The constitution was revised and approved by vote at the Annual General Meeting on 15 October 2025
CHALFORD PARISH LOCAL HISTORY GROUP CONSTITUTION
- Introduction
(a) The name of the group shall be ‘Chalford Parish Local History Group’ (hereafter called CPLHG). The Constitution will be available on the CPLHG website and a hard copy will be available from the Secretary.
- Aims
(a) To hold regular meetings, visits or walks with a local history theme.
(b) To encourage and aid members’ research.
(c) To act as a conduit for members’ research which might include a newsletter or website as well as at Group meetings.
(d) To run local history projects and promote further activities as the CPLHG sees fit.
- Committee
(a) The Committee shall consist of a Chair, Secretary and Treasurer, together with up to five Committee Members. They shall be elected from members of the CPLHG each year at the AGM.
(b) The Committee shall be responsible for the management of the Group, including arranging meetings, outings and other events to further the aims of the Group.
(c) The Committee shall have the power to co-opt up to three members per year.
(d) The officers will ordinarily serve for three years but may continue in office after this provided that they are re-elected.
- Membership
(a) Membership of the CPLHG shall be open to all, subject to the payment of an annual membership subscription proposed by the Committee and agreed at each AGM. Membership subscriptions may be suspended for a period of time if agreed at the AGM, in which case members shall be defined as those who have received an annual programme card.
(b) The Committee has the power to rescind membership.
- Finance
(a) The annual subscription as fixed at the AGM shall be payable no later than six weeks following the AGM or on becoming a member of CPLHG. This clause shall have no effect during any period when the membership subscription is suspended.
(b) A meeting subscription shall be payable as fixed at the AGM, to cover the cost of hire of the room and speaker costs.
(c) The Treasurer shall keep a record of all financial transactions and prepare annual accounts with comparisons to the previous year to be presented at the AGM. These shall be in a form suitable for independent witness examination if required by the Committee.
(d) For the signing of cheques or online banking payments, up to four signatories shall be appointed, two of whom must sign each cheque or approve each online transaction. These two signatories must not be related to each other.
(e) In the event of CPLHG being dissolved any monies remaining shall be donated to an appropriate organisation agreed at the AGM or EGM at which the dissolution is agreed.
- Group Year
(a) The year of the Group and membership shall run from 1st September to the ensuing 31st August.
- Meetings
(a) Meetings shall normally be held monthly and organised by the Committee. The aim is a mixture of meetings with a speaker, discussion on topics of local history research and occasional outings.
(b) Information regarding the meetings (dates, venues and titles) shall be circulated by the Committee.
(c) The Group shall hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) each year, within 8 weeks of the year end of the Group, at which the Chairman shall present an annual report and the Treasurer shall present the statement of accounts for the previous year.
(d) The AGM shall elect a Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and five committee members. In the event of multiple nominations (duly seconded) in excess of available places a ballot shall be held to determine which of the nominees shall be elected.
(e) Extraordinary General Meetings (EGM) may be called to discuss special business at the discretion of the Committee or the request of ten members of the Group.
(f) Three weeks’ notice of an AGM or EGM to be given by the Committee to the membership by the most appropriate means.
- Amendments
(a) Amendments to this Constitution may only be made at an AGM or EGM with a minimum of 12 members present and then only with a two thirds majority vote.