BELFAST PHOTO-IMAGING CLUB (BPIC)

RULES AND CONSTITUTION

1.          NAME AND OBJECTIVE OF THE CLUB

1.1         The Club shall be called the "Belfast Photo-Imaging Club" (hereafter referred to as "The Club")

1.2        The objective of the Club shall be the advancement of the medium of Photography.

2.          MEMBERSHIP OF THE CLUB

2.1        The Club shall be open to any person who is interested in the medium of photography.

2.2       Applications for Club membership shall be submitted via an online application form where payment for membership fees shall also be made online.  The Committee shall have the right to reject any application without stating any reason.

3.          GENERAL PROVISIONS ABOUT MEMBERSHIP

3.1         Every Club member shall be liable for the payment of an annual subscription until his or her name shall have been removed from the Club membership or until he or she shall have signified to the Honorary Secretary his or her desire to resign but no member, although elected, shall be considered to be a member of the Club if the prescribed fees have not been fully paid. No part of the subscription fee paid by a member resigning in the current year shall be returnable.

3.2         Members may be required to show their current membership cards to a member of the Committee at any meeting of the Club or when visiting or using the premises of the Club.

3.3         If the conduct of any member is such as shall, in the opinion of the Committee, be injurious to the character, interests or well-being of the Club or its members, the Committee shall have power to refuse to allow that member to continue to enjoy the benefits of membership. Any such conduct shall be enquired into by the Committee consisting of a quorum. The member concerned shall be given full opportunity of defending himself or herself before the Committee.

3.4         Upon the winding up of the Club all contents of the Club in the hands of the Committee or its officers shall be available for realisation of its saleable value towards the debts or liabilities of the Club.

3.5         Any remaining debts or liabilities of the Club not covered by rule 3.4.

4.           HONORARY MEMBERSHIP

4.1       The Committee shall have the right to elect honorary members to the Club in recognition of services to the Club. These members shall be subject to the same rules and have the same rights and privileges as Club members except that they shall not be eligible to hold Office or to vote at Annual General or Special Meetings.

5.           VISITORS TO THE CLUB

 5.1         Visitors will be admitted to the Club's premises when introduced and accompanied by a Club or honorary member.

5.2         Visitors shall be subject to the same rules governing other members while on the premises.

5.3         Visitors may be asked to enter their name, address and date of visit in a Visitors' Book and each entry will be signed by the introducing member.

6            MANAGEMENT OF THE CLUB

6.1         The business affairs of the Club shall be controlled and managed by a Committee consisting of: a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and four Members of Committee.

6.2         All Officers and Members of the Committee shall retire annually but shall be eligible for re-election. Such Officers shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Club by the general body of the members present and voting.

6.3       The Committee shall meet as often as the business of the Club shall require. At the meeting of the Committee four shall form a quorum. Any resolution passed by a majority vote of the members present shall be a decision of the Committee. In the event of an equality of voting the Chairperson shall have an additional or casting vote.

6.4       In the event of the absence of the Chairperson and the Vice-Chairperson the Committee may elect a Chairperson from their members.

6.5         The Committee shall have the power to:­

         (a)  Make Bye-Laws.

         (b)  Appoint Sub-Committees and officers for special duties with powers to be defined at the time of their                appointment.

          (c)  Fill any vacancies which may occur on the Committee or amongst the officers of the Club during the                   year.

7.          MEETINGS OF THE CLUB

7.1         The Chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the Committee and at Annual General or Special General meetings of the Club.  In the event of his/her absence his/her place may be taken by the Vice-Chairperson or a member elected as Chairperson by the meeting.

7.2         The Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer as Officers of the Club, shall be ex-Officio members of all Sub-Committees.

7.3       There shall be an Annual General Meeting of the Club each year for the purpose of receiving the reports of the Officers, for the election of the Officers and Committee for the ensuring year and for any other business of which due notice shall be given.

7.4       At least 14 days notice of the date of the Annual General Meeting shall be given to all members. 

7.5         A Special General Meeting of the Club may be called by the Committee whenever they may consider it necessary.

7.6         A Special General Meeting must be called within 28 days upon presentation to the Honorary                Secretary of a written request signed by not less 10% of the applicable year’s membership stating the business for which the meeting is to be called.

7.7         Fourteen days’ notice shall be given to the members for any such Special General Meeting.

7.8         No business shall be transacted at any such Special General Meeting save and except that business of which notice shall have been given when calling the meeting and at which at least ten members are present.

