SGM - Special General Meeting May 9th
Our Current Constitution has been in place since our founding, and was last amended in 2018. There are various limitations with our current constitution so the Committee propose that we adopt a New Constitution based on the Model Constitution supplied by the Third Age Trust. We are a charity, and this new constitution has been approved by the Charity Commission.
For us to adopt a new Constitution, we need to hold a "Special General Meeting" (SGM) to which all members are invited. We have given notice that this SGM will be held as the first part of our regular Open Meeting on May 9th at 2pm in the Corn Exchange.
There will be only one item on the agenda for our Special General Meeting - the proposal that we adopt the New Constitution. We use the rules of our current Constitution when we vote on the proposal, thus:
- Because this is an adjourned SGM, the quorum will be the members that come.
- If the proposal is passed by two thirds of those present and voting, then the new Constitution takes effect immediately.
For your information, both the current and new Constitutions are available to download from the links on the right.
Peter has done a Constitution Analysis comparing the old and new Constitutions in detail. If you have any questions, or would like any further explanation of how the new differs from our old Constitution, please contact Peter Cooper.
Key differences
| Topic | Current | New |
| Quorum | 20% (of our membership) | 10% (including proxies) |
| Voting | Must be in person | Also permits us to offer proxies and electronic |
| Trustees | Not mentioned, but by law every committee member is a trustee | Explicitly uses the term 'trustee' - the trustees together are the committee (see below) |
| Committee Numbers | 4 Officers + 6 others | 4 Officers + 8 others |
| Elections | "En bloc" voting practiced (not allowed) | If too many are nominated there must be a ballot |
| Co-options | 2 allowed | 3 allowed |
| Length of continuous service | Only Chair and Vice-Chair limited to 3 years without a break | Every trustee limited to 3 years (in the same role) without a break |
| Total length of service | Unspecified | A maximum of 9 years |
| Nominations | Must be in writing 14 days before AGM | Must be in writing 7 days before AGM |
| If no nominations for an Officer role | Appeal possible at AGM | Will need to adjourn and reconvene |
| Committee meetings | Must be in person | Also allows electronic |
Want to find out more?
Peter Cooper and committee medmbers have been available in previous meetings to give out printed copies of documents and answer questions. If you want to discuss anything before the SGM please email via the blue envelope. The SGM itself is for voting on the resolution.
Trustees
Note that before the AGM there will need to be more about the role of Trustees, but this "Role of the Trustees is to support" is a useful diagram of their role in St Ives (Cambs) u3a.