East Dean and Friston
Gardening Club
EASTDEAN AND FRISTON GARDENING CLUB RULES
As amended at the AGM held 9th Ma y 2023
1. The NAME of the Club will be the “East Dean and Friston Gardening Club" (hereinafter called the "Club").
2. The OBJECT of the Club will be to promote the good cultivation of gardens by organizing
lectures, discussions, demonstrations and visits.
3. MEMBERSHIP of the Club will be open residents local to East Dean and Friston.
4. The business of the Club will be conducted by a COMMITTEE consisting of four Officers --
Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Membership Secretary – and other elected Ordinary
Members . The Committee may create other Officers as deemed necessary.
5. ELECTION of the Committee will proceed as follows:
(a) Every January , nominations will be invited from the Club membership for each Officer
and Ordinary Member post. Nominations must specify for each candidate the post in
which he or she is willing to serve.
b) If more than one candidate is nominated for any one post a ballot will be held for that
post before the next Annual General Meeting and the result will be reported to that
meeting.
( c) Where only one candidate for a post is nominated election will take place by show of
hands at the Annual General Meeting.
(d) The elected Committee members will hold office until the next Annual General
Meeting. They will then retire, but be eligible for re -election.
6. A QUORUM for a COMMITTEE MEETING will consist of 5 Committee members. In the event of equality of votes the Chairman of any meeting will have a second or casting vote.
7. The Committee will have the power to fill, by co -option if necessary, any VACANCIES that may arise during the year.
8. An ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the Club will be held in March every year; the agenda will include:
(a) A REPORT by the CHAIRMAN on the work of the Club during the preceding year and
on plans for the future .
(b) A FINANCIAL STATEMENT and BALANCE SHEET prepared as at the last day of
December in each year and signed by the INDEPENDENT EXAMINER .
(c) ELECTION of a COMMITTEE (see Rule 5) .
(d) APPOINTMENT of an INDEPENDENT EXAMINER , who must not be a member of
the Committee .
(e) ANY OTHER BUSINESS
9. The Committee may convene an EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING of the Club at
any time. Such a meeting must be convened within four weeks if a written request, signed by
at least ten members, is presented to the Committee. A written notice of the meeting must be sent to all members at least seven days in advance setting forth the time: place and purpose of the meeting. Only business defined in the notice will be transacted.
10. In the ABSENCE of the CHAIRMAN at any General Meeting the chair will be taken by a
member of the committee.
11. The ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION, currently £ 8.50 , and the VISITORS CHARGE, currently £3 per person per meeting , can be changed only at a General Meeting
12. All subscriptions and other monies will be passed to the TREASURER who will be
responsible for the CLUB’S FUNDS and for keeping ACCOUNTS thereof. T he Club’s
FINANCIAL YEAR shall run from January to December. All sums received by the
TREASURER on the Club's behalf will be paid into the Club 's BANKING ACCOUNT and all
CHEQUES drawn on that account must be signed by any two authorized Committee
Members as set out on the current B ANK MANDATE. The funds of the Club will be used for
furthering the Club's objectives or in ways approved by the Committee or by a General
Meeting.
13. These RULES may be AMENDED only at a General Meeting of the Club and only if notice of the proposed deletion or addition has been sent to all members not less than 21 days before the meeting.
AS/EDFGCRules 090523