CONSTITUTION

Approved by Charity Commission on 14th January 2015

1. The name of the Association is “The Maidenhead and District Talking Newspaper Association”, hereinafter referred to as The Association.
2. The object of The Association is to relieve the blind, or the partially sighted, or those labouring under some temporary or permanent incapacity or disability which makes reading a strain, by the provision of audio recordings. In furtherance of this object, but not otherwise, The Association through its Committee shall have the following powers:
   1. To take and accept any gifts of property, whether subject to any special trusts or not.
   2. To raise funds and to invite and receive contributions from any person or persons whatsoever by way of subscription, donation or otherwise; provided that the Committee shall not undertake any permanent trading activities in raising funds for the said object.
   3. To seek authorisation from the Post Office to use the free postage facility available under Post Office Regulations, and, if such authority is granted, to use this facility for the distribution of recordings to those people to whom the Regulations currently apply.
   4. To distribute the recordings by means other than the use of the free postage facility mentioned in 2(c) above to people other than those covered by the Post Office Regulations relating to this facility.
   5. To do all such other things as shall further the object of The Association.
3. Membership of The Association shall be available:
1. Automatically to those blind, partially-sighted or disabled people in receipt of The Association’s recordings; and
2. By invitation of the Committee, on an annual basis, to those actively involved in the running of The Association; and
3. By invitation of the Committee, on an annual basis, to those who make a regular contribution by way of subscription, donation or otherwise.
4. 1. The Committee of The Association shall consist of:
      1. A maximum of twelve elected members, at least one of whom shall be a visually impaired, or disabled, recipient of The Association’s recordings. Four of these members shall be officers holding the following posts: Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and Chief Engineer.
      2. A maximum of three co-opted members with full voting rights.
   2. The above Officers shall hold office until retirement or removal by resolution of an AGM or EGM of The Association. Any vacancy in such office shall be filled by a resolution of the Committee.
   3. Ordinary members of the Committee shall be elected at each AGM of The Association, but retiring members of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election.
   4. The Committee duly elected shall act as Trustees to The Association.
5. The Annual General Meeting of The Association shall be held within 6 months of the end of the Association&rsquoo;s financial year each year and every member shall receive not less than fourteen days notice of such meeting. Extraordinary meetings may be convened by the Secretary upon a request by the Committee or three members of the Committee or three members of The Association upon a similar notice, which shall state the business to be considered at the meeting. The quorum at the AGM or Extraordinary meeting shall be twelve.
6. At the Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary meeting every member, including the Chairman, shall have one vote and, in the case of equality of votes the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.
7. The Committee of The Association shall meet once every three months and additionally as required. Each member of the Committee, including the Chairman, shall have one vote and in the case of equality of votes the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.
8. All sums received pursuant to paragraph 2(b) shall be handed over to the Treasurer or Secretary who shall pay the sum into the bank account in the names of the Trustees at the Maidenhead branch of NatWest Bank. There shall be three designated signatories on the account including the Treasurer and Chairman for the time being in office plus one other Committee member. All cheques shall be signed by two signatories.
9. The Trustees shall invest in their names any monies not required for the immediate purposes of The Association in securities in which Trust Monies may by law be invested with power from time to time to transpose such investments. Such securities shall have the same three signatories as for the NatWest Bank account and release of funds shall require the signatures of two signatories.
10. Any property purchased by The Association shall be vested in the Trustees.
11. The Trustees shall with such consent as is by law required deal with the property so vested in them by way of sale mortgage lease or otherwise howsoever as directed by The Association. Such direction shall be given by a resolution of the members of The Association passed by a majority of the members present at a duly convened meeting of The Association and when so passed shall in favour of a subsequent purchaser mortgagee chargee or grantee be binding upon all members of The Association. A certificate purporting to be signed by the Secretary for the time being of The Association shall in favour of a purchaser mortgagee chargee lessee or grantee be conclusive evidence that such a direction was duly given.
12. On the winding up of The Association, any assets remaining after the payment of outstanding debts or liabilities shall not be given to or distributed amongst members of The Association, but shall be given or transferred to some other charitable institution or institutions having similar objects.
13. These rules other than Rule 2, Rule 12 and this rule may be altered, repealed or added to by a resolution passed by a three-fourths majority of the members of the Association who are present in person or by proxy at an Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting convened for that purpose and of which notice has been served upon every then member of The Association at his last known address in the United Kingdom.