1958
2008
50 Years

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1   TITLE
The Society shall be called Fair Organ Preservation Society, hereinafter referred to as the Society.
2   OBJECTS
The objects of the Society shall be the promotion and encouragement of all forms of interest in, and the preservation of, Fair Organs and Mechanical Musical Instruments.

3 CONSTITUTION
(i)
For the attainment of the above objects the affairs of the Society shall be administered by a Committee comprising the Officers of the Society and not more than five ordinary members who shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting of the Society and shall have the power to deal with all matters affecting the Society.
(ii)
The Committee may at its discretion co-opt additional ordinary members thereof and may appoint any additional Honorary Officers, who shall be from the members of the Society, as they may think fit.
(iii)
The quorum for meetings of the Committee shall be not less than four members.
(iv)
All the property and assets of the Society shall be vested in and shall be under the control of the Committee, who shall be indemnified out of such property against risk and expense incurred by them in good faith in relation to the management and affairs of the Society.
(v)
If any elected Officer or member of the Committee dies or resigns or is disqualified from membership of the Committee during his period of office, the Committee may appoint another in his place to be a member of the Committee and any member so appointed shall continue a member of the Committee until the next Annual General Meeting of the Society, when he shall retire being eligible for re-election.
(vi)
Notwithstanding any vacancy in their body by reason of death, resignation or disqualification, the remaining members of the Committee may continue to act and the acts of the Committee shall not be deemed invalid by reason of such vacancy having arisen.
4   OFFICERS
(i)
The officers of the Society shall be:
(a)
President
(b)
Vice-Presidents            
(c)
Chairman
(d)
Vice-Chairman
(e)
Honorary Secretary
(f)
Honorary Treasurer
(g)
Membership Secretary
(h)
Publications Editor
(i)
Public Relations Officer

(ii)
The Officers shall be elected each year at the Annual General Meeting of the Society.
(iii)
The Number of Vice-Presidents shall be unlimited but each Vice-President to be elected shall be required to obtain the assent of not less than two-thirds of those present and voting at the Annual General Meeting.
(iv)
The President shall hold Office for no more than three consecutive years and shall not be eligible to stand for the position again until a further three years have passed after the end of any period of holding the Office, unless no other person is available who accepts the position of President.

5 MEMBERSHIP
(i)
Membership of the Society is open to all persons who declare their support of the objects of the Society upon payment of an annual subscription. Junior membership at a reduced subscription is open to those who have not yet reached sixteen years of age, but without the right to vote at any meeting of the Society.
(ii)
A Subscription shall become payable on joining the Society and thereafter annually on 1st October. The subscription shall be such sum as a General Meeting of the Society shall from time to time determine.
(iii)
Unless the Committee otherwise determine, a member shall cease to be a member if his annual subscription is in arrears for two months from the date of it becoming due.
(iv)
No member who has ceased to be a member of the Society shall have any rights or interest in the property or funds of the Society.
(v)
All individual members and Subsidiary Groups shall be bound by these rules and any subsequent alterations thereto.
(vi)
A General Meeting of the Society may strike off the membership roll any member whose declared opinions or conduct shall in its judgement be inconsistent with the objects and interests of the Society.
(vii)
Before such power is exercised fourteen days notice shall be given to the person concerned and an opportunity afforded him or her of showing cause before the General Meeting why he or she should not be so dealt with.

6   HONORARY MEMBERSHIP
(i)
Honorary membership shall be granted at the discretion of a General Meeting of the Society to any person who in the opinion of the General Meeting has rendered to the Society services of an outstanding order.
(ii)
Such Honorary Members to be entitled to enjoy all benefits and services of the Society without payment of any annual subscription.
(iii)
The Society shall have the power to terminate the membership of any Honorary member by majority vote at a General Meeting as provided in Rule 9.

7 FUNDS
(i)
The funds of the Society shall be under the control of the Committee.
(ii)
The Society's financial year shall be from the 1st day of January to the 31st day of December in each year.
(iii)
The Hon. Treasurer shall prepare a balance sheet and Statement of Accounts as at the 31st day of December each year and such Balance Sheet and Statement of Accounts shall be submitted to the Auditor, together with all relevant books and documents, before being presented to the Annual General Meeting of the Society as provided in Rule 9.
(iv)
Any balance standing to the credit of the Society at the end of the financial year shall be applied solely for the benefit of the Society.
(v)
Members shall not receive payment either directly or indirectly for their services or in any respect except legitimate expenses incurred for and on behalf of the Society.

8 BANK ACCOUNT
(i)
The Hon. Treasurer shall operate a bank account for the Society's funds.
(ii)
The signatures on all cheque's shall be the Treasurer and either of the Chairman or Secretary.
(iii)
In the event of the dissolution of the Society the assets of the Society shall be devoted to any Club, Society or Charity with objects similar to those of the Society.

9 GENERAL MEETINGS
(i)
There shall be an Annual General Meeting of the Society in each year as soon as can be conveniently arranged after the 1st day of January and in any event not later than fifteen months after the date of the previous Annual General Meeting.
(ii)
The business of the Annual General Meeting shall be:
(a)
To receive the Chairman's report on the work of the Society for the year ending on the previous 31st of December.
(b)
To receive and if approved adopt the audited accounts of the Society for the financial year ending on the preceding 31st of December.
(c)
To elect Officers and Committee of the Society according to Rule 4.
(d)
To appoint an Auditor.
(e)
To consider any Resolution, not affecting the Rules of the Society, of which due notice has been given in writing to the Secretary at least seven days before the date of the Annual General Meeting.
(f)
To transact any other relevant business.

