The Association of Leeds North Neighbourhood Watches |
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YARN now has its own independent web site which can be found atcontact David Harrison on 07855639904 for further information
CONSTITUTION
Yeadon and
Rawdon Neighbourhood Watch
Association Constitution1
Name
The
group will be called Yeadon And Rawdon Neighbourhood Watch Association (Hereto
after called ‘The Association’) 2
Aims
The
aims of the association will be to promote the good citizenship and greater
public participation in the prevention and solution of crime in the West
Yorkshire Police area generally and more specifically in Yeadon and Rawdon and
the surrounding area. 3
Powers
In
furtherance of these aims The Association may, a)
Promote and encourage the growth of Neighbourhood Watch within Yeadon and
Rawdon and the surrounding areas not currently organized into watches. b) Administer,
co-ordinate and support the Neighbourhood Watch Schemes within Yeadon and Rawdon,
and act as a link between them and the local Police where necessary. c)
Actively encourage the creation of watches within Yeadon and Rawdon that
are not currently organized into watches d)
Contact and liase with other local Neighbourhood Watch Association with
the aim of sharing information of mutual interest. e)
Actively encourage the creation of other local Neighbourhood Watch
Associations in areas adjacent to Yeadon and Rawdon that do not have one. f)
Contact and liase with other organizations in the region, which are
concerned with crime prevention and the welfare of victims of crime with the aim
of sharing information of mutual interest. g)
Raising funds from any person, organization or corporate bodies provided
that the Association will not undertake any permanent trading activities in
raising funds for its primary charitable objectives. h)
Undertake, execute, manage or assist any charitable trust, which may
lawfully be undertaken, executed or assisted by the Association. i)
Do such other lawful things as are necessary to promote the above aims. j)
The Association will be non-party in politics, non-sectarian in religion,
nor discriminatory in race, gender or ability. 4
Schemes
a)
Each scheme will comprise of approximately 30 adjacent households. b)
Each scheme will have a name and a number. The name being normally based
on the street or area it covers and the number being given by the Association. c)
All schemes within the area shall have a person acting on behalf of the
scheme and will be known as the scheme co-ordinator. They may have one or more
nominated deputies. d)
A new scheme will only be started after a meeting of potential scheme
members, run by members of the Association’s Committee with the Police in
attendance, and at which the potential members agree to a co-ordinator and
support the principles of Neighbourhood Watch. 5
Membership
Each
members of each household within each Neighbourhood Watch scheme within Yeadon
and Rawdon, is a member of The Association. 6
Executive Committee
a)
An Executive Committee (Herein after referred to as the Committee) will
comprise of elected officers who must be members of the Association prior to
election. b)
The Committee will have responsibility for the administration and
management, including policy and finance of The Association in order to achieve
the aims of The Association. c)
All posts on the Committee are honorary. d)
If a member of the Committee resigns or is for some other reason, unable
to fulfil the post, the Committee should decide which one of them should fill
the post until an Annual or Extraordinary Meeting can be held. The nominated
person then holds that post until the end the above meeting and will be eligible
for election at that meeting. 7
Officers of the Association
Members
of the Committee Chairperson Vice Chairperson Treasurer Secretary Minutes Secretary Watch Secretary Co-ordinator Support News Letter Co-ordinator News Letter Distribution Co-ordinator News Letter Printing Co-ordinator Associate
Members of the Committee Invited representative of the local Community
Policing Team The Neighbourhood Watch Officer for the Police
covering Yeadon and Rawdon. 8
Nomination and Election of Officers
a)
Members of the Committee can only be voted into office at an Annual or
Extraordinary General Meeting. Other officers of the association can be voted
into office at any general meeting. b)
Only Watch Co-ordinators or their nominated representative can nominate
for election, and vote for, officers of the Association. c)
Nominations for Members of the Committee must be made be members of the
Association and must be in the hands of the Secretary at least three days before
the Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting. d)
Should nominations exceed vacancies, election will be decided by simple
majority of those present and entitled to vote. e)
In the case of equality of votes, the Chairperson will have a second
casting vote. f)
In the event of only one person being nominated for a post, then that
person will be declared elected. g)
An accidental failure to elect someone to an office or an accidental
defect in election, appointment, co-option or qualification of any anyone
elected to an office, will not invalidate the proceedings of the Committee. 9
The Authority of the Committee
a)
The Committee has the power to enter into contracts for the purposes of
the Association on behalf of the members of the Association. b)
The Committee may form sub-Committee to enable it to conduct its affairs
more effectively. c)
A sub-Committee can only be formed at a meeting of the Committee and will
comprise of at least three people and is totally responsible to the Committee
for its actions. d)
The members of the Committee are entitled to an indemnity out of the
assets of the Association for all expenses and other liabilities, properly
incurred by them in the management of the affairs of the Association. This
