South Cadbury Environs Project Volunteers Association Constitution

The organisation shall be called the South Somerset Archaeological Research Group (hereinafter called the Group) and membership will be open to all such persons as the committee may admit to membership.

The Group’s objectives are:-

To support and assist the operation of, and volunteers’ participation in, heritage and archaeological activities related to the archaeology of South Somerset;

To promote local and regional interest in archaeological and historic research of the South Somerset area;

To provide access to practical archaeological and local history research projects for the community;

To encourage support networks, training and social opportunities for members and the wider community;

Our aim is to assist all members in the pursuit of archaeology, local history and landscape research as a recreation to promote health, education and community interaction, and provide learning an training opportunities for volunteer archaeologists and local history researchers.

All members are encouraged to become members of existing local and national archaeological and historical research organisations.

Support of the South Cadbury Environs Project and other local and regional archaeological projects

The Committee shall actively seek the support of members in order to achieve continuation of active archaeological research into the South Cadbury landscape and the archaeology of South Somerset to a high peer-reviewed academic standard and ensure publication of the data obtained in the appropriate local and national journals or other suitable media.

The Committee, where appropriate will engage with partners in local and national voluntary bodies and amenity societies as well as local and national government in pursuit of the aims of the society. Where appropriate the committee will explore the possibilities of external funding for particular projects.

Committee

The affairs of the Group shall be managed by the Committee that shall consist of a Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and at least 2 Committee Members. The Committee shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting convened for the purpose of electing the Committee. The chairman may not hold office for more than 3 consecutive years. Committee members must be proposed by a member and seconded by two others.

The Committee may ask any member to assist in its work. The Committee shall appoint a Research Director to guide the archaeological research of the organisation.

The Committee shall hold at least four meetings per year.

The minimum of meetings of the Committee shall be four or such other number as may be agreed at a General Meeting.

The Chairman, or the Secretary/Treasurer in the absence of the Chairman, shall preside over all meetings of the Group and produce a report for presentation at the General Meeting on all issues of significant importance to Association members.

The Secretary shall take minutes of all meetings and conduct the correspondence of the Group, or in the absence of the Secretary, by any other person nominated by the chair of the meeting.

The Treasurer shall handle all monies of the Group and produce an audited annual statement of income and expenditure at the end of the financial year.

General Meetings

An Annual General Meeting shall be held each year. The Secretary must serve notice of meeting to all members at least 14 days before the proposed date. The purpose of the meeting is to listen to the Chairman’s report, elect the Committee for the ensuing year, receive reports from the secretary and treasurer and discuss matters considered appropriate by the outgoing Committee.

Special General Meetings may be called from time to time to discuss and agree matters of significant importance to the Group.

General Meetings may be called from time to time to discuss matters of interest to the Group.

An Extra-ordinary General Meeting may be requested by a minimum of 25% of the membership and notification sent to the Secretary at least 14 days before the date proposed, stating clearly the purpose of the meeting in writing.

A quorum for any General Meeting shall be a minimum of 25% of membership.

Amendments to the Constitution

No alterations or additions to this constitution shall be made except at the Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting called for the express purpose of discussing the Constitution. Any proposed alterations must be seconded and sent to the Secretary at least 60 days before such meeting.

Voting

Each member of the Association is entitled to vote at general meetings of the Association on Association matters.

Membership Fees

The Association Annual Membership Fee shall be £10 for all members.

Cessation of the Group

In the event of the Group ceasing to function for more than one year, the retiring Treasurer or surviving officers shall settle all accounts, sell all assets, and lodge any residual monies with the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society (SANHS) or the Yeovil Archaeological and Local History Society (YALHS) and held against reformation of a successor association, or given to another active researching association in the South Somerset/North Dorset area.