Diggle Lane Allotment Association

Constitution             Issue 1   1/1/2004

1.  Name

      a.) The name of the association shall be The Diggle Lane Allotment Association (Hereafter referred to as D.L.A.A.)

2.  Aims Objectives and Powers

a.)    The association is for the benefit allotment holders on site at Diggle Lane Bury for the benefit of residents of the Borough of Bury and may undertake complementary social or recreational activities including fund raising activities.

b.)    The D.L.A.A. shall be nonprofit making. For reasons of accounting and administration no more than £5000 should be held in a bank account.

c.)    The D.L.A.A. shall have the power to affiliate to the National Association of Allotment and Leisure gardeners or its successors and to any other similar organizations that may further the objectives of the association.

d.)    The D.L.A.A. shall have the power to maintain allotment gardens and ancillary buildings and appropriate facilities. It shall have the power to purchase, lease, rent or otherwise legally acquire property or land in furtherance of its objectives.

e.)    The D.L.A.A. shall have the power to employ such person(s) as it deems necessary to manage and maintain its allotment gardens and associated facilities and shall have the power to engage the services of contractors to provide services associated with the management and maintenance of its allotment gardens and facilities.

3.  Membership

a.)    Membership shall be open to all persons who rent allotments on the Diggle Lane allotment site and shall not be unreasonably refused on the grounds of sex, colour, creed, disability, nationality or any other basis determined to be discriminatory by national legislation.

b.)    Full Membership shall be open to all allotment holders aged sixteen or over.

c.)    Honorary Membership shall be conferred by the Committee on any person(s) it deems to be deserving of such. Honorary Members shall have no voting rights at any meetings of The D.L.A.A.

d.)    Only the named tenant of a plot shall be a member of the D.L.A.A. Each member of the D.L.A.A. shall have one vote at all meetings irrespective of the size of their plot and irrespective of whether they are the tenants of more than one plot. The exception to this is detailed in section 9c. Any person who ceases to be an allotment tenant at the site shall automatically cease to be a member of the D.L.A.A.

e.)    The committee shall have the power to terminate the membership of any person who breaks the terms of membership. The process shall be by two written warnings signed by two members of the committee then followed by termination of membership. Any person whose membership is terminated shall have the right to appeal to a general meeting of the D.L.A.A. They also have the right to a final appeal to the council.

4.        Subscriptions

The committee shall have the power to levy subscriptions on the members and shall determine the level of such subscriptions from time to time. The subscription shall be reviewed at the AGM.

 5. Officers of The D.L.A.A.

The officers of the D.L.A.A. shall be a chairman, secretary and treasurer, who shall be elected at the AGM. All officers shall hold office until the next AGM, at which they will resign but will be eligible for reelection

 6.     Management Committee

a.) The policy and general management of the D.L.A.A. shall be vested in a   

Management Committee consisting of the elected officers and up to five other full members of the D.L.A.A.

b.)    The Committee shall establish and update as required a series of rules, regulations and guidelines covering all aspects of membership. Nothing in the rules should be at variance with the terms of the constitution.

c.)    The Committee shall meet not less than twice annually on dates determined by the Committee.

d.)    The Committee shall have the power to set up and dissolve sub committee’s from time to time.

e.)    The Committee shall have the power to co-opt two members onto the Committee with full voting rights. Such CO-options shall last until the next AGM of the D.L.A.A. Co-opted members who decline to stand for election at an AGM shall not be eligible to be co-opted in the following year.

f.)      The Committee shall have the power to invite any member of the D.L.A.A. full or honorary to attend any meeting of the Committee in an advisory capacity. The Committee shall also have the power to invite representatives of other organizations to attend meetings of the Committee in a nonvoting capacity if it deems appropriate to do so.

7.  General Meetings

Annual General Meetings

The AGM of the D.L.A.A. shall be held in November or December each year and shall include the following

i.)                  Minuits of previous AGM and any intervening E.G.M’s.

ii.)                Chairman’s Report

iii.)               Secretary’s Report

iv.)               Treasurer’s Report

v.)                 Election of Officers and Committee Members

vi.)               Setting subscriptions

vii.)              Considerations of motions of which due notice has been given

viii.)             Appointment of Auditors for the forthcoming year.

ix.)              Any other business.

