Branch Constitution

1: NAME AND DEFINITIONS

  • The name of the group is the ‘British Cactus & Succulent Society (BCSS), Rother Valley Branch’ (“The Branch”).
  • The Branch is a not-for-profit interest group affiliated to the BCSS but is financially independent and is not part of the charitable status of the BCSS.
  • Members of the BCSS who live in the catchment area are automatically members of The Branch unless they ask to be assigned to a different BCSS branch. Likewise, BCSS members outside the catchment area may nominate themselves to be members of The Branch.
  • The Branch shall wherever possible reflect the aims and objectives of the BCSS and abide by any rules that it may be asked to follow as an affiliate group of the BCSS. However, ultimately, the running of The Branch is at the discretion of the Committee.

2: OBJECTIVES

  • To provide a meeting forum in the Hasting, Battle and Eastbourne area for growers and collectors of cacti and other succulent plants, and to encourage interest in their cultivation and conservation amongst the wider public.

3: ACTIVITIES

  • The Branch will meet monthly (except in December), normally on the second Thursday, at a suitable venue in the Hastings area.
  • Meetings are open to all BCSS members as well as to non-members with an interest in cacti and succulents. There is no charge for entry to branch meetings.
  • When it is not possible to meet in person due to Government restrictions, and at other times as decided by the Committee, meetings may be held using an internet conferencing service.
  • Other activities of The Branch may include displays and shows at garden centres and other locations, and trips to nurseries and similar places of interest (including members’ greenhouses).

4: PROMOTION

  • The Branch shall promote itself and the BCSS through local activities, events and advertising as the Committee deem appropriate.

5: COMMITTEE AND OFFICERS

  • The Committee shall consist of the following:
    • Officers: Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer
    • Committee Members: Any Branch member who wishes to serve on the Committee – either in a specific or undefined role – may be duly elected at the AGM or co-opted by the Committee in the course of the year.
  • Officers and Committee Members shall be appointed for a one year term but may be reappointed.
  • Appointment of Officers and Committee Members shall be made at the AGM each year, but in the event of a vacancy or the identification of a specific need the Committee may appoint an acting Officer or Committee Member until the next AGM.
  • All committee members must be members of Rother Valley Branch.

6: COMMITTEE MEETINGS

  • The Committee shall agree the business of the Branch by email correspondence and by meetings, either in person or using an internet conferencing service.
  • A quorum for a committee meeting shall comprise three people, one of whom shall be the Secretary or Chairman.

7: ACCOUNTS

  • The Branch’s financial year will be 1 April to 31 March.
  • The Treasurer shall keep records of all income and expenditure and prepare accounts at the end of the financial year for presentation to the Committee and members of The Branch. This will normally be at the AGM.
  • The Treasurer shall be responsible for the management of the Branch bank account. The signature or online secure digital instruction of any one of the authorised signatories shall be sufficient to make any payment on the Branch’s account. There shall normally be two authorised signatories for this purpose.
  • The annual accounts will be audited by a BCSS member from another branch or by any suitably qualified person (eg, accountant or bookkeeper).

8: ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

  • The AGM will normally be held in April where the Committee will report on the year’s activities, including finances, and provide an opportunity for members to input their ideas and to ask questions.
  • Members at the AGM will vote on the appointment and reappointment of Officers and Committee Members, nominations for which must be received in writing (by letter or email) by the Branch Secretary no later than 24 hours before the start of the AGM.
  • Only BCSS Rother Valley Branch members (Full, Senior, Junior and Affiliate) shall be permitted to vote on the business of the Branch. A person will be deemed a member of the Branch if registered as such in the records of the Membership Secretary of the BCSS.

9: TERMINATION OF THE BRANCH

  • The Branch shall only be terminated following agreement by the Committee and a majority of members of the Branch. On termination, all Branch funds held shall be sent to the BCSS Treasurer with a request to send the funds back to a nearby Branch that is continuing to operate, or to Zone 12, as the Committee and a majority of members agree.

Updated and approved on 22 March 2022.