(iii)
Notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be given at least fourteen days before the date of the Annual General Meeting
(iv)
Nominations of Officers and Committee:
(a)
Nominations of Officers and Committee must be received in writing by the Secretary together with nominee consent to nomination, at least seven days before the date of the Annual General Meeting.
(b)
Each nominee, being a full member, may only be proposed by a full member of the Society and must be supported by a seconder who is also a full member.
(c)
No member may be nominated for more than one Office, except that of Vice-President in any election but may be concurrently nominated as an ordinary member of the Committee pending the outcome of a vote for any office.
(d)
In exceptional circumstances and if agreed by at least two-thirds of the members present and entitled to vote the Chairman may ask for nominations to any post from the floor of the meeting. No-one who is not present at the meeting and available to give his consent may thus be proposed.

(v)
A Special General Meeting of the Society may be summoned at any time by the Chairman of the Society or by not less than thirty full members of the Society acting together who shall send a written request to the Secretary of the Society to convene such a meeting.
(vi)
The request shall be laid before the Chairman of the Society who shall authorize the holding of a Special General Meeting within twenty-eight days of the receipt of the request.
(vii)
The business of the meeting shall be stated in the Notice convening it and no other business shall be discussed.
(viii)
At least fourteen days notice shall be given of a Special General Meeting.
(ix)
Where, however, in the judgement of the Officers of the Society an emergency has arisen demanding an immediate meeting, the notice shall be such as they in the circumstances deem to be sufficient.
(x)
Notice of the Annual General Meeting and any other General Meetings of the Society shall be given by written notification to every individual member.
(xi)
Whilst every member of the Society is entitled to attend all General Meetings, the fact that any member of the Society has not for any reason whatsoever been notified of the General Meeting shall not invalidate such meeting or  any Resolution passed or any election or appointment made at such meetings.

10 QUORUM AT GENERAL MEETINGS
          For all General Meetings of the Society the quorum shall be not less than thirty members.

11 VOTING AT GENERAL MEETINGS
(i)
The votes of all members other than for the election of Officers etc., may be taken in the first instance by a show of hands, but the Chairman may at his discretion direct a ballot to be taken and so shall direct if requested to do so by one-third of the members present.
(ii)
The Chairman shall have a second or casting vote in all cases where the voting is declared to be equal.
(iii)
No-one who is not a member of the Society shall be entitled to join in discussion of Society affairs at any General Meeting of the Society except in an advisory capacity and with the prior agreement of the Chairman.
(iv)
No-one who is not a member of the Society shall be entitled to vote at any Meeting of the Society.

12 AREA REPRESENTATION
(i)
Subsidiary Groups may be established in accordance with the Rules of the Society.
(ii)
Subsidiary Groups, comprising not fewer than ten fully paid up members and having been established for twelve months, shall be entitled to nominate a Group Representative.
(iii)
The Committee shall have the power to appoint such Group Representatives as additional members of the Committee. Any person so appointed shall hold office only until the next Annual General Meeting, and then be eligible for re-nomination.
(iv)
Each Subsidiary Group may elect a Committee to regulate the group's business.
(v)
The funds of the Group shall be under the control of the Group Committee.
(vi)
The Group's financial year shall be from the 1st day of January to the 31st day of December in each year.
(vii)
The Group Hon. Treasurer shall prepare a balance sheet and Statement of Accounts for the Group as at the 31st day of December each year and, when audited, such Balance Sheet and Statement of Accounts shall be submitted to the Treasurer of the Society by the end of the following February.
(viii)
Groups must be self-supporting and responsible for their own finances. The Society cannot be held responsible for any action or debt incurred by a Subsidiary Group
(ix)
Group Members shall not receive payment either directly or indirectly for their services or in any respect except legitimate expenses incurred for and on behalf of the Group.
(x)
The Group Hon. Treasurer may operate a bank account for the Group's funds.
(xi)
The signatures authorizing all payments shall be the Group Treasurer and either of the Group Chairman or Group Secretary.
(xii)
In the event of the dissolution of the Group the surplus assets of the Group may be devoted to the Fair Organ Preservation Society.
(xiii)
At the discretion of the Society Committee, Area Representatives shall be appointed to areas not served by Area Groups after attending a Committee meeting for approval.
(xiv)
Such members to be notified of the findings of that Committee as to whether they have been appointed as an Area Representative.
(xv)
Should they not be so appointed, the Committee is under no obligation to state its reasons.
(xvi)
Area Representatives shall attend Committee meetings at the invitation of the Committee.

13 INTERPRETATION OF RULES AND OMISSIONS
(i)
The Committee of the Society shall have the power to interpret these rules if there should be any ambiguity or difference of opinion concerning the purport of intention of any rules.
(ii)
The Committee shall have the power to deal with any matter not provided in these rules.

14 ALTERATION OF RULES
(i)
These rules may be amended, added to or rescinded at a General Meeting of the Society but any such alterations shall require the assent of not less than two-thirds of those present and voting.
(ii)
Notice of the proposed alterations must reach the Secretary of the Society in writing at least twenty-eight days before the date of the meeting.
(iii)
Notice of the proposed alterations shall be sent at least fourteen days before the meeting to every member entitled to attend.
(iv)
Every existing member shall be provided with a revised copy of the Rules and Constitution following the incorporation of any amendments not later than 90 days after their incorporation, and all new members shall be provided with an up to date copy of the Rules and Constitution on acceptance into the Society.

RULES AND CONSTITUTION OF THE

 (Adopted at the 1977 AGM, last amended 2000)