COMMITTEE AND CONSTITUTION
The Committee
Sue Ridley, Kexwith (Chair), John Metcalfe, Ingleton (Vice Chair), Robert Clarkson, Low Row, Kenneth Hird, Whashton, Richard Spensley, Castle Bolton, David Hodgson, Askrigg, David Smith, Danby, Robert Ventress, Littlebeck, Clive Welford, Scaling, Harold Brown, Grinton, Roger Scarr, Askrigg, Tom Metcalfe, Usha Gap, Herbert Tindall, Danby. Ian Bell, Askrigg website consultant.
There are co-opted members from The Yorkshire Dales National Park and The North Yorkshire Moors National Park
the CONSTITUTION AND RULES OF THE ASSOCIATION
1. Name
The name of the association is the Federation of Yorkshire Commoners and
Moorland Graziers (“the Federation”)
2. Objectives
2.1 To be a representative voice to support and protect the commons and upland graziers of Yorkshire.
2.2.1 To assist graziers and their associations in the protection and improvement of their rights.
2.2.2 To support better collaboration amongst commoners and all other users.
2.2.3 To support any initiative which enable hill farming to be a worthwhile and economically viable activity
2.2.4 To promote positive management of the environment by commoners and graziers
2.2.5 To improve public understanding of the grazing areas
2.2.6 To these ends, to engage with all interested parties to put forward the case of the commoners in a vigorous and constructive manner.
2.3 In particular the Federation shall have the following powers
2.3.1 To appoint and remunerate officials and agents to carry out the activities and responsibilities of the Federation and to remove them when appropriate. Members of the Committee may be so appointed and remunerated to carry out work for the Federation where the cost is funded through the Federation by a third party or directly by a third party
2.3.2 To raise revenue by means of subscriptions on commoners and graziers or associations of commoners and graziers to defray the administration and other costs of the Federation consonant with the objects of the Federation.
3 Membership
3.1 Every person who has registered rights on any common in Yorkshire or who is a member of a Commoners Association or Upland Grazier shall be eligible to be a member of the Federation and shall be entitled to attend and vote at any general meeting of the Federation. The names and addresses of members shall be kept by the Administrator of the Federation and shall be available for inspection by any member.
3.2 A member shall cease to be a member
3.2.1 if he/she gives the Administrator written notice of his resignation as a member
3.2.2. if the member having committed some act or been guilty of some behaviour inconsistent with membership of the Federation the committee resolves by a majority of three quarters to remove him/her from membership
3.2.3 if he/she ceases to have an interest as specified at 3.1 above
3.2.4 if he/she failed to pay any members subscription agreed at a general meeting within 3
months of the date of that meeting
4 Officers and Committee
4.1 The Federation shall have a Chairman and Deputy Chairman and an Administrator.
4.2 The Federation will have a Committee
5 The Committee
5.1 The Committee shall be elected by and from members at an annual general meeting
of the Federation in accordance with the following rules.
5.2 The Committee shall have up to 13 members including the Chairman and the DeputyChairman eight of the committee shall be a member who is a commoner or moorland grazier (upland farmer)
5.3. Members of the Committee will remain in office until the next annual general . meeting of the Federation when the new Committee is elected. Any member of the Committee may stand for re-election provided that every member who has served on the Committee for three consecutive years shall stand down and will not be re-elected for at least 12 months.
5.4. The Administrator will circulate members to invite nominations for representatives six or more weeks before an annual general meeting.
5.5 Nominations for representative members on the Committee must be made four weeks or more before an annual general meeting at which each place will be filled by an election.
5.6 Candidates nominated as a representative member must be a grazier or member of a Commons Association.
5.7 The election of the Committee will proceed as follows:
5.7.1 Each member will be entitled to vote at the annual general meeting
5.7.2. the newly elected committee members will elect a Chairman and a Deputy Chairman at their first Committee meting and will appoint a Treasurer and any other officers required.
