Article 1.
A: The society shall be known as the South East England Online Philatelic Society. (SEEOPS).
B: The objects of the society are:
(i) To promote, encourage and contribute to the practice of philately, which is defined as the collection and knowledge of postage and other stamps such as revenues issued by a government authority or those issued by a bona fida company, together with cinderellas and items concerned with the conveyance of mail including postal history, postcards, etc.
(ii) To communicate to members information on all matters related to the objects via online meetings with displays and discussion and by communication via an electronic newsletter, website or social media as appropriate.
C: Occasional physical events may be arranged as directed by the committee.
D: The normal schedule of meetings will be online twice per month, except in July when one meeting will be held and in August when there will no meetings. This may be changed at the direction of the committee.
Article 2.
A: Any person who is interested in the above objects living in Southeast England or by the discretion of the committee from other areas or the world, will be eligible for membership.
B: All candidates for membership shall make a written application to the secretary by post or email and on completion of the membership application form should send that to the secretary with the current years’ Subscription.
C: The committee has the power to reject any candidate for membership by a two-thirds majority. However, it cannot refuse membership, or grant membership on less favourable terms (such as by applying different conditions or fees) because the person has a protected characteristic – disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. The committee will provide a rejected candidate with the grounds for rejection.
D: Membership does not entail any liability upon the society, officers or committee for private or public acts of any member, unless there was prior authority of the committee, recorded in writing in the society minutes and signed by the committee.
E: Every candidate for membership shall agree to be bound by the constitution and rules of the society as currently in force.
Article 3.
A: Any member may be suspended for non-payment of their subscription.
B: Suspension for non-payment shall be instigated if the payment is not made by three months after the due date or at the discretion of the committee.
C: No member maybe suspended or expelled from the Society or subjected to any other disciplinary action save upon a two-thirds majority vote of the committee. In any event no disciplinary action can be taken against the member because the person has a protected characteristic – disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
D: Any member who is the subject of proposed disciplinary action shall be notified in advance of the Committee considering the issue of the grounds on which such action is contemplated and be permitted to make representations in an appropriate form to the Committee about such action before it votes on the issue.
Article 4.
A: The organisation of the society shall be conducted by a committee made up of the executive officers of the Society being the chair, secretary, treasurer and online media manager, the founder members and [three] lay members of it.
B: The Society shall hold an Annual General Meeting (A.G.M.) of all its members each year not later than 15 months after the last such Meeting. The Meeting maybe held online.
C: The said Officers of the Society and lay members of the Committee shall be elected at the A.G.M.
D: The A.G.M. shall also elect a deputy for each of the Society’s officers. The deputy maybe a lay member of the Executive Committee and if not shall be a member of it by virtue of their position. The purpose of appointing deputies is to mitigate against the loss of a committee member whether by resignation or otherwise and thus to safeguard the interests of the society.
E: Nominations for the Officers, Deputies and lay members of the committee should be with the secretary fourteen days ahead of the A.G.M. with the consent of the nominee.
F: The decision of the committee on all matters affecting the society even if not explicitly laid down in the constitution and rules, will be binding on all members.
G: The A.G.M. shall receive the reports of the officers of the Committee in respect of the period since the last A.G.M. and a Treasurer’s report.
H: An Extraordinary General meeting (E.G.M.) may be called by the Committee by resolution passed at a meeting of it or by [ten] members of the Society in writing to the Secretary specifying the matters to be discussed at it. The notice of the E.G.M. shall state the business to be conducted there at and no other matters will be permitted to be raised at it.
I: All members shall receive 14 days’ notice of any A.G.M. or E.G.M.
Article 5.
A: The chair will preside at all general meetings and meetings of the committee. The Secretary shall ensure that the Chair receives notice of all such meetings. If for any reason the chair cannot attend such meeting his or her deputy shall preside in his or her place.
B: At all meetings, committee or general meetings, the chair will have the casting vote. Any resolution at the A.G.M. or an E.G.M. shall be passed if there are at least 10 members present and by a two-thirds majority.
Article 6.
A: The Secretary and deputy keeps the minutes of the society meetings and shall handle the correspondence of the society.
B: All members on application will be required to agree to their details being held by the society during the course of their membership for the administration and running of the society. Members should inform the secretary of any change of their details and the secretary will confirm that this is done. This is to comply with the requirements of UK GDPR (UK General Data Protection Regulations). Details of members will not be passed to other members outside the executive committee or any other individual without the express consent of the member concerned and this consent will be recorded.
C: Once a member has left the society all the personal details held will be destroyed save that they will be exceptionally retained in the case of any active dispute, not limited to financial matters, until that dispute has been resolved.
D: Members sent email notification of the details for the Zoom meetings of the society should not advertise or disseminate by any means these details to non-members without the permission of the Chair and Secretary, such permission being subject to ratification at the meeting in question.
Article 7.
A: The treasurer and appointed deputy shall receive all monies. No monies will be expended other than regular maintenance of ordinary expenses, unless ordered by the committee.
B: The treasurer shall keep strict account of all monies received and dispersed and retain receipts. At the A.G.M. the treasurer shall produce a written report to show the financial position of the society, certified by an appointed accounts examiner.
C: The treasurer’s accounts will at reasonable times be open to examination by the committee but also by any member on receipt of a request, giving a 21 days’ notice period.
D: The treasurer shall maintain a bank account for the society which will have multiple signatories of at least two other members on the committee, including the deputy treasurer, to protect the funds of the society and member interests.
E: The treasurer shall receive on behalf of the committee all fees and subscriptions from the secretary. The treasurer shall issue electronic receipts for subscriptions and monies received.
Article 8.
A: The constitution and rules of the society can only be altered, amended or modified at an A.G.M. or E.G.M. by a two-thirds vote. No less than fourteen days’ notice shall be given to all members of a motion to alter, amend or modify the constitution and rules.
Article 9.
A: The annual subscription should be at the rate agreed at the A.G.M. each year and until amended. It will be liable for payment on the 1st January each year.
Article 10.
A: Each member is a subscriber for the year and until resignation is sent and received in writing (post or email) by the secretary.
B: Every member should notify the secretary of any change of address or email and the Society will not be liable for any loss or delay by a failure to do so. Communication with a member will be deemed to have been made if an email is sent to the address lodged with the secretary when the member joined the society
or as later amended.
Version 1.1 – October 2021
Founder members:
Prof. Paul N Davey FRPSL
Miss Margaret A Emerson
Mrs Dawn M Johnson
Mr Michael R Thompson
SEEOPS 