Constitution

The Constitution of the St Gluvias Community Hall Association is below for online reading. A pdf copy is available here for download: Constitution

CONSTITUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION

1 Name

The name of the association shall be the St Gluvias Community Hall Association.

2 Objects

The objects of the Association shall be to administer, manage, maintain and develop the St Gluvias Community Hall (‘the Hall’) situated at 48 West Street, Penryn, as a centre for the church’s mission of social justice and care for creation, for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Parish of St Gluvias with Penryn and others qualified to use the Hall. ‘The Hall’ includes its immediate surroundings and parking area.

3 Use of the Hall

3.1 Use of the Hall shall be open to hire by individuals, community groups, voluntary organisations, partnership agencies, and business representatives that are based in, or have an interest in, the area.

3.2 All hirers will be required to complete a Booking Application Form for all their period/s and type of use. In this Form, the hirer’s agreement is given to the Terms and Conditions of use.
The Hall Management Group reserves the right to decline to accept a Booking Application.

3.3 Registration with the Association is automatic by Booking Application for all users of the Hall within the previous 12 months. Individuals may register with the Association by application to the Hall Secretary.

3.4 Each user organisation can appoint one representative entitled to attend and vote on its behalf at general meetings of the Hall User’s Group. A deputy may be appointed where necessary.

3.5 Hall users are entitled to parking spaces for the duration of the session as requested on their Booking Form and are subject to the standard Terms and Conditions.

3.6 A number of parking spaces as determined and administered by the Hall Management Group are subject to a separate Licence for Parking.

3.7 Use of the Community Garden is subject to an annually-renewable Licence for Use administered by the Hall Management Group.

4 Management

4.1 Management of the Association is by the Hall Management Group which is accountable to the Parochial Church Council of the Parish of St Gluvias with Penryn (‘the PCC’).

4.2 The Hall Management Group:

  1. is chaired by the Vicar of the Parish.

  2. has up to four (4) persons chosen by election at the AGM from nominations by the PCC. These persons must freely declare their support for the objectives of the Association.

  3. has up to four (4) persons chosen by election at the AGM from nominations by the groups that regularly use the Hall for activities or events and elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and shall hold office for a period of one year. Members shall be eligible for re-election excepting that no member shall hold office for more than five years except where no other eligible person is prepared to stand.

  4. has four (4) officers: The Chairperson; and three (3) officers: Treasurer; Secretary; and Bookings Secretary; these appointed by the Hall Management Group following the AGM from those elected Under clauses (b) and (c) above.

  5. and those elected shall hold office to the conclusion of the following AGM. They shall be eligible for re–election excepting that no officer shall hold office for more than four consecutive years, except where no other eligible person is prepared to stand.

5 General Meetings

5.1 All matters before a general meeting, unless a change to the Constitution is proposed when the clause ‘Amendments to Constitution’ will come into force, shall be decided by simple majority voting of those members present and eligible to vote. In the case of an equality of votes the Chair of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.

5.2 Members eligible to vote in a general meeting will be any person included within clause 3 (Use of the Hall). Registration of interest in the Association with the Secretary by an individual is required so that an invitation may be sent to any general meeting.

5.3 There are two types of general meeting: Annual and Special:

Annual General Meeting (AGM)

The Annual General Meeting shall be held at a time and place determined by the Hall Management Group giving all registered with the Association at least 21 days notice of such. No more than 15 months shall have elapsed since the preceding AGM.

Special General Meeting

In exceptional circumstances the Chair of the Hall Management Group shall call a Special General Meeting if so requested in writing to the Hall Secretary, signed by a minimum of ten individual users of the Hall and giving reasons for the request. Convening arrangements for a Special General Meeting shall otherwise be as for the Annual General Meeting.

General meetings of the Hall User’s Group

Occasional, general meetings of all users of the Hall as cited in clause 3.4 above may be convened by the Hall Management Group, or by a request made to the Hall Management Group. The reason for such a meeting should be made clear in the convening notice.

The agenda and procedure of such a meeting is to be decided by the Hall Management Group.

