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COMMITTEE AND CONSTITUTION
The Committee
Sue Ridley was voted in as Chairman and the point of contact for the Federation.
The committee is now:
James Bailey,Raymond Calvert, Kenneth Hird, David Hodgson, Tom Metcalfe, Jonathan Murray, Jeff Pickles, Richard Spensley, Jeffrey Sutcliffe, Robert Ventress, Clive Welford.
James Bailey and Clive Welford in particular support the Chairman.
Jonathan Murray has taken on the Treasurer’s role.
Federation of Yorkshire Commoners and Moorland Graziers
Constitution
THIS AGREEMENT is made ………………………………......................................
BETWEEN| the persons who subsequently sign and send to the Administrator an acceptance of the terms of this Agreement (“the members”)
1. Members by signing this Agreement agree to form an association to be known as The Federation of Yorkshire Commoners and Moorland Graziers and to be its first Members.
2. The rules of the association are set out in the First Schedule.
The First Schedule
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 Objects
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 associati0ons 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 enables 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 awareness and understanding of the grazing areas.
2.2.6 To these ends, to engage will all interested parties to put forward the case of the commoners and graziers 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 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 members of subscription on commoners and graziers or associations of commoners and graziers to defray administration and other costs of the Federation consonant with the objectives 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:-
3.3. if she/he gives the Administrator written notice of her/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 her/him from membership.
3.2.3. if she/he ceases to have an interest as specified at 3.1. above.
3.2.4. if she/he fails to pay any members subscription agreed at a general meeting within 3 months of the date of that meeting.
4. Officers and the Committee
4.1. The Federation shall have a Chairman and Deputy Chairman and an Administrator
4.2. The Federation shall 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 Deputy Chairman, eight of the Committee shall be a member who is a Commoner or Moorland Grazier (Upland Farmer).
5.3 At each annual general meeting one-third of the members of the Committee are subjected to retirement by rotation or if their number is not a multiple of 3, the number nearest the one-third shall retire from office.
5.3.1 The members of the Committee to retire by rotation shall be those who have been longest in office since their last appointment or re-appointment, but as between persons who became or were last re-appointed members of the Committee on the same day those to retire shall (unless they otherwise agree among themselves) be determined by lot
5.3.2 Any member of the Committee retiring 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. Subject to this requirement, if the Federation at the meeting which a member of the Committee retired by rotation, does not fill the vacancy, the retiring member shall, if willing to act, be deemed to have been reappointed unless at the meeting it is resolved not to fill the vacancy or unless a resolution for the appointment of the member is put to the meeting and lost.
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 fourweeks 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/woman and a Deputy Chairman/woman at the ir first Committee meeting 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 she/he ceases to be a Commoner or Grazier
5.8.2. if she/he suffers from any mental disorder.
5.8.3. if she/he fails to attend three consecutive meetings of the Committee without giving an acceptable reason to other members of the Committee.
5.6.4. if she/he 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 of a Committee will be a thirds of members present.
5.12. A Committee member is not entitled to appoint an alternative proxy to act as a Committee member on her/his behalf
5.13. The Committee decides questions by a majority vote and in the case of a tie the Chairman will have the 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 of 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 account 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 itsmembers 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 notice 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 generl 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 her/his behalf. A proxy shall carry and produce to the meeting if required sufficient written authority from any member appointing her/him.
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 May or June,
6.6. Notice of 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 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 her/his 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 ofCommittee meeting 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 her/his address notified to the Federation.
7.3. No member of the Committee will be responsible or liable for any loss suffered by the Federation as a result of the discharge of her/his duties on its behalf except such loss as arises from her/his wilful default, and she/he shall be entitled to be indemnified out of the assets of the Federation for all expenses and other liabilities incurred by her/him in the discharge of her/his 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 maybe 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.
