Articles of Constitution - VATS Wine Club

 

Aims and Objectives

 

The club shall be a non-profit organisation of voluntary association.

The name of the club is the `VATS Wine Club'.

The aim of the club is to:

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• Provide a forum for members to taste and discuss wines and other beverages on an amiable basis.

• Educate members in the knowledge and enjoyment of wine and the etiquette and procedures for tasting.

• Provide closer links between the producers or distributors, and the consumers who enjoy their wines.

• To provide closer social links, wherever possible, between the members through the sharing of wine related experiences.

• To provide closer social links with other like-minded wine clubs.

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• The club shall correspond with members via email and the Internet. 

 

Meetings

 

The meetings of the club are open to members of good standing on payment of a tasting fee and provided there is capacity

(see booked tastings below).

Visitors are allowed where there is capacity, on payment of the visitor fee. Visitors should supply their own tasting glasses or 

purchase them from the treasurer if available.

Members should bring tasting glasses, for themselves and for their visitors.

Where a tasting is likely to be popular or expensive for the club, or where there is limited availability of the wines, the tasting 

co-ordinator can make it a booked tasting and adjust the normal tasting and visitor fees accordingly.

When a tasting is a booked tasting, then members and or visitors shall book via email and members will be given preference for

attendance over visitors. Once bookings have closed, members will be held liable for the tasting fee even if they cancel or do not

attend, the available capacity will be opened to visitors. Members who arrive at a booked tasting without prior booking may be 

charged the visitors fee at the discretion of the Treasurer.

 

Membership

 

Membership is open to people over the age of 18 and subject to acceptance by the committee.

Annual subscriptions shall be levied at a rate determined by the committee, and shall be valid for the calendar year.

Members shall be of good standing only if all subscriptions and fees due, are paid.

Membership may be revoked by the committee if a member behaves in a way which is in conflict with the aims of the club. 

Any annual subscriptions paid will be refunded pro-rata on request.

Members are responsible for maintaining their membership of the email list and for keeping their contact details up to date

with the secretary.

In recognition for services to the club, honorary membership may be proposed for any member, to be approved at the AGM. 

Honorary members will not be liable for annual subscriptions. A list of honorary members will be maintained by the secretary. 

Honorary membership will be for a year at a time.

 

Committee

 

The committee shall conduct the business of the club in such a manner to safeguard the assets and the aims and objectives

of the club.

Only committee members may bind the club to any financial liability, or make representations in the name of the club.

The committee shall consist of a minimum of four members and a maximum of six members of good standing.

Four members of the committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in January of each year and hold

office until the following AGM. 

A quorum for the AGM shall be twice the size of the committee plus one.

The tasting fees shall be half the normal fee for committee members and waived for the presenters.

The committee shall determine the annual subscription fees as well as the tasting and visitor fees.

The committee shall elect office bearers, of at least a Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary and Tasting Co-ordinator at their first

meeting after the AGM.

A committee member may hold the same office for as long as they are elected to given position by the members and elected committee.

The committee should meet at least four times a year or as necessary to review the finances, meeting programme and 

correspondence of the club. These meeting can be held either in person or virtual media.

Minutes of the committee meetings shall be taken and made available to members of the club.

A quorum of the committee meetings shall be a simple majority of the committee members, and resolutions passed by a 

simple majority of attendees.

The Chairman is responsible for the running of all the meetings of the club.

The Treasurer shall be responsible for administering the finances of the club, records all attendance, income received, and 

expenses paid.

A bank account may be operated without overdraft facility on behalf of the club.

The Secretary is responsible for recording of all correspondence, minutes of the AGM and the committee meetings, and

maintaining the membership list and contact details of members.

The Secretary is also responsible for communicating of all notices to members.

The Tasting co-ordinator shall be responsible for organising the tastings.

Additional committee members up to the maximum may be co-opted to the committee.

No committee member may use their association with the club for personal financial gain.

The committee may appoint any member/s of good standing to carry out specified functions on behalf of the club, such as,

for example, webmaster. The committee may, in its sole discretion, waive payment of tasting fees by any such member for

such period as it may determine.

 

Communications

 

The club shall use the Internet to communicate with its members.

Notice of meetings posted on the club website or emailed to members will be considered as having been received by members.

Members are responsible for maintaining their membership of the club email list, either directly with the list server or via the

webmaster or secretary.

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Annual General Meeting (AGM)

 

The AGM shall be held in January of each year.

A quorum for the AGM shall be twice the size of the committee plus one.

The purpose of the AGM is:

• For the Chairman to report on the previous year.

• To approve the financial statements for the previous year.

• To elect a committee. 

• Approve any changes to the club constitution.

• To approve any honorary memberships.

• Approve any other resolutions.

 

Proposed changes to the constitution, proposals for honorary membership and any other resolutions shall be communicated

to the members at least 10 days prior to the AGM.

In the event that the AGM fails to reach a quorum, a new date at least one week hence shall be set and notified to members.

At such a meeting, the members present shall constitute a quorum.

Changes to the constitution require a two thirds majority and other resolutions a simple majority to be approved.

 

Special General Meeting (SGM)

 

At the written request of one third of members of good standing, the Chairman shall convene a special general meeting of the 

club with at least 10 days notice to members.

The quorum required for the SGM shall be at least those members who called it.

Resolutions proposed for the SGM shall be notified to members at least 10 days before the meeting.

 

Dissolution

 

In the event of a resolution passed at an AGM or SGM to dissolve the club, all assets of the club shall be distributed to an

organisation with similar aims and objectives or distributed as resolved by members present at the SGM.

No member may benefit individually from the distribution of the clubs assets.

 

This constitution was approved at the AGM held on 25 January 2005 and signed by the following committee members elected at that meeting.

 

Dave Moss

Hilary Milward

Deanne Dovey

Rob Shaw 

 

Updated 24 Februay 2015

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