Extraordinary General Meeting

An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) shall be convened by the Chairman of the D.L.A.A. by the secretary on behalf of the Committee or by the secretary on receipt of a written request to do so signed by at least one-third of the membership. Any such request must contain specific motions to be discussed.

8.   Notice of Meetings

General Meetings

At least twenty-one day’s notice of a General Meeting shall be given. Such notice shall include the date, time and venue and a copy of the agenda for the meeting (including any motions) and be posted on the allotment Notice Boards.

Management and/or Committee Meetings

At least seven days notice of such a meeting shall be given unless the need for such a meeting is so urgent that a delay of seven days would prevent proper consideration of urgent business. In such a case the Chairman shall contact as many members of the Committee as possible and advise them of the meeting.

 9.)   Conduct of Meetings

a.)    An AGM shall not be a quorate unless at least 25% of members are present.

b.)    A Committee meeting shall not be a quorate unless at least one third of the Committee is present including one officer.

c.)    Voting at all meetings shall be done by a show of hands unless a motion to hold a secret ballot on a specific issue is carried by a simple majority of those present and voting. In the case of an equality of votes the person chairing the meeting shall have a second casting vote.

d.)    Voting on all matters shall be by a simple majority of those present and voting, with the exception of motions relating to a change to this constitution in which case a two-thirds majority is required.

e.)    With the exception of urgent business, matters to be considered at meetings shall be confined to matters of which due notice has been given and substantive amendments thereto.

f.)      The Chairman of any meeting shall have the power to expel from the meeting any member(s) whose behaviour is in the opinion of the Chairman so disruptive as to prevent the meeting from conducting its business in an orderly manner.

g.)    The secretary of the D.L.A.A. or the relevant sub committee secretary shall keep records of all business conducted at all meetings. These to be held in a minute book or on computer.

h.)    If any person is unable to attend a meeting and wishes to make a point then this point should be included in a letter to the secretary and signed by the member. Any motions to be discussed whether the member is present or not should be included in a letter to the secretary and signed.

10. Financial Management

a.)    The Treasurer shall control a bank or building society account on behalf of and     in the name of the D.L.A.A.

b.)    All income shall be paid into an account held in the name of the D.L.A.A. as soon as is possible after it has been received and in any case within seven days of receipt.

c.)    All cheques shall be signed by at least two nominated signatories of the D.L.A.A.  These shall normally be the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. The Committee may appoint other persons as well as these office holders if it considers it appropriate to do so. Except in case of unavailability through holiday, sickness or similar such reasons, two persons who are immediate relatives of one another should not sign a cheque.

d.)    The Treasurer shall maintain an accurate and up to date record of the accounts of The D.L.A.A. and shall, if required, provide a financial report to each meeting of the Committee. The Treasurer shall also prepare an annual report for the D.L.A.A. AGM and submit accounts to the D.L.A.A. auditor(s) each year.

e.)    The D.L.A.A.’s accounts shall be audited each year by suitably Committee Member who shall be appointed at the AGM.

f.)      No member of the Committee shall receive any payment for any work carried out on behalf of the D.L.A.A., but legitimate expenses incurred whilst acting on behalf of the D.L.A.A. may be reimbursed in full.

g.)    The Treasurer shall allow any member of the Committee to inspect the accounts of the D.L.A.A. within forty-eight hours of receiving such a request.

11. Alterations to This Constitution

Any alteration to this constitution must be approved by a General Meeting of the D.L.A.A. following due notice of a motion to alter the constitution. Any such motion must be approved by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting.

12. Dissolution

If it is decided that it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the D.L.A.A. a public meeting shall be called of which at least twenty-one days notice shall be given. If a simple majority of those present and voting decide to dissolve the D.L.A.A.  then any assets remaining after the satisfying of all debts shall be transferred to Bury Metropolitan Borough Council, which shall apply such funds for the allotment gardens within the Borough of Bury.

 This constitution was adopted as the constitution of the Diggle Lane Allotment Association at a meeting of allotment holders held for the purpose on.

Dated        ……………………………………

 Signed.…………………………… Chairman

 Signed  ………………………….... Secretary