Constitution

CONSTITUTION

OF

THE FRIENDS OF MALEW CHURCH

ADOPTED ON THE 1ST DAY OF JUNE 2003

1. Name

The name of the Society is “The Friends of Malew Church”.

2. Objects

The objects of the Society are:
(a) to secure the preservation of Malew Parish Church (in this Constitution called “Malew Church”) for the benefit of the Manx nation
(b) to promote the restoration of the exterior of Malew Church
(c) to promote the restoration of the Georgian interior of Malew Church
(d) to promote the restoration of grave monuments in Malew Churchyard
(e) to those ends to raise funds for the restoration and maintenance of the fabric and furnishings of Malew Church and the restoration and maintenance of grave monuments in its churchyards
(f) to stimulate interest in Malew Church
(g) to encourage the use of Malew Church as a venue for musical and other artistic performances.

3. Membership

(a) Membership of the Society shall be open to all persons who accept its objects
(b) The Society shall consist of:
(i) the Vicar of Malew
(ii) the Captain of the Parish of Malew
(iii) ordinary members, family members and life members of the Society
(c) For the purposes of membership of the Society:
- an “Ordinary Member” is a person who has paid an annual subscription of not less than £10
- a “Family Member” is a person who has paid an annual subscription of not less than £17.50 which will cover two adults living at the same address and an unlimited number of children
- a “Life Member” is a person who has donated to the Society a lump sum of not less than £200
(d) The Society in general meeting may from time to time by resolution substitute any other amount for either of the amounts specified in paragraph (c) but no such resolution shall affect any existing Life Member.
(e) The expression “Member” used in this constitution shall mean an ordinary member, a life member, and any adult in a family membership (each of whom shall have one vote at meetings)

4. Meetings

(a) An annual general meeting of the Society shall be held after not less than 14 days notice, at any time between Christmas and Easter
(b) A special general meeting shall be convened after not less than 14 days notice:
(i) on a requisition to the Chairman signed by no fewer than 25 members of the Society: or
(ii) on the resolution of the Committee
(c) The quorum at all general meetings shall be one quarter of all the members or twenty, whichever shall be the fewer.

5. Officers

The officers of the Society shall be:

(a) The Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary who shall be elected by the Society at its annual general meeting or, in the case of a casual vacancy, appointed by the Committee, to hold office until the next annual general meeting
(b) Such other officers as the Committee may recommend, who shall be elected by the Society at its annual general meeting, to hold office until the next annual general meeting

6. Honorary Officers

The Society may at its annual general meeting elect a President and one or more Vice-Presidents or Patrons who shall be purely honorary officers of the Society

7. Committee

(a) The Committee shall consist of:

(i) The Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer of the Society for the time being, together with any other officers holding office under article 5(b)
(ii) Not more than four members elected by the Society at its annual general meeting, to hold office until the next annual general meeting
(iii) Such other persons not exceeding five in number as the Committee may from time to time co-opt, to hold office until the next annual general meeting

(b) One third of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum.

8. (a) The funds of the Society shall be used for its stated objects and for publicity and for expenses in connection therewith.
(b) No member or officer of the Society shall receive any payment, either direct or indirect, for his services or for any other matter except expenses properly incurred in his work for the Society with the prior approval of the Committee.
(c) The funds of the Society (other than cash in hand or at the Society’s bankers) shall be vested in the Trustees of the Society
(d) The Trustees of the Society shall be three members of the Society (who may or may not be members of the Committee) appointed by the Committee from time to time
(e) The accounts of the Society, including the accounts of the Trustees of the Society, shall be audited every year in accordance with the Charities Registration Act 1989 or any re-enactment thereof, and shall be presented duly audited to the next annual general meeting of the Society

9. Amendment

(a) This Constitution may not be amended in any way which would result in the Society no longer being a charity.
(b) No amendments may be made to article 2 of this Constitution (the objects of the Society) without the consent of two thirds of the membership of the Society and the consent of Her Majesty’s Attorney General for the Isle of Man
(c) Pursuant to article 3(c) the amount of the annual subscriptions and the amount necessary to become a life member may be amended by a majority vote in a general meeting
(d) In all other cases this Constitution may be amended by the Society in a general meeting by a resolution supported by no fewer than two thirds of the members present at the meeting, notice of the proposed amendment having been given no fewer than 14 days before the meeting

10. Dissolution

(a) The Society may be dissolved by resolution passed in general meeting by no fewer than two thirds of the members present at the meeting, notice of the proposed dissolution having been given no fewer than 14 days before the meeting
(b) If the Society is dissolved, the assets of the Society shall be held by the Trustees upon trust to transfer all such assets to such charity or charities as in their opinion most closely equate to the objects of the Society, but only with the consent of Her Majesty’s Attorney General and after consultation with the Director of the Manx Museum, the Director of Planning, the Diocesan Surveyor and the President of the Isle of Man Natural History & Antiquarian Society