The CWA Constitution

(In accordance with the Association of Woodturners of Great Britain)

PURPOSE OF THE ASSOCIATION:
(A) Branch rules as laid down from time to time by the Executive Committee of the AWGB shall apply to this Branch of the AWGB.
(B) To foster greater awareness of the Turner's Art and Craft.
(C) To provide a forum to encourage communication and an exchange of views amongst Turners of all levels.
(D) To promote the art of Woodturning amongst Woodturners and the general public.
(E) To act as a body to provide regular communication in the interest of turnery locally.
(F) To promote membership of the AWGB.
(G) To arrange meetings and exhibitions that encourage all to produce and aim for a higher quality in Woodturning.

MEMBERSHIP:
(A) Membership shall be open to all following payment of an annual subscription, which shall include the subscription to the AWGB.
(B) Members shall be entitled to use the name of the Association to indicate said membership, but such entitlement shall cease upon cessation of membership of the Association. Members shall not be entitled to use the logo of the Association for any purpose.
(C) Upon the failure of any member to pay their subscription by the date of the AGM their membership shall be deemed to have ceased, except at the discretion of the Committee in special circumstances. Any member, whose membership has lapsed as above, shall be eligible for re-admission upon the payment of the appropriate subscription fee.

CONSTITUTION:
(A) All paid-up members shall have the opportunity of entering into the activities of the Association, to attend Annual General meetings or Extraordinary General meetings, to vote upon any constitutional matters and to serve on the Committee of the Cheam Woodturners Association.
(B) The affairs of the Association shall be managed by a Committee, elected annually at the Annual General meeting.
(C) The Committee shall consist of three Officers: A Chairperson, an Honorary Secretary, an Honorary Treasurer, plus three members.
(D) The Officers and Members of the Committee shall be elected by the members of the association at the Annual General Meeting for a one-year term of office and shall be eligible for re-election for additional terms.
(E) The committee shall have the power to co-opt other members to fill vacancies which may arise in their number or to offer guidance on specific matters. Co-opted members shall have the same voting rights as an ordinary member of the Committee.
(F) The Committee shall meet at intervals determined by the business of the Association. Meetings shall be convened by the Secretary acting in consultation with the Chairperson, although a meeting shall be convened at any time on the demand of three or more Committee members.
(G) The Chairperson of the meeting shall exercise a second casting vote if any voting at a Committee meeting shall otherwise be equal.
(H) If the Chairperson of the Association is not present at a meeting, then the Committee shall elect a Chairperson from amongst their number.
(I) A quorum of the Committee shall be three members, to include two officers.
(J) Committee members who do not attend Committee meetings on three consecutive occasions shall, at the discretion of the Committee, be deemed to have retired from the Committee.
(K) The Committee shall be empowered to appoint Sub-Committees to act on its behalf. The Chairperson of any Sub-Committee shall be a member of the Committee.
(L) Cheques of the Association shall only be drawn on any two signatures from the three Officers.
(M) The Committee shall have the power to appoint from outside its number a President to be re-appointed annually.

Meetings of the Association.
(A) An Annual General meeting shall be called as soon as possible after the close of the Association's financial year on the last day of December.
(B) The ordinary business to be transacted at each Annual General meeting shall be:
1. To receive and adopt the Chairperson's report of the previous year's working.
2. To receive and adopt the Secretary's report for the previous year.
3. To receive and adopt the Treasurer's report and the statement of accounts covering the financial affairs of the previous year.
4. To elect a Chairperson, a Secretary, a Treasurer and two Committee members for the following year.
5. To fix the Annual subscription for the coming year, following submission of a Committee recommendation.
6. Elect a member to stand for election to the AWGB Executive Committee.
7. Any other business.

If a vote is required, this will be carried out by a paper ballot of those members attending the Annual General meeting. A simple majority only is required.

(C) Notice of the place, time and date of the Annual General meeting shall be circulated to all paid up members not less than thirty days before the date of the meeting.
(D) An Extraordinary General meeting may be called by a resolution of the Committee or on the receipt of a written request signed by at least five members of the Association.
(E) Motions for the Annual General meeting must be submitted in writing to the Honorary Secretary fourteen days before the date of the meeting.
(F) Nominations for all Committee positions and replacements for retiring Members shall be submitted in writing to the Honorary Secretary fourteen days before the time of the meeting.
(G) All nominations, proposals or motions for the Annual General meeting must be signed by both a Proposer and a Seconder, both of whom must be paid up members of the Association.
(H) Amendments to these rules and to the Constitution shall be by notice of motion, in writing, to the Secretary fourteen days prior to the Annual General meeting.

Revised at the CWA Annual General Meeting, 16th February 2005