Morpeth & District U3A - Policies
Morpeth & District U3A - Policies
(Revision 4 Dated 29 Jan 2020)
1. AGM
1) Official notices of the AGM together with the agenda, minutes of the previous year’s meeting, financial statements and annual report are to be sent to members by e-mail, post, or delivered by hand at least 3 weeks before the AGM. Couples will receive only one set, provided it is addressed to both persons.
2) Nomination papers for officers and committee members to be available at General Meetings, or on request. Nominations are to be received at least 2 weeks before the AGM.
2. Constitution.
The constitution will be reviewed at appropriate intervals.
3. Correspondence
Business Secretary should screen correspondence as follows:
1) For committee attention, copies to committee members
2) General information for members should be placed on the notice board and/or be communicated to members if considered of interest.
3) Other/junk mail to be dealt with by the Business Secretary
4. Committee Meetings
1) Minutes and agenda to be sent out by email.
2) Acceptance of Code of Conduct by committee members should be included in the agenda of the first meeting after the AGM
3) AOB should be included as an agenda item.
4) The minutes of committee meetings should be issued within 10 days of the meeting.
5) Financial statements should be produced every three months.
6) Items for the agenda should be submitted to the Business Secretary by the weekend before the meeting.
7) Committee minutes need only to be kept as a written record for 2 years, and then transferred to an electronic record/flash drive. Paper records older than 2 years to be destroyed.
5.Finance.
1) A pool of three signatories is required for the bank account to operate. All banking must be done by the Treasurer or the Membership Secretary.
2) Expenses can be claimed by members attending meetings as representatives of
Morpeth U3A. Also in some instances larger “out of pocket” expenses may need to be provided in advance. Mileage expenses set at 35p per mile.
3) Speakers’ expenses budget will be set by the committee annually. Any savings (e.g.
a cancelled meeting, members being speakers and therefore unpaid) could free up money for a higher fee speaker. Also to possibly have, once a year, a top class speaker with any additional cost to be offset as above, plus a small contribution from members, or from other funds.
4) We will not pursue gift aid in connection with our subs
5) A sum should be set aside to cover the expenses of a member attending
the annual National Conference. The committee will decide whether or not to allow this
payment, bearing in mind that attendance should benefit the membership and not just the individual concerned. A report of the proceedings would be a requirement.
6.General Meetings
1) General Meetings should take place on the last Tuesday of the month.
2) Speakers from Charities can receive expenses. Individuals can contribute to a voluntary collection with the proviso that a plate is placed at the back, and not handed round.
3) After receiving emails from public bodies asking us to circulate our members with their information, it was agreed that someone from such an organisation may be invited to address the General Meeting after the speaker.
4) Guest speakers to be allowed one hour, and any additional speaker ten to fifteen minutes after the guest speaker.
5) The Chairman should inform speakers at General Meetings that their allotted time is one hour, including questions. It would then be the responsibility of the Chairman to intervene if the time was exceeded.
6) A register will be taken at the start of each meeting and anyone leaving early will be noted.
7.Membership
1) It is permissible for members of other U3As to join our groups provided it does not prevent our members from joining.
2) Associate Members. Fully paid up members of other U3As can attend Morpeth and District General Meetings and Group meetings, but would pay the associate membership fee. Where a charge is involved for group meetings (e.g. hall hire), they would pay at the same rate as Morpeth members.
3) Membership fees to be set annually and any changes to be brought to the AGM.
4) Anyone joining after January will pay half the annual fee. A new member joining in July or August would be asked to pay the full fee then, but nothing more in September.
5) For insurance purposes, Group Leaders are responsible for ensuring that all members of their group are current U3A members. (Non members are allowed to attend two “taster sessions,” after which they must become a member). Failure to confirm an individual’s membership could lead to group leader’s being unprotected by U3A insurance. Morpeth membership can be checked by the submission of a list of group members to the Membership Secretary on an annual basis, or by the production of a current membership booklet.
6) The Membership Secretary should pass new members’ names, phone numbers and email addresses to the Groups Co-ordinator, and be permitted to supply to that person the contact details of group leaders.
7) In the event of the death of a member, no mention should be made in the News Sheet or at a General Meeting, and members should only be informed at the request of the deceased’s family.
8) The Membership Secretary and BEACON administrator should be the only people to hold the full database for Morpeth U3A. BEACON is the U3A administration software package used by Morpeth U3A.
9). Letters should be sent to members who have retired or resigned, thanking them for their membership, at the discretion of the Membership Secretary.
10) The application form will include a request for details of membership of other U3As.
8.News Sheet/Publicity/Website
1) Edited versions of group reports will be included on the website, but full versions should be published in the Newsletter.
2) Members with email addresses should only be emailed items of U3A business.
3) Newsletters to be issued on a monthly basis except in August and December.
4) The Business Secretary will pass details of future events to the Newsletter Co-ordinator, who will incorporate them in the Newsletter.
5) Reports of our activities should be sent to the Morpeth Herald. Contact to be the Media Officer + phone number.
6) A calendar of events is to be put on the website.
7) Committee dates are to be included under "Future Events".
9.Emergency Evacuation
1) The Emergency Evacuation procedure will be reviewed annually or earlier if required.
10.General
1) Paying tutors is contrary to the ethos of the U3A, but this can be reviewed in the future if it was deemed essential to have a paid specialist tutor.
2) The Code of Conduct is valid for all groups.
3) Code of Conduct for members:
Members of Morpeth and District U3A should at all times show respect, courtesy and consideration to other members.
All mobile phones will be switched off or put on silent mode before each meeting commences.
Group members will commit to listening to, and respecting, others’ opinions, without interruption. However, if any member fails to do so and therefore causes distress to any other member, the group leader, and/or Committee, have the right to ask for that behavior to change. Failure to conform may result in exclusion from the group, and in extreme cases, the termination of membership of Morpeth and District U3A in accordance with 5(iv) of our constitution.