Bulleid Society Plate

CONSTITUTION AND RULES

1) NAME

The name of the Society shall be THE BULLEID SOCIETY.

2) OBJECTIVES

The objectives of The Bulleid Society shall be as follows:

  1. To promote the benefit of the Members of the Society and / or a similar body with which it may be deemed desirable to associate, and to have power to affiliate to other organisations with similar objectives.
  2. To raise money and to obtain the practical assistance of persons who may or may not be members of the Society in order :-
    1. To maintain former British Railways Steam Locomotive No. 34023, Blackmoor Vale, previously No. 21C123 of the Southern Railway, in a known authentic condition so far as may be economically practicable, the restoration being determined also by what is good locomotive engineering practice at the time.
    2. To maintain Bulleid Coach CK 5768 in a known authentic condition so far as may be economically practicable, the restoration being determined also by what is good carriage engineering practice at the time.
    3. To maintain former British Railways Steam Locomotive No. 30096, previously No. 96, Normandy of the London and South Western Railway in a known authentic condition so far as may be economically practical, the restoration being determined also by what is good locomotive practice at the time.
    4. To purchase and maintain other suitable items of rolling stock and equipment as are necessary or desirable to assist the operation of the Society’s locomotives, coach, or the publicity of its affairs.
    5. The Society may also act as custodians of other items of rolling stock if it is deemed to be in the interests of the Society.
  3. To organise public meetings and meetings of Members and to do all such acts as shall further the active corporate life of the Society.

3) MEMBERSHIP

  1. Membership of the Society shall be open to any individual irrespective of sex or nationality (Private Member) and to any library, institution, club, society or other public or private body (Corporate Member).
  2. Persons who have not attained the age of 18 years of age shall be Junior Members. Junior Members shall not have the right to vote at members’ meetings.
  3. Both Private and Corporate Members may be Life Members, Ordinary Members or Honorary Members as defined below.
  4. Life Membership shall be available on payment of the appropriate subscription which shall be reviewed from time to time at a General Meeting.
  5. An Ordinary Member shall be a member who subscribes annually the current subscription. The subscription rates shall be reviewed from time to time at a General Meeting.
  6. An Honorary Member shall be any person who in the opinion of the Executive Committee, with whom the power of such election solely rests, has materially assisted the objects of the Society and may in any way enhance its reputation and standing.
  7. All members shall have the same rights and privileges as set out below:
    1. Free access to the Bluebell Railway premises (subject to Bluebell Railway rules) for the purpose of working for The Bulleid Society, as a volunteer on the Society’s locomotives and rolling stock for restoration and maintenance purposes, or in the Society’s shop. Training will be given. Any such person will also need to be a paid up member of the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society.
    2. A complimentary copy of the Society’s Journal, Bulleid Express, normally published twice a year.
    3. Any such other additional rights and privileges as the Executive Committee may deem appropriate, from time to time.
  8. Application for membership shall be made on the membership application form to the Membership Secretary, if there is one, or any other officer.
  9. The Executive Committee shall have the right for good and sufficient reason to refuse any application for membership without assigning a reason thereto and to terminate the membership of an individual member (Private or Corporate) of any type for any reason they think fit, provided that the individual member shall have the right to be heard before a final decision is made.
  10. Membership cards will be issued to all members and must be produced at all Society functions.
  11. Any Member losing his/her membership card shall notify the Membership Secretary, if there is one, or any other officer immediately.
  12. Change of address shall be notified to the Membership Secretary, if there is one or to any other officer.

4) SUBSCRIPTION

  1. All ordinary Members whether Private or Corporate Members shall pay such subscriptions as the Executive Committee may from time to time determine, subject to prior notification and acceptance at a meeting, as provided for under clauses 9 and 10.
  2. Subscriptions will fall due for renewal annually on 31st December and if, after a reminder from the Membership Secretary, Members fail to renew their subscriptions within six weeks following the issue of this, their membership will lapse.
  3. Subscriptions from new Members received on or after 1st October will be held to cover membership until 31st December of the year following.

5) MISUSE OF THE SOCIETY’S NAME AND MEMBERSHIP CARD

Use of the Society’s name and membership card without the consent of the Executive Committee shall not be permitted.

6) THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

  1. Subject to the limitations set out in clause 9 hereof, the policy and general management of the affairs of the Society shall be directed by an Executive Committee which shall meet as often as the Executive Committee decide, but not less than two times a year.
  2. Any Member may be nominated for election or re-election, provided he is proposed and seconded in writing, and provided also that the nominee’s consent in writing has been obtained.
  3. Such nominations shall be received by the General Secretary at least 42 days before the proposed meeting.
  4. Should more nominations be received than there are vacancies, the Members are to be advised of the names of the nominated persons and that there will be a ballot. At the AGM a ballot of all Members attending and eligible to vote will be conducted and the results declared at the meeting.
  5. The Executive Committee shall consist of a maximum of 11 members (or such other number as may from time to time be deemed necessary as approved at an AGM) elected by and from Members of the Society.
  6. The Executive Committee shall have power to co-opt additional Committee Members who shall be members of the Society, provided that the number of co-opted members does not exceed one third of the total number of elected members. Co-opted Committee Members shall have the same voting rights and powers as elected members of the Executive Committee. All members of the Executive Committee including any so co-opted, shall retire annually, but shall be eligible to offer themselves for re-election.The Executive Committee shall have power to appoint such Sub-Committees as it may from time to time decide and will determine their terms of reference, their exact constitution and power to co-opt. A Sub-Committee has no financial powers and is to report all its findings and decisions back to the Executive Committee.
  7. The Sub-Committee may co-opt members who may or may not be members of the Society and their number shall not exceed one third of the members appointed directly from the members of the Executive Committee. Co-opted members shall have full voting rights in their decisions which are reported back to the Executive Committee.
  8. If any items owned by the Society are requested for a function off the Bluebell Railway, irrespective of the period of notice, the Executive Committee is to be consulted prior to agreement being given.

