The Overton Photographic Club Constitution
- The Club shall be called “Overton Photographic Club”, hereafter referred to as “the Club”.
- The object of the Club shall be to provide its members with activities to develop their enjoyment and skills of photography by meeting with like-minded colleagues, the exchange of ideas, friendly cooperation and assistance, and to achieve this through organised meetings and competitions.
- The Club is affiliated to the Southern Counties Photographic Federation (SCPF) of the Photographic Association of Great Britain (PAGB).
- Membership is open to all applicants over the age of 13, regardless of age or photographic ability.
- The Club shall consist of Honorary Members and Full Members.
- Full Members will complete a Membership Application Form and pay the current membership fee. Membership will become effective upon an applicant’s name being entered into the Membership Register and upon receipt of the membership fee.
- The annual general meeting shall have the power to award Honorary Membership, in which case, no membership fee will be required.
- The Club welcomes visitors to all its meetings. A fee is payable at the discretion of the Committee.
- Young persons under the age of 18 or vulnerable adults must be accompanied by their parent, guardian or designated carer at all times whilst attending Club events.
- The annual membership fee and guest fees shall be determined at the annual general meeting.
- Only Members may enter our Club competitions. By entering, each Member agrees that the Club may have full use of their image on the website and other digital media and, if selected, in external Club competitions.
- Members may borrow equipment belonging to the club at the discretion of the Committee. A nominal charge may apply.
- A member shall cease to be a member of the Club from the date that he/she gives notice of resignation to the Club Committee.
- A member of the Club whose annual subscription is more than three months in arrears shall be deemed to have resigned.
- A member of the club deemed guilty of misconduct may be cautioned or expelled by a majority decision of the Club Committee. Any person expelled shall have a right of appeal to the Club Committee within 28 days of the expulsion decision.
- Anyone who has had their application for membership refused or had their membership revoked may not attend Club meetings.
- The day-to-day governance of the Club shall be controlled by the Club Committee.
- The Club Committee shall be appointed at an annual general meeting for one year and may offer themselves for re-election.
- Co-opted members shall cease to be Club Committee members at the annual general meeting following their co-option, unless elected or co-opted again.
- The Club Committee shall meet at least three times each year. Committee meetings may be held face-to-face or electronically.
- The quorum for a Club Committee meeting shall be four members.
- The duties of the Club Committee shall be:
- To control the affairs of the Club on behalf of the members in accordance with the constitution.
- Leadership of Club programme meetings, including the hosting of invited judges and speakers.
- To keep accurate accounts of the finances of the Club, through the Treasurer. The accounts should be available for inspection by Club members.
- To authorise the holding of a bank account and determine who shall be authorised bank signatories.
- To co-opt additional members to the Club Committee, where necessary.
- To appoint sub-committees as necessary to undertake Club business.
- To endeavour to make decisions by consensus, but otherwise by means of a simple majority vote of the elected members. In the case of equal votes, the Chair shall have the casting vote.
- To deal with the unexpected in such manner as circumstances permit and always within the law and in the best interests of the Club members.
- To protect members’ information and comply with Data Privacy legislation as appropriate. See Appendix 1.
- In the management and operation of the Club, where there are references in this document to notices, circulation, meetings, attendance etc., use may be made of electronic communication, including e-mail and video conferencing as appropriate to circumstances.
- The annual general meeting (AGM) of the club will be held, when possible, during the month of May.
- The business of an AGM shall include minutes of the previous AGM, annual report of the committee, statement of accounts and election of officers and committee.
- A special general meeting (SGM) may be called at any time by the committee or upon receipt of a requisition stating the special business of the requested SGM, signed by one quarter of the members.
- Twenty-one days’ notice of an AGM or SGM must be given to all members.
- The quorum for an AGM or SGM shall be at least twenty percent of the Club membership.
- Nomination of candidates for election of Officers or Committee members shall be proposed and seconded by two members and should be submitted to the Secretary in advance of the meeting. In the event of insufficient nominations being received in advance, further nominations can be accepted from the floor of the meeting, subject to proposal and seconding.
- Motions for resolutions to alter the Club constitution must be submitted to the secretary at least twenty-eight days in advance of an AGM or SGM and signed by a proposer and a seconder, both of whom must be Club members. Constitutional motions require a two thirds majority to become resolved.
- Motions for resolutions which do not alter the Club constitution must be submitted to the Secretary at least twenty-eight days in advance of an AGM or SGM and signed by a proposer and a seconder, both of whom must be Club members. Non-constitutional motions require a simple majority to be resolved. In the event of a tie, the Chairman’s vote shall decide.
- If at any General Meeting of the Club, a resolution is passed calling for the dissolution of the Club, or if the Club shall cease being active for a minimum of twelve months, then the Club Committee, or remaining caucus thereof, shall arrange its closure.
- Club assets will be offered first to the person who provided/donated them.
- Any remaining funds will be donated to a charity of the Club’s choosing.
Appendix 1 – Data Protection Policy
Note: This is in addition to the Privacy Policy on this website.
- Personal data is any identifying information relating to a person either directly or indirectly by reference to identifiers such as a name, address, on line ID, location data etc. Personal data collected by the club is restricted to relevant contact details, club meeting attendance details and consent for the specified use of members’ photographic images by the Club, the SCPF and the PAGB or submission for selection in external competitions.
- Personal data shall be kept and processed by a designated membership secretary, using a personal computer where appropriate. The membership secretary shall be appointed and named at the club annual general meeting each year with the details recorded in the Minutes of the AGM.
- Compliance with this policy shall be reviewed as a specific Agenda item during the AGM and a record made in the Minutes that members do or do not agree with, and approve as satisfactory, the compliance activities carried out during the review period.
- Personal data shall be collected and processed for the sole purposes of:
- establishing or maintaining membership
- supporting the club, including consent for the use of members’ images on the OPC website by the club, the SCPF, the PAGB and in external competitions.
- providing or administering activities for either the members or those who have regular contact with the club.
- No data shall be collected which is not required for these purposes and personal data shall not be disclosed to third parties except where it is required for these purposes.
- Personal data shall be collected and consent for its use obtained annually using a written membership enrolment form which shall be retained by the membership secretary. Members are informed that they have the right to withdraw their consent in writing at any time.
- Personal contact details including E-mail addresses shall be kept as personal records by the membership secretary and not disclosed to club members outside the committee other than with their explicit consent.
- Member and visitor attendance data shall be collected in written form for safety and security reasons at each club meeting. These data may be used in anonymised form to evaluate club activities.
Updated: 5 September, 2023.
