Constitution

NAMES AND OBJECTS

  1. The Organisation shall be called ‘Community Gardens Ireland’ hereinafter referred to as ‘CG Ireland’.
  2. The aim of CG Ireland shall be to promote, facilitate and enhance community gardening and food growing, sustainability and environmental initiatives. We support, represent and promote the work of new and existing community gardens throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland by providing information, guidance and advice, enabling the gardens to flourish and develop strong and positive reputations; helping to empower local people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to make positive impacts on their surrounding areas and strengthen their communities.

MANAGEMENT

  1. The affairs of CG Ireland shall be managed by a Committee elected annually by the members.
  2. The Committee shall consist of the Honorary Officers and 3 Ordinary Members.
  3. CG Ireland shall have as Honorary Officers: the Chairperson, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer.

MEMBERSHIP

  1. The membership of CG Ireland is open to community gardeners across the island of Ireland and beyond.
  2. The amounts of the subscriptions (if any) shall be such sums as may from time to time be adopted by resolution passed at a General Meeting of the CG Ireland and a bare majority of the members eligible to vote and present at such meeting shall be sufficient for the adoption of such resolution.
  3. Subscriptions (if any) are payable in advance/on the night and are due on the first day of the following month.

TERMINATION / SUSPENSION OF MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE

  1. A member may resign his/her membership by giving the Honorary Secretary notice to that effect.

GENERAL MEETINGS

  1. The Annual General Meeting of CG Ireland shall be held each year in the month of October at such time and venue as the Committee shall appoint and shall specify the meeting as such in the notices calling it.
  2. All General Meetings other than the Annual General Meeting shall be called Extraordinary General Meetings. An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be called by the Secretary on the instruction of the Committee whenever they think fit. An Extraordinary General Meeting shall also be called by the Secretary on receipt of a requisition to that effect, signed by at least ten Ordinary members. The requisition must state the object for which the meeting is to be called.
  3. Notices convening General Meetings shall be posted or given to members at least 14 days in advance. The accidental omission to give notice of a Meeting to or the non-receipt of notice of a Meeting by any person entitled to receive notice, shall not invalidate the proceedings at that meeting.

PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS

  1. At all General Meetings of CG Ireland the Chair shall be taken by the Chairperson, or in his/her absence by an Ordinary Member selected by the Ordinary Members present by means of a simple majority.
  2. No business shall be transacted at any General Meeting unless a quorum of voting members is present at the time when the Meeting proceeds to business. 10 Ordinary Members or one third of the ordinary membership (whichever is less) present in person shall be a quorum.
  3. If, within an hour from the time appointed for any General Meeting, a quorum is not present, the Meeting, if convened on the requisition of members, shall be dissolved. In any other case, it shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week, at the same time and place, unless otherwise notified in writing to the members by the Honorary Secretary.
  4. The Chairman may, with the consent of any General Meeting at which a quorum is present (and shall, if so directed by the meeting), adjourn the meeting from time to time and from place to place, but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other that the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place. When a meeting is adjourned for 30 days or more, notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given as in the case of the original meeting. Save as aforesaid, it shall not be necessary to give any notice of an adjournment or of the business to be transacted at an adjourned meeting

MEMBERS VOTING ENTITLEMENT AT GENERAL MEETINGS

  1. Each Ordinary Member shall have one vote at General Meetings. Votes must be given personally.
  2. Where there is an equality of votes, the Chairman of the meeting shall be entitled to a second or casting vote.
  3. No member with voting rights shall be entitled to vote at any General Meeting unless any or all monies immediately payable by him/her to the Network have been paid.
  4. No objection shall be raised to the qualification of any voter except at the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the vote objected to is given or tendered and every vote not disallowed at such meeting shall be valid for all purposes. Any such objection shall be referred to the Chairman of the meeting whose decision shall be final and conclusive, subject to the said decision being in accordance with these Rules.

VOTING ON RESOLUTIONS AT GENERAL MEETINGS

  1. No resolution or proposal at General Meetings shall be deemed to be carried unless a majority of those present are entitled to vote, support it, except as otherwise provided for in these Rules.
  2. At any General Meeting a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a show of hands unless a poll is (before or after the result of the show of hands) demanded: (a) by the Chairman, or (b) by at least two members. Unless a poll is so demanded, a declaration by the Chairman that a resolution has on a show of hands been carried or carried unanimously or by a particular majority or lost and an entry to that effect made in the book containing the minutes of proceedings of the Network shall be conclusive evidence of the fact without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favor of or against such resolution. The demand for a poll may be withdrawn.
  3. Except as provided in Rule 24, if a poll is duly demanded it shall be taken by secret ballot of members present and eligible to vote and the result of the poll shall be deemed to be a resolution of the meeting at which the poll was demanded
  4. A poll demanded on the election of a Chairman or on a question of adjournment shall be taken forthwith. A poll demanded on any other question shall be taken at such time as the Chairman of the meeting directs and any business other that upon which a poll has been demanded may be proceeded with pending the taking of the poll.

