PORTHCAWL SAINT SEBASTIEN TOWN TWINNING ASSOCIATION CONSTITUTION
The name of the Association shall be the Porthcawl - Saint Sebastien Town Twinning Association, sometimes referred to as PSSTTA.
a) To promote and foster friendship and understanding between people of Porthcawl and those of Saint Sebastien-sur-Loire in France.
b) To encourage visits by individuals and groups to and from the two communities, and the development of personal contacts.
c) To hold regular meetings to foster social contact between members and to broaden the mutual understanding of the cultural, recreational, educational, environmental and commercial activities of the two communities.
d) To organise fund-raising activities for the sole purpose of promoting the aims of the Association.
Membership shall be open to all persons or organisations in sympathy with the aims of the Association. There shall be four categories of membership:
a) Individual membership.
b) Family membership, being open to all members of a family including children at home and in full- time education. It entitles no more than two members of the family to voting rights.
c) Corporate membership. It entitles no more than two named members of the organisation to voting rights.
d) Educational membership. It entitles no more than two named representatives of the educational establishment to voting rights.
a) The affairs of the Association shall be conducted by the Management Committee consisting of a minimum of six and a maximum of ten members who shall be elected by Members of the Association at the Annual General Meeting, with the exception of the Town Council representative.
b) The Management Committee shall comprise the Association's Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Publicity Officer, Town Council representative and up to a maximum of four others.
c) The Management Committee shall have the power to co-opt, and co-opted members shall have the right to vote.
d) The quorum of a meeting of the Management Committee shall be four.
e) The Management Committee shall have the power to set up sub-Committees, which shall have the power to co-opt to their membership, and co-opted members shall have the right to vote.
a) Procedures
At any meeting of the Association
i. The quorum shall be ten.
ii. Only members present at the meeting shall be entitled to vote.
iii. Each member shall be entitled to vote in accordance with paragraph 3.
iv. The Chair shall have a casting vote.
b) Business Meetings
The Association shall hold at least four business meetings per calendar year to guide and monitor the activities of the Management Committee. The Secretary shall give each member at least seven days' notice of the meeting in writing or by e-mail.
c) Annual General Meetings
i. The Secretary shall call an Annual General Meeting of the Association between 1st April and 30th June each calendar year, giving each member at least twenty-one days' notice in writing or by e-mail.
ii. The Treasurer shall submit audited accounts to 31st March of each year to each Annual General Meeting.
iii. The Annual General Meeting shall appoint an Honorary Auditor.
d) Special General Meetings
A Special General Meeting of the Association may be called at any time on a written request, containing details of the matter to be discussed, signed by at least ten members of the Association and given to the Secretary at least twenty eight days before the proposed meeting. The Secretary shall give each member at least twenty-one days' notice of the meeting in writing or by e-mail.
a) The Mayor of Porthcawl shall ex-officio take the title of President of the Porthcawl - Saint Sebastien Town Twinning Association.
b) Prior to each Annual General Meeting of the Association, Porthcawl Town Council shall be invited to nominate a representative to serve on the Association's Management Committee. The representative shall be entitled to one vote at meetings of the Management Committee and of the Association.
a) All moneys received on behalf of the Association shall be kept in safe custody by the Treasurer.
b) All cheques drawn on the Association's account shall be signed by any two of four signatories, being members of the Management Committee.
All membership subscriptions shall be determined at the AGM and become due on 1st July of each year.
9. Amendments to the Constitution
Amendments to the Constitution shall only be made at an Annual or Special General Meeting. Notice of the proposed amendment shall be given in writing to the Secretary at least twenty-eight days before the proposed meeting. Details of the amendment shall be given in the notice convening the meeting. No such amendment shall be carried unless two-thirds of the members of the Association present and voting at the meeting vote in its favour.
10. Dissolution of the Association
In the event of the dissolution of the Association, all surplus funds shall be transferred to such charity or charities as the Management Committee shall in its absolute discretion decide.
Adopted at Special General Meeting on 2™* November 2007
