHANDISE AND ENDORSEMENTS It is expressly forbidden to publish in any medium or offer for sale any item of merchandise, purporting to have the support or endorsement of the Circle unless such endorsement or support has been expressly given in writing by the Committee. 14. NEWSLETTER The Circle shall publish and distribute a Newsletter to members, the charge being included in the membership subscription. Reprinting of any articles Advertising Members are permitted to offer paperweights and other related articles for sale, on a personal basis, in the Newsletter, subject to the scrutiny of the Committee, who may amend or reject such advertisements without explanation. Trade advertisements will be accepted at the sole discretion of the Newsletter Editor, with any disputes referred to the next available meeting of the Committee for a ruling even if it means that a trade advertiser misses the deadline for a particular newsletter. All trade and non-trade advertising rates for the Newsletter shall be agreed by the Committee and made available to members and others on request. |
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