Sussex Folk Association
Constitution & Rules

Note: the following is a reformatted copy of a printed version of the constitution.

DEFINITIONS

1. “The Society” shall be the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) of Cecil Sharp House, 2, Regents Park Road, London, NW1 7AY.

2. The Sussex Folk Association (SusFA) shall cover folk activities in the County of Sussex.

3. The Electoral body shall be any or all of the following who attend the AGM:

Membership of SusFA may be subject to an Association Fee which would be determined from time to time by SusFA in General Meeting.

4. A Committee shall be elected as below and will be responsible for the day to day running of SusFA.

OBJECTS

5 The objects of SusFA shall be

SusFA shall be affiliated to The Society.

GENERAL MEETINGS.

6. ANNUAL. Once in every calendar year, and so that not more than 15 months shall elapse between them, and within three months of the end of the financial year (see below), the Committee shall convene an Annual General Meeting of all Members of the electoral body to receive the Report and Accounts of the Committee, to elect a Treasurer and Committee Members and to transact such other business as shall be deemed appropriate.
NOMINATIONS for Membership of the Committee should be by prior notification to the Secretary but MAY be taken at the AGM. In the event of there being more nominations than vacancies, voting shall be either by a show of hands or secret vote, as deemed appropriate by the Chairman at the time.

7. EXTRA-ORDINARY. The Committee may, or if so requested in writing by 20 Members of the Association shall, within 30 days of such a request, convene an Extra-ordinary Meeting of the Association and shall specify the purpose of the EGM in the Notice convening the Meeting. NO OTHER BUSINESS shall be conducted at this meeting.

8. NOTICE. Twenty-one day’s Notice of a General Meeting shall be given in writing to those Members specifically requesting it, otherwise to the Secretaries of appropriate Clubs and via such publications as Sussex Pie and Sussex Folk Diary. Such notice shall also be given to the National Council of The Society, which may send a Representative who shall be entitled to speak but not to vote.

9. QUORUM. No business shall be transacted at a General Meeting unless a quorum of Members is present; for this purpose a quorum shall be 15. Should a quorum fail to be present the meeting shall be re-convened within a further 30 days. Should this second attempt also fail consideration should be given to winding up the Association.

THE COMMITTEE.

10. The Committee shall consist of the Treasurer and ten other elected people from whom the officers (other than the Treasurer) shall be decided. In addition each Affiliated Club not thus represented is invited to send one representative who shall have full voting rights.

11. A person may not hold the office of Chairman for more than three years consecutively.

12. No Committee Member may serve for more than four years without re-election.

13. A person may serve in more than one capacity at a time but no one person may have more than one vote except that, in the case of a tie in voting, the Chairman may exercise the casting vote.

14 The Committee shall cause proper records to be kept of its proceedings and accounts. It shall maintain a register of members as defined in para. 3a and 3c and of those bodies in 3b above.

15. The Committee shall determine its own proceedings and frequency of meetings and may appoint sub-committees from among its own members or working parties if required. A working party shall conclude its project before the next AGM.

16. The Committee may co-opt additional members if required who can serve only until the next AGM.

17. A quorum of five members shall be present before any business may be conducted

ACCOUNTS.

18. The Committee shall maintain a bank account in the name of the Association and make its annual accounts up to the 31st March each year. The accounts shall be audited by a suitable person(s).

DISSOLUTION.

19. In the event that the Association shall cease to exist and that the last General Meeting has not directed otherwise, any monies in the control of the Association as at the date of it so ceasing shall be divided equally among the Affiliated Clubs and Bodies in para. 3b above.

DETERMINATION.

20. Any question of the interpretation of these Rules shall be determined by the Committee but any such determination must be put to the next General Meeting for ratification or revision.

May 2004