MEC Constitution
of The “Most Easterly Community Group”
1. Name
The name of the association is ‘Most Easterly Community Group’ (referred to below as ‘TheGroup’). The Group is a not-for-profit organisation.
2. Aims
1) To foster a sense of belonging and neighbourliness amongst the diverse communities of the North Lowestoft Heritage Action Zone (HAZ area) and to work together to improve the area’s
social and physical environment.
2) To promote the area as a ‘positive place to live, work and play’.
3) To represent the common interests of residents, businesses and organisations in the area to official bodies
4) To meet and consult with the official HAZ group with the aim of promoting the objectives of the HAZ over its lifetime.
3. Powers
The Group shall achieve these aims by opening a bank account, raising funds, holding events, acquiring equipment and working in partnership with other like-minded institutions, groups andorganisations.
4.A Membership
The boundaries of the group are the North Lowestoft Heritage Action Zone area (see 'fish' map attached) - referred to below as ‘The Area’. Membership is open to:
1) any resident of the area,
2) anyone working in the area
3) anyone having a business in the area
4) or anyone with positive and active interest in the area.
By joining all members agree to the aims of the group.
Anyone wishing to join should provide personal details i.e. name, address, telephone number and email if they have it. The committee will ensure that any new member is made aware of the constitution of the Group. The committee will ensure that members’ details are kept confidential
Constitution of Most Easterly Community Group
unless otherwise agreed. Personal data will be used in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations 2018 [GDPR].
Activities of the Group will be publicised in The Area and circulated to members through a variety of communication channels and as widely as possible.
4.B Ceasing to be a member of the Group
Members may resign at any time and should inform the secretary to have their name taken off the mailing list.
Members cease to be members if they move away from the area, unless Membership criterion
4.4 can be appropriately invoked.
Any offensive behaviour, including racist, sexist or inflammatory remarks, will not be permitted.
Anyone behaving in an offensive way or breaking the equal opportunities policy may be asked not to attend further meetings or to resign from the group if an apology is not given or the
behaviour is repeated. The individual concerned shall have the right to be heard by the management committee, accompanied by a friend, before a final decision is made.
5. Equality and Diversity
The Group and individual members of the Group will not discriminate against anyone or any other group on the basis of gender, race, ethnic or national origin, religion, sexuality, disability, or age.
6. Management
The Most Easterly Community Group will be administered by a Management Committee of not less than six people (and no more than 12) who will be elected at the Group’s Annual General Meeting or at an appropriate General Meeting in the event of a Management Committee member's resignation. All those standing must be proposed and seconded.
The officers of the Management Committee shall be:
• Chairperson
• Treasurer
• Secretary
• and any other officers the Group deem necessary
The Management Committee shall meet a minimum of three times a year.
If the Chair or Secretary cannot attend a meeting then a member of the Committee will stand in
Constitution of Most Easterly Community Group
for them.
7. Duties of Officers
The officers’ roles are briefly as follows:
1. Chair, who shall chair both general and committee meetings
2. Secretary, who shall be responsible for the taking of minutes and the distribution of all papers, and keeping Action Minutes
3. Treasurer who shall be responsible for maintaining accounts, and reporting them to the Management Committee at each MC Meeting and at the AGM
(Fuller descriptions available as a separate document)
In the event of an officer standing down during the year a replacement will be elected by the next General Meeting of members.
8. Finance
An account will be maintained on behalf of the Group at a bank agreed by the committee. Three cheque signatories will be nominated by the Committee (one to be the Treasurer). The signatories must not be related nor members of the same household.
All payments will be signed by the appropriate number of signatories required by our bank.
For cheque payments, the signatories will sign the cheque.
For other payments (such as BACS payments, cash withdrawals, debit card payments or cash payments), a requisition note will be signed by two signatories, and held by the treasurer.
Records of income and expenditure will be maintained by the Treasurer and a financial statement given at each Management Committee meeting.
All money raised by or on behalf of The Group is only to be used to further the aims of the group, as specified in item 2 of this constitution.
9. Meetings
9.1. Annual General Meetings
An Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held within fifteen months of the previous AGM.
All members will be notified in writing at least 3 weeks before the date of the meeting, giving the venue, date and time. The AGM Agenda will be circulated at least 7 days before the meeting Constitution of Most Easterly Community Group
and will include the previous AGM’s minutes. Nominations for the committee can be made to the Secretary before the meeting as well as at the meeting.
At the AGM:-
• The Committee will present a report of the work of The Group over the year.
• The Committee will present the accounts of The Group for the previous year.
• The officers and Committee for the next year will be elected.
9.2 Management Committee Meetings
Committee meetings will take place at least three times in a 12 month period
• Meetings will be have an Agenda and will be minuted.
• Committee meetings may be called by the Chair or Secretary
• The quorum for Management Committee will be three members.
9.3 General Meetings
General Meetings are open to all members and will be held at least once every 3 months or more often if necessary. Meetings will be held on the 1st Monday of the appropriate month.
All members will be given notice of such a meeting, giving the venue, date, time and agenda, and notice may be by telephone, email or post. The quorum for a General Meeting shall be 5 members.
9.4 Special General Meetings
The Secretary will call a Special General Meeting at the request of the majority of the committee or at least eight other members giving a written request to the Chair or Secretary stating the reason for their request. The meeting will take place within twenty-one days of the request. All members will be given notice of such a meeting, giving the venue, date, time and agenda, and notice may be by telephone, email or post. The quorum for the Special General Meeting will be
10 members.
10. Rules of Procedure for meetings
All questions that arise at any meeting will be discussed openly and the meeting will seek to find general agreement that everyone present can agree to.
If a consensus cannot be reached on a particular topic, and a decision is not reached the issue will go back to the committee for further reflection. The committee will bring the issue back for discussion to a meeting at a later date.
Constitution of Most Easterly Community Group
