CONSTITUTION OF THE HARDY PLANT SOCIETY WEST WALES GROUP

STATUS and RELATIONSHIP TO THE HARDY PLANT SOCIETY
A Group of members of The Hardy Plant Society [registered charity number 208080 hereinafter ‘the HPS’] and registered with the HPS. The West Wales Group is a body independent of the HPS save for affiliation through registration with the Society. As such it has no power or authority to bind the HPS or to enter into any contract on behalf of the Society except as may be expressly authorised by the HPS Executive Committee from time to time. For the avoidance of doubt it should be noted that the group is not a registered charity.
NAME
The name shall be The Hardy Plant Society - West Wales Group [the Group] and this title shall be dependent upon continuing registration as an affiliated body of the HPS. In the event of that registration being withdrawn at any time, the Group will forthwith delete the name The Hardy Plant Society from the title.
OBJECTIVES
To further the objectives of the HPS on a regional basis.
MEMBERS
Only paid up members of the HPS may become members of the Group. Each member shall have entitlement to vote at any general meeting.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
There will be no annual subscription; rather there will be a charge for admission to meetings with members of the HPS [Any Group] paying a lesser amount than non members. These charges to be determined by the Group at the Annual General Meeting.
FINANCE
All funds belonging to the Group shall be deposited in a bank account held in the name of the Group. Cheques drawn on the account shall be signed by two officers of the Group nominated either by members in a general meeting or by duly elected committee.The financial year shall end on 31st December. Annual Accounts shall be prepared and submitted for the approval of members in a general meeting.
GENERAL
An Annual General Meeting shall be held once in each calendar year, within three months of the end of the financial year to transact the following business:
To receive and adopt the annual reports of the officers and the annual accounts of the last preceding financial year.
To elect officers and other members of the committee.
To deal with any special matter which the committee desires to bring before the members.
To receive suggestions from the members for consideration by the committee.
To transact any other business of which at least 21 days notice has been given to members in writing.
An Extraordinary General Meeting of the Group may be called at any time by the committee and shall be called within 40 days of receipt by the secretary of a requisition in writing signed by not less than 15 members stating the purpose for which the meeting is requested and setting out any resolutions which are to be proposed thereat. No other business shall be transacted at the meeting.
At least 21 days notice of any General Meeting shall be given to all members specifying the business of the meeting.
A quorum at a General Meeting shall be 10 members.At General Meetings decisions shall be by simple majority of those present with the Chairman having the casting vote. Any motion to amend the Constitution or to dissolve the Group shall require majorities as specified in the relevant sections of this constitution.
OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE
The following officers of the Group shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting: Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and not more than 7 general members. The persons so elected shall form the management committee of the Group and shall be responsible for the activities, programme and all day to day administration of the group. The committee shall have the right to co-opt additional members to serve until the following general meeting.  Nominations for officers and members of the committee must be received by the Secretary in writing together with confirmation of the nominee's consent not less than 14 days before the date appointed for the Annual General Meeting.  A quorum for the committee shall be 3 elected members one of whom must be an elected officer.  The committee shall appoint the Secretary or other representative to attend meeting of the Regional Group Secretaries of the HPS.  While the Group is registered as an affiliated body of the HPS, the committee may nominate a member as an observer at meeting of the HPS Executive Committee except that, if any member of the Group is an elected member of the HPS Executive Committee, that member shall also act as the Groups representative.
REGISTRATION
The Group shall at all times comply with the registration requirements as notified from time to time by the HPS.
ALTERATIONS
The constitution may be altered only at a general meeting of the Group of which due notice has been given and which specifies the proposed alterations. A motion to amend the constitution requires a majority of two thirds of the votes cast.
DISSOLUTION
A motion to dissolve the Group shall require an Extraordinary General Meeting of which not less than 21 days notice shall have been given to all members. Such notice shall incorporate specific proposals for the distribution of surplus assets of the Group after settlement of all liabilities. A motion to dissolve the Group shall require a majority of two thirds of votes cast.

This constitution was presented to members and adopted at the inaugural Annual General Meeting of the Hardy Plant Society-West Wales Group on 15 March 2001. It was further revised and adopted at the AGM of 18 March 2004  April 2004