CHEW VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(Formed 1 January 2001)

RULES AND STANDING ORDERS

NAME

1.         The name of the association is the Chew Valley Chamber of Commerce.

It is hereinafter referred to as the “Chamber”.

OBJECTS

2.         The objects for which the Chamber is established are:

(a)        For the association of traders, merchants, manufacturers, professional people and others, to consider and promote all such lawful measures, plans and schemes as may be calculated to further, improve and secure the trading and commercial interests of the area known as The Chew Valley.

(b)        To collect, collate and circulate statistical and other information relating to trade, commerce and manufacture, for members as will assist them in their commercial or professional pursuits, and to print, publish and distribute circulars, bulletins, journals and such other papers as may be necessary to disseminate such information.

(c)        To advance and promote commercial and technical education.

(d)        To support fair principles of trading.

(e)        To create and foster a spirit of goodwill, friendship and unity among the business people of the area and by meetings, discussions, lectures, debates, conferences and other functions to provide facilities for social intercourse on a friendly basis between all members of the Chamber.

(f)         To subscribe to and support from the funds of the Chamber such local charitable institutions and objects as may be deemed worthy.

(g)        To do all such lawful things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objects.

3.         The Chamber shall be affiliated to a component unit of any appropriate regional sector of the Association of British Chambers of Commerce.

MEMBERSHIP

4.          Membership of the Association shall be open to all individual persons, companies and firms interested or actively engaged in business in the Chew Valley.

5.         The Committee shall have power to refuse an application for membership without assigning a reason.

6.         Any member who shall do any act or conduct calculated to injure or discredit the Chamber may be expelled from the Chamber by a resolution of the majority of members.  Such member shall be allowed to appeal against expulsion to a special meeting of the Chamber.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

7.         Every member shall pay an annual subscription of £12 and firms and companies shall appoint a representative to attend and vote at meetings of the Chamber.

8.         All subscriptions shall become due on the first day of January in each year.  No discount/refunds will be offered to               members joining/leaving part-way through a year.

OFFICERS

9.         The Officers of the Chamber shall be a President, Vice-President, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Secretary, and Auditor and a Committee of members (the number of which to be variable having regard to total membership), and the Past Presidents if they are willing to serve.

10.       The Committee shall have power to appoint such Sub-Committees as may be deemed desirable.

11.       The President, Vice-President, Honorary Treasurer, Auditor and one-third of the Committee shall be elected at the Annual Meeting.

12.       The Committee shall be elected for three years, one-third of whom shall retire annually but shall be eligible for re-election.

13.       All nominations for Officers shall be made in writing signed by two members and by the nominee consenting to serve, and            sent to the Honorary Secretary no later than the first day of February in every year.  The Committee shall then meet and            make such other recommendations as they may think fit.

 14.       The attendance of members of the Committee shall be duly recorded by the Honorary Secretary and a report thereon presented at the Annual Meeting.  Any member of the Committee who does not make at least three attendances during the year shall cease to be a member thereof and his seat on the Committee shall be filled at the Annual Meeting.

15.       In the event of a vacancy occurring in the Officers during the year it shall, if necessary, be filled by the Committee.

16.       The Honorary Treasurer shall keep an account of all monies received and paid by him for and on behalf of the Chamber and shall pay all accounts approved by the Committee.  He shall present to the members at the Annual Meeting a duly audited statement of accounts showing all financial transactions of the Association made up to the 31st day of December in each year.

17.       The Honorary Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of the meetings in a Minute Book to be kept for that purpose, and shall also keep a correct roll of members.  The records of the Chamber shall be open on due notice for inspection by members at reasonable hours.

18.       The Annual General Meeting shall be held in February each year.  At such meeting the Committee shall present a report with reference to all matters which they have dealt with during the previous year, and a copy of the report shall be sent to every member not less than seven days before the date of such meeting.

19.       General Meetings of members shall be held as required.  The Committee may convene General Meetings of Members to consider particular matters and upon a requisition in writing of ten or more members the Honorary Secretary shall convene such a meeting to be held within ten days of the receipt of such requisition. 

20.       Every member of the Chamber shall have one vote which may be exercised by a show of hands but it shall be competent for the members before such a vote is taken to require that it shall be taken by ballot. 

21.       When a ballot is to be taken two persons shall be appointed by the meeting as scrutineers who shall count the number of votes and report the result in writing to the Chairman who shall declare the result of the ballot to the meeting.  In cases of equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a casting vote.

22.       In the absence of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman from any meeting the members present at the meeting shall elect a Chairman to preside at that meeting.

EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATION

23.       If no nominations are received for any of the Officers of President, Vice-President, Honorary Treasurer and Honorary Secretary, or if, in the opinion of those present at the Annual General Meeting, such nominations as are received are insufficient in number to carry out effectively the administrative functions of the Association then the Annual General Meeting shall, if it see fit, appoint an Executive Officer to carry out administrative duties under such terms and conditions as necessary.  The appointment shall be for one year and shall be renewable on a year by year basis subject to confirmation at each Annual General Meeting.

NOTICES OF MOTION

24.       Every fully paid up member of the Association has the right to submit a notice of motion in writing to the Secretary which shall be placed on the agenda for the next meeting.