1. Name
The name of the group shall be Felixstowe Chamber of Commerce
2. Aims
Felixstowe Chamber of Commerce is an association of local businesses that share the common aim of supporting and working with one another to represent, promote and grow business opportunities within the Felixstowe community.
Felixstowe Chamber is a not-for-profit members organisation, and will always seek to price events and activities fairly, proportionately, and as modestly as possible, in order to bring the optimal benefit to members.
Felixstowe Chamber is passionate about representing the very best that the community of Felixstowe has to offer, across a wide range of business sectors, including haulage, logistics, shipping, financial services, recruitment, retail, leisure, tourism, health and wellbeing, and professional services.
3. Membership
Membership is open to all businesses or members of a profession in the Felixstowe area, subject to approval of the Executive Committee,
Membership will begin as soon as the membership form and first annual payment has been received.
There will be an annual membership fee which will be agreed at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and will be payable by all members.
A list of all members will be kept by the membership secretary and publicised on the website.
Ceasing to be a member
Members may resign at any time in writing to the business officer.
Any member who has not paid their membership fee for one year will be contacted by the committee, who will then decide whether that member is deemed to have resigned.
Any offensive behaviour, including racist, sexist or inflammatory remarks, will not be permitted. Anyone behaving in an offensive way or breaking the equal opportunities policy may be asked not to attend further meetings or to resign from the group if an apology is not given or the behaviour is repeated. The individual concerned shall have the right to be heard by the management committee, accompanied by a friend, before a final decision is made.
4. Equal Opportunities
Felixstowe Chamber of Commerce will not discriminate on the grounds of sex, race (including colour, ethnic or national origin), sexual orientation, disability, gender reassignment, religious or political belief, pregnancy or maternity, marital status or age.
5. Officers and committee
The business of the group will be carried out by a Committee elected at the Annual General Meeting. The Committee will meet as necessary and not less than four times a year.
The Committee will consist of 6 members, and be composed of 3 officers and 3 committee members. Up to 9 additional members may be co-opted onto the committee at the discretion of the committee.
The officers’ roles are as follows:
- Chair, who shall chair both general and committee meetings
- Secretary, who shall be responsible for the taking of minutes and the distribution of all papers and shall be responsible for keeping records of members
- Treasurer, who shall be responsible for maintaining accounts
In the event of an officer standing down during the year a replacement will be elected by the next General Meeting of members.
Any committee member not attending a meeting without apology for three months will be contacted by the committee and asked if they wish to resign.
The Committee meetings will be open to any member of Felixstowe Chamber of Commerce wishing to attend, who may speak but not vote.
6. Meetings
6.1. Annual General Meetings
An Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held within fifteen months of the previous AGM.
All members will be notified in writing at least 3 weeks before the date of the meeting, giving the venue, date and time.
Nominations for the committee may be made to the Secretary before the meeting, or at the meeting.
The quorum for the AGM will be 10% of the membership or 10 members, whichever is the greater number.
At the AGM:-
- The Committee will present a report of the work of Felixstowe Chamber of Commerce up over the year.
- The Committee will present the accounts of Felixstowe Chamber of Commerce for the previous year.
- The officers and Committee for the next year will be elected.
- Any proposals given to the Secretary at least 7 days in advance of the meeting will be discussed.
6.2 Special General Meetings
The Secretary will call a Special General Meeting at the request of the majority of the committee or at least eight other members giving a written request to the Chair or Secretary stating the reason for their request.
The meeting will take place within twenty-one days of the request.
All members will be given two weeks’ notice of such a meeting, giving the venue, date, time and agenda, and notice may be by telephone, email or post.
The quorum for the Special General Meeting will be 10% of the membership or 10 members, whichever is the greater number.
6.3 General Meetings
General Meetings are open to all members and will be given two weeks’ notice of such a meeting, giving the venue, date, time and agenda, and notice may be by telephone, email or post.
The quorum for a General Meeting shall be 10% of the membership or 5 members, whichever is the greater number.
6.4 Committee Meetings
Committee meetings may be called by the Chair or Secretary. Committee members must receive notice of meetings at least 7 days before the meeting.
The quorum for Committee meetings is three Committee members.
7. Rules of Procedure for meetings
All questions that arise at any meeting will be discussed openly and the meeting will seek to find general agreement that everyone present can agree to.
If a consensus cannot be reached a vote will be taken and a decision will be made by a simple majority of members present. If the number of votes cast on each side is equal, the chair of the meeting shall have an additional casting vote.
8. Finances
An account will be maintained on behalf of the Felixstowe Chamber of Commerce at a bank agreed by the committee. Three cheque signatories will be nominated by the Committee (one to be the Treasurer). The signatories must not be related nor members of the same household.
All payments will be signed by two of the signatories.
- For online payments, one will raise the payment and one other will check and authorise.
- For cheque payments, the signatories will sign the cheque.
- For other payments (such as cash withdrawals, debit card payments or cash payments), a requisition note will be signed by two signatories, and held by the treasurer.
Records of income and expenditure will be maintained by the Treasurer and a financial statement given at each meeting.
All money raised by or on behalf of Felixstowe Chamber of Commerce is only to be used to further the aims of the group, as specified in item 2 of this constitution.
9. Amendments to the Constitution
Amendments to the constitution may only be made at the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting.
Any proposal to amend the constitution must be given to the Secretary in writing. The proposal must then be circulated with the notice of meeting.
Any proposal to amend the constitution will require a two thirds majority of those present and entitled to vote.
10. Dissolution
If a meeting, by simple majority, decides that it is necessary to close down the group it may call a Special General Meeting to do so. The sole business of this meeting will be to dissolve the group.
If it is agreed to dissolve the group, all remaining money and other assets, once outstanding debts have been paid, will be donated to a local charitable organisation. The organisation will be agreed at the meeting which agrees the dissolution.