Beaumont Society Constitution

1. Name

The name of the Society shall be the “BEAUMONT SOCIETY”, hereinafter called the Society. It is an unincorporated charity registered with the Charity Commission as number 1135548

 

1. Vision and Aims

The Society believes transgender people are entitled to be treated with dignity and respect in all aspects of their lives by family, friends and the wider non-transgender community, including businesses and services. To achieve this vision, the society will:

1. Form an association for the transgender community to facilitate mutual support and communication in order to improve the health, emotional well-being and confidence of transgender people.
2. Promote and assist the study of gender diversity.
3. Educate lay and professional groups about transgenderism, its associated issues and the work of the society.
4. Engage and support the accomplishments of any lawful activity that promotes the above aims.

 

1. Organisation
2. The Society is represented nationally and internationally by a single Executive Committee which is responsible for establishing and implementing the Society’s vision and aims. The Executive Committee organisational structure is shown below.
3. Executive Committee.

This committee to consist of the following:

President, Vice President, Executive Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Editor of The Beaumont Magazine, Press Officer, Grants Officer and Regional Contacts.

Additionally, Area Organisers and co-opted specialists may be invited to attend.

1. No committee member is entitled to receive a salary in respect of their service to the Society; Trustees, Regional and Area Contacts being deemed as volunteers.
2. Each member of the Executive Committee is entitled to one vote in policy or procedural debates or resolutions. In the event of any tied vote, the President’s previously recorded vote shall be deciding.
3. The trustees of the Society are the members who hold the following positions:
4. President
5. Vice President

• Membership Secretary

1. Treasurer
2. Executive Secretary
3. In addition one of the Regional Contacts may be appointed as a Trustee
4. Each region shall have a Regional Contact who is responsible, in conjunction with any Area Contacts, for organising the Society at a regional level within the constitution of the Society.
5. The Executive Committee shall endeavour to meet six times a year and to set the Agenda for the Annual General Meeting to be held at the time and place selected by the committee.
6. The Executive Committee will be deemed quorate if one third of the committee are present throughout the meeting.

 

1. Roles and Responsibilities

In addition to their contribution to section 2, committee members have the following individual responsibilities:

1. Trustees shall be jointly responsible for the custody, control and maintenance of accurate records and documents relating to the Society’s membership, meetings and finances. They shall be responsible for the security and confidentiality of such records and documents, in accordance with section (9). Annually, the Trustees shall appoint an independent qualified auditor who shall inspect and report to the Executive Committee the accounts of the Society for distribution to the membership.
2. Regional Contacts are responsible for organising and representing the Society at a regional level consistent with the Values and Aims as set out in the Constitution.
3. Area Contacts assist Regional Contacts in providing opportunities for social contact amongst the Society’s members and initiating and sustaining relationships with other local organisations.
4. Co-opted members are temporary appointments made by the Executive Committee for a specific purpose or project consistent with achieving the Society’s Visions and Aims defined in (2)

 

1. Election of Executive Committee Members

With the exception of Area Contacts, as (c) below, the Executive Committee positions of President, Vice President, Executive Secretary, Editor of the Beaumont Magazine, Press Officer, Grants Officer and Regional Contacts are nominated and elected from the membership. Upon identification of a need, persons nominated for any appointment shall signify in writing their willingness to serve in that post and all candidates shall have been full members, for a period of not less than twelve months, subject only to the discretion of the Executive Committee. The post of Treasurer and Membership Secretary, being a more sensitive one for members, shall be by invitation of the Executive Committee. The subsequently elected Executive Officers serve a term of three years before being eligible for re-selection.

1. Extra Trustees are elected by the membership, with appointments being made for a period of three years, before re-nomination and re-election.
2. Regional Contacts are elected by the membership, with appointments being for a period of three years, before re-nomination and re-election.
3. Area Contacts are directly appointed by a Regional Contact, with appointments being for a period of three years before review by the Regional Contact.

Election of committee members shall be organised to reduce disruption to the Society in its day to day operations and reduce the costs associated with the election process.

To permit continuity, the Executive Officers will stand for re-election by rotation as follows:

President and Executive Secretary

Vice President and Press Officer

Editor of The Beaumont Magazine and Grants Officer

Regional Contacts will be split into three groups to be re-elected every three years.

If more than one nomination is received for an Executive Committee position, then a ballot of the eligible members shall take place, the candidate receiving the most votes being appointed. In the event of a tied vote, the Executive Committee shall decide by majority vote. If only one nomination is received, the Executive Committee shall ratify the nomination.

In the event of no nominations being received for an Executive Committee position, then the Executive Committee is empowered to nominate and appoint a candidate.

Any Officer shall be eligible to stand for re-election for a further term, if so prepared.

The Regional Contacts stand for a period of three years, before new elections are held.

Regional Contacts can be reselected, but if multiple candidates, then a ballot of that region’s members shall take place.

To be able to stand for election a candidate must be a currently subscribing member and their fees up to date. Honorary Members who take on a role on the Executive Committee may do so without payment of a subscription.

6. Membership

Membership of the Society is open to any individual, or organisation, provided:

1. They agree to abide by the Society’s Constitution.
2. In the case of individuals, they are over the age of 18.
3. Persons under 18 years of age must apply with a responsible adult both signing the application form and the responsible adult must also join and attend events or meetings with the person until they reach the age of 18 years. The responsible adult must be present at all times at any event or meeting.
4. Their membership subscription, where applicable, is in good standing as defined in section 6.

