1. Name
1.1 The Club shall be called the Communication Workers Solent District Benevolent Society (“The Society”)

2. Offices
2.1 The office of The Society shall be at Communication Workers Union Office, Winton TE, Wycliffe Rd, Bournemouth, BH9 1JP

3. Objects
3.1 The objects of The Society shall be to provide such assistance in money or monies worth to Full Members (as defined in Clause 4) of The Society and their families as the committee (as defined in Clause 5) shall in its absolute discretion direct.

The direction being exercisable as to the amount and to who the benefit shall be payable including as to the eligibility of a person by reason of their being a member of a Full Member’s family.

Such discretion and discretion’s shall be unfettered by precedent and may be exercised as the Committee thinks fit.
The Committee may also exercise its discretion in favour of Affiliated Members of the Society.

4. Membership

4.1 Members of the society shall consist of:

4.1.1 Members of the Engineering and Clerical Branches of the Communication Workers Union within the former Solent District (as defined in Schedule 1)
who hold one or more current shares or chances in any draw or lottery being promoted.
These members will be known as “FULL MEMBERS”.

4.1.2 Members of the Engineering and Clerical Branches of the Communication Workers Union within the former Solent District (as defined in Schedule 1).
These members will be known as “AFFILIATE MEMBERS”.

4.1.3 Persons not falling within rule 4.1.1 or rule 4.1.2 above, but who hold one or more current shares or chances in any draw or lottery being promoted.
These members will be defined as “ASSOCIATE MEMBERS”.
The Associate Members will not be eligible to vote at The Society’s Meetings, to sign a requisition under rule 8.2, nor stand for any election to serve on the Committee

5. Management

5.1 The management of The Society (except as otherwise provided by these rules) shall be deputed to a Committee (The Committee) comprising:

5.1.1 The Chairperson and Secretary, chosen from The Full Members of The Society who are or have been branch officials or committee members of branches of the former Solent District as aforementioned duly elected in accordance with clause 5.3; and

5.1.2 The Financial Secretary, chosen from The Full Members of The Society duly elected in accordance with clause 5.3; and

5.1.3 No more than six and no less than four other persons chosen from The Full Members of The Society elected or co-opted in accordance with clauses 5.3 and 5.4 below

5.2 There shall be a Deputy-Chairperson to be chosen by the Committee from the Committee members

5.3 Members of the Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting (“AGM”) in each year and subject to termination of office by resignation or otherwise shall remain in office until their successors are elected at the AGM following their election

5.4 The Committee shall have the power to co-opt another Full Member of The Society to the Committee to fill any casual vacancy that may occur from time to time prior to the next AGM, provided that any Full Member so appointed must retire at the next AGM but may be elected as a member of the Committee at that meeting

5.5 The retiring members of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election

5.6 No member of the Committee shall be entitled to any remuneration payment or other benefit save that;

5.6.1 all members of the Committee shall be entitled to be reimbursed in respect of properly incurred expenses duly authorised in writing from:

5.6.1.1 the Chairperson or Secretary, and

5.6.1.2 the Financial Secretary Provided that nothing herein shall preclude a member of the Committee from being eligible to benefit as a result of being a Full Member of The Society save that such a member of the Committee should not vote or take part in the decision reaching process of the Committee in respect of his or her application for benefit

5.6.2 the Secretary and the Financial Secretary may be paid such reasonable expenses as the Committee shall from time to time deem appropriate

5.7 Voting on all matters shall be on a simple majority of all those present at the meeting with the Chairperson having the casting vote

6. Funding

6.1 The funding shall be by means of voluntary contribution from any person or body and payable in a manner or manners as the committee shall direct

6.2 All monies received by the Committee on behalf of The Society shall be dealt with and used for the purposes set out in the object clause

6.3 The monies of The Society shall be placed in an account at such Bank or Building Society that the Committee considers appropriate in the name of The Society The signatories to such an account or accounts shall be as directed by the Committee but in any event be no less than two members of the Committee

6.4 The Committee shall further have power to invest such money or monies in any investment as defined or referred to in Schedule 1 of the Trustee Investments Act 1961

