Constitution

Harris Academy Former Pupils' Association

Constitution Effective from 24 April 2012

1. Title

The name of the organisation shall be “The Harris Academy Former Pupils’ Association”, hereinafter referred to as “the Association”.

2. Aims

The Aims of the Association shall be

2.1. to keep alive the spirit and traditions of Harris Academy, Dundee (hereinafter referred to as “the School”),

2.2. to promote friendship among the former pupils of the School,

2.3. to establish and maintain contact between the past and present pupils of the School, and

2.4. to further the best interests of the School.

3. Honorary President and Honorary Vice-Presidents

3.1. The Association shall have an Honorary President who shall be nominated and elected in accordance with the provisions of Clause 7.6 hereof.

3.2. The Association shall have an Honorary Vice-President or Honorary Vice-Presidents who shall be nominated and elected in accordance with the provisions of Clause 4.3 hereof.

3.3. The foregoing provisions shall not affect the right of any person who occupied the office of Honorary President or Honorary Vice-President prior to the commencement of this Constitution to continue in such office under this Constitution.

4. Membership

4.1. Any person who has been (i) a pupil or (ii) a member of the teaching staff of the Primary or Secondary Departments of the School and who has paid the Ordinary Life Membership fee as determined in Clause 7.1 hereof may be admitted as an Ordinary Member of the Association. All persons who were registered as Members of the Association prior to the commencement of this Constitution shall be held to be Ordinary Members of the Association under this Constitution.

4.2. Any person who does not meet the qualifications for membership as set out in Clause 4.1 hereof but who subscribes to the Aims of the Association and who has paid the Associate Life Membership fee as determined in Clause 7.1 hereof may be admitted as an Associate Member of the Association provided the approval of the Council of the Association hereinafter mentioned (and hereinafter referred to as “the Council”) shall have first been obtained.

4.3. Any person who is deemed by the Council to have given to the Association service well beyond that expected of him or her in his or her position in the Association may be nominated by the Council at an Annual General Meeting of the Association for election as an Honorary Vice-President of the Association.

5. Governance

5.1. The business of the Association shall be conducted under the authority of the Council, the membership of which shall comprise the following:-

5.1.1. the President, who shall chair meetings of the Council and General Meetings of the Association, and preside over all other meetings of and events held by or on behalf of the Association,

5.1.2. the Vice-President, who shall assume the duties of the President in the absence of the President,

5.1.3. the Association Secretary, who shall be responsible for all general administration, correspondence and record-keeping except in relation to matters specified in Clause 5.1.4 and Clause 5.1.5 hereof,

5.1.4. the Social Secretary, who shall be responsible for matters concerned with social events held by or on behalf of the Association,

5.1.5. the Treasurer, who shall be responsible for implementing the financial policies and practices of the Association and maintaining records of all financial transactions of the Association,

5.1.6. the Webmaster, who shall be responsible for the maintenance of the Association web-site,

5.1.7. the Head Teacher of the School, or his or her nominee from time to time from the teaching staff of the School, and

5.1.8. not more than ten Ordinary Members of the Association.

5.2. With the exception of the Head Teacher, who shall be a member of the Council ex officio, all Members of the Council shall be elected to serve for a period of one calendar year at the Annual General Meeting of the Association in each year. All Members so elected shall be eligible for re-election.

5.3. The Council shall have the authority to co-opt to temporary membership of the Council between successive Annual General Meetings any individual who is deemed by the Council to possess special skills or knowledge which the Council considers will be of value in assisting the Council to determine any particular matter before it, but such temporary members shall not be entitled to vote at any Meeting of the Council.

6. Meetings of the Council

6.1. Meetings of the Council, of which there shall be a minimum of two in each year, shall be conducted formally in accordance with an agenda which has been agreed by the President and the Association Secretary and issued to the Members of the Council at least 7 days prior to the date of the meeting.

6.2. Meetings shall be chaired by the President, or, in his or her absence, by the Vice-President, or, in his or her absence, by such person as the Meeting may select from amongst those present.

6.3. The required quorum for a Meeting of the Council shall be 6.

6.4. In the event of a vote being required at a Meeting of the Council each Member of the Council shall have one vote and the President, or his or her substitute, shall hold a casting as well as a deliberative vote.

6.5. There shall be no provision for Proxy voting at a Meeting of the Council.

7. General Meetings of the Association

7.1. The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held in April or May of each year on such date and in such place as the Council shall decide and notice thereof shall be given to the Members of the Association at least 21 days prior to the date of the meeting. The agenda shall include reports by the President, the Association Secretary, the Social Secretary, and the Treasurer. The Ordinary Life Membership fee and the Associate Life Membership fee hereinbefore referred to shall be reviewed and fixed at each Annual General Meeting.

7.2. A Special General Meeting of the Association may be convened by the Association Secretary at the request of the Council or on a requisition signed by twenty Ordinary Members of the Association, and notice thereof and the motion proposed shall be given to the Members of the Association at least 21 days prior to the date of the meeting.

7.3. The required quorum for a General Meeting shall be 12.

7.4. In the event of a vote being called at any General Meeting, each Ordinary Member of the Association shall have one vote. Motions shall be passed on a simple majority of votes by the Ordinary Members of the Association present and voting, except for motions proposing any change to the Constitution of the Association which shall require a two thirds majority of votes by the Ordinary Members of the Association present and voting. In each case the President, or his or her substitute, shall hold a casting as well as a deliberative vote.

7.5. There shall be no provision for Proxy voting at a General Meeting of the Association.

7.6. In the event of the office of Honorary President falling vacant for any reason, the Ordinary Members of the Association present at the next following Annual General Meeting shall be invited to nominate one of the persons then holding the office of Honorary Vice-President to be elected to the office of Honorary President.

8. Finance

8.1. The use to which the funds of the Association are put shall be determined by the Council and shall be consistent with the Aims of the Association. Expenditure against the resources of the Association shall be authorised by the signatures of any two of (i) the President (ii) the Association Secretary and (iii) the Treasurer.

8.2. The Treasurer’s report at an Annual General Meeting shall contain full details of (i) the income obtained (ii) the expenditure incurred over the year and (iii) the current assets of the Association. The report shall be certified by an examiner appointed by the Council.

8.3. The financial year of the Association shall run from 1 April in each year.

9. Dissolution

Any proposal to dissolve the Association shall be intimated to the Members of the Association at least 28 days prior to the date of the General Meeting at which the proposal is to be discussed. All Ordinary Members of the Association present at said General Meeting shall be entitled to vote. In order to be passed the Motion for Dissolution shall require a two thirds majority of votes by the Ordinary Members of the Association present and voting. The President, or his or her substitute, shall hold a casting as well as a deliberative vote. There shall be no provision for Proxy voting in respect of such Motion. Any residual funds or other assets held by the Association at the time of a successful Motion of Dissolution shall be transferred to the ownership of the School.

10. Commencement

This Constitution shall commence on 24 April 2012 and all prior and existing Constitutions are hereby superseded.