Constitution

1. Title

1.1 The Society shall be called the “Thatcham Historical Society”

2. Objects

2.1 The functions of the Society are:

• To promote interest in the local history of Thatcham and district, and historical matters in general.
• To arrange a regular programme of speaker meetings and visits to places of historical interest.
• To initiate and encourage research into the history of Thatcham and district and to publish results as and when necessary.
• To support attempts to promote an interest in local history elsewhere in the county where appropriate.

3. Membership

3.1 Full membership of the Society shall normally be open to any applicant, whether resident in Thatcham or not, although the Society reserves the right to refuse membership in individual cases.

3.2 Full membership of the Society shall be dependent upon payment of the appropriate subscription, at a rate to be determined by the Society’s committee and ratified at an Annual General Meeting.

3.3 Subscriptions for full membership shall normally be due at the start of each calendar year, but may be taken out during the year (and a reduced rate allowed at the discretion of the Treasurer).

3.4 If any full member’s subscription be in arrears for three months then his/her full membership shall be deemed to have lapsed.

4. Facilities

4.1 Society meetings shall normally be open to both full members and to “visitors” (i.e. non-members) but the latter will be required to make payment at the current rate at each meeting attended.

4.2 Society visits shall normally be open to both full members and to visitors on payment of the appropriate fee where necessary; however, in the event of a visit being over-subscribed, priority will be given to full members of the Society.

4.3 Full members shall (as far as possible) receive the benefits applicable to members of any organisation of which the Thatcham Historical Society has corporate membership.

4.4 Any facilities or services offered by the Society may be reserved for the exclusive use of full members only, at the discretion of the Society’s committee.

5. Officers

5.1 The Society shall have an Honorary President who will normally be the current Headmaster of Kennet School.

5.2 There will be an elected committee comprising:

• A Chairman
• A Secretary
• A Treasurer
• As many other committee members as are required

5.3 The Society’s accounts shall be examined annually by an Honorary Auditor – this officer must not be a member of the Society’s committee.

5.4 Any full member of the Society will be eligible for election to the committee. Nominations should be made with the knowledge of the nominee and must be proposed and seconded either at the AGM or in writing beforehand.

6. Government

6.1 The Society will hold an Annual General Meeting – this will normally be the January meeting each year. Only full members of the Society will have voting rights in business matters.

6.2 The election of the committee for the ensuing year will take place at the AGM.

6.3 The Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer are eligible for re-election but none may serve for more than four successive years in the same post. There is no such restriction on the other committee members, who are eligible for re-election for as many years as they care to offer their services.

6.4 The Society’s committee shall meet at least three times a year. A quorum of the committee shall be three members of the committee.

6.5 Ordinary meetings (including the AGM) and committee meetings shall be arranged by the Secretary but under the control of the Chairman. Extraordinary General Meetings may be convened at any time at the written request of six full members, specifying the reasons and business.

6.6 The Secretary shall give each full member an individual written or electronic notification at least seven days in advance of any AGM or EGM.

7. Property

7.1 In the event of the winding up of the Society, the Society’s assets shall be disposed of by an existing committee or committee members such that:

• The whole of the Society’s funds be granted to the Kennet School PTA for its own use.
• Any books and other publications be offered to the Kennet School Library.
• Any original documents or other written materials be offered to the Berkshire County Records Office.
• Any photographic and similar materials be offered to West Berkshire Museum.

8. Alteration of Rules

8.1 No new rule shall be passed or existing rule amended unless proposed and seconded in writing and then presented for discussion and voted upon at an Ordinary meeting of the Society.

Revised January 2017