H O Y L A K E P H O T O G R A P H I C S O C I E T Y
C O N S T I T U T I O N a n d R U L E S
1. NAME
The name of the Society shall be the ‘Hoylake Photographic Society’.
2. CONSTITUTION
The Society shall consist of Honorary Life Members, Honorary Annual
Members, Ordinary Members and Junior Members.
3. OBJECTS
The objects of the Society shall be:
(a) The advancement of the Art and Science of Photography
(b) To organise, arrange and hold meetings, lectures, outings, exhibitions,
competitions and other activities.
4. HONORARY MEMBERS
The Committee shall have power at any time to elect any person as an Honorary
Life or Honorary Annual Member. Any person so elected as an Honorary
Annual Member shall remain an Honorary Annual Member until the next Annual
General Meeting following his or her election when he or she shall be eligible for
re-election.
An Honorary Life or Honorary Annual Member, who shall not be required to pay
the Annual Subscription, shall be entitled to attend meetings but shall have no
voting rights unless already, or at some previous time has been, an Ordinary or
Junior Member.
5. ORDINARY MEMBERS
Any person of 18 years and over who is in sympathy with the objects of the
Society shall be eligible to be an Ordinary Member.
6. JUNIOR MEMBERS
Any person under 18 years of age who is in sympathy with the objects of the
Society shall be eligible to be a Junior Member. A parent, guardian or adult
with specific agreement of the parent/guardian must accompany members and
visitors under the age of 18 years at meetings and other events, to be responsible
for their safety at all times.
The status of a Junior Member as such shall cease on the 31st March next
following his or her 18th Birthday, and he or she shall be subject to Rule 7 if
desiring to become an Ordinary Member. A Junior Member shall not be eligible
to serve on the Committee but in all other respects shall enjoy the full benefits of
an Ordinary Member.
7. MEMBERSHIP
Anyone wishing to become an Ordinary or Junior Member shall sign a form
giving the required particulars and pass it to the Hon. Secretary with the current
full subscription.
8. SUBSCRIPTIONS
The subscription shall be determined from time to time by the Society in a
General Meeting. Subscriptions shall be due and payable by the first meeting of
the Society each season, as shown on the syllabus, for the current financial year.
Any member who has not paid his or her annual subscription before the 1st
November in any year shall cease to be a member, subject to the Committee
having discretion in any individual instance to extend this date.
Persons who apply for membership after the 31st December in any year must pay
a full year’s subscription on joining the Society, however –
(1) Applications received after the 31st December shall be entitled to a
deduction of 50% of the rate of the current subscription from that of the
ensuing year, and
(2) Applications received after the 28th February shall be entitled to a
reduction of 75% of the rate of the current subscription from that of the
ensuing year.
9. RESIGNATIONS
Any member wishing to resign his or her membership of the Society shall notify
the Honorary Secretary in writing.
10. EXPULSION
The Committee may expel from the Society any member whose conduct is such
as shall in their opinion be injurious to the character of the Society or the
interests of the members. Before a member is expelled their conduct shall be
enquired into by the Committee and he or she shall be given full opportunity to
defend himself or herself and to justify or explain their conduct. For the purpose
of this Rule only, the vote of not less than two-thirds of the whole Committee
shall be necessary, and if such two-thirds are of the opinion that the member has
been guilty of such conduct as aforesaid and that the member has failed to justify
it or explain it satisfactorily, the Committee shall call upon the member to resign
and, if he or she does not resign, shall expel the member. A member expelled
shall forfeit all privileges of membership and all rights against the Society.
Upon the determination of membership under this Rule the subscription paid for
the current year shall normally be forfeit, but the Committee may return it wholly
or in part at their discretion.
11. CESSATION OF MEMBERSHIP
Any Member shall, upon ceasing to be a Member, forfeit all right to any claim
upon the Society and its property and funds and shall return any property or
funds belonging to the Society.
12. OFFICERS
(a) The Officers of the Society shall consist of the President, Honorary
Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Competition Secretary and Syllabus
Secretary, all of whom shall be elected each year at the Annual General
Meeting to hold office for the ensuing year.
(b) The President shall hold office for one year and shall be eligible for reelection
to that office for the year subsequent to his or her year of office
but shall not hold the office for more than two consecutive years.
(c) The President retiring at the Annual General Meeting shall be Vice-
President for the ensuing year.
(d) At every Annual General Meeting the Committee shall, and any Member
with voting rights may, nominate a member of the Society as President-
Elect.
(e) At the Annual General Meeting in every year there shall be elected a
President-Elect for the ensuing year whose name shall be submitted for
election to the office of President at the next Annual General Meeting,
subject to the right of any member with voting rights to nominate another
candidate for the office of President.
13. COMMITTEE
The Committee shall consist of the Officers of the Society, the Vice-President,
the President-Elect, the Leader of the Wednesday Night Group (who shall be
elected each year by members of the Group), and four Ordinary Members who
shall be elected each year at the Annual General Meeting. Five members of the
Committee shall constitute a quorum at Committee Meetings. The Committee
shall have the power to fill any vacancy that may occur including any vacancy
among the Officers and to co-opt additional members. Co-opted members shall
have no voting rights at Committee Meetings.
14. MANAGEMENT
The whole management of all the affairs of the Society and the making of Bye-
Laws shall be vested in the Committee which shall have power to make
Regulations and Bye-Laws not inconsistent with the Rules. Such Regulations
and Bye-Laws shall be posted in some conspicuous part of the principal rooms or
premises used or occupied by the Society and shall be binding on all Members.
