Tallaght Photographic Society

Club Constitution

Tallaght Photographic Society Constitution and Rules

  1. The name of the club shall be Tallaght Photographic Society herein called The Club.
  2. The Club shall be non-sectarian and non-political.

3.    Objectives of the Club

  1. To provide facilities where members can meet to discuss and carry on their photography.
  2. To teach, by arranging lectures and demonstrations etc, to members who wish to learn
  3. To enter into competitions with other photographic clubs and societies
  4. To hold at least one exhibition of members work each year
  5. To provide, where possible, a service (in photographic terms) to the community of Tallaght

4.  Membership

  1. A person is not deemed to be a member until such time as he /she has paid their annual subscription fee and may not take part in any competition or exhibition in the name of The Club, nor can they vote on any issue, until such time as the membership fee has been paid.
  2. The annual Subscription is payable in advance and becomes due on the first Tuesday in September
  3. Amount of membership to be decided on by the committee who may take into account when deciding upon a figure such groups as Old Age Pensioners, students or others
  4. Honorary life membership may be conferred by the Committee

5.  The Committee

  1. The Committee shall comprise of:
  2. A President (who shall act as chairperson for meetings)
  3. A Secretary
  4. A Treasurer
  5. A Competition Secretary
  6. 3 Ordinary members
  7. A total of seven who shall be elected each year at the Annual General Meeting

6.  Committee Meetings

The Committee shall meet at least once a month and more often if necessary to plan and implement a programme of activities for the club and to deal with any other club business

7.   Quorum for Committee Meetings

Four members of the committee shall constitute a quorum for a meeting.  Proper minutes of all meetings shall be kept by the Hon. Secretary.  They shall be read at subsequent meetings and, if in order, signed by the chairman

8.   Voting at Committee Meetings

Committee members may vote or a proposal or against a proposal or they may abstain from voting on a proposal.  The President will have a vote, and in the event of a tie will have a casting vote.  The names of those voting for, the names of those voting against and the names of those abstaining from voting on a proposal will be recorded in the minutes by the secretary.

9.   Chairmanship of Committee in the absence of President

In the event of the President not being able to attend a committee meeting the other members present will elect from amongst themselves a chairperson for that meeting.  The person elected to chair the meeting will have the voting rights as the President

10   Attendance at Committee meetings

All members are expected to attend meetings regularly.  A record of each members attendances will be included in the Secretary’s report read out at the A.G.M.  A committee member who fails to attend committee meetings on three consecutive occasions without an acceptable or reasonable excuse submitted in writing to the Hon. Secretary will be deemed to have resigned from the committee in accordance with paragraph 11

11.  The committee shall have the power to co-opt a member should a vacancy occur among its members.

12.  Sub Committees

The committee shall have authority to appoint sub-committees from its members and may call on any member of the club to serve on such sub-committees.

13.   Finance

While the club shall be considered a non-profit making organisation it will be a function of the committee to raise funds necessary for the efficient day to day running of the club and for the future growth of the club.

The committee shall open whatever bank accounts/s it deems necessary for the proper handling of club funds. 

The committee shall close whatever bank accounts/s it deems necessary for the proper handling of club funds. 

No club funds will be invested in any venture (other than bank accounts) unless a majority of club members present and voting at a special meeting called for the specific purpose of discussing such action, vote in favour of such and investment.

Proper accounts will be kept by the Hon. Treasurer who will submit a full report for the year at the Annual General Meeting.

Gifts, donations etc which may be offered to the club may be accepted or rejected at the discretion of the committee

All cheques must be signed by two of the following three: President, Treasurer, Secretary

14.   Meetings

General meetings of the club may be:

  1. Annual
  2. Ordinary
  3. Extraordinary

15.   Annual General Meeting

  1. An Annual General Meeting shall be held each year during the month of September
  2. The time, date and Venue shall be fixed by the President and at least 28 days’ notice of the meeting shall be given via email.
  3. The meetings shall be presided over by the President or in his / her absence or, at his / her request, by a committee member elected in accordance with paragraph 9
  4. The business of the Annual General Meeting shall be:
  5. To receive and consider the reports of the President, Competition Secretary and Treasurer
  6. To consider and dispose of the agenda and thereafter any other matters which shall be introduced and which shall appear to the chairperson to be appropriate for discussion.
  7. Any member wishing to make a proposal must submit it in writing to a member of the committee at least 7 days before the AGM and must be present at the AGM to read his / her proposal.  Proposals will only be accepted from the floor at the AGM after all written proposals have been dealt with
  8. Nomination forms will be available to club members for election to committee
  9. To appoint members who will act on the committee during the following year.

16.   Ordinary General Meetings

  1. An ordinary general meeting may be convened whenever it appears to the executive committee that such a course is necessary
  2. The provisions of Paragraph 15 B and C relating to annual general meetings shall apply also to ordinary general meetings

17.   Extraordinary General Meeting

  1. An extraordinary general meeting shall be convened, without delay, on the written demand for same being received by the President or Secretary, signed by not fewer than twelve members, and in which the nature of the matter to be discussed is fully set out.
  2. The provisions of Paragraph 15 B and C relating to annual general meetings shall likewise apply to extraordinary general meetings

18.   Competition Rules and Regulations

  1. The committee will draw up the rules for entry into competitions organised by this club and all members entering work into these competitions will be advised of same
  2. Members will be advised if any rules and regulations governing entry into competitions (other than those organised by this club) into which club members have been invited to take part and into which they might wish to enter their work.
  3. Club members entering any competition in the name of this club will abide strictly by the rules and regulations governing that competition and will not compromise or jeopardize the good name if this club by breaking those rules and regulations in any way

19.   Code of Conduct of members

  1. The good name of the club must be considered at all times by members.  Any member who, in the opinion of the committee, has compromised the good name of the club through any wilful word, deed or omission may be suspended from taking part in any club activity for a period of time which the committee feels is justified, or may be expelled.

B.

  1. The committee has the right to suspend and / or expel any member who is found to has abused the privilege of membership, i.e. club premises or club equipment.
  2. Such a member will have the right to appeal the decision of the committee within a month.  Upon receiving this appeal, the committee must call a meeting of its members within three months, whereupon this member must address the floor, and put their case for readmittance, and the members upon hearing the evidence will decide and this decision is final.

20.   Insurance

The club shall be obliged to carry public liability insurance against claims and any other insurances that the committee deems fit from time to time

21.   Amendment of constitution

These rules may be altered only at an annual general meeting and no amendment shall be valid unless two thirds of the club members present vote in favour of the amendment

22.   This Constitution was passed and adopted at an AGM on the 30th May 2000