FPCMAG Constitution
(CURRENT BUT UNDER REVIEW)
(1) NAME
The name of the Association shall be The Friends of Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery(FPCMAG).
It is herein referred to as ‘The Association’.
(2) OBJECTS
The object of the Association is the education of the public by promotion, support,
assistance and improvement of the Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery (hereinafter called ‘the Museum’)
through the activity of a group of Friends.
(3) THE ASSOCIATION SHALL HAVE POWER TO
a) encourage, promote and assist in the formation and development of a group of Friends of the
Museum.
b) generally further the charitable purposes within all the departments of the Museum and encourage
the development of the facilities afforded by them.
c) appoint representatives and delegates to any other bodies with whom the Association may be
concerned.
d) engage in, support and co-ordinate research, publishing, education, advertising and other work for
the furtherance of the above subject.
e) raise funds. In doing so the Trustees must not undertake any substantial permanent trading activity and
must comply with any relevant statutory regulations.
f) acquire or make grants towards the acquisition of such objects for the Museums collections as have
the approval of the Curator.
g) take any other lawful action to promote the said object.
h) make such payments for loans for exhibitions and the sponsoring of lectures and meetings
as the Committee shall agree.
(4) MEMBERSHIP
Membership of the Association shall be open to all individuals over the age of eighteen years.
(5) COMMITTEE
The Committee shall consist of the following officers and members: a President, a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman,
a Secretary, a Treasurer and eight Ordinary Members. Four Members of the Committee shall retire in rotation
each year but shall be eligible for re-election at the Annual General Meeting. All Officers must be members of
the Association.
(6) ADVISOR
The City Curator shall be the Honorary Advisor to the Association, entitled to attend all meetings of the Committee
but not eligible to vote or to hold other office.
(7) CO-OPTED MEMBERS
The Committee shall have authority to co-opt a maximum of three persons (one of whom maybe
the Chairman or other appointed representative of the Leisure, Culture and
Sport Committee of Plymouth City Council) to the Committee as and when and for
what period they deem it to be necessary.
(8) PATRONS
The Committee may, for services rendered to the Association, exceptionally appoint a limited number
of honorary patrons with the title of Vice-President.
(9) SUBSCRIPTIONS
The Annual subscription of the Association shall be such a sum as may be fixed at an
Annual General Meeting. Subscriptions shall become due on the first day of January in each year.
New members who pay their subscription(s) on or after October 1st of one year are automatically
granted full membership without further payment for the next year. Friends whose subscriptions
are twelve months in arrears shall be automatically excluded from membership.
(10) MEETINGS
General Meetings.
The AGM of the Association of which at least one calendar month’s notice shall be given to all members
by the Secretary, shall be held during the month of April or May in each year.
The Committee may at any time, and shall within fourteen days after receiving a request in writing
of any ten Friends, summon a Special General Meeting of which not less than
fourteen days notice shall be given by the Secretary to each Friend, specifying the business to be transacted.
Annual General Meeting.
The business of the AGM shall be to receive a report from the Committee and the City Curator
or a representative as this would seem to be essential; to receive the
annual accounts and to appoint auditors; and to consider any
proposal of which due notice has been given. The business shall also include the
election of Officers and members of the Committee as necessary, pursuant to article 5.
Committee Meetings.
Committee Meetings shall be held monthly every year. Four members shall
constitute a quorum. In the absence of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman those
present may elect a Chairman for the meeting from among their number.
(11) ACCOUNTS
All funds and assets in the possession of the Association shall be held, paid and applied as
the Committee may direct within the Objects of the Association, and pending
such direction all funds shall be held in a separate bank account in the name
of the Association with such Bankers as the Committee may from time to time direct.
All cheques over £100 drawn on such Bankers shall be signed by any two of the Chairman,
Vice-Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer. The Treasurer shall have authority to sign any
cheque up to the value of £100 without endorsement. All documents requiring
endorsement shall be sufficiently endorsed if signed by any one of them.
(12) ACQUISITIONS
Acquisitions, pursuant to Article 2 (f), shall be made at the discretion of the Committee,
but decisions to make grants shall require the consent of not less than seven members of the Committee.
(13) COMMITTEE POWERS AND DUTIES
The Committee shall have the general management and direction of the funds and affairs of the
Association, and in particular (but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing):
a) may nominate any of its delegates to serve on another body.
b) may pay the whole or any part of the expenses of any member in or about the execution
of any of his/her functions and duties on behalf of the Association.
c) may make, and from time to time vary, rules not inconsistent with this constitution.
d) may fill casual vacancies from time to time in its membership.
(14) AUDITORS
Auditors, who need not be members of the Association, shall be appointed
at the Annual General Meeting.
(15) ALTERATIONS
No alteration may be made to this constitution except by, and with the authority
of, a resolution submitted in writing to the Secretary either as in Article 10
or not less than twenty one days before a General Meeting and signed by not less
than four Friends. No alteration shall be made which would affect
the Association’s charitable status.
(16) NOTICES
Notices to Friends shall be deemed sufficiently served if sent by ordinary pre-paid second-class
post to the address of the Friend registered on his or her subscription form.
(17) WINDING UP
The Committee shall on the winding up of the Association, pay the
surplus funds of the Association to the Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery, in
the event that Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery is no longer in existence,
to some other charity or charitable institution with the same or similar
purposes.