The Committee may make such appointments, including co-option of additional
members as it may consider necessary or expedient for the efficient working and
management of the Society and may delegate any of its powers to Sub-
Committees consisting of such Members of the Society as it may decide.
15. RULES
Alteration to the Rules shall not be made except at a General Meeting and any
such proposed alterations must be notified to Members in writing at least 14 days
before the date of such a meeting. The Rules may be altered by a two-thirds
majority of the Members present at such a meeting.
16. MEETINGS
The Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held in the months of April
or May each year upon a date to be fixed by the Committee for the following
purposes:
(a) To receive from the Committee a report and statement of accounts for the
preceding year.
(b) To elect the President, President-Elect, other Officers and Committee for
the ensuing year.
(c) To elect Honorary Annual and/or Honorary Life Members.
(d) To appoint an Honorary Auditor or Auditors for the ensuing year.
(e) To determine such rates of subscription as the Meeting may see fit for the
current financial year.
(f) To decide upon any proposal or matter and transact any other business
relating to the affairs or interests of the Society.
The proposed date of the Annual General Meeting shall be published in the
Syllabus. At least 14 days notice of the Annual General meeting, and of the
business to be transacted thereat shall be given to each Member of the Society,
but the accidental or unavoidable omission of proper notification to a Member or
Members shall not invalidate any business done or resolution passed at such
Meeting. Any Member desiring to propose a Motion, or to nominate Members
for election as Officers and/or Committee at a General Meeting must send full
written Notice thereof (signed by a Proposer and Seconder) to the address of the
Honorary Secretary at least 28 days before the next General Meeting, provided
that the Chairman of the Meeting shall have discretion to accept nomination for
election as Officers and/or Committee from the floor.
Voting at all meetings shall be by show of hands or by ballot if necessary.
At a General Meeting 15 shall form a quorum.
A Special General Meeting may be convened at any time by the Committee and
shall be convened forthwith on requisition in writing of any five Ordinary
Members stating the purpose for which the Meeting is required.
The Rules which apply to an Annual General Meeting shall apply to a Special
General Meeting save that the business to be transacted at such a meeting shall
be confined to the purpose for which the meeting is required.
At all Meetings, in the event of equality of vote, the Chairman shall be entitled to
a second or casting vote.
17. ACCOUNTS
The Committee shall cause true Accounts to be kept of all monies received and
expended by the Society and of its Assets and Liabilities and such Accounts shall
be closed on 31st March each year and shall be audited by an Auditor or Auditors
to be appointed at the Annual General Meeting.
18. REGISTER
A Register of all categories of Members shall be kept by the Committee with
such particulars and information as the Committee shall decide and when a
person has had his or her name added to this list, he or she shall be a Member of
the Society, and entitled to all the privileges of membership and shall be deemed
to have agreed to be bound by these Rules and Regulations made in accordance
therewith.
19. USE AND PROTECTION OF MEMBERS DATA – POLICY
The Society utilises physical and electronic media to collect, store and process
information (including some basic ‘personal’ information such as names and
addresses) for the legitimate interests and general running of its photographic
and social activities. The Society will manage such data in compliance with
current UK legislation (at the time of writing, the Data Protection Act 2018). By
joining the Society, members implicitly consent to relevant data being
mechanically and electronically processed by the Society.
Members’ data collected shall normally be limited to identity and address details,
together with electronic contact information and payment records. Where
medical (or similar sensitive information – known as ‘special category data’) is
required for specific activities (such as external events where the information is
required by the hosts) that data shall be individually and separately collected and
deleted at the end of the activity.
Outside of the Officers of the Management Committee other volunteer members
may take on data processing activities on behalf of the Society. These volunteers
shall operate to the same information compliance standards as the Management
Committee Officers who are mainly responsible for the collection, storage and
processing of members’ data.
All members have a right to see (and where necessary have corrected) any
information collected about them. Members may opt-out of communication via
email or similar social media.
Members information shall not be shared with external commercial or nonphotographic
organisations. Where information needs to be shared with external
photographic organisations – eg. other photographic societies for competition
entries etc. – explicit member consent is required.
Where the Society hosts an external competition or salon, the entry terms shall
clearly request the entrant’s consent to their data being held and processed by
Hoylake Photographic Society.
20. GENERAL POWERS OF COMMITTEE
The Committee shall have power to do any act or thing in connection with any
question or matter concerning the business or affairs of the Society not covered
by the Rules, and to settle any disputes in which case the decision of the
Committee shall be binding upon all Members.
21. RESTRICTION OF USE OF PROPERTY
The premises, property and equipment of the Society shall not be used for
professional or business purposes except to such extent and in such manner as
may from time to time be expressly authorised by the Committee for purposes
connected with the interests or activities of the Society.
22. PERSONAL GAIN
No Member shall on any pretence or any manner receive any profit, salary or
emoluments from the funds or transactions of the Society.
23. WINDING UP
If at any General Meeting a resolution for the winding up or dissolution of the
Society shall be passed by a majority of at least two-thirds of the Members
present who being entitled to vote do vote then the Society shall be wound up or
dissolved and if there remains after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities of
the Society any property or funds whatsoever belonging to the Society, such
property and funds shall be donated to some institution having similar objects to
the Society or to some charitable object proposed and adopted by the vote of the
majority of the Members of the Society at that General Meeting, and the Society
shall not be under any obligation or liability to return to any Member the
unexpired balance of his or her subscription.
Constitution as at 4th May 2018 (see Minutes of Annual General Meeting of the Society held on 4th May 2018 at Newton Village Hall, Grange Cross Lane, West Kirby).