7 Annual General Meetings

7.1 A general meeting of The Society shall be held in the month of February in every year at such place as the committee may appoint Three weeks notice of such meeting shall be given by means of notice distributed to sites throughout the Solent District The purpose of such meetings is to transact the following business:

7.1.1 To receive and if approved to adopt a statement of The Society’s accounts to the end of the preceding year

7.1.2 To appoint Full Members to the committee as mentioned under the Management Clause

7.1.3 To appoint two auditors

7.1.4 To deal with any matters which the Committee desires to bring before The Members

7.1.5 To consider any matter which any one of The Full Members of The Society proposes provided that this is submitted in writing to the Secretary of the Committee not less that 14 days before the General Meeting

8 Special General Meetings

8.1 A Special General Meeting (“SGM”) may be called by the Committee upon the giving of 14 days notice of such by means of notice in the manner required for an AGM

8.2 Any one of The Full Members of The Society has the right to require the Committee to convene a SGM within 21 days from receipt by the Secretary of the Committee of a requisition in writing signed by not less than 10% of the Full Members

9 Auditing/Inspection

9.1 The said auditors shall have access to all books and accounts of The Society and shall examine every balance sheet and annual account of The Society and shall verify the same with the accounts and vouchers relating thereto and shall when satisfied sign the same as found by him or them to be correct duly vouched and in agreement with The Society’s books of account

9.2 Following audit copies of the accounts shall be available to The Members of the Society on request and in any event shall be available to each of The Members of The Society attending the Annual General Meeting

10 Chairperson

10.1 At every General Meeting of The Society the Chairperson or in their absence the Deputy Chairperson or a substitute shall preside

10.2 A substitute shall be elected from the committee by The Full Members present on the day on an ad hoc basis if necessary

11 Role of the Secretary

11.1 The Secretary of The Society or in the Secretary’s absence a person nominated by the Committee shall inter alia:

11.1.1 Attend every meeting of The Society and of the Committee

11.1.2 Take and prepare Minutes of the proceedings of the Committee and Society both at Committee and General Meetings

11.1.3 Receive claims for benefit

11.1.4 Be responsible for the provision of notices of General Meetings

12 The Financial Secretary

12.1 The Financial Secretary of The Society shall inter alia:

12.1.1 Balance the Cash Account and supply the Committee with a duplicate thereof

12.1.2 Whenever required by a meeting of the Committee and also in January every year render to the Committee a just and true account of all monies received and paid on account of The Society

12.1.3 Once in at least every year submit the accounts together with a general statement of the same and all vouchers to the 31st day of January for audit

12.1.4 Lay before every AGM of The Society a Balance Sheet and an Income and Expenditure Account and an Account of the effects of The Society together with a Statement of affairs of The Society since the last AGM and of their condition

13 Quorum Voting Rights and Miscellaneous Matters

13.1 At every General Meeting of The Society four of the members of the Committee shall form a quorum A quorum will be the Committee and other Full Members present

13.2 The Chairperson, Secretary, or Financial Secretary shall call a meeting of the Committee as required giving seven days notice in writing to the other committee members. Six Committee members shall form a quorum, of which one must be either the Chairperson or Secretary.

13.3 Every resolution proposed at either General or Committee Meetings shall be decided by a majority of votes and the Chairperson thereof shall have a casting or additional vote in the event of equality

13.4 The Society may at any time be dissolved by resolution supported by a simple majority of The Full Members of The Society and the assets of The Society shall be disposed of in accordance with the decision of The Full Members of The Society made at the meeting called for that purpose

13.5 Save the previous rule 13.4 no new rule shall be made nor any of the rules herein contained or hereafter to be made shall be amended altered or revoked except with the consent of a simple majority of The Full Members present at a meeting called for that purpose

14 Conduct of the Society's Draws

14.1 The number of prizes and the cash awarded for each prize is at the discretion of the Committee.

14.2 Each share is eligible to be drawn only once in each draw and receive only one prize. If for technical reasons a share is drawn more than once then only the first drawing will receive a prize. The subsequent prize will then be re-drawn until a share is drawn which has not previously been drawn in the same draw. Shareholders with multiple shares may win multiple prizes on different shares within the same draw.