7.9         All questions at Annual General Meetings shall be decided by a fifty-one per cent majority vote. In the event of an equality of voting the Chairperson shall have an additional or casting vote.
All questions at Special General Meetings shall be decided by a two thirds majority vote.

7.10        Only those members who subscriptions for the current year have been paid shall be entitled to vote.

7.11         Minutes shall be kept by the Honorary Secretary (or their deputy) of the proceedings at all meetings and the minutes of the previous meeting shall be confirmed and signed by the Chairperson of the next Annual General meeting. A copy of the minutes shall be made available to members by email initially with further email copies provided to members on request.

8.           FINANCES OF THE CLUB

8.1         The annual subscription shall be decided by the members each year based on the advice of the outgoing committee and considering the overall financial position.  Annual fees shall be payable to the Honorary Treasurer from September of each year.  A list of the various subscriptions shall be displayed on the Club website.

8.2         The Honorary Treasurer shall receive all monies due to the Club and shall pay such sums as may be ordered by the Committee.  They shall keep an account of all such receipts and payments and render such statements to the Committee and Auditors as they may require.

8.3         The funds of the Club shall be deposited in a Bank and shall be dealt with through online banking and/or cheques and shall be signed by the Honorary Treasurer.  Monies shall not be expended without the sanction of the Committee save in the case of petty cash expenses.

8.4         The financial year shall coincide with the Annual General Meeting.

8.5         The Financial Statement shall be duly audited before being submitted to the Annual General Meeting.

8.6         Upon the dissolution of the club, each paid-up member at that time will be jointly and equally liable for any liabilities of the club.  Any assets of the club at that time, may be realised and any surplus distributed equally between each current paid-up member of the club.

9.         USE OF THE EQUIPMENT OF THE CLUB

9.1       Club equipment shall include (but not be limited to) calibration hardware, data projectors, laptop/desktop PC, lighting, lighting modifiers, light stands, backdrops, backdrop stands, reflectors, books, DVDs, CDs etc.

9.2         No member shall use the Club equipment for financial profit without first consulting the Committee. Any member found doing so may be asked to resign under rule 3.3.

9.3         Use of all Club equipment shall be managed by the Honorary Treasurer.  Members requesting a loan of equipment shall contact the Honorary Treasurer in the first instance.

9.4         Any equipment on loan to members must be returned upon request in the same condition as loaned.  Any damage/breakages to equipment shall be fixed/replaced by that member.

10.          AMENDMENT OF RULES AND CONSTITUTION OF THE CLUB

10.1         The Rules and Constitution shall not be amended, added to, or in any way altered, except at the Annual General Meeting or at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose according to the Rules.

10.2         No alteration shall be made at an Annual General Meeting unless fifty-one per cent of the members present support the alternation. In the event of an equality of voting the Chairperson shall have an additional or casting vote.

10.3         All questions at Special General Meetings shall be decided by a two thirds majority vote.

10.4       The Committee may decide any questions not provided for in these rules, subject to an appeal to a Special General Meeting.

10.5       A copy of the Rules and Constitution and any Bye-Laws (as currently in force) of the Club shall be made available to each member via the Club website.  If any doubt should arise in the interpretation of the Rules and Constitution and Bye-Laws, the decision of the Committee shall be final and binding.

11.            GENERAL HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY OF THE CLUB AND CHILD PROTECTION

11.1       The Committee accepts its responsibility to ensure where reasonable and practicable the health, safety and welfare of its Club members.

11.2         The Committee will identify the more hazardous operations and set up safe systems of work to reduce the risks in these tasks where reasonably practicable.

11.3       Club members will, where appropriate, receive instruction and training to ensure a better understanding and awareness of safe working practices.

11.4         All Club members are encouraged to make suggestions on Health and Safety to the Committee.

11.5        The Committee will take all reasonable and practicable steps to ensure that adopted codes of practice are complied with and all safety equipment and protective clothing where provided are used.

11.6         The Committee will ensure that all accidents are reported and will investigate all accidents and take measures to prevent recurrence where reasonably practicable.

11.7         All Club members must observe all safety rules and codes of practice at all times.

11.8       All Club members must make themselves familiar with procedures in case of fire/bomb alerts and the location and use of emergency exists and firefighting equipment.

11.9         Minors under the age of 16 are permitted to join the Club as long as they are accompanied by a parent/guardian to Club nights/outings etc.  Full details of the Club’s Child Protection Policy shall is available via the website.

12.            AMENDMENTS