Constitution

1. Title

CGBF shall be called Cumbria Green Business Forum hereafter to be referred to as "CGBF".

2. Aims

Primary Purpose: To foster and promote Cumbria as a Centre of Environmental Excellence by actively encouraging and supporting sustainable environmental best practice in the local business community. In particular to:

• Provide a Forum for Cumbria businesses to promote and share environmental best practice
• All forum members agree to improve environmental performance of their business activities
• Promote awareness of environmental concerns with local communities and other stakeholders across Cumbria
• Provide a voice for local businesses on green issues – lobby for better facilities and services
• Support local community environmental initiatives

3. Membership

3.1 Membership of CGBF shall be open to any Cumbrian business or other organisation that each member is:

• committed to continually improving its environmental performance
• completes a membership application form
• pays the relevant subscription/joining fee as determined by the CGBF Members.
  N.B. Demonstrating continual commitment will be the subject of further discussion by members.
  

3.2 Only one representative from each member has constitutional voting rights.
N.B Voting rights exceptions apply where two representatives from one member organisation hold committee posts.

3.3 Each member business is limited to two Committee posts

3.4 Members agree to implement the CGBF Charter as determined by members (to be agreed by members within one year of formally adopting the Constitution)

3.5 Membership Fees – members will pay a subscription fee of £24 per year (pro rata £2.00 per month. First membership fees due 1 st August 2007.

3.6 Fees will be reviewed each year.

4. Officers

The Executive Officers of CGBF shall be as follows:

Chairperson
Vice Chairperson
Secretary
Treasurer

5. Election of officers

5.1 All Officers shall be elected by the Members of the CGBF.

5.2 Current officers duly elected 12 July 2007 include:

Chairperson - John Barwise
Vice Chairperson - David Welch
Secretary - Rodger Woodroffe
Treasurer - Caroline Welch

5.3 All Officers are elected for a period of one year, but may be re-elected to the same office or another office the following year.

6. General Committee

6.1 The affairs of CGBF shall be controlled by a Committee of comprising 4 Executive officers and 6 elected committee Members.

The Committee shall meet at agreed intervals and not less than four times per year.

6.2 The duties of the Committee shall be:

• 6.2.1 To control the affairs of CGBF on behalf of the Members.
• 6.2.2 To keep accurate accounts of the finances of CGBF through the Treasurer. These should be available for reasonable inspection by Members and be audited every year.
• 6.2.3 To co-opt additional members of the Committee as the Committee feels this is necessary.
• 6.2.4 To make decisions on the basis of a simple majority vote. In the case of equal votes, the Chairperson shall be entitled to an additional casting vote.

 

7. CGBF Finances

7.1 HSBC bank account requiring 2 signatures to include the Treasurer and 1 other from the Executive Committee.

7.2 The Treasurer will report monthly to the meeting with details of transactions occurred.

7.3 CGBF will prepare and publish a set of financial accounts for each AGM.

8. General meetings

8.1 The Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held not later than the end of March each year. The Secretary shall circulate or give notice of the agenda for the meeting to Members not less than 7 days before the meeting.

8.2 The business of the Meetings shall be to:

• 8.2.1 Confirm the minutes of the previous meetings and agree Agenda. Review Treasurer’s Finance Report.
• 8.2.2 AGMs will also include:
• 8.2.2.1 Report of the audited accounts for the year from the Treasurer.
• 8.2.2.2 Review subscription rates and agree them for the forthcoming year.
• 8.2.2.3 A report from the Chairman as to the CGBF’s progress in the last year
• 8.2.2.4 Elect Executive Officers and Committee Members: Chairperson; Vice Chairperson; secretary; Treasurer and other General Committee Members.

8.3 At all General Meetings, the chair will be taken by the Chairperson, Vice Chair or, in their absence, by a deputy appointed by the Members attending the meeting , elected by a simple show of hands.

8.4 A quorum for a General Meeting shall include 33% of the Committee which includes a minimum of two members of the executive.

8.5 Decisions made at a General Meeting shall be by a simple majority of votes from those Members attending the meeting providing a quorum is achieved. In the event of equal votes, the Chairperson shall be entitled to an additional casting vote.

8.6 Each Member of the CGBF shall be entitled to one vote at General Meetings.

8.7 Where a single member organisation is represented by more than one representative then only one vote can be cast.

9. Special General Meetings

9.1 A special General Meeting can be called if a written request from 5 Member Organisations is received by the Secretary. This meeting will be organised and held within six weeks of the request being received at which time notice will be sent out to all members.

 

10. Alterations to the Constitutions

10.1 Any proposed alterations to the Organisation Constitution may only be considered at an Annual or Special General Meeting convened with the required written notice of the proposal. Any alteration or amendment must be proposed by a Member and seconded by another Member. Such alterations shall be passed if supported by not less than two-thirds of those Members present at the meeting, assuming that a quorum has been achieved.

11. Dissolution

• 11.1 If, at any General Meeting of the Organisation, a resolution be passed calling for the dissolution of the CGBF, the Secretary shall immediately convene a Special General Meeting of the CGBF to be held not less than one month thereafter to discuss and vote on the resolution.
• 11.2 If, at that Special General Meeting, the resolution is carried by at least two-thirds of the Members present at the meeting, the General Committee shall thereupon, or at such date as shall have been specified in the resolution, proceed to realise the assets of the CGBF and discharge all debts and liabilities of the Organisation.
• 11.3 After discharging all debts and liabilities of CGBF, the remaining assets shall not be paid or distributed amongst the Members of CGBF, but shall be given or transferred to some other voluntary organisation having objects similar to those of the CGBF.