1. Name

 

The Club shall be called “The Inverness Burns Club”.

      

2. Objects

 

a) To hold an Anniversary Dinner on or about the 25th January in each year in commemoration of the birth of Robert Burns.

b) To encourage the study of the life and works of Robert Burns.

c) To foster an interest in Scottish literature, art and music by lectures, competitions or otherwise.

d) To encourage an interest in the life and works of Robert Burns among young people in local Highland schools and to award prizes for recitation, singing and/or general proficiency in Scottish literature.

e) To promote social and friendly intercourse among members by social gatherings or otherwise.  

 f) To support the objects of the Robert Burns Worldwide Federation Ltd.

 

3. Committee of Management

 

The affairs of the Club shall be conducted by a Committee of Management, consisting of a President, who shall serve for two years, Immediate Past President (ex officio), Senior and Junior Vice-Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer and up to six additional members to be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting of the Club. The offices of Treasurer and Secretary may be combined. Five members of the Committee of Management, one of whom must be an office-bearer, shall form a quorum. The Committee of Management shall have the power to fill vacancies during the year and to co-opt up to three additional members. Persons so appointed or co-opted to fill vacancies shall retire at the Annual General Meeting first occurring after said appointments and such persons shall be eligible for re-election.  The Committee shall select speakers for the following year’s Anniversary Dinner and make appropriate arrangements for the organisation of the event.

 

4. Finance

 

The funds of the Club shall be administered by the Treasurer under the direction of the Committee of Management and shall be applied exclusively in furtherance of objects of the club. The Committee of Management may authorise payments for the following purposes, viz.:

 

a) Honoraria and expenses of guest speakers.

b) To members and other persons for expenses reasonably incurred in connection with the business of the Club.

c) In the furtherance of any of the objects of the Club.  

d) Financial donations to Burns associated projects.

 

5. Annual General Meeting

 

The Annual General Meeting shall be held in March in each year for the following purposes:

 

a) To consider and approve the Minute of the last Annual General Meeting.

b) To receive the President’s and Secretary’s Reports.

c) To consider and approve the Treasurer’s Report and Statement of Accounts for the preceding year.

d) To agree the annual membership subscriptions.

e) To elect Office-bearers and members of the Committee of Management.

 f) To elect, if the members so decide, one or more Honorary Members, Patrons or Honorary Presidents.

g) To consider and approve or otherwise any motion to amend the Constitution and Rules provided that Notice of any such motion shall have been lodged in the Secretary’s hands not later than fifteen days immediately preceding the date of the Annual General Meeting. The terms of such motion shall be embodied by the Secretary in the Notice calling the meeting. Any such motion shall require the approval of two thirds of the members present entitled to vote and voting.

h) To appoint a qualified examiner of the annual accounts.

i) To consider general matters or points of interest, including the running of the previous Annual Supper.

j) The President or his/her Depute shall have a casting as well as a deliberative vote at all meetings.

 

6. Special and Extraordinary General Meetings

 

Special General Meetings of the Club shall be called at such times as the President may consider necessary. The Secretary shall be bound to call an Extraordinary General Meeting at any time on receipt by him of a requisition to that effect signed by not less than seven members. The foregoing provisions shall apply to proceedings at a Special or Extraordinary General Meeting.

 

7. Notice of Meetings
In calling General and Committee Meetings, the Secretary will give at least ten days’ notice, and fifteen days’ notice to consider and approve or otherwise any motion to amend the Club’s Constitution and Rules. 

Meetings of the club shall be called by circular, email or by advertisement. Meetings of the Committee of Management shall be called by circular or email only.

 

8. Election of Members

 

The election of members shall be vested in the Committee of Management, whose decision shall be final.

 

9. Subscriptions

 

Members shall pay an annual subscription as members may determine in General Meeting from time to time. Any member who allows his subscription to fall into arrears for one year shall be notified by the Treasurer in terms of this rule and, failing payment thereafter, may be liable to have his name removed from the roll. Any members whose subscriptions are in arrears will not be eligible to exercise a vote at the Annual General Meeting or at Special or Extraordinary Meetings.

 

10. Statement of Accounts

 

The Treasurer shall be responsible for all funds of the Club and shall keep or cause to be kept regular and distinct records of receipts, deposits and disbursements.  All the funds collected in his hands from time to time shall be lodged by the Treasurer in a bank account, in the name of the club, to be operated upon by him. He shall submit to each Annual Meeting an account of his transactions, duly examined, a statement of the funds as at 28th February in the year then current and a list of members whose subscriptions are in arrears. The Treasurer’s accounts shall be independently examined by a qualified person.

 

11. Records

 

The Secretary shall keep a roll of the members and a Minute Book in which the Minutes of the Meeting and other transactions of the Club shall be recorded. He shall attend meetings called by him in terms of the foregoing Rules and shall conduct the correspondence of the club and deal with its affairs under the direction of the Committee of Management.

 

12. Dissolution

 

The Club may be dissolved on the passing of a resolution to that effect obtaining the approval of two thirds of the members present and voting at a General Meeting of which due notice has been given in accordance with this constitution. The assets remaining after payment of the debts and liabilities of the Club and the costs incurred in the dissolution shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of the Club.  That property shall instead be transferred to some other charity or charities (whether incorporated or unincorporated) whose objects are similar (wholly or in part) to the objects of the Club.

 

Revised  24th November, 2009