1. Name

Shropshire Woodcarvers (SW) is a not-for-profit unincorporated association.

2. Aims and Objectives

To promote the art and skill of woodcarving by:-

1. Developing an environment that encourages and enhances lifelong learning and equality of opportunity to experience, learn and develop the skills and knowledge of woodcarving.
2. Developing and providing woodcarving workshops, seminars, and other similar activities which are intended to enhance the skills and knowledge of Members.
3. Encouraging and assisting the personal development of Members to achieve their own individual potential and aspirations.
4. Developing and delivering a structured Introductory Course for potential Members in order for them to achieve a level of competency commensurate with becoming a Member.
5. Enabling the display of Members’ skills and achievements at public venues, exhibitions and demonstrations.
6. Encouraging fellowship with woodcarvers and those interested in woodcarving.

3.  Membership

Membership shall be open to all persons subscribing to the aforementioned Aims and Objectives of SW and no restriction will be imposed on any person by virtue of their religion, gender, nationality, race or disability*.

There will be two categories of membership, namely

1. Full Membership for persons who are 18 years of age with no upper age limit, or
2. Student Membership for persons who are 11 years of age but not exceeding 17 years of age or up to the age of 22, if in full time education.  Student Members up to the age of 16 must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Requirements for Full and Student categories of Membership are:

• the successful completion of the Introductory Course (referred to at para. 2.4 above) or having demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Chairman and/or the Training Manager that the person already has a level of competency commensurate with becoming a Member.

Additionally, Members of all categories will be required:

• to pay the appropriate subscription as determined from time to time by the Members present at the AGM in accordance with clause 4 of this Constitution, and
• to abide by and promote the Aims and Objectives of SW, as stated in Section 2 above, and
• to comply fully with and conform to the Health & Safety Policy and the Best Behaviour Guidelines detailed therein, and
• not to commit, pursue or become proactively involved with any act or behaviour which would bring the reputation or status of SW into disrepute.

If, in the majority opinion of the Committee, any Member fails to satisfy any of the aforementioned requirements, the Chairman, acting in consort with the Committee, reserves the right to terminate that person’s membership forthwith, by notice in writing, and without refund of subscription or part thereof.

4.  Subscriptions

Every Member will be required to pay a monthly subscription. The Treasurer will submit proposals for future subscription levels to the Members present at the AGM and seek approval thereof, which will be determined by a simple majority of Members in attendance.  Members may submit alternative proposals to the meeting, if there is support to do so.

The preferred method of payment of monthly subscriptions is by standing order to the current account of SW.

If a Member fails to make a monthly subscription, by whatever means, the Treasurer will issue a written reminder.  If a Member fails to make two consecutive monthly payments, the Treasurer will issue a written notice asking the Member to make payment within 30 days of the issue of the said notice but failure to comply with that notice will terminate the Membership.

The approved subscription will apply to all Members save for Student Members who will be entitled to a discount of 50%.

5. The SW Committee 

The correct and proper administration, activities and performance of the Club will be the responsibility of the SW Committee which will comprise the following officers:-

• Chairman

Primary responsibilities:  To manage and chair all meetings; to maintain the Health and Safety Policy and to ensure compliance therewith; to review and ensure compliance with the SW Constitution; to represent the SW in all matters.

• Membership Secretary and Vice Chairman

Primary responsibilities:  To maintain accurate and current details of all Members; to ensure compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation** (GDPR) and with SW’s GDPR policy; to assume the responsibilities of the Chairman in the Chairman’s absence, as delegated by the Chairman.

• Treasurer

Primary Responsibilities: To prepare and maintain all financial records, inventories and forecasts in compliance with the requirements of this Constitution; to discharge timeously financial liabilities properly incurred by SW; to liaise with SWs’ appointed banker. 

• Administration Secretary

Primary responsibilities: To issue notices of meetings and the like, to take and distribute minutes thereof and to maintain general administrative records and files.

Additionally, further Members may be elected to serve on the Committee to a maximum of seven Committee members in total.

