PAIGNTON HOME GARDEN & ALLOTMENT SOCIETY CONSTITUTION 

1             NAME:

The name of the Society shall be called THE PAIGNTON HOME GARDEN & ALLOTMENT SOCIETY.

 
2             AIMS:

  1. To promote both home and allotment gardening in the Paignton area.
  2. To seek to preserve Paignton allotments and green and open spaces.
  3. To seek to better the environment of allotment gardeners in the Paignton area, where if it is deemed necessary, encourage devolved self-management of sites in the Paignton area, through the Paignton Home Garden & Allotment Society.
  4. To seek and to promote social co-operation and mutual benefit via the Paignton Home Garden & Allotment Society on all allotment sites in the Paignton area.
  5. To seek and provide discount schemes for the benefit of the members.
  6. To provide an active social calendar, based upon the ideas of the membership.
 

3             ELECTED OFFICERS:

  1. The elected officers of the Paignton Home Garden & Allotment Society to serve on the Committee shall be: Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary & Treasurer.  A Site Representative shall be elected from each allotment site.  In the case of large allotment sites, it may be deemed beneficial by the members of that site for there to be more than one Site Representative.
  2. All officers are expected to serve a minimum term of office of one year and are accountable via an open ballot at the Annual General Meeting.
  3. All Officers are expected to share information which affects the running of the Society, via phone, mail, email or word of mouth, with their fellow officers, at their earliest convenience.
  4. Election of Officers to take the form of a secret ballot either at or prior to the AGM.
  5. An elected Officer can be evicted from their position and an election called for, by the consent of three fourths of the membership, or in the case of a site representative, three fourths of the membership on his/her allotment site, testified by their signatures.



4             CO-OPTION

  1. The Committee shall seek volunteers to run outings, social events and our discount seed and goods scheme and co-opt as committee members into these positions.  The Committee may from time to time co-opt a person or persons with specialist knowledge to assist them in their function.



5             MEMBERSHIP

  1. The membership of the Paignton Home Garden & Allotment Society is open to all home gardeners, allotment holders and those with an interest in home or allotment gardening of the aims of the Society.
  2. All members are entitled to stand for election and vote on the election of Officers.
  3. All members are entitled to submit proposals and suggestions to the Society for inclusion on the Agenda at Society meetings.
  4. All members shall be provided with a copy of the Constitution upon enrolment.
 

6             AFFILIATIONS

  1. The Society shall affiliate to organisations whereby the Committee feel it is in the interest of the Society so to do.



7             FINANCE

  1. In the case of self-managed sites through the Society, membership of the Society for the tenants shall be obtained via the annual site rent.
  2. In the case of self-managed sites through the Society, membership of the Society for the spouse, partner, family member or plot co-tenant, shall be financed through an additional fee.
  3. In the case where there is no self-management by the Society, and for home gardeners, membership shall be offered on similar lines as those of gardening clubs with members joining on an individual or joint basis.
  4. In the case of self-managing sites through the Society, membership and site fees shall become payable upon the date listed on the Tenancy Agreement.
  5. Membership and site tenancy on sites managed by the Society shall be terminated if no payment within six weeks of the date listed on the Tenancy Agreement.
  6. In the case of home garden membership and members on sites that are not self-managed by the Society, membership shall become payable and due one year after validation.
  7. In the case of home garden membership on sites that are not self-managed by the Society, membership shall cease if no payment is received within six weeks of such a date.
  8. Financing may also be raised by donations, the sale of items and the staging of fund-raising activities.



8             EXPENSES

Members undertaking specific duties for the Society can claim back expenses on the production of a valid receipt, or proof that an expenses was occurred in undertaking the task. Permission for expenses must be agreed in advance by the Committee for such expense claims.


9             BANKING

Responsibility for banking shall be designated to the elected Treasurer, with assistance of his/her co-signatories, who shall be agreed upon at the AGM.


10          ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The AGM shall be held annually on any date reasonably practicable.


11          EXTRAORDINARY MEETING

An extraordinary meeting can be called for at any time by the Committee or by one fourth of the membership, providing twenty one days notice is given either in writing to the membership or via the allotment site notice board.


12          QUORUM

A quorum shall consist of a minimum of five elected Committee members. No business shall be decided without a quorum being present.


13          DISSOLUTION

The Society at any time is dissolved by the consent of three fourths of the membership, testified by their signatures