6 Hall Management Group

6.1 Meetings – The Hall Management Group shall meet not less than six times a year the actual frequency and timing to be determined by that Group. All such meetings shall be open to all in the Association and include an “Open Session” for questions and issues to be raised.

6.2 Quorum – for a valid meeting to be held there must be at least two of the Officers plus two other full members in attendance. In the absence of the Chair the members present shall elect a Deputy Chair for that meeting.

6.3 Voting – matters before the Hall Management Group shall be decided by simple majority voting at all times. In the case of an equality of votes the Chair of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.

6.4 Voting Rights – Members eligible to vote will be those listed in clause 4 above (Management) and who have attended at least two meetings in the previous 12 months.

6.5 Minutes – minutes of all meetings shall be maintained by the Hall Secretary and approved by the Hall Management Group.

6.6 Disqualification from membership of the Hall Management Group – a member of the Hall Management Group shall cease to hold office if he or she:

  1. is disqualified from acting as a member of the Hall Management Group by virtue of section 72 of the Charities Act 1993 (or any statutory re-enactment or modification of that provision);

  2. becomes incapable by reason of mental disorder, illness or injury of managing and administering his or her own affairs;

  3. is absent without the permission of the Hall Management Group from all their meetings held within a period of six months and the Hall Management Group resolve that his or her office be vacated, or notifies to the Hall Management Group a wish to resign (but only if at least three members of the Hall Management Group will remain in office when the notice of resignation is to take effect).

7 Powers

7.1 In furtherance of the objectives but not otherwise the Hall Management Group may exercise the following powers:

  1. To take such steps as may be deemed appropriate for the purposes of raising funds for the Association’s activities and to hold a bank account to manage such funds.

  2. To accept grants, donations and legacies of all kinds (and to accept any reasonable conditions attaching to them).

  3. To effect insurance of all kinds (which may include officers’ liability insurance).

  4. To improve, manage, develop, or otherwise deal with, all or any part of the property and curtiledge that is St Gluvias Community Hall.

  5. To recruit suitable volunteers and staff as are required to achieve the objectives;

  6. To engage such consultants and advisors as are considered appropriate from time to time.

  7. To liaise with groups of a similar nature and exchange information, advice and knowledge with them, including cooperation with other voluntary bodies, charities, statutory and non-statutory organisations, all with a view to furthering the Association’s objectives.

  8. To publicise and promote the work of the Association and organise meetings, fundraisers and events etc.

  9. To take any form of action that is lawful and necessary to achieve the objectives of the Association.

8 Finance

8.1 All funds raised in the name of the Association, whether by income, grant, gift or donation, are PCC funds and accounted in a ‘Restricted Fund’ (as defined in charity law) within the PCC’s accounts – the Hall Fund.

8.2 If a separate bank account is opened for the Hall, it shall be a PCC account named ‘St Gluvias PCC (Hall account)’ and its transactions shall be incorporated regularly (normally monthly) into PCC accounts to enable reports and annual inspection or audit.

8.3 The Hall Management Group may commit monies held within the Restricted Fund for operation and development as determined by the PCC resolution made on 25 February 2014 and as provided under clause 7, ‘Powers’. It cannot commit to expenditure that would take the Hall Fund into a deficit.

8.4 The Hall Treasurer shall maintain accounting records and produce annual accounts for the AGM.

9 Amendments to Constitution

9.1 Once adopted, this Constitution may only be amended by reference to a Special General Meeting or Annual General Meeting at which a majority of two thirds of those present and eligible to vote is required for ratification.

10 Dissolution

10.1 If the Hall Management Group decides by a simple majority that the St Gluvias Community Hall Association be wound up then a Special General Meeting shall be called to ratify that decision. A majority of two thirds of those present and eligible (as in Clause 9) to vote will be required to endorse the Hall Management Group decision. Any excess funds held at that time and available for distribution shall be held by the PCC as restricted funds and their use applied in accordance with charity law.

Constitution ratified by: (signed)
(Revd Fr Stephen Wales SSC)

Position held: Vicar and Parish Priest;
Chair Hall Management Group

Occasion: HALL MANAGEMENT GROUP MEETING

Date: 20 MAY 2016