indemnity will not extend to liabilities arising from wilful and individual
fraud, wrongdoing or wrongful omission on the part of the members sought to be
liable. 10
Patrons
The
Committee may elect any person as a patron of the Association for such a period
as they think fit and such a person will be entitled to all privileges of
membership except that they will not be entitled to vote at meetings nor serve
as officers of the Committee. 11
Meetings
a)
General meetings will be held at least four times a year. One of these
meetings will be the Annual General Meeting to which all members will be invited
to attend, and for which fourteen days clear notice through the voice-mail /
email system. The meeting will also be advertised in the local press. b)
The Annual General Meeting will be held in the first six months of each
calendar year and not more than fifteen months after the preceding Annual
General Meeting. c)
The business of the Annual General Meeting will include: - ·
The
election of officers and committee members. ·
The
appointment of an auditor or auditors. ·
The
consideration of an annual report of the work done during the year and of the
audited accounts. ·
Where
considered necessary, consideration of and voting on proposals to alter this
constitution. d)
The chairperson of the Committee may at any time at his/her discretion
call a Special General Meeting of the members of the Association. e)
The secretary will, within 28 days of receiving a written request to do
so (signed by no less than fifteen co-ordinators and a given reason for the
request), call a Special General Meeting of the members of the Association. 12
Conduct of Meetings
a)
Quorum A quorum for
the commencement of Association Meetings and for voting on any proposals in
those meetings, are as follows: for
a ·
Annual
General Meeting or a Special General Meeting, 15 members: 3
to be Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer or their designated representatives plus
12 other Co-ordinators, ·
General
Meeting, General Meeting, 6 members: 2 to be
Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer or their designated representatives plus 4
other Co-ordinators, ·
Committee
meeting, 4 members: 2 to be Chairman,
Secretary or Treasurer or their designated representatives
plus 2 other committee members. b)
Voting Meetings
will be chaired and all voting will be carried out by a simple show of hands. A
“one person – one vote” will apply, except that in the case of an equality
of votes, the Chairperson will have a second casting vote. c)
Minutes All
meetings will be recorded and minutes kept of proceedings. d) Standing Orders The
Committee may make such rules for the conduct of its business and that of The
Association as it may deem necessary, and will have the power to repeal and
amend such rules, as it from time to time consider necessary. Such rules,
repeals and amendments will have effect until set aside by the Committee or at a
General Meeting. 13
Finance
a)
The Treasurer will keep proper accounts of the finances of the
Association. b)
The accounts will also be made available to any member of the Association
or other person having good reason to inspect them provided such notice is given
in writing to the Committee with 7 days notice. c)
A bank account will be opened in the name of the Association and the
Committee will authorise, in writing, any two out of three persons, one being
the Treasurer and the other two Committee Members to sign cheques on behalf of
The Association All cheques must be signed by two of the authorized signatures. d)
The committee will have the power to authorise payment of expenses to ant
officer or member consequent upon services rendered to the Association. e)
The Committee will have the power to authorise remuneration to any
employee of The Association; provided that such an employee is not a member of
the Committee. 14
Charity
If
The Association becomes a Charity, the Committee shall comply with there
obligations under the Charities act 1992 (or any statutory re-enactment or
modification of that Act) with regard to the following: - ·
The
keeping of accounting records for the Charity; ·
The
preparation of annual statements of accounts for the Charity; ·
The
auditing or independent examination of the statement of accounts for the
Charity; ·
The
transmission of the statement of account of the charity to the Commissioners. 15
Alteration to the Constitution
Any
alterations to this constitution will receive the assent of not less than
two-thirds of the co-ordinators of The Association present and voting at an
Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting provided such notice of any
such alteration will have been received by the Secretary in writing not less
than 21 clear days before the meeting at which the alteration is proposed. At
least 14 days notice of such a meeting will be made available through the
voice-mail / email system and notice will appear in the local press. No
alteration to Clause 2 or 15 will be made until approval in writing has been
obtained from any authority having charitable jurisdiction over The Association,
and no alteration will be made which would have the effect of causing The
Association to cease to be a charity at law, at any time The Association has
Charity status. 16
Alteration to the Constitution
If
the Committee as a whole, by a simple majority, decide at any time that on the
grounds of expense or otherwise, it is necessary to dissolve The Association, it
will call a meeting of all co-ordinators of the Association who have the power
to vote, of which meeting not less than 21 days notice will be given through the
voice-mail / email system and notice will appear in the local press. If
such a decision will be confirmed by two-thirds of majority of those present and
voting at the meeting, the committee will have the power to dispose of any
assets held by or on behalf of The Association.
– ( December 2003)
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