7) OFFICERS

  1. All officers shall be adult persons and shall act in an honorary capacity.
  2. The Annual General Meeting shall elect the Executive Committee as determined in paragraph 6(e) to include a Chairman, General Secretary, Treasurer, and such other officers of the Society as it may from time to time determine.

8) PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENTS

The Society may appoint a President and Vice Presidents; such appointments to be approved at the Annual General Meeting.

9) ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

  1. Once in each year, not later than the end of May, the Executive Committee shall convene an Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Society, which all members of the Society shall be entitled to attend, for the purpose of receiving the annual report of the Executive Committee and the annual statement of accounts, and if thought fit approve accounts for the preceding financial year and the Treasurer’s report thereon; of appointing Honorary Officers of the Society; of accepting resignations from the Executive Committee; of appointing an independent reviewer; of making recommendations to the Executive Committee and whenever necessary of voting on proposals to amend this Constitution and Rules in accordance with clause 15 hereof.
  2. The notice convening the AGM shall be dispatched to all Members concerned not less than 56 days before the date of the proposed meeting.
  3. Relevant items for inclusion on the agenda shall reach the General Secretary 42 days before the AGM. The agenda for an AGM together with a copy of the accounts as prepared under clause 12(d) shall be sent to all Members at least 21 days before the AGM.
  4. The minutes of the AGM shall be sent to all Members with the next issue of The Society’s Journal

10) EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

  1. The Chairman of the Society or the General Secretary may at any time at either’s discretion or shall within 21 days of receiving a written request to do so, signed by not less than twenty members having the power to vote and giving reasons for the request, call an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Society for the purpose of altering the Constitution and Rules in accordance with clause 15 hereof or of considering any matter which may be referred to them by the Executive Committee or for any other purpose.
  2. Where a written request is received in accordance with clause 10(a) above, the meeting must be held within 63 days of the receipt of the request.
  3. Notice of any such meeting shall be dispatched to all Members not less than 42 days before the date of the proposed meeting and a copy of the agenda be dispatched at least 21 days before the meeting.
  4. Where a written request is received in accordance with paragraph 10(a) above, the request shall set out the wording of items which are to be included. No deviation from the wording is permitted.
  5. The minutes of an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be sent to all Members with the next issue of The Society’s Journal.

11) RULES OF PROCEDURE AT ALL MEETINGS

  1. Voting. Subject to the provisions of clause 15 all questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a simple majority of those present and entitled to vote thereat. No member shall exercise more than one vote, but in the case of an equality of votes the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.
  2. Quorum. One third of the elected members shall form a quorum at committee meetings of the Society. 2% of the members eligible to vote shall form a quorum at all General Meetings of the Society.
  3. Minutes. Minutes shall be kept of all proceedings at all General Meetings of the Society and the Executive and all Sub Committee Meetings of the Society and the Secretary and / or Secretaries for the time being shall enter therein a record of all proceedings and resolutions.

12) FINANCE

  1. The financial year shall run from 1st January to 31st December.
  2. All monies raised by or on behalf of the Society shall be applied to further the objects of the Society as set out in clause 2 of this Constitution and Rules and for no other purpose.
  3. The Treasurer shall keep proper accounts of the finances of the Society.
  4. The accounts shall be examined at least once a year by an independent examiner, who shall be appointed at the AGM and shall not be a member of the Executive Committee.
  5. A report of the accounts for the last financial year shall be submitted by the Executive Committee to the AGM.
  6. No payment shall be made to any officer other than for reimbursement of expenses in carrying out his/her duties.

13) SOCIETY JOURNAL

The Society shall jointly publish with the Bluebell Railway Battle of Britain Locomotive Group, a Journal entitled Bulleid Express, which shall normally be published twice a year. The information contained therein is copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the written consent of the Executive Committee.

14) DISSOLUTION

  1. If the Executive Committee by a simple majority recommends at any time that on the ground of expense or otherwise it is necessary to dissolve the Society, an Extraordinary General Meeting of all Members of the Society who may have the power to vote shall be called for the specific purpose of considering the recommendation.
  2. The notice convening the meeting shall contain the terms of the recommendation and shall be dispatched to all Members concerned not less than 42 ?? days before the date of the proposed meeting.
  3. Upon the recommendation being approved by a two thirds majority of individual Members of the Society present and voting at such a meeting, the Executive Committee shall have the power to dispose of any assets held by or in the name of the Society. Any assets remaining after the settlement of any proper debts and liabilities shall be applied to one of the organisations under sub-clause 2(a) being either a member of the Heritage Railway Association, or its successors, or some such similar body at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

15) ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION AND RULES

  1. Any Member may propose alterations to The Constitution and Rules.
  2. Any such proposal to alter this Constitution and Rules must be delivered in writing to the General Secretary of the Society not less than 42 days before the date of the General Meeting at which it is first to be considered. Any alteration will require the approval of a two thirds majority of individual Members of the Society present and voting at a General Meeting.
  3. Notice of such a meeting must have been given in accordance with the normal procedure for Annual General or Extraordinary General Meetings as applicable with the agenda for the meeting in question, giving the wording of the proposed alteration.

16) INTERPRETATION

In the event of dispute, the interpretation of this Constitution and Rules shall rest with the Chairman of the Society for the time being.

This Document was adopted as The Constitution and Rules of
THE BULLEID SOCIETY
at a meeting duly convened and held at the
Bluebell Railway, Sheffield Park Station, East Sussex, TN22 3QL
on 18th May 2019