All Members of the Committee must be Full Members of SW and may be nominated by any Full  Member. They will be elected at the AGM by a simple majority vote of all Members who are in attendance.  Committee Members will serve for a period of three years but may be re-nominated to serve again.

Committee Members who do not wish to or are unable to continue to serve should give notice in writing to the Chairman, giving, where possible, sufficient notice to enable a successor to be nominated and elected with the minimum of disruption.

6. Meetings

•  Annual General Meeting (AGM) of SW will be held on the second Saturday of December and all Members will be welcome to attend.  An Agenda will be published one week before the meeting.

The Agenda will require written reports from the Chairman, Membership Secretary and Treasurer to be submitted at the Meeting.

Members may submit items for inclusion on the Agenda not later than one week before the date for publication.

The Agenda will include an opportunity for Members to put questions to the Committee, verbally without prior notice.

A quorum for the AGM will consist of three Committee Members, one of whom must be the Chairman or the Vice-Chairman, plus an additional eight Full Members.

• Committee Meetings will be held, as required by current circumstances, at any time at the request of any Committee Member.  Minutes of the Committee Meetings will be published to all Members as soon as practical after the meeting.  Each Committee Member will be jointly and severally responsible for the conduct of the Committee.

A quorum for Committee Meetings will be four Committee Members, one of whom must be the Chairman or Vice-Chairman.

• General SW Meetings will be held at bi-monthly Saturday meetings. Interim meetings may be requested by Members or the Committee if required by circumstances at the time.  No Agenda will be published in advance of the meetings but minutes will be taken and distributed to Members.

Full participation of all Members will be encouraged.

The Committee’s aim is to understand and represent the wishes and concerns of Members and, in so doing, the Committee will adopt a policy of complete transparency. A quorum for General SW Meetings will consist of eight Full Members, one of whom must be the Chairman or Vice-Chairman.

• Extra-ordinary General Meetings (EGM) may be requested by any Full Member at any time, provided that it is supported by more than 50% of the voting membership at the time of the request and that the resolution involves a change to the Constitution.  The request and proposed resolution must be submitted in writing to the Chairman who will be required to convene the EGM within one calendar month of receipt of the said notice.

Minutes of all Meetings will be taken and published by the Administration Secretary.

7. Finances

The Treasurer shall ensure that true and accurate accounts of income, expenditure and assets are maintained and regularly updated.

A balance sheet containing details of cash assets, property and liabilities will be prepared by the Treasurer and submitted to the AGM for scrutiny and approval.  A twelve month forecast of income and expenditure will also be prepared by the Treasurer and submitted to the AGM along with proposals for Members’ subscriptions for the forthcoming year as required by clause 4 of this Constitution.

The authority to access any of SWs’ cash assets shall require the consent of two Committee Members, one of whom must be the Treasurer.

8. Ownership

The Full Members will share equal ownership of the cash assets and property of SW as detailed on the Balance Sheet.  Similarly, the liabilities of SW will be the equal liability of all Full Members.

The cash assets and property of SW will be solely for the satisfaction of the Aims and Objectives detailed at Para. 2 of this Constitution and no part of those cash assets or property shall be paid, transferred or otherwise distributed, directly or indirectly, to any other persons or entities except in good faith in the furtherance of the aforesaid Aims and Objectives, save for the provisions of Para. 9 below.

9. Distribution of Cash Assets and Property upon Dissolution of the Club

If, upon winding up or dissolution of SW and following the satisfaction of all of its debts and liabilities, there is a surplus, the same must not be distributed to all or any Members or former Members.

All remaining assets (financial and/or physical) shall be disbursed to a charity or charities according to wishes of the Members, as determined by a simple majority vote at a General Club Meeting.

10. Changes to this Constitution

No alteration whatsoever shall be made to this Constitution save for alterations, amendments, substitutions, additions or deletions that are properly detailed on the Agenda for the AGM or EGM in accordance with Para. 6 above.

* A disability is any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or interact with the world around them. These conditions, or impairments, may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, sensory, or a combination of multiple factors.

** https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation

REVISION 2.2 DATED 9th DECEMBER 2023