1. Name

The name of the Association shall be ‘The York and District Beekeepers Association’ (hereinafter called the Association).

2. Object

To promote and further the craft of beekeeping.

3. Membership

Membership of the Association shall be composed of the following categories:

	Full Members
	Junior Members
	Honorary Life Members

Full Members are persons paying a full subscription, and will be entitled to vote at meetings.

Persons who have not reached the age of eighteen on 1^st October may be Junior Members on payment of current capitation fees to the British Beekeepers Association for Full Members, and this shall entitle them to all the privileges of membership, except voting.

Honorary Life Members. Any Member who has performed meritorious service to the Association; to the general furtherance to the objects of the Association; or to the general betterment of beekeeping may be elected by the Committee of Management to be an Honorary Life Member and shall therefore be entitled to free honorary life membership of the Association and shall have the same privileges as a Full Member.

Any person may become a Member of the Association with the approval of the Committee and on payment of the appropriate subscription. The Committee shall have the power to terminate the membership of any Member by a two-thirds majority vote.

4. Subscription

The Annual Subscription shall be due on 1^st October.

The rate of the Annual Subscription for Full and Junior Members shall be decided at the half year meeting for the following financial year.

Any Member whose Subscription is overdue more than 3 months shall not be entitled to the privileges of Membership.

5. Management

The Management of the Association shall be vested in the Committee, comprising the Vice President(s), Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and up to 6 other Full Members who shall be Trustees of the Association.

	Committee – The Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting.
	Chairman - The Chairman shall be appointed by the Committee from amongst its Members and shall hold office for not more than two consecutive years. Two further years shall elapse before he/she shall be eligible for re-election to that office. The Chairman shall be an ex-officio member of all Committees.
	Vice-Chairman - The Vice-Chairman shall be appointed by the Committee from amongst its Members

The Committee shall have the power to co-opt up to three persons having special knowledge or qualifications to assist the work of the Committee. The committee may also invite any persons to attend specific meetings to advise on particular matters under consideration. Co-opted Members have no voting rights.

The Quorum of the Committee shall be four members.

The Committee may appoint at any time, sub-committees to deal with special subjects, each sub-committee shall include at least two members of the Committee, and it may appoint its own Chairman.

6. Officers

	President - The President of the Association shall be appointed by the Members in the General Meeting on the recommendation of the Committee.
	Vice-Presidents - Not more than two Vice-Presidents may be appointed by the Members in the General Meeting.
	Honorary Secretary - The Honorary Secretary shall be appointed by the Members in the General Meeting and shall be an ex-officio Member of all Committees.
	Honorary Treasurer - The Honorary Treasurer shall be appointed by the Members in the General Meeting and shall be an ex-officio Member of all Committees.

7. Meetings

The Annual General Meeting shall be held in October each year

Special General Meetings may be called by the Committee, or at the written request of not less than ten Members of the Association. The notice calling the Meeting shall state the objects of the Meeting and no other business shall be transacted therat. Four weeks notice shall be given of Special Meetings.

8. Accounts

The Honorary Treasurer shall be responsible for the safekeeping of the Association’s Funds and the preparations of the Annual Statement of Accounts, which shall be audited and presented at the Annual General Meeting.

An Auditor who shall not be a Member of the Association shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting to serve the ensuing year.

9. Indemnity

In the execution of the Trusts hereof no Member of the Committee shall be liable for any loss to the property of the Association arising by reason of any improper investment made in good faith (so long as he/she shall have sought professional advice before making such investment) or for the negligence or fraud of any agent employed by him/her or by any other Member of the Committee hereof in good faith (provided reasonable supervision shall have been exercised) although the employment of such agent was strictly not necessary or by reason of any mistake or omission made in good faith by any Member of the Committee hereof or by reason of any other matter or thing other than wilful and individual fraud, wrongdoing or wrongful omission on the part of the member of the Committee who is sought to be made liable.

10. Winding Up

A proposal for the Winding Up of the Association shall be considered at a Special Meeting of the Members and to be effective, must be carried out by a majority of three-fourths of those present and voting. If, upon the winding up or dissolution of the Association, there remains after satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities any property whatsoever, the same shall not be paid or distributed among the Members of the Association, but shall be given or transferred to some other Institution having objects similar to the object of the Association.

11. Altering the Constitution

Any Article of the Constitution may be amended by a General Meeting of Members of the Association provided that the Members shall have had three months notice of the proposed amendment and of the meeting at which the proposal will be considered. Provided that no amendment shall be made that would cause the Association to cease to be a charity in law.

By Authority of York & District Beekeepers Association

Chairman Secretary