5.8 A person will cease to be a member of the Committee.
5.8.1 if he/she ceases to be a grazier.
5.8.2 if he/she suffers from any mental disorder.
5.8.3. if he/she fails to attend three consecutive meetings of the Committee without giving an acceptable reason to other members of the Committee.
5.8.4 if he/she resigns their office by written notice to the Administrator of the Federation
5.9 The Committee may co-opt members of the Federation to attend the Committee to fill any vacancy. The Committee may also invite any other people to serve on the Committee, including past Committee members who have served three consecutive years members of the Committee will have a vote
5.10. The Committee will appoint an Administrator who will act as Secretary to the Committee and record the minutes of the Committee.
5.11 The quorum at a Committee will be a third of members present.
5.12 A Committee member is not entitled to appoint an alternative proxy to act as a Committee member on his/her behalf.
5.13. The Committee decides questions by a majority vote and in the case if a tie the Chairman will have a second casting vote.
5.14 The Committee is responsible for managing the affairs of the Federation, and subject only to a resolution of a general meeting, is to perform all the duties and exercise all all the powers of the Federation other than the fixing of an annual subscription for members which shall be resolved at an annual meeting.
5.15 The Committee shall require the Administrator to keep proper books of accounts and to have the same inspected by a suitable person and presented to each annual general meeting for approval.
5.16 The Committee may delegate any of its powers to any one or more of its members or to an agent of the Federation. The committee will have no power to delegate irrevocably.
6 General Meetings
6.1 All members are entitled to attend and vote at general meetings.
6.2 A general meeting is called by the Administrator on behalf of the Committee (if there is no Administrator by those requiring the meeting) giving at least 21 days to all those entitled to attend. The notice must state the date, time and place of the meeting the text of any resolution to be proposed and the general nature of the business to be transacted. It must also state that a member has a right to appoint a proxy who need not be a member, to attend and vote at the meeting on his behalf. A proxy shall carry and produce to the meeting if required sufficient written authority from any member appointing him/he
6.3 In cases of emergency a meeting may be called with less than 21 days notice.
6.4 At each annual general meeting after the date of this Agreement members will elect the members of the Committee in accordance with 5 above. Members will also fix any annual subscription and appoint an inspector of books
6.5. An annual general meeting is to be held every year within the months of November or December.
6.6 Notice of an annual general meeting must name it as such.
6.7. Other general meetings are to be called when either required by the Committee or by at least 10% of members.
6.8 A quorum for a general meeting will be 20% of members or their proxies.
6.9 Voting at a general meeting will be by show of hands or a recorded vote if required by 5 or more members on any issue, one vote per member. In the case of a tie the Chairman will have a second casting vote
6.10 Minutes of a general meeting will be taken by the Administrator or in his/her absence by another appointed by the Chairman, and will be put before the next general meeting for approval.
6.11 A general meeting in this Agreement includes an annual general meeting.
7 General
7.1 A member is entitles to inspect the minutes of general meetings and of CommitteeMeetings and the accounting records, correspondence and other documents belonging to the Federation, upon reasonable written notice to the Chairman the Deputy Chairman or the Administrator.
7.2 A notice given under these rules may be sent by post to a member or the Administrator at his/her last address notified to the Federation.
7.3 No member of the Committee will be responsible or liable for any loss suffered by by the Federation as a result of the discharge of his/her duties on its behalf except such loss as arises from his/her wilful default, and he/she shall be entitled to be indemnified out of the assets of the Federation for all expenses and other liabilities incurred by him/her in the discharge of his/her duties.
7.4 Changes to these rules may be made at an annual general meeting and will require a 60% majority of those present.
7.5 Documents and agreements may be signed by 2 officers of the Committee
7.6 Cheques may be signed by 2 members of the Committee appointed by the Committee for the purpose.
7.7 The Treasurer will cause the Federation’s annual accounts to be independently inspected and presented to each annual general meeting.