Depending upon the member’s preference, there are four classes of membership:

1. Postal member – A postal member of the Society has the right, on request to attend executive meetings as an observer, vote at the AGM, in person or by post or electronically, and to receive full access to the member’s area of the website. Depending on preference, a full member can receive correspondence (such as the magazine) and can vote electronically or by post.
2. Electronic member – Has the same rights as a postal member, except no postal details need to be kept of the member (unless they have completed a Gift Aid declaration) and they have access, via the website, to an electronic copy of the magazine and any notifications of AGMs and EGMs.
3. Honorary Member – An individual, not necessarily a previous member of the Charity, who has greatly contributed to the purposes or aims of the Charity. Honorary members of the Charity are created at the discretion of the Executive Committee. An Honorary member pays no fee and can receive the Charity’s magazine by post or access it electronically via the website. Honorary members who are not part of the Executive Committee do not have any voting rights.
4. Affiliate – An organisation which has shown an interest in the aims of the Charity and would like to have their representative attend any of our open meetings as an observer. Affiliate members do not have any voting rights.

 

7. Membership Fees

Membership of the Society requires payment of an annual subscription by any member to keep their membership in good standing. The membership fee is:

1. Reviewed and agreed annually by the Executive Committee
2. Payable on the anniversary of the member first joining the Society
3. Not applicable to Honorary members of Affiliate members

In the event of a full member suffering a change in personal circumstances which results in financial hardship, they may request a review of the applicability of the membership fee. Upon receipt of such an application, a Trustee or Regional Contact may consider full or partial concession of the membership fee.

In order to be eligible to vote a member’s subscription must be current at the date of the meeting.

 

 

 

 

8. Withdrawal, Suspension and Expulsion

In addition to (7) members of the society are required to uphold the values and behaviour of the Constitution.

1. Should the conduct of any of Executive Committee member be deemed to be prejudicial to the interest of the Society, that member may be removed from their position by majority Executive Committee vote. Any Executive Committee member removed in this way shall be barred from holding further office.
2. Any member may resign from membership at any time by so notifying the Membership Secretary in writing, but membership fees paid shall not normally be refunded.
3. In the event that a member’s conduct is, in the opinion of an officer of the Society, deemed to be prejudicial to the Society the complaint shall be put to that person in writing for explanation and defence. Such defence, either in writing or in person should be made to the Executive Committee, whose decision shall be final.
4. Failure of any member to pay the annual subscription within a period of three months after the due date shall result in automatic termination of membership, after successive reminders.
5. The Society’s publications shall not be sent after the renewal date has passed.

 

9. Records and Data Protection Policy

The Society recognises the acquisition and retention of members depends on their identity being kept inviolate. In support of this principle, the Society, its officers or members, shall not under any circumstances divulge the identity of another member, without that member’s expressly written or verbal consent. To facilitate achieving these requirements, and to enable the Society to function, information supplied by members shall be classified in Grades.

 

Grade 1.   Is information given on the membership application form, related correspondence and any other information the member or applicant decides is not for use by the wider Executive Committee members. Information classified as Grade 1 shall be available only to the President, Vice President, Executive Secretary, Membership Secretary, Treasurer and any agent working on behalf of the Charity who shall be responsible for the security of such information.

 

Grade 2.   Is information required for the efficient administration of the Charity, but which is not classified as Grade 1.  It may include members names and addresses, to enable the Executive to communicate with members although any member may decide that such information about themselves should be classified as Grade 1. Information classified as Grade 2 shall be available to the Executive Committee upon request.

 

In the case of electronic membership only electronic details need to be stored. Postal details do not need to be stored unless the member has completed a Gift Aid declaration.

 

With the exception of the details given on the application form, information may be reclassified only with the written consent of, or at the request of, the member to whom it relates.

 

The Society understands the need for security of the information given to it by its members and agrees to do all in its power to prevent such information being disclosed. The Society adheres to the principles and legal requirements of the Data Protection Act.

 

 

 

 

10. Property
11. Funds and property, both real and personal, of the society shall be considered solely and exclusively the property of the Society and in which no member shall have any individual interest, other than that to which each may entitled by operation of the law upon final Dissolution of the Society.
12. Notwithstanding the foregoing, it is the declared intention of the Society that in the event of Dissolution, the funds and assets then in hand shall be used in some endeavour, as similar as possible to the purpose stated in section 2, rather than be distributed to members of the society.
13. The Executive Committee shall make the first appointment of an independent Auditor, preferably Honorary, to carry out an inspection of the funds and property of the Society and to report to the members annually, or at such other times as the Auditor deems prudent. The Auditor shall be empowered to report to members if necessary without reference to the Executive Committee. Once in each financial year the Auditor shall report upon whether the financial operations of the Society have been conducted within the terms of the Constitution. This report will be presented at the AGM and made available to any member upon request. The person appointed as Auditor shall, ideally, be a member of an acceptable Professional Body, and shall continue in office year by year subject to the approval of the Executive Committee, unless the Auditor does not wish to.
14. Any National Officer, who, showing good cause and giving reasonable notice in writing shall be entitled to request the surrender of all records, information, equipment and monies owned by the Charity, pertaining to its members, or held on its behalf by another member.
15. Funds

Funds belonging to the Society shall be deposited in such Banks or Building Societies that may, from time to time, be authorised by the Executive Committee and shall be disbursed as the Executive Committee shall determine. All withdrawals must be signed by two of the approved signatories. Monthly bank statements shall be made available to the Trustees.

 

12. Amendments
13. With the exception of section 2, the articles in this Constitution may be subject to Amendments, Additions or Deletions at a meeting of the Executive Committee. All such changes must be notified to the members as soon as possible following the change.
14. No Amendment, Addition or Deletion shall be deemed carried unless it receives a two-thirds majority of the Executive Committee present in Quorum.
15. Any major changes to the Constitution should be put before the members, with the recommendation of the Executive Committee, so that it can be ratified at the next AGM.