THE CONSTITUTION OF BARDEN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

1. OBJECTS To promote the benefit of the Community without distinction of sex, race, colour, ethnic or national origin or disability, or political, religious or other opinions by associating the local authorities, voluntary organisations and inhabitants in a common effort to advance education and to provide facilities on the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure-time occupation with the object of improving the condition of life for the community.

Subject to the agreement of the School Governing Body to manage the facilities for Community Use designated by the Governing Body and in accordance with the policies of the Lancashire County Council.

2. The Association shall have power to affiliate to the National Federation of Community Associations and to other organisations with similar charitable objectives.

3. MEMBERSHIP Membership of the Association shall be of two kinds:

a) Individual Members
b) Group Members (above fifteen members constitutes a group)

All groups shall elect a representative who is prepared to attend Association Meetings.

4. TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP The Officers of the Association shall have the right for good and sufficient reason to suspend the Membership of an Individual Member or Group Member. The Individual Member or person representing the Group shall have the right to be heard by the Executive before a final decision is made.

5. SUBSCRIPTIONS All members shall pay such subscriptions as the Association may from time to time determine.

6. THE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION Barden Community Association, its Members and Officers shall meet at least three times per year to determine policy and manage its affairs. The Association shall have the power to appoint such sub-committees as it may from time to time decide and may determine their powers and terms of reference.

These Association Meetings shall consist of:

a) Two representatives of the School Governing Board.
b) One representative appointed by each Group.
c) One representative to serve Individual Members.
d) Ex-Officio; the Head Teacher of the School.
e) A representative of each service providing Community Activities.
f) Two representatives from the School Staff.
g) Such persons employed by or seconded to the Association as the Association may from time to time determine.
h) The Officers of the Association.
i) Other members of the Association may attend without the power to vote.

7. RULES OF PROCEDURE AT ALL MEETINGS

VOTING: The representative of each Group or Body shall be entitled to one vote.
QUORUM: Ten members shall form a quorum at all General Meetings of the Association.
MINUTES: Minutes shall be kept as a record of all meetings of the Association and its sub-committees. A copy of the minutes of the Association meetings shall be sent to the Clerk of the School Governing Body.

8. MANAGEMENT EXECUTIVE The Community Association shall appoint a Management Committee to be called the Executive to oversee the day to day running of the facilities and to make recommendations to the Association for their consideration.

The Executive shall consist of:
a) Officers of the Association, i.e. Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer.
b) Ex-Officio representatives from the School.
c) Such persons employed by or seconded to the Association.
d) Two representatives of group members.

The Chief Education Officer or his representative shall have the right to attend all meetings either Association Meetings of those of the Executive. The Executive shall have the power to co-opt additional members when necessary.

9. STAFF AND OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION The Annual General Meeting shall elect a President, Secretary, Treasurer, Auditors and other such officers of the Association, as it may from time to time determine. All Officers of the Association and of the Executive shall be ex-officio members of all other sub-committees. If vacancies occur among the Officers, the Association shall have the power to fill these from among its members. Any such person appointed to fill such a casual vacancy shall hold office until conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting of the Association, and shall be eligible for election at that meeting. The Community Association may recommend to the Lancashire County Council the appointment of staff whom it wishes to serve the Association. These staff shall be appointed by the County Council to serve the Community Association in accordance with arrangements made between the Lancashire County Council and Barden High School.

10. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Once in each year, in the month of May the Association shall convene an Annual General Meeting which all members shall be entitled to attend, for the purpose of receiving the Annual Report of the Association and the annual audited statement of the accounts; appointing Officers to the Association; accepting resignations; electing representatives of members or serve on the Executive, appointing an auditor or auditors; making recommendations to the Executive and whenever necessary, voting on proposals to amend this Constitution.

11. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING The Chairman of Lancashire County Council, the School Governing Body, Chairman of the Association, the Secretary and the Chief Education Officer or his representative, may at any time at their discretion; shall within twenty days of receiving a written request to do so, signed by not less than twenty members of the Association who have the power to vote and giving reasons for the request, call a Special General Meeting of the Association for the purpose of altering the Constitution for considering any matter which may be referred to them by the School Governing Body or the Council or for any other purpose.

STANDING ORDERS AND RULES FOR THE USE OF THE COMMUNITY FACILITIES 
The Community Association shall have power to adopt and issue Standing Orders in accordance with the Model Standing Orders.

12. FINANCE 

a) All moneys raised by or on behalf of the Association shall be applied to further the objects of the Association and for no other purpose.
b) The Treasurer shall keep proper accounts of the finances of the Association.
c) The accounts shall be audited at least once a year by a person or persons who shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting.
d) An audited statement of accounts for the last financial year shall be submitted by the Executive to the Annual General Meeting.
e) The trustees of the assets of the Association shall be the Full members of the Association.

Arrangements made by the Association following a) - e) above, are subject to such financial rules as may be laid down by the County Council.

Arrangements in respect of paid staff which the Association wish the County Council to appoint will provide that:

1) Notwithstanding that such staff may be under the day to day control of the Community Association, their conditions of employment shall be those applicable to County Council staff
2) The financial arrangements shall include a provision for the reimbursement of the County Council for whole or part of the salaries and other costs as may be agreed
3) In the event of dissolution of the Community Association any payment which fails to be made by the Lancashire County Council in respect of the salaries, expenses, redundancy or dismissal of staff shall be a first charge on the assets of the Association.

13. DISSOLUTION If the Executive by a simple majority decides at any time that, on the grounds of expense or otherwise, it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the Association it shall call a meeting of all members who have the power to vote and any decision to dissolve the Association must be notified to the Governing Body of the School and Lancashire County Council. Any assets which remain shall be transferred to the School Governing Body may determine.

14. ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION Any proposal to alter this Constitution must be delivered in writing to the Secretary of the Association not less than fourteen days before the date of the meeting at which it is first to be considered.

An alteration will require the approval of:
a) A simple majority of members of the Association present and voting at a meeting.
b) The School Governing Body.
c) The Lancashire County Council.

Notice of each such meeting must have been given in accordance with normal procedure but not less than seven days prior to the meeting in question and giving the wording of the proposed alteration.

This is the constitution of Barden Community Association at Barden High School