St Clements Residents Association Constitution

CONSTITUTION FOR ST CLEMENTS RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION

  1. NAME
  1. The Association shall be known as the St Clements Residents Association
  • The Association TRA will cover the area of St Clements development in Bow, London E3
  • AIMS & OBJECTIVES

The aims and objectives of the Association shall be:

  1. To represent and to promote the interests of all residents living in our area.
  • To seek to improve conditions for residents in the area.
  • To work in partnership with the council, Community Land Trust (hereafter CLT), management company, and other agencies to achieve our aims.
  • To represent the interests of residents on matters of common interest.
  • The Association shall be non-party political and non-sectarian.
  1. MEMBERSHIP
  1. Membership of the Association shall be open to all residents living in the St Clements development.
  • Any eligible person or household can join the association by applying to the committee with their name and address, agreeing to uphold the constitution, and where applicable paying the membership fee.
  • The Association will take positive action to reach those people that are under-represented at meetings and events and will ensure that all members have the opportunity to be involved in the Association and its events.
  • All members shall have voting rights on all issues raised at general meetings that they attend. Only one vote per flat or house will be given in the case of shared residency. In the case of rented flats the lease-holder is eligible for membership only if the tenant is not a member.  
  • Each eligible person shall on request be supplied with a copy of the constitution.
  • It shall be a condition of membership that members at all times conduct themselves in a reasonable manner at meetings or in premises used by the Association. The Association will challenge any remarks or behaviour at meetings that cause offence and make people feel unwelcome.
  • Any members may be excluded for a breach of this condition or for any other conduct contravening the objectives of the Association, by a majority of those present and voting at any general meeting, or by a majority agreement of the committee. Any member so excluded shall have the right of appeal to the following general meeting.
  1. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
  1. The Association will be run by a Management Committee elected at the Annual General Meeting. The Committee will be made up of a minimum of three and a maximum of five Officers. The Officers shall elect a Chair (who shall be chairperson of the Association and remain such until a new one shall be elected) and shall appoint a Secretary and/or Treasurer (these two roles could be combined). The committee could also elect a Vice Chair.
  • The committee will provide an update to the residents of the area twice a year on their work and how it will positively encourage participation from all sections of the community. This could be in the form of newsletters.
  • There will be a minimum of four committee meetings held during the course of the Association’s year.
  • Seven days notice of committee meetings will be given to all members of the committee.
  • The quorum for committee meetings shall be a minimum of three members.
  • Where a casual vacancy (or vacancies) arises on the committee, it/they will be filled by election at the next General Meeting of the Association.
  • The committee shall deal with any issues of management of the Association which require decision during the periods between general Meetings of the Association, and report these to the next General Meeting.
  • Committee members who miss more than three consecutive meetings without giving reasonable apologies will be asked to resign their post.
  1. A member of the committee may be removed or suspended from their post if they bring the good name of the Association into disrepute. A full meeting of the committee will be called to consider evidence from all sides and a majority vote will be necessary to remove or suspend.
  1. NON-EXECUTIVE BUILDING SUB-COMMITTEE
  1. The committee will be supported in their work by a non-executive sub-committee made of representatives for the buildings, blocks, and residences that make up St Clements Development.
  • If a building, block or residence does not have a person willing to serve as a member, or in the case of single dwellings, they can be represented, by mutual agreement, by the sub-committee member for an adjacent or nearby building.
  • It is the responsibility of the sub-committee members to liaise between their building and the committee and to escalate any building-specific issues to the committee.
  • Building representatives can also serve as officers on the management committee.
  1. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
  1. An Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association shall be held once a year (within thirteen months of the last AGM). Written notice of the meeting must be sent at least fourteen days in advance to every household and members should be made aware that they will have the opportunity to make nominations for election or stand for election themselves and to vote for the officers and committee at the meeting. Housing Officers must be invited to the AGM.

The quorum for the AGM should be a minimum of twenty-five percent of the membership body.

