Registered Charity Number 285904

 

The National School Sailing Association Constitution

 

This constitution was approved by a Special General Meeting held on Saturday 4 March 2006 at Alexandra Palace, London.

Clause 12c was amended at the AGM on 26 July 2006

At the request of the Charity Commission, Clause 2 was amended at the AGM on 26 July 2006 and further amended at the AGM on 25 July2007.

At the AGM on 19 July 2010 Clauses 3 and 14 were amended.

At the AGM on 28^thJuly 2015 Clauses 3 and 14 were amended

August 2015

 

1. Name

The name of the Association shall be the National School Sailing Association.

 

2. Object

The object for which the Association is established is toorganiseor provide or assist in theorganisationor provision of facilities which will enable and encourage all young people in any part of the United Kingdom to learn and undertake sailing and allied activities and thereby to assist in ensuring that due attention is given to the physical education and development of such young people as well as to the development and occupation of their minds.

The Association shall have the following powers exercisable in furtherance of the said objective but not otherwise:

1. To maintain andadviseliaisonwiththe National Governing Body – RYA.
2. To promote liaison and co-operation with other bodies who have concernforeducationalsailing:
3. To represent the interests of all members who are involved professionally inthepromotion

 

3. Membership

Membership is open to:

1. Establishments - anyresponsible for promoting sailing to young people through localCentres, ActivityCentresand youth
2. Individuals in the following categories:
3. Youth - young people who do not reach their 19th birthday during the membership year
4. Adult and Family - up to two adults and any of their children (who do not reach their 19th birthday during the membership year) living at the same address

 

4. Motions for Expulsion

Motions for the expulsion of any body or individual in membership shall be treated as motions for the amendment of the Constitution and dealt with under clause 16.

 

5. The Executive Committee

The Executive Committee shall have power provisionally to refuse applications for membership but all such applications shall be referred to the next Annual General Meeting and shall be decided by a majority of the votes cast.

 

6. Officers

1. A President and any number of Vice-Presidents shall be elected by the Annual
2. General Meeting and shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting. The Associations responsible for educational sailing in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland may, if they wish, each nominate one Vice President. Both President and Vice Presidents shall be eligible for re-election, provided that all nominations appear on the notice convening the Annual General Meeting at which election or re-election is due.
3. A Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Chair of General Purposes
4. Committee and Chair of Sailing Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting. They shall be eligible for re-election provided that all nominations appear on the notice convening the Annual General Meeting at which election or re-election is due.
5. The Chair at the Annual General Meeting and other meetings shall be taken bythePresident
6. The Secretary shall keep a record of all proceedings and resolutions, have powertodealwith all correspondence not within the province of the Treasurer, act on behalf of the Association and report such correspondence and actions to the next Executive Committee meeting and report to the Annual General Meeting such matters as are deemed necessary or the Executive Committee shall direct.
7. The Treasurer shall keep accounts of all monies paid to or by the Association.Theseaccountsshall be made up to 31 March each year. The audited accounts shall be presented to the next Annual General Meeting.

 

7. The Affairs of the Association

The affairs of the Association shall be controlled by the Executive Committee, comprising those Officers of the Association appointed in accordance with Clause 6(b), with the following responsibilities:

1. All matters of major policy affecting the the 
2. The financial affairs of the Association including the preparation of estimates, recommendations as to the level of subscription, the raising and allocation of funds and the distribution of grants: 
3. The monitoring of the work of the committees and sub committees of the Association: 
4. The determination of applications for Membership of the Association: 
5. The appointment of members to serve on external bodies and annually at the first Executive meeting following the Annual General Meeting: 
6. The arrangement of meetings of the Association. 
7. Such other matters as are specifically referred to in this constitution as may from time to time be remitted or delegated to the Executive Committee by the Association acting through its Annual General Meeting. 

 

8. The Executive Committee

1. The Executive Committee shall meet at least four times each year. 
2. 14 days' notice shall be given of all meetings of the Executive Committee: 
3. The quorum for meetings of the Executive Committee shall be three members: 
4. In the event of a Committee Chairman not being able to attend a meeting of the Executive Committee, a deputy who is a member of the same committee may be nominated by that committee to represent the Committee at the Executive Committee meeting providing notice is given to the Chairman or Secretary of the Association prior to the meeting of the Executive Committee. 

 

9. The Committees

1. The Executive Committee shall appoint Committees to deal with those aspects oftheAssociation'sactivities as described below. All Committees so appointed shall keep proper minutes and report back actions and proceedings to the Executive Committee as soon as possible.
2. All officers of the Association shall be ex-officio members of the Committees.(c) In addition to the Officer elected as Chair of a committee, members shall be elected as follows:

i) General Purposes Committee - Six members

Responsible for Administration, Public Relations, the magazine, Education Documents, Conferences, International Links

ii) Sailing Committee - Six members

Responsible for sailing events,recognisedTrainingCentres, instructor schemes, advise on safety procedures and liaison with the National Governing Body – RYA.

 

10. Each Committee

1. Each Committee will conduct meetings as members think fit, but each shall meetat leasttwice a year.
2. Each Committee will appoint a secretary, may create working parties forparticular businessand may co-opt such persons as the elected members of the Committee consider can contribute to particular business. Working parties shall work under an elected member of the appropriate committee answerable to the Chairman of the Committee and the Executive. Co-opted members may serve until the next Annual General Meeting.
3. Each Committee shall undertake those responsibilities mentioned in Clause 9(c) andshall take such steps as they consider desirable to further the objectives of the Association.
4. Each Committee shall only use the funds of the Association as directed bythe Executivefor the promotion of the aims of the Association.
5. The quorum for all Committees shall be half of the elected membership ofthe Committee
6. At least 14 days' notice shall be given of any Committee meeting.
7. An emergency meeting may be called to deal with urgent matters.

