Constitution

Date of issue: April 2001 (This constitution supercedes all previous ones).

1) The Club

  a) The name of the Club shall be "The Cambridge-Oxford Owners Club", hereinafter referred to as the "Club".

   b) The responsibility for maintaining the Constitution rests with the Committee.

   c) All members of the Club shall abide by the Constitution and any amendments to it.

2) The Constitution

  a) This document, and any subsequent versions of it, shall form the Constitution of the Club.

  b) Other rules, procedures and guidance for the committee will be contained in a separate document known as the Club Bylaws.

   c) In all matters the Constitution shall take precedence over the Bylaws.

3) Aims and Objectives of the Club

   a) The preservation of the vehicles manufactured by the British Motor Corporation, as defined by the Committee of the Club.

   b) The furtherance of interests shown in maintaining these vehicles by providing the necessary advice and information, and where possible the acquisition of components and parts.

   c) To maintain a record of all relevant vehicles owned by Club members.

   d) To publish general information on the vehicles and other information as defined by the Committee of the Club.

   e) To encourage and foster activities with aims and objectives of the Club in mind, to be conducted under the terms and relevant R.A.C. regulations, motoring laws and other appropriate regulations.

    f) To liase with other Clubs and Societies with similar aims and objectives.

4) Membership

   a) Any person wishing to join the club shall complete an application form that shall be considered by the Committee.

   b) Upon successful application, each member shall be provided with a current copy of the Constitution of the Club, together with any amendments thereto.

   c) All members (except Life and Honorary) shall be required to pay annual subscriptions as stipulated from time to time by the committee and confirmed by the membership.

   d) The categories of membership for which subscriptions shall be payable are:

        i)  Standard. For any person not eligible for Honorary or Family membership.

        ii) Family. Available to a maximum of THREE members of the same family,

residing at the same address. Each family member is allocated the same membership number, followed by the letters A, B and C. Each card holder shall be eligible to vote by postal ballot or at the General Meetings.

   e) By payment of their subscriptions all members agree to abide by current legislation and in particular the Data Protection Act.

   f) Honorary membership shall be conferred by nomination of the Committee, and confirmatory vote by the membership at the Annual General Meeting.

   g) Where action prejudicial to the club occurs, the Committee may rescind membership.

5) Club Management

   a) Club Management shall be vested in the Committee.

   b) The Committee shall comprise at least three members, and be elected annually by the membership. It shall comprise the following posts:

       i)   Chairman

      ii)   Secretary

      iii)  Treasurer

      iv)  Membership Secretary

      v)   Publicity Officer

      vi)  A maximum of two General committee members

   c) Decisions shall be made by simple majority voting. Each Committee member is entitled to one vote. In the event of equality the Chairman shall have a casting vote.

5) Club Management (Continued)

   d) The Committee has the power to co-opt any member of the club to serve on the Committee. These members shall not have a Committee vote. The duration of co-option shall be determined by the voting members of the Committee.

   e) The Committee has the ability to fill a casual vacancy.

    f) The Committee shall meet at least twice each calendar year.

   g) Duties of the Committee are as defined in the club Bylaws.

   h) The Committee shall be responsible for determining and maintaining the club Bylaws.

    i) Any member of the Committee who is absent for more than two consecutive Committee meetings, and has not communicated their intention to the Secretary to continue serving on the Committee, shall be deemed to have resigned from the Committee, providing the absence is not due to unforeseen circumstances.

6) Finances

   a) All Club funds are to be held in suitable account(s), in the name of “The Cambridge Oxford Owners Club”.

   b) All Club monies received shall be banked.

   c) Club expenditure shall be by cheque or postal order, and shall be supported by third party invoice or expense claim.

   d) Any single item of expenditure in excess of the permitted amount as stated in the club Bylaws shall be subject to prior approval by the Committee, and minuted.

   e) Cheques drawn on the Club shall be signed by two authorised signatories, who shall not be the payee.

   f) The club shall maintain a record of all income and expenditure, together with a record of all assets of the Club.

   g) The Club shall ensure that annually, to the 31st August, an Income and Expenditure account is prepared, together with a balance sheet as at that date, which shall be audited.

7) General Meetings

   a) The club shall annually hold a general meeting, this shall be known as the Annual General Meeting, hereinafter referred to as the “AGM”.

   b) The AGM shall be held in the month of October, or as close thereto as possible, but in any event prior to the 1st December.

   c) The AGM shall conduct the following business:

        i)   Receive reports from the Chairman, Secretary, Membership Secretary, Treasurer and Publicity Officer.

       ii)   Receive and adopt the audited accounts of the club.

       iii)  Confirm the subscriptions for the forthcoming year in accordance with the results of the postal ballot.

       iv)  To appoint the auditors for the forthcoming year.

       v)   To consider any correctly notified change to the constitution.

       vi)  To confirm the Committee for the forthcoming year in accordance with the results of the postal ballot.

       vii) To transact any other business properly notified to the Committee, or as agreed with the Chairman.

   d) The club shall, at the request of the Committee or the written notification of at least twenty five of the membership, convene

further General Meetings as required to transact only the business specified in the notice convening the meeting.

   e) The Committee shall notify members of the Club twenty-eight days prior to a General Meeting. Such notice to contain the

date, time and venue, and the business to be transacted. For postal votes the ballot paper will accompany the notice of meeting.

8) Voting

   a) In all matters other than changes to the Constitution a resolution can be passed by simple majority of those entitled to vote

and voting.

   b) For changes to the constitution to be accepted the resolution must be passed by two thirds majority of those entitled to vote

and voting.

   c) Changes in Subscription rates and election of Committee members shall be by postal ballot only, held prior to the AGM and

will be by simple majority of those entitled to vote and voting.

   d) Those entitled to vote by postal ballot or attendance at General Meetings shall be as follows:

        i)  Standard, Life and Honorary members shall be entitled to one vote each.

        ii) Family membership is in accordance with 4(d)(ii) of the Constitution.

   e) The closing date for postal ballots shall be notified to members on their ballot paper, and votes received after the stipulated

deadline will not be accepted.

9) Other Matters

   a) The Committee are the ONLY persons authorised to make any public statement or announcement in the name of the Club.

   b) No member shall use the Club name for the furtherance of any personal trade, business activity, advertising or legal proceedings.

   c) No member shall, without the express direction of the Committee:

        i)  Use or modify any Club Stationery or records.

        ii) Record, or make publicly available, details of Club members, vehicles, or associated information by electronic or other means.

10) Dissolution

   a) All debts incurred by the Club shall be borne by all members of the Club, in equal portions.

   b) All existing property of the Club, such as equipment, spares, archival material etc., to be sold at the highest market price obtainable. Any surplus monies, after all debts have been discharged, to be donated to charity, and any other remaining archival material to be offered to BL Heritage Ltd, National Motor Museum or some other similar organisation in being at the time. The decision being that of the Committee in office at the time of dissolution.