SELECTION OF COMMITTEE

  1. The honorary officers and committee then in office shall retire at each Annual General Meeting. Members of the outgoing committee are eligible for re-election if nominated as here and after provided for. Nominations for positions as honorary officers, or to the committee, shall be proposed and seconded by two Ordinary Members at the Annual General Meeting. Election to all positions on the committee shall be by secret ballot of the ordinary members present and entitled to vote at the Annual General Meeting. Election to the positions of honorary officers shall be by simple majority. Election to the other positions on the committee shall be by means of a single ballot in which the candidates receiving the highest number of votes will be elected.
  2. Membership of the Committee shall be vacated if the member resigns his/her office by notice to the Honorary Secretary.
  3. Without prejudice to the powers of the Ordinary Members under Rule 32 the Committee shall have power to appoint an Ordinary Member to fill a vacancy on the Committee. Any member so appointed shall hold office only until the next Annual General Meeting.
  4. A member may be removed from the Committee by the passing of a Resolution to that effect at an Extraordinary General Meeting which has been called for that purpose.
  5. The ordinary members may, by passing a resolution to that effect at an Extraordinary General Meeting, appoint an ordinary member in place of a Committee member removed from office under the foregoing Rule.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE

  1. The Chairperson or in his/her absence the Vice-Chair, shall act as Chairman at all meetings of the Committee. In the event of their absence, the Committee members present shall elect one of their number as Chairman by simple majority.
  2. The Committee shall meet together for the dispatch of business, adjourn, or otherwise regulate their meetings as they think fit. Questions arising at any meetings shall be decided by a majority of votes. Where there is an equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote. The Honorary Secretary shall, on receipt of a requisition signed by at least three (3) Committee members, summon a meeting of the Committee to be held within two weeks. All Committee members shall be notified by the Honorary Secretary of Committee meetings at least seven days in advance of the proposed date. The Committee shall meet at least once every two months.
  3. The quorum necessary for the transaction of the business of the Committee shall be three.
  4. The continuing members of the Committee may act notwithstanding any vacancy in their number but if and so long as their number is reduced below the number fixed by, or pursued to, these Rules as a necessary quorum of the Committee, the continuing Committee members or Committee member, may act for the purpose of increasing the number of Committee members to that number or summoning a General Meeting of the Network but for no other purpose.

POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE COMMITTEE

  1. The Committee shall have authority to pay all expenses incurred in promoting the interests of the Network. No direction given by the Network in general meeting shall invalidate any prior act of the Committee which would have been valid if that direction had not been given.
  2. All cheques, promissory notes, drafts, bills of exchange, and other negotiable instruments and all receipts for monies paid to the Network shall be signed, drawn, accepted, endorsed or otherwise executed, as the case may be, by such person or persons and in such manner as the Committee shall, by Resolution, determine.
  3. The Committee shall have power to make, amend any decisions as they may deem necessary or convenient for the proper conduct and management of CG Ireland, and in particular, regulate: (a) the use of the CG Ireland’s premises; (b) the time of opening of any building or garden belonging to the CG Ireland or any part thereof; (c) the terms as to payment or otherwise of admission to members to participate in the benefit of any of the privileges of  CG Ireland and the use by or supplies to members of any property of CG Ireland; (d) the admission of visitors to the premises and the benefits of CG Ireland; (e) the rules to be observed by members or visitors to CG Ireland; (f) the conduct of members in relation to one another; (g) the setting aside of any part or parts of CG Ireland premises for particular purposes; (h)  the agenda at general meetings and meeting of the Committee of CG Ireland.
  4. The Committee shall bring to the notice of the members all such decisions as they become effective.
  5. The Committee formed in accordance with these Rules shall cause minutes to be made books provided for the purpose: (a) of names of members of the Committee present at such meetings of the Committee; (b)   of all resolutions and proceedings at all such meetings.
  6. The Committee shall effect insurance covers as directed by the Annual General Meeting and if it is not possible to effect such covers the committee shall convene an Extraordinary General Meeting.
  7. The committee may delegate any of their powers to sub-committees consisting of such member or members of the Committee or CG Ireland as they think fit. Any sub-committee so formed shall, in the exercise of the power so delegated, conform to any regulations that may be imposed on it by the Committee or by the direction of the Annual General Meeting.
  8. The committee shall appoint a Chairman of each sub-committee. If the Chairman of a Sub-Committee is not present at a sub-committee meeting, the members of the sub-committee present at such meeting shall elect a chairman from their number by simple majority.
  9. A sub-committee may meet and adjourn as it thinks proper. Questions arising at any meeting shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members present and when there is an equality of votes the Chairman shall have the second or casting vote. The quorum necessary for the transaction of the business of each sub-committee is to be fixed by the Committee.

ACCOUNTS

  1. The Committee shall cause proper books of accounts to be kept relating to: (a) all sums of money received and expended by Community Gardens Ireland, and the matters in respect of which the receipt and expenditure takes place. (b) all sales and purchases of goods by CG Ireland, and (c) all assets and liabilities of CG Ireland.
  2. Proper books shall be deemed to be kept if there are kept such books or accounts as are necessary to give a true and fair account of the state of the Network’s affairs and to explain its transactions.
  3. The Books of Accounts shall be kept by the Honorary Treasurer at such place as the Committee thinks fit and shall at all reasonable times be open to the inspection of the Committee Members.
  4. Authorisation to inspect all or part of the Accounts and books of CG Ireland shall be at the discretion of the Committee or CG Ireland in General Meeting.
  5. Committee shall cause to be prepared annually and to be laid before the Annual General Meeting of CG Ireland, Income and Expenditure Accounts, Balance Sheets and Reports for financial year – i.e. year just completed.

DECLARATION

Community Gardens Ireland hereby adopts and accepts this constitution as a current operating guide regulating the actions of members.

 

Signed:      Dee Sewell                                                    Date:    2nd October 2016
Position:   Chairperson

Signed:      Sandra Austin                                               Date:    2nd October 2016
Position:    Treasurer

%d bloggers like this: