1. The name of the society shall be The Friends of the City Churches.
2. The objects of the society shall be to preserve and protect for the public benefit:
i) Churches and chapels of architectural and/or
historic interest situated in the City of London, whether
belonging to or formerly used by the Church of England or any other body.
ii) The monuments, fittings, fixtures, organs, stained
glass, furniture, ornaments and chattels of any such church or
chapel and their united parishes; and
iii) The churchyard and burial ground belonging or formerly
belonging to any such church or chapel.
3. In pursuit of these objects the society shall have the following purposes:-
i. To encourage London's residents, workers and visitors to visit, use and
enjoy the City churches.
ii. To encourage public access by helping publicise and arranging regular
opening hours for all the churches and where appropriate helping to organise
volunteers to staff the churches when open.
iii. To help publicise and organise services and events in the City churches.
iv. To produce literature and promotional material to further interest in the
churches - their history, archaeology, architects, and associated figures.
v. To assist with repair, maintenance, reconstruction or refurbishing of
any of the City churches or any part thereof.
vi. To raise funds and to invite and receive contributions from within the
United Kingdom and abroad, provided that in raising funds it shall not undertake
any substantial permanent trading act.
vii. To co-operate with and support bodies with similar or related objects;
viii. To do such other lawful things as may be necessary for the attainment of
the said objects.
4. The society shall consist of individuals or corporate bodies which support its objects. Admission to membership shall be at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
5. Honorary Members may be elected at the discretion of the Executive Committee. Such Honorary Members shall not be eligible for election to the Executive Committee.
6. Life members may be elected at the discretion of the Executive Committee upon payment of the appropriate fee. Such Life Members shall be eligible for election to the Executive Committee.
7. Each member admitted under article 4 shall pay an initial subscription upon joining, and thereafter a subscription annually on the same date in each calendar year, of such amount as the society shall determine in general meeting.
8. Any member whose subscription is one year in arrears may have their membership terminated by the Executive Committee.
9. The funds and real or personal property acquired by the society from membership fees, appeals, or by donation shall be used or applied by the Executive Committee at its discretion, having regard to the objects of the society. No member of the society shall receive any direct or indirect payment or reward for their services to the society except as reimbursement of expenses necessarily incurred.
10. The Executive Committee may employ or retain the services of such people as they deem necessary and appropriate.
11. The society may keep in cash or on current account at a bank such
sums of money as are reasonably required for the current purposes of the society
from time to time. Other monies belonging to the society shall be placed on
deposit in a Bank or invested.
12. The Executive Committee shall make appropriate arrangements for day-to-day management of the society's finances, including the signing of cheques and handling of cash, having due regard to the need for separation of duties and regular scrutiny.
13. The financial year of the society shall end on 31st March in each calendar year and the accounts of the society shall be balanced on that day.
14. The Honorary Treasurer shall be responsible for the management of the society’s bank accounts and investments and preparation of the society’s accounts which shall be independently examined and presented to the society’s Annual General Meeting.
15. The Annual General Meeting of the society shall be held in each calendar year on a date selected by the Executive Committee. The Meeting will elect the Officers and the Executive Committee, receive the annual accounts and the annual report of the Executive Committee, and consider such other matters as have been properly notified in the Notice of the Meeting.
16. Other general meetings of the society shall be designated Special General Meetings. A Special General Meeting may be convened at any time by the Executive Committee, or by the Chairman when requested to do so in writing by at least a quarter of the society’s membership.
17. Notices of Annual and Special General Meetings shall be issued not less than 14 days before the selected date. The only business to be conducted at a General Meeting shall be that specified in the Notice convening it. Such Notices shall be deemed to be properly served if sent by prepaid post to the last known address of the Member.
18. At any General Meeting individual Members attending shall be entitled to one vote each. Corporate Members may be represented by not more than three persons, of whom only one may vote. Decisions of the General Meeting shall be taken by a simple majority of those present and voting.
19. The quorum for any General Meeting shall be ten Members.
20. The Executive Committee may invite suitable persons to be Patrons of the Society.
21. The officers of the Society shall be a Chairman, a Vice Chairman, an Honorary Treasurer and an Honorary Secretary. In addition the society may appoint a President and Vice-President if desired. The officers shall be elected at each Annual General Meeting and shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting of the society; they may be re-elected.
22. There shall be an Executive Committee which shall discharge such functions of the society as are not specifically reserved in this constitution to the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting.
23. The Executive Committee shall be elected at each Annual General Meeting. Existing Members of the Executive Committee may be re-elected. The Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Honorary Treasurer, and Honorary Secretary of the society shall be ex officio members of the Executive Committee. In addition to the ex officio Members, there shall not be fewer than five nor more than ten Members of the Executive Committee. The persons constituting the Executive Committee under this article shall also be Trustees of the society in relation to its status as a charity.
24. The Executive Committee may co-opt a Member of the Society between Annual General Meetings provided that Member is entitled to be elected to the Executive Committee. Any person so appointed shall hold office only until the next Annual General Meeting, and then shall be eligible for election.
25. At any meeting of the Executive Committee five members including not less than two ex officio members shall constitute a quorum.
26. Decisions of the Executive Committee shall be taken by a majority of those present and voting.
27. The Executive Committee shall make an annual report to the Annual General Meeting of the Society.
28. The Executive Committee may make regulations for the conduct of its business.
29. Both the Diocese of London and the City Corporation may be invited to appoint a representative to sit on the committee, with the aim of ensuring direct lines of communication with those bodies
30. A non-executive Committee of Honour may be appointed by the Executive Committee to further the purposes of the Society.
31. Articles 1 (Name), 2 (objects), 31 (this clause), and 33 (Dissolution) may not be amended. No other amendment may be made to the Constitution which would have the consequence of disqualifying the society as a charity at law. Any amendment made under the next following article must therefore be notified to the Charity Commission forthwith.
32. Amendment of the Constitution in other respects may be made at any General Meeting, provided that the proposal is set out verbatim in the notice convening the meeting and is adopted by no less than two-thirds of the Members of the society present and voting.
33. The society may be dissolved only at a General Meeting convened for
that purpose of which twenty-one days notice in writing has been given to all
Members. If the resolution for dissolution is approved by a two-thirds majority
of those present and voting the Executive Committee shall realise or dispose of
the society’s assets. Any assets remaining after the satisfaction of any proper
debts and liabilities shall be transferred to another charitable body or bodies
having objects similar to those in article 2 above, or failing that shall be
applied to some other charitable purpose. A copy of the statement of accounts
and Executive Committee report for the final accounting period of the society
shall be sent to the Charity Commission.
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