At the meeting:

  • The minutes of the previous AGM will be presented and approved.
  • The existing committee will present a report of the Association’s activities in the past year.
  • Audited accounts for the year will be presented.
  • The existing committee will stand down but are allowed to re-stand for election if desired.
  • The committee for the next year will be elected.
  • Any proposals to amend the constitution must be presented to the Secretary in writing at least twenty-one days prior to the meeting at which they are to be considered
  • Proposals to amend the constitution must be circulated to all members of the Association with the notice of the meeting.

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Nominations for committee members will be accepted only if the person nominated is present at the Annual General Meeting or has put in writing that they want to stand.  If there are fewer than three people willing to stand, the committee will decide whether to start procedures to close the Association down. Alternatively the committee can continue in office to try and redevelop the Association for up to six months. It is the responsibility of the committee to recruit a new committee or formally dissolve the Association within that period.

  1. GENERAL MEETINGS
  1. The business of the Association shall be conducted at General Meetings, which shall be open to all residents over 18 living in the area.
  • The Association will hold a minimum of four General Meeting per year, one of which could include the AGM.
  • The Association must publicise general meetings and public events to all households in the Association’s area in order to involve all members and hear their views.  All fully-paid up members of the Association will be entitled to attend General Meetings, to speak and to vote.  Councillors, CLT staff, and other relevant parties shall be invited where possible to attend each meeting. Non-member residents are entitled to attend meetings and speak, but not to vote.
  • Fourteen days notice of General Meetings will be given in writing to all members.
  • Seven days notice in writing must be given to the secretary of any resolution to be moved at the general meeting unless such resolution is admitted by the chair at the meeting.

A quorum for general meetings will be a minimum of twenty-five percent of the membership body. This number of members will need to be present to take a decision on behalf of the Association.

  • All matters for decision will be decided by a simple majority of those over 18 present and voting.
  • No member or household shall have more than one vote.
  • Minutes or notes must be kept of all meetings of the Association, ordinarily by the Secretary. The minutes will be presented to the next meeting to be approved. The minutes should be made available to any member of the Association on request and main points should be publicised.
  1. All members of the Association will abide by a Code of Conduct and be expected to treat each other with respect and act in a courteous manner at Association events. The Chair may ask members to leave if their behaviour is disruptive or offensive.
  • All members of the Association must have paid their annual fee in order to vote. All potential Officers and building representatives must have paid their annual fee in order to stand for their position.
  1. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS
  1. Special General Meetings may be called at any time for the purpose of altering the constitution or for considering any matter which needs the immediate attention of all members.
  • Special General Meetings shall be called either at the written request of at least ten percent of the membership body of the Association, or if the Committee decides by a simple majority that it is necessary or advisable.
  • At least fourteen days notice of any Special General Meeting will be given to members in writing, stating the reason(s) for holding the meeting.
  • All matters for decision will be decided by a simple majority of those present and voting.
  1. FINANCE
  1. All money raised by or on behalf of the Association shall be applied to cover the running costs of the Association and the achievement of the objectives of the Association and for no other purpose.
  • The Treasurer shall keep proper account of the finances of the Association and shall open a bank/building society account in the name of the Association and keep copies of all relevant invoices and receipts to support expenditure and income.
  • The accounts comprising a detailed income and expenditure account by type of income/cost and a balance sheet shall be audited at least once per year by members independent of the committee. The audited accounts shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting. 
  • The committee are responsible for the proper use of money raised through grants according to the guidelines issued by the funding body. The Treasurer should keep receipts for all money paid out in expenses to committee members for duties carried out on behalf of the group.
  1. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
  1. Any proposals to amend the constitution must be presented to the secretary in writing at least twenty-one days prior to the meeting at which they are to be considered.
  • Proposals to amend the constitution must be circulated to all members of the Association with the notice of the meeting.
  1. DISSOLUTION

If the General meeting decides at any time by a simple majority that it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the Association, the officers shall call a meeting of all members, giving at least fourteen days’ notice in writing and stating the terms of the dissolution resolution to be proposed at the meeting. A resolution to dissolve the Association shall be agreed by a majority of those present and voting. All outstanding bills will be paid and the balance of any grants and funds held by the Association will be held in trust for future TRAs or transferred to the St Clements Site Management Ltd.