Constitution

NAME

The Society shall be called the Blakeney Area Historical Society (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Society’).

AIMS

BAHS is a membership organisation dedicated to conserving and understanding the history of the Blakeney Haven and adjacent hinterland, ie the parishes of Morston, Blakeney, Wiveton, Cley and Salthouse. To fulfil its remit, the Society:

  1. Promotes an interest in local history through talks and events on topics which inform and entertain
  2. Builds and maintains the history centre documents, records, and, in exceptional cases, objects are stored.
  3. Publishes the biannual Glaven Historian featuring articles relevant to the Society and its membership
  4. Answers queries on local history matters. (where possible and feasible)

POWERS

In pursuit of these aims the Society may:

  1. carry out, promote or assist in local research or surveys and encourage the production and publication of reports
  2. produce regular or occasional publications
  3. organize exhibitions, lectures, classes, etc. open to members and non-members
  4. maintain a History Centre for use by members, the local community, and visitors
  5. raise funds to support these activities

MEMBERSHIP

Full membership shall be open to all who agree to abide by the Constitution of the Society, with full membership for those aged 16 and over. Classes of membership shall be:  Individual, Family, Corporate and Honorary:  the first to cover all individuals aged 16 or over; family for all members of one family including juniors, and corporate membership to confer the rights of two individual members at any event. Honorary membership to be awarded at the discretion of the Management Committee to individuals for their outstanding contribution to the Society or local history. Nominees may be put forward by members. Nominees may not be on the Management Committee.

The Management Committee (as hereinafter defined) shall have the power to reject applications for membership and, with good and sufficient reason, to terminate membership.

Members shall pay to the Society an annual subscription for which full membership is granted, including voting rights, for one financial year. Subscription rates to be agreed at an Annual General Meeting (AGM) or a Special General Meeting (SGM). Subscriptions are payable on joining the Society and on the first day of each financial year. 

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

The business of the Society shall be managed by a Management Committee of not less than three members, and not more than twelve, including the following Officers:  Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and Membership Secretary. Replacement members and up to two additional members may be co-opted by the Management Committee.

The Management Committee shall be elected at each AGM and shall be eligible for re-election. All nominations for the Management Committee shall be submitted to the Secretary in advance of the AGM. At meetings of the Management Committee, three members shall constitute a quorum, provided that at least two officers are present.

The Management Committee may establish, until the following AGM, one or more sub-committees for specific purposes and may co-opt anyone to serve on them provided that the chairman of each sub-committee shall be a member of the Management Committee. All sub-committees shall have such powers as the Management Committee shall decide.

MEETINGS

The Management Committee shall meet at least four times each year and additional meetings may be called if the Secretary is requested to do so by a member of the Committee. Questions arising at a meeting must be decided by a majority of votes; in the case of equality of votes, the chair shall have the casting vote. A minute book shall be kept containing a record of all meetings. Sub-committees shall report regularly their activities and decisions to the Management Committee.

Following the end of the financial year an Annual General Meeting shall be held. A Special General Meeting shall be called at the written request of not less than 10 members. At least 14 days’ written or electronic notice of the business to be transacted at such meetings shall be given to all members.

At an AGM or SGM a quorum shall be 15% of the membership. At each AGM the business shall include the election of the Management Committee, the appointment of a person competent to scrutinise the Society’s accounts (not being a member of the Management Committee), presentation of annual report(s) and the audited accounts by the Management Committee. Decisions shall be taken by simple majority of members present and voting.

The Management Committee shall have the power to adopt additional rules for the Society provided that such rules are not inconsistent with the Constitution and are ratified at the following AGM.

HISTORY CENTRE

Records, documents (and in exceptional cases objects) relevant to Blakeney Haven and the adjacent hinterland should be maintained by the History Centre, hereafter referred to as the Centre, and made available to members, local communities and visitors. The Manager of the Centre (an officer of the Society) and members of the Sub-Committee should be approved by the Society. They should establish and review annually the Collection Policy and modus operandi for the Centre, including appropriate charges for services and an annual risk assessment; these reviews should be presented annually to the Management Committee.

In the event of the Centre closing, the following actions (outlined in the Collection Policy) will be followed:

  1. the parish councils of the Blakeney Haven villages should be consulted regarding their views on the future of the material held in the Centre and possible actions by them 
  2. original documents and important records should be offered to the Norfolk Record Office 
  3. material should be transferred to one or more organisations having similar aims and preferably within the local area.

FINANCE

The Society’s financial year shall run from 1st September to 31st August.

All monies raised by the Society shall be applied to the aims of the Society and be used to reimburse legitimate expenses incurred by the Society and its members, subject to approval by the Management Committee. It is not within the powers of the Society to own property (bricks and mortar) or make financial investments that impose a financial liability on the Society.

The Society shall operate bank accounts where all monies not required for immediate use shall be deposited. The Treasurer shall keep proper accounts of the finances of the Society and these shall be scrutinised annually. The Society shall also be prudent and retain a contingency to cover unexpected expenditure and the dissolution of the Society and/or the History Centre.

The Management Committee:

  1. must review the financial state of the Society annually & make appropriate recommendations at the AGM or a SGM.
  2. must approve the raising of any loan by the Society
  3. must approve all bank accounts used by the Society
  4. may change the financial year of the Society

INSURANCE

There should be insurance cover for all the Society’s activities, including those of the Management Committee and Sub-Committees or individuals acting on behalf of the Committee, plus the contents of the History Centre.

DATA PROTECTION

The Management Committee is responsible for the protection of data used for the business of the Society and compliance with the Data Protection Act.

AMENDMENTS

Amendments to this Constitution shall only be made at an Annual or Special General Meeting and shall require the support of two thirds of the members voting at such a meeting.

DISSOLUTION

If the Management Committee decides that the Society (including the History Centre) is no longer viable and should be dissolved it shall call for that purpose a Special General Meeting, of which all members shall have 21 days’ notice. The Society shall be dissolved if two thirds of the members present and voting support the proposal. The contents of the History Centre should be dispersed according to the guidelines established under the heading ‘History Centre’ and in the ‘Collection Policy’ document. Any monies remaining after meeting all debts shall be transferred to a local organisation(s) that serves the communities of the Blakeney Haven. 

It is possible, however, the History Centre may be viable, while the rest of the Society is not, and wishes to continue operating. In this situation the Centre should continue as an independent organisation and the funds and assets of the society shall be transferred to it.

November 2023: As approved by a vote at the AGM on 28th November 2023