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CITA's Constitution

Adopted at the Annual General Meeting 15th March 1995

TITLE

1. The Association shall be called the "Clydesdale International Twinning Association" or CITA.

OBJECTS

2. The Objects of CITA shall be:-
  1. To maintain twinning links between the communities of Clydesdale District and Hemmingen in Lower Saxony and of Yvetot in Normandy and of any other communities with which formal twinning links are established.
  2. To encourage and assist exchange visits for Clydesdale residents with foreign communities.
  3. To promote the study of and travel to foreign states in the interests of international awareness and harmony
  4. To support the municipal authority/authorities for Clydesdale District in the promotion of twinning.
  5. To raise funds for the pursuit of the foregoing Objects.

MEMBERSHIP

3. Membership shall be open to all persons and organisations in Clydesdale District having sympathy with the objects of CITA on payment of an annual subscription. There shall be two categories of membership, namely:-
  1. Individual Membership, for which subscriptions may be varied for persons in different circumstances.
  2. Corporate Membership for bona fide organisations or companies for which varied rates of subscription may be payable according to size and for whom voting rights at a General Meeting may be conferred on one representative notified to the Honorary General Secretary before the start of the meeting.
4. The General Committee may refuse to accept an application for membership or may terminate an existing membership, without refund of subscriptions, for a sufficient reason which shall be stated in writing to the applicant/member.

GENERAL MEETINGS

5. An Annual General Meeting shall be held in April of each year and notice in writing shall be given to the membership at least twenty one days prior to the meeting. The purposes of the Annual General Meeting shall be:-
  1. To receive and approve the audited accounts for the preceding year;
  2. To receive reports of the activities of CITA for the preceding year;
  3. To appoint Honorary Presidents, Office Bearers and General Committee members;
  4. To deal with proposals to alter the constitution lodged with the Honorary General Secretary by 1st March prior to the meeting;
  5. To deal with Notices of Motion lodged with the Honorary General Secretary by 1st March prior to the meeting;
  6. To appoint auditors;
  7. To fix the subscription rates for the ensuing year.
6. Extraordinary General Meetings shall be called at the discretion of the General Committee or within 14 days of receipt by the Honorary General Secretary of a written requisition signed by at least 10 members, stating the reason for the meeting and containing Notices of Motion or of Amendment to the Constitution, if appropriate. 21 days notice shall be given to the membership of the meeting.

7. The quorum for any General Meeting shall be 10, and votes shall be carried by a simple majority, except in the case of an amendment to this Constitution. In the case of an equality of votes, the chairman shall have both a deliberative and a casting vote and shall be the sole arbiter of voting procedure.

OFFICE BEARERS

8. The following Office Bearers shall be elected to serve for the ensuing year at the Annual General Meeting:- Chairman, Vice Chairman, Honorary General Secretary, Honorary Treasurer. There shall also be elected 8 individual members or nominees of corporate members to serve as members of the General Committee.

9. Honorary Presidents may be appointed for service in perpetuity by election at an Annual General Meeting solely on the nomination of the General Committee in recognition of outstanding services.

10 Clydesdale District Council or its successor(s) as the local authority responsible for twinning in Clydesdale shall be invited to nominate up to three representatives to the General Committee who shall have the same rights as other members of the Committee.

11. Office bearers and General Committee members appointed under clause 8 shall retire annually but shall be eligible for re-election. If a Chairman has held office for three consecutive years, he/she shall not be eligible for re-election for a further year.

COMMITTEES

12. The affairs of CITA shall be managed on behalf of the members by a General Committee comprising the Honorary Presidents, Office Bearers and General Committee members appointed under clauses 8,9 and 10 above. The General Committee shall meet at least once every two months but may delegate matters to sub committees comprising at least three General Committee members. The General Committee may co-opt and shall approve co-options to sub committees of CITA members who are not members of the General Committee.

13. The quorum for a General Committee meeting shall be 8, and arrangements for voting and chairman's powers shall be as in clause 7.

14. Each Individual Member or nominated representative of a Corporate Member, as defined by clause 3, shall have the right to nominate persons for vacancies at an Annual General Meeting and to vote in elections for these vacancies. The chairman shall act as Returning Officer. Nominations shall be taken verbally at the meeting and those nominated must signify their willingness to stand. All nominations must be seconded and those nominating and seconding must be members of CITA.

FINANCIAL CONTROL

15. The Honorary Treasurer shall keep all the financial accounts of CITA and shall bring them to an annual close On the last day of February. Audited accounts shall be presented for approval at the Annual General Meeting in the April following. The Honorary Treasurer shall prepare a budget on behalf of the General Committee at the start of each financial year and shall make regular management reports to the Committee which shall take immediate steps, as necessary, to rectify any deficit of funds occurring.

AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

16. This Constitution shall be amended only at an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting of CITA when notice of the proposed amendment(s) has been lodged with the Honorary General Secretary and circulated to members in accordance with clauses 5 or 6. An amendment shall be carried only if two-thirds of those present and eligible to vote, vote in favour.

DISSOLUTION

17. In the event of members deciding at a General Meeting called under clause 5 or 6 to disband CITA, by a two-thirds majority of those present and eligible to vote, the meeting shall also make arrangements to secure the disposal of all remaining assets, following the settlement of all debts and liabilities, to, the appropriate local authority for the benefit of future Twinning activities in Clydesdale District.
 
 

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