Constitution of The Welsh Society of Sydney – Cymdeithas Cymry Sydney

 Name

The name of the Society is ‘The Welsh Society of Sydney – Cymdeithas Cymry Sydney’.

2. Objectives

The objectives of the Society are:

• To encourage and promote all matters Welsh in the Sydney region and New South Wales generally.
• To encourage and promote Welsh culture through support of cultural events, choral festivals and eisteddfods.
• To encourage and promote the Welsh language through providing resources and advice for Welsh learners, as well as classes where possible.
• To provide a forum for Welsh people to meet and socialise.
• To promote social activities for members of the Welsh community in Sydney
• To promote cooperation between the Welsh / Celtic organisations in the Sydney region.
• To represent the Australian Welsh community in matters of interest to media, public and social organisations (national and overseas).

3. Membership
   a) Membership of the Society shall be open to any individual showing genuine interest in the Society’s objectives
   b) A register of members shall be kept showing their name, address, contact details and commencement date of membership
   c) Member subscriptions shall be payable at a time and rate determined by the Society’s Executive Committee
   d) The Society’s Executive Committee may withdraw membership from members whose activities are considered prejudicial to the Society. A suspended member has a right of appeal at a Special General Meeting.

4. Management of the Society by an Executive Committe
   a) The Society shall be administered by an Executive Committee (the Committee) consisting of up to 10 members including a President, Secretary and Treasurer. A quorum for the Committee shall be fifty percent of members
   b) The members of the Committee shall be elected annually at the AGM
   c) The Committee shall meet at least four times a year to manage the affairs of the Society and do such things as required to advance the objectives of the Society in an open and transparent manner
   d) Questions arising at a meeting of the Committee or of any sub-committee shall be determined by a majority of the votes of members present. In the event of an equality of votes, the person presiding shall have a casting vote
   e) The Committee shall have the power to co-opt additional members to fill vacancies or for some other purpose provided that the maximum number of Committee members does not exceed 12
   f) The Committee may appoint a sub-committee from time to time to carry out specific tasks as delegated by the Executive.

5. General Meetings

Only fully paid-up members of the Society may vote at general meetings.

A quorum at a general meeting shall be not less than 20% of the financial membership.

An Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Society shall be held each year no later than six months from the end of the financial year (30 June) at a time and place determined by the Committee.  Notice of the AGM shall be issued to all members of the Society not less than four weeks in advance specifying the business of the meeting.

The business of the AGM shall include the following:
a) to receive the Committee’s report on the activities of the Society for the past year.
b) to receive the Society’s Financial Statements for the year together with a report of the independent examiner.
c) to elect the Committee members for the ensuing year. Nominations for the Committee shall be submitted to the Secretary not less than seven days before the meeting takes place. If insufficient nominations have been received prior to the meeting, the President may accept nominations at the meeting from the floor.

A Special General Meeting may be convened at the request of the Committee or 20% of financial members.  Written notice of the meeting must be issued at least 30 days before hand and outline the nature of the business to be dealt with.  

6. Minutes

The Committee shall keep minutes of all General and Executive Committee meetings, which shall include a record of those present and of all resolutions put and the decisions made, these minutes to be kept in an agreed form. The minutes shall be confirmed at the next meeting and signed by the President of that meeting as correct.  Copies shall be made available to all Committee members.

The previous two years minutes shall be available at all General and Executive Committee Meetings.

The minutes, records and other documents of the Society shall be open to inspection by any member of the Society at a reasonable time and place as may be agreed on.

7. Finance
   a) All income and property of the Society shall be applied solely towards the promotion and execution of the objectives previously outlined.
   b) The Committee, or the Treasurer on its behalf, shall be responsible for the administration of the Society’s funds and assets. The Treasurer shall keep a proper record of accounts in an agreed form showing all sums of money received and expended by the Society.  This record shall be presented at each Committee meeting.
   c) No member shall receive disbursements from the Society’s funds unless it is for reasonable expenses incurred on the Society’s behalf. Expenses below an amount pre-agreed by the Committee each year may be paid with the approval of at least two Office Bearers of the Committee (Office Bearers being – President, VP, Secretary, Treasurer), or one Office Bearer and two Committee members. Expenses in excess of the pre-agreed amount must have prior Committee consent and will be subject to reimbursement approval by the Committee after expenditure.
   d) The Society shall keep its funds at a bank named by the Committee and appoint at least three authorised signatories, the signatures of any two being required for carrying out all financial transactions.
   e) The Annual Financial Statements shall be independently examined by an individual appointed by the Committee. The individual shall not be a member or closely related to a member of the Committee.

8. Amendments to this Constitution

The Constitution may be amended only at an AGM or a Special General Meeting provided the appropriate notice has been given.  Amendments are only valid if supported by a three-quarters majority of those present at the meeting.

9. Dissolution

The Society may be dissolved only at an AGM or a Special General Meeting, called for the purpose, by a resolution supported by three-quarters of those present. The resolution must specify the disposal of the Society’s assets after debts and liabilities have been settled. This may involve their transfer to an appropriate organisation or institution with objectives compatible with those of the Society.

This constitution was accepted by members at the Special General Meeting held on 25 June 2017.

Signed             President: Ian Williams                                   Secretary: Myfanwy Evans