Constitution Of The Friends Of Barnhill Rock Garden

1 NAME AND ADDRESS

The Association shall be known as the Friends of Barnhill Rock Garden, Broughty Ferry (hereinafter referred to as “The Friends”).

2 OBJECTS

The objects of the Friends shall be to promote the benefit of the inhabitants of Broughty Ferry by advancing education and in the interest of social welfare providing or assisting in provision of facilities for recreation and other leisure-time occupation so that the condition of life of the afore mentioned inhabitants may be improved:
In furtherance of the above objects “The Friends” shall seek:-
(a) to support and promote the development of the Barnhill Rock Garden, Broughty Ferry, (hereinafter called “the Garden”) in accordance with the policies laid down by Dundee City Council, the owners of the Garden:
(b) to provide focus for informed discussion on matters of interest to gardeners, through meetings.
(c) to assist financially projects which cannot properly be funded from the Council resources, in particular, projects related to the public use and enjoyment of the Garden.

3 MEMBERSHIP

(a) Membership shall be open to interested parties.
(b) Rates of subscription shall be determined by General Meetings of the members.
(c) The committee shall have the right for good and sufficient reason to terminate the
membership of any members provided that the member shall have the right to be heard by the Committee before a final decision is made.

4 COMMITTEE

(a) The affairs of the Friends shall be conducted by a committee consisting of a Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary and Membership Secretary, and up to six ordinary members, all of whom shall be elected annually.
(b) All Committee members must be members of the Friends.
(c) The quorum for the conduct of business shall be four members.
(d) The Committee shall have the power to co-op not more than two members who shall hold office until the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting when they shall be eligible for election at that meeting.

5 GENERAL MEETINGS

(a) An Annual General Meeting shall be held in September of each year and the business shall include a Report by the Chairman, the election of officers and Committee members, and the Presentation of annual accounts. The Secretary shall despatch copies of the agenda to members not less than a week before the date of the meeting. Additional items may be raised by any member giving no less than one week’s notice or, at the Chairman’s direction, at the meeting itself.
(b) An Extraordinary General Meeting may be summoned at the request of any ten members. Notice of such a meeting shall be despatched by the Secretary to all members not less than one week before the date of the meeting.
(c) The quorum at a meeting shall be twenty. Unless specified all questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a simple majority of those present and entitled to vote.

6 FUNDS

(a) The funds of the Friends shall be held on their behalf in such a Bank or Building Society account as the Committee shall, from time to time decide. The authorised signatory shall be any one of the Office bearers namely, the Chairman, the Secretary and the Treasurer.
(b) The Treasurer shall keep proper records of the finances and shall prepare a Statement of Balances and a Receipts and Payments Account together with a report on the activities of the Friends as at 31st July in each year.
(c) All monies raised by or on behalf of the Friends shall be applied to further the objects of the Friends and for no other purpose provided  that nothing herein contained shall prevent the payment in good faith of reasonable and proper re-numeration to any employee of the Friends and fees to professional advisers or the repayment to members of the Committee of reasonable out-of-pocket-expenses.
(d) The accounts shall be audited at least once per year by an Auditor or examined and certified by a capable independent Examiner appointed at the Annual General Meeting.

7 ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION

Alterations to the Constitution can only be made by a decision of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting at a General Meeting provided that notice of such alterations shall have been received by the Secretary in writing no less than fourteen days before the meeting at which the alteration is to be proposed and such notice shall be included in the circulated agenda for the meeting.

8 DISSOLUTION

If the Committee by a simple majority decide at any time that on the ground of expense or otherwise it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the Friends, it shall call a Special General Meeting stating the terms of the resolution to be proposed. If such a decision is confirmed by two-thirds majority of those present and entitled to vote at such a meeting, the Committee shall have the power to dispose of any assets held on behalf of The Friends. Any assets remaining after satisfaction of any proper debts or liabilities shall be given or transferred to such charitable organisation or organisations having objects similar to the objects of the Friends as the Committee may determine.

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Revised April 2023
Friends of the Barnhill Rock Garden
Constitution