Albert Barnes House
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RULES - THE CONSTITUTION

Open to all residents, the Association is governed by an elected Committee. Key activities include annual general meetings, advocacy, and community improvement initiatives, all guided by a constitution that emphasizes cooperation, fairness, and respect for diversity.
RULES - THE CONSTITUTION
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NAME

  1. The Association shall be known as ALBERT BARNES HOUSE Tenants and Residents Association.

OBJECTS

2. The objects of the Association shall be:

  • to promote the exercise of tenants' and residents' rights and the maintenance and improvement of their housing conditions, amenities and environment;
  • to provide facilities for recreation and amenity and to encourage a community spirit;
  • for the furtherance of these objects to represent the interests of tenants in consultation with the local authority and other bodies.
  • to promote the harmonious functioning of a multi-racial community.

3. The Association shall have the power to affiliate to any body whose objects may be of benefit to its membership.

MEMBERSHIP

4. Membership shall be open to all Tenants and Residents of Albert Barnes House irrespective of nationality, race, colour, political or religious belief, age, sexual orientation or disabilities.

5. Each eligible person shall on request be issued by the Secretary with a copy of the Constitution.

6. It shall be a condition of membership that members at all times conduct themselves in a reasonable manner at meetings or in premises used by the Association. Any member may be excluded for breach of condition, or for any other conduct contravening the objects of the Association, by a majority of those present and voting at any Committee or General Meeting. Any member so excluded shall have a right of appeal to the following General Meeting.

7. Any subscriptions or other monies raised by or on behalf of the Association shall only be applied in furtherance of the objects of the Association.

CONDUCT OF BUSINESS

8. The business of the Association shall be conducted by a Committee elected at each Annual General Meeting, which shall consist of a Chairperson, Treasurer, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary and not less than four other members or associate members. No two or more officers shall be elected from the same household, and no officer shall hold office for more than three consecutive years. The composition of the Committee shall as far as possible represent the multi-racial character of the estate.

9. Elected councillors of the Landlord authority shall not be eligible for election as officers of the Association, nor shall they represent the Association in its dealings with the Council or any other body.

10. The election or removal of Officers or Committee Members may only be carried out by a General Meeting of the Association. The Committee may temporarily fill any vacancy arising among the officers of the Association from its other members until the next General Meeting of members.

COMMITTEE

11. The Committee shall meet as necessary and not less than ten times in each year. Committee Meetings shall be open to any member of the Association wishing to attend who may speak but not vote.

GENERAL MEETINGS

12. Not less than two of the committee's meetings shall be General Meetings of the Association open to all members of the Association shall be binding on the Committee. All decisions shall be taken by a simple majority of full (tenant and resident) members present and voting.
All members shall be given not less than seven days' notice of any General meeting.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

13. The Committee shall call an Annual General Meeting of the Association each year in the month of OCTOBER/NOV.
Not less than 14 days' notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be given to all members and all those eligible for membership.

At this meeting :

  • the Committee shall present an annual report of the Association;
  • sub-committees and representatives to other organisations shall present an annual report and accounts of their activities;
  • the Committee shall present the audited accounts of the Association for the previous year;
  • the Officers, Committee for the next year shall be elected;
  • any proposals submitted to the Secretary in writing not less than seven days in advance of the meeting shall be discussed.

SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING

14. The Secretary shall call a Special General Meeting at the request of a majority of the Committee; or on receipt of a written petition by not less than 15 Members of the Association giving reasons for their request. The Secretary shall give not less than seven days' notice of the holding of a Special General Meeting, which shall take place within 21 days of the receipt of the request or petition.

QUORUM

15. The quorum for Committee Meetings of the Association shall be one-third of its elected member- ship, or 4 members, whichever is the greater. The quorum for all General Meetings shall be one-third of membership or 12 members whichever is the less.

NOTICE OF MEETINGS

16. Notice of all meetings where required shall be sent to each member's dwelling and shall include the date, time and place of the meeting and an Agenda of matters to be discussed.


SUB-COMMITTEES

17. The Committee may appoint such sub-committees as may be required to carry out the activities of the Association. Such sub-committee shall be directly accountable to the Committee. The Committee shall agree in advance the terms of reference of any sub- committee, which may then act and apply any finance raised by itself or on its behalf only within those terms. The Chairperson and Treasurer of the Association shall be ex-officio members of any sub-committee.

18. Where any sub-committee is to continue in existence beyond the Annual General Meeting following its appointment, its members shall submit themselves for re-election at that meeting and annually thereafter.

19. All sub-committees shall keep proper accounts of income and expenditure, and a report record of all meetings, and shall report on them or deliver them up as required by the Committee or General Meeting.

  1. The Committee or General Meeting may dissolve any sub-committee whereupon the accounts, records and assets, financial and otherwise of the sub-committee shall pass into the hands of the committee.

DUTIES OF OFFICERS

  1. The CHAIRPERSON (or in his/her absence the Vice-Chairperson or other Committee Member) shall conduct the meetings of the Association.
  2. The TREASURER shall open and maintain a banking account in the name of the Association. All cheques shall be signed by the Treasurer and one or two other Committee members nominated by the Committee as signatories. The Treasurer shall keep proper accounts of income and expenditure and report on them or deliver them up as required by the Committee or General Meeting. Such accounts shall be audited by a qualified accountant or a non-member of the Association.
  3. THE SECRETARY shall be responsible for the convening of all meetings and the giving of the prescribed notice to members. S/he shall ensure that a proper record is kept of all meetings of the Association its Committee and sub-committees in the form of minutes and shall deliver up such records as required by the Committee or General Meeting. The Secretary shall permit the minutes to be examined on receipt of not less than 7 days notice by any two members of the Association. S/he shall maintain a register of Members of the Association.
  4. Any member(s) or Officer(s) delegated to represent the Association in consultation with any other body shall act on the instructions of the Association and shall report back to the following Committee or General Meeting, whichever is the sooner. Only Full Members of the Association shall be delegated to consult with the local authority on matters of housing management.

ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION

  1. Any Proposal to alter this Constitution must be submitted to the Secretary of the Association not less than 28 days before the General meeting at which it is to be discussed. Not less than 14 days notice shall be given of such a meeting, together with wording of the proposed alteration(s). Any alteration shall require the approval of two-thirds of those present and voting at the meeting.

DISSOLUTION

  1. If the Committee, or if a Committee no longer exists, any ten members of the Association, shall decide that the Association should be dissolved, they shall give at least 14 days notice to all those eligible for membership of a meeting at which the matter shall be discussed.
    For the sole purpose of dissolution a quorum need not apply, and the Association may be dissolved by a two-thirds majority of those present. The assets, financial and otherwise, remaining when the Association has satisfied its liabilities, shall be applied for such purposes of benefit to the community as the meeting shall decide.
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