 

11. Representative Members from other bodies and representation of NSSA on other bodies.

The Executive may invite to its meetings, and to meetings of the named committees, representatives of such other bodies, as it deems appropriate. Such representatives shall not have the power to vote at such meetings.

 

12. Subscriptions

1. The subscriptions and their due date shall be determined by the Annual General Meeting or by a Special General Meeting, on the recommendation of the Executive.
2. Arrangements for the payment of subscriptions shall be as determined by the Executive Committee.
3. In the case of those joining for the first time, subscriptions paid eleven monthsafter thedue date shall be considered as subscriptions for the remaining part of the current year and the twelve months of the Association's next subscription year.
4. The membership of those who have not renewed their subscriptions withinthree months

 

13. The Annual General Meeting

1. The Annual General Meeting shall normally be held at the NSSA National Regatta.
2. Notice of the Meeting and a draft agenda of business, including lists of members prepared to stand for election to the Executive and named Committees and all motions to be voted upon, shall be sent in full by the Secretary to members at least six weeks before the appointed date.
3. Any further motions, including nominations duly proposed and seconded, otherthan motionsprovided for in Clause 13(e) or Clause 16, shall be sent in writing to the Secretary at least four weeks before the Annual General Meeting.
4. The final agenda of business, including members nominated and prepared tostand forelection to the Executive and other nominated committees, shall be sent in full by the secretary to members at least two weeks before the meeting. However, if the Secretary does not receive any motions as in Clause 13(c) then the Draft Agenda already sent out to members shall become the Final Agenda.
5. The Chairman has the power to accept amendments to any motion submitted asin Clauses13(b) or(c). The amendments, i.e. the proposed new motion, shall be voted on by the members present, as in 14(a), and a simple majority will prevail. The amended motion will then be voted on as a substitute for the original motion.
6. The Treasurer or such person as the Executive shall appoint, shall presentthe accountsproperly audited as provided for in clause 6(e).
7. The Annual General Meeting shall appoint an independent examiner who shallnotea member of the Association. The independent examiner will examine the accounts for the next Annual General Meeting. Should the Annual General Meeting fail to agree on the appointment of an independent examiner then the Executive Committee will appoint an accountant to examine the accounts.
8. The Chairman shall determine the order of business at Annual General Meetings.

 

14. Voting at General Meetings

1. Every memberas defined in clause 3(a) or individualmemberasdefined in clause 3(b), in membership of the Association at the start of the NSSA National Regatta Week preceding the Annual General Meeting shall be entitled to exercise one vote.
2. Should a vote be required, the Secretary shall two weeks before the AGM sendsheets giving full details of all motions and committee posts to be voted upon, together with provision for the nomination of a proxy. These sheets duly completed should be either sent to reach the Secretary before the AGM or handed in at the AGM when voting takes place.
3. Voting at General Meetings shall be by a majority of the votes cast except forthe requirementsmentioned in Clause 16.

 

15. Special General Meetings

1. Special General Meetings may be called by the Executive Committee or at the request of not less than 20 voting members including at least two member
2. Members requesting a Special General Meeting must send to the Secretary notice in writing stating the reason why the meeting is required and stating in detail the matters which the members wish to be raised and setting out the motions, together with the names of the proposers and seconders, which they wish to have considered.
3. Upon receipt of such notice, the Secretary shall inform the Executive Committeeandsend
4. Only the business for which the meeting is convened and which is in the noticeshallbedealt with at Special General Meetings.
5. Voting at Special General Meetings shall be in accordance with clause 13(e), 14as appropriate.

 

16. Alterations and/or Additions to the Constitution.

Alterations and/or additions to this constitution shall receive the assent of two-thirds of the members voting at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting. A resolution for a change to the Constitution must be received by the Secretary at least six weeks before an Annual General Meeting. A resolution for a change in the Constitution to be considered by a Special General Meeting shall meet the requirements of Clause 15. The Notice for the Annual General or Special General Meeting sent by the secretary to members shall include full information about the proposed changes to the

Constitution. This Clause is subject to the provision that no alteration to Clauses 2, 20 or this clause shall take effect until the approval in writing of the Charity Commissioners or other authority having charitable jurisdiction shall have been obtained; and no alteration shall be made which would have the effect of causing the Association to cease to be a charity at law.

 

17. Affiliations

The Association shall affiliate to such bodies, as the Executive Committee shall decide.

 

18. Bank Account

The Executive Committee shall have the power to open accounts in the name of the Association with a Bank and all documents, includingcheques, relative to the account shall only beauthorisedif signed by the Treasurer and one of the following Officers: Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Chairman of the Sailing Committee or Chairman of the General Purposes Committee.

 

19. Local Activities

Any grouping of bodies and/or individuals in membership of the Association, for the purposes of conducting sailing or related activities on a local area basis in the name of the Association must liaise with the Executive Committee so that the Committee may be satisfied that such activities conform with the spirit and purpose of this Constitution and with decisions taken by that Committee.

 

20. Dissolution

The Association may be dissolved by a Resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting at a Special General Meeting convened for the purpose of which 21 days' notice shall have been given to all members. Such resolution may give instructions for the disposal of any assets held by or in the name of the Association, provided that if any property remains after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities such property shall not be paid to or distributed among the members but shall be given or transferred to such other charitable institution or institutions having objects similar to some or all of the objects of the Association as the Association may, with the approval of the Charity Commissioners or other authority having charitable jurisdiction, determine.