Cranbrook & District Probus Club — Constitution

The Cranbrook & District Probus Crest
  1. The Club shall be called: The Cranbrook & District Probus Club.

  2. Membership: Membership shall be open to all professional and business men resident in Cranbrook and district who have fully or partially retired from their normal business or profession.

    The restriction regarding residence may be waived at the sole discretion of the Committee.

    An application for membership shall be proposed and seconded by existing members for approval by the Committee.

    The Committee may grant Honorary Life Membership to certain members. The Committee may also, at its sole discretion, grant Honorary Membership to any member who, for whatever reason, finds himself no longer able to attend meetings for an extended period, for example due to ill health; such members shall revert to full membership again if their situation changes. Honorary and Honorary Life Members shall pay no fees and Honorary Life Members may attend official lunches at their own expense on giving notice to the Hon. Secretary.

  3. Constitution of Committee: The affairs of the Club shall be managed by a Committee consisting of seven officers and not more than six other members, all elected at the Annual General Meeting.

    The Officers of the Club shall be a Chairman, who will normally serve only for a single year, the Immediate Past Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Assistant Secretary, Hon. Treasurer and Hon. Social Secretary. The post of Hon. Membership Secretary was created at the 2017 AGM.

    Officers and members of the Committee shall normally each serve no more than three consecutive years.

    There may also be a Life President elected by reason of his specially meritorious service to the Club. The Life President may attend meetings of the Committee with full voting rights.

    Four Committee members, of whom at least two shall be officers, shall constitute a quorum.

    The Committee shall have power to co-opt, and/or to appoint one or more sub-committees.

  4. Meetings: Members are expected to attend all regular monthly meetings. If they are unable to attend they must inform the Secretary or Assistant Secretary by 6.00 pm on the Friday before the meeting. Absence due to subsequent illness must be advised by 6.00 pm on the Sunday before the meeting. Failure to do so may result in the member having to pay for the cost of the lunch, if the Club has to pay for it.

    Any member who does not attend six regular monthly meetings within a running year may be asked to resign from the Club by the Committee, who will take into account the reasons for non-attendance.

    An Annual General Meeting shall be held on the 2nd Monday in the month of April at such time and place as may be determined by the Committee, and at least one month’s notice of such meeting shall be given to the members.

    The Hon. Secretary shall call a Special General Meeting on the request of the Committee or on the written request of not less than half the number of members and shall give the members at least three weeks notice of such meeting.

    Voting at all meetings shall be by show of hands or by ballot if so determined. In the event of an equal division of votes, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.

  5. Subscriptions: Subscriptions: The subscriptions shall be determined at the Annual General Meeting. Annual subscriptions are due on the date of the Annual General Meeting. Any member who has not paid his subscription by 30th June shall cease to be a member, but the Committee may waive this rule in special circumstances. The first subscription of any member joining the Club between 1st January and the last day of March shall cover the period until the last day of March in the following year.

  6. Guests: Any member may invite a prospective new member, as a guest, to a Club meeting. The Hon. Secretary or Hon. Ass't Secretary must be consulted by the Friday before the meeting at the latest. Note :  although not yet incorporated in the Constitution, members are required to pay for their guest's meal, but this payment will be refunded in full if the guest subsequently applies for, and is accepted for, membership.

  7. Accounts: An Income and Expenditure Account for the 12-month period to the end of March each year shall be prepared and presented for approval at the Annual General Meeting.

  8. Disposal of Funds: If at any future date the Club shall be disbanded, any cash accrued after liabilities have been discharged shall be donated to a designated charity.

  9. Alteration of Rules: These rules may be altered only at an Annual or Special General Meeting.