Name
The name of the Association shall be the ‘Stamford and Bourne Beekeepers Association’. Hereinafter referred to as “SBBKA.”
Lincolnshire LBKA
SBBKA as a District within Lincolnshire, is a member of the Lincolnshire Beekeeper’s Association.
Objects
The object of the Association shall be to encourage, improve and advance beekeeping, to help conserve the natural environment by promoting the importance of bees, to conserve the future of the honeybee and its related interests and to afford assistance to its members.
Membership
The membership of the Association shall consist of Members and Honorary Members.
Any person who has an interest in bees and beekeeping shall be eligible for membership.
Applications for membership shall be made to the Membership Secretary. The Committee shall have the power to reject any application for membership, without stating the reason, if deemed desirable.
Honorary Members shall be persons who, in the opinion of the Committee, have provided exceptional assistance to the Association. They shall be nominated by the Committee and elected by the Association at the Annual General Meeting. They shall be entitled to all the privileges of Members.
Any person or member who is considered to have acted contrary to the objects of the Association may be refused membership, or expelled from the Association by the Committee. Any such decision must be ratified by the members present at a Special General Meeting held within 14 days of such a decision. The Association will make every effort to liaise with the person(s) concerned prior to such action and that person(s) shall be allowed to attend and address the Special General Meeting so called.
Subscriptions
The annual Association subscription fee of each Member shall be such sum as recommended by the Committee and approved at the Annual General Meeting. The BBKA / BDI subscription fees will be as specified by the BBKA and any changes to those fees will take immediate effect. Subscriptions shall be due on 1st January in each year.
An Association Member accepted after the 30th September in any year shall have their membership extended to the end of the subsequent year.
Any member whose subscription has not been renewed and paid by the 31st January in any year shall not be entitled to the full privileges of membership and shall be deemed to no longer be a member of the Association.
Honorary Members shall not be required to pay an annual subscription.
Officers and Committee
The Elected Officers of the Association shall be the Chair, the Vice- Chair, the Secretary, the Finance and Membership Secretary, the Education and Training Officer, the Asian Hornet co-ordinator, and Swarm co-ordinator.
The Elected Officers may serve for a minimum term of 3 years should the Officer wish to do so, after which the positions would be open to re-election.
The management of the Association shall be vested in a Committee consisting of the Elected Officers together with up to 8 other members. The Officers and members of the Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting.
The Committee shall have the power to appoint Officers if not elected at the AGM, and to co-opt members to fill casual vacancies.
All Officers and members of the Committee shall be Members of the Association
Four members of the Committee, of whom two shall be Officers, shall constitute a quorum.
The Committee will meet at times and on dates throughout the year as determined necessary by the volume of business being conducted.
Two officers from the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Finance and Membership secretary and one Committee member, who is not an officer, shall be empowered to act in cases of emergency, and decisions arrived at shall be subject to confirmation at the next meeting of the Committee.
No member of the Committee is permitted to vote in any debate in which they have a financial or commercial interest. Such an interest must be declared beforehand and at the discretion of the Chair that person may present relevant information for discussion. Failure to observe this requirement shall result in disqualification from the Committee.
Any member of the Committee who absents themselves from 3 consecutive Committee meetings without reasonable excuse, as determined by the Committee members present, will be disqualified from the Committee.
Every decision at the meeting of the Committee shall be determined by the majority of votes of the members present and voting, every member having one vote. In the case of equality of votes the Chair of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.
The Chair
The duty of the Chair shall be to take the Chair at meetings of the Association and of the Committee. In their absence, the Vice Chair shall take the Chair.
The Chair will also assume the position of District Representative within the LBKA council meetings
The Vice Chair
The duty of the Vice Chair shall be to take the Chair at meetings of the Association and of the Committee if the Chair is not available.
The Secretary
The Secretary shall be responsible for the general correspondence of the Association and for all other business except that which relates to finance and membership.
The Finance and Membership Secretary
The Finance and Membership Secretary shall be responsible for organising all subscriptions due from members, and for maintaining an up-to-date list of members; The Finance and Membership Secretary shall receive all sums of money due to the Association, transact all its pecuniary affairs, and keep a regular account of all receipts and payments.
The Education and Training Officer
The Education and Training Officer shall be responsible for co-ordination of activities, not only within the SBBKA membership but shall also liaise, and form part of the LBKA’s Education team and report directly to the LBKA Education and Exam secretary.
The Asian Hornet co-ordinator
The Asian Hornet co-ordinator shall be responsible for co-ordination of activities, not only within the SBBKA membership but shall also liaise with the LBKA’s Asian Hornet co-ordinator ensuring that SBBKA member’s are kept fully appraised of all developments and strategies.
The Swarm co-ordinator
The swarm co-ordinator shall be responsible for co-ordination of all swarm related activities within the association and membership area, ensuring that the communication to the SBBKA community through whichever medium (e.g. website) is fully functional in this regard.
General Meetings
All fully paid-up members shall have the power to vote on any matters discussed at General Meetings.
The Annual General Meeting shall be held in October in each year for the election of Officers and Committee, to receive the reports from all Elected Officers on their respective disciplines, to agree the annual membership fees, to consider any alteration to the Rules and any other agenda items. The agenda will be distributed to the membership by the Secretary no later than 7 days before the date of the meeting.
Special General Meetings shall be called by the Secretary at the written request of not less than twelve members, indicating the purpose for which the meeting is called. The business will be stated on the notice calling the meeting and no other business will be discussed. Seven days notice must be given before any Special General Meeting is called.
The quorum for a Special or Annual General Meeting shall be 12 paid up members
General
All members undertake to do their best to further the interests of the Association, assist any other member in difficulties with their bees, and support the Association’s activities.
Should any member through illness or incapacity from any cause be unable to attend their bees, the Association will endeavour, if required through the Secretary, to appoint someone to attend them for that member. A charge may be made by the Committee to cover out-of-pocket expenses.
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 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 assets remain after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities, such residual funds shall not be paid or distributed among the members of the Association but shall be transferred to a charity or charities (whether incorporated or unincorporated) whose objects are similar (wholly or in part) to the objects of the organisation.
Alteration of the Rules
No Rule shall be altered nor additions made except by a two thirds majority of all the members present and voting at the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting.