1. The Organisation will carry out the lawful requirements of the Electoral Commission.
2. a) There will be an Annual General Meeting of the Organisation to which all Members will be invited and at which each Member will have one vote.
b) The Leader may call other General Meetings if, having regard to all the circumstances, it seems reasonable to do so.
c) Notice of a General Meeting must be sent to Members six weeks before the date of the Meeting, and the Agenda and details of any nominations for posts of National Officers must be sent to Members two weeks before the date of the Meeting.
3. a) All Members will be invited every four years to elect from the membership the National Executive Committee comprising the National Officers of the Organisation: namely;
i) President,
ii) Leader,
iii) Chairman,
iv) Vice-Chairman,
v) General Secretary and Treasurer,
vi) Assistant Secretary – Meetings,
vii) Assistant Secretary – Membership,
viii) Assistant Treasurer,
ix) Campaigns Officer,
x) Nominating Officer,
xi) Press Officer,
xii) Website Officer.
b) All elections and appointments to the National Executive Committee – except those to the posts of Leader, General Secretary and Treasurer, and Nominating Officer – are subject to the absolute rule that nobody may hold more than one post on the National Executive Committee.
[Note: the exception in this sub-clause is for the purpose of ensuring consistency with the requirements of the Electoral Commission.]
c) A two-thirds majority of the Members present and voting at a General Meeting of the Organisation will require a National Officer to resign.
4. a) If the post of Leader falls vacant between elections the National Executive Committee will assume the Leader’s responsibilities and will elect a new Leader within three months.
b) If the post of any other National Officer falls vacant between elections or remains vacant following them, then the Leader will appoint a replacement within six months.
c) The National Executive Committee may authorise the Leader to postpone the appointment of a replacement National Officer if, having regard to all the circumstances, it seems reasonable to the National Executive Committee to do so.
5. a) The National Executive Committee will meet at least four times a year.
b) A meeting of the National Executive Committee will not be valid unless all the National Officers have been invited and at least one-third of the National Officers are present and amongst those present are the Leader and the Chairman or the Vice-Chairman.
6. a) The membership fee will be fixed by the Annual General Meeting.
b) All membership fees and donations to the Organisation will fund the work of the National Executive Committee.
c) A Member who has not paid their membership fees for two years will be deemed a Lapsed Member and will forfeit all voting rights until payment of arrears of fees in full.
d) Any Member wishing to resign their membership of the Organisation must state their intention in writing to the General Secretary and Treasurer.
7. Amendments to Non-entrenched Clauses of this Constitution may be proposed by the National Executive Committee or by any group of ten Members and will only be amended if three-fifths of Members present and voting at a General Meeting of the Organisation agree.
♦
THIS CONSTITUTION was approved on the Twenty-ninth day of September Two thousand and six.
The First Amendment was approved on the First day of February Two thousand and seven.
The Second Amendment was approved on the First day of February Two thousand and eight.
The Third Amendment was approved on the Thirteenth day of March Two thousand and ten.
The Fourth Amendment was approved on the First day of February Two thousand and eleven.
Chairman James Caffery
General Secretary and Treasurer Paul Kennedy
