THE ASSOCIATION OF FRIENDS OF FERMANAGH COUNTY MUSEUM

CONSTITUTION

1)	Name 

The Association shall be called The Association of Friends of Fermanagh County Museum and the official address shall be c/o Fermanagh County Museum, Castle Barracks, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, BT74 7HL. 

2)	Object 

i.	The object of the Association shall be to further the interests of Fermanagh County Museum, through the activities of the Friends, and to that end: 

a)	In consultation with the Curator to assist with the development of the museum and its collection of educational exhibits and other records; 

b)	To participate in the activities of the museum and to encourage the wider knowledge, use, and enjoyment of its collections and facilities. 

ii.	The Association shall pursue the above object to the extent only that it is charitable and by charitable means only, and shall be non-profit making. 

3)  Membership

i.	Membership shall be open to two categories, individuals and corporate bodies who support the object of the Association and pay to the funds of the Association such sum as shall from time to time be fixed by the committee as the subscription for the particular category of membership applicable. 

ii.	Membership shall lapse if any subscription is unpaid six months after it is due. 

4)  Honorary Membership

Persons who have rendered outstanding service to the museum or the Association may be elected by the Association to honorary life membership.

5)  Committee

i. At the annual general meeting in each year the Association shall elect from its membership its officers and committee. The officers, namely a chairman, vice-chairman, secretary and treasurer, shall each hold office for one year but shall be eligible for re-election. Similarly, the committee members will serve for one year and be eligible for re-election.

The Committee shall consist of the officers, together with six other elected members of committee, and the Curator of the museum and one other member of the museum’s staff nominated by the Curator who shall be, ex-officio, members of the committee. If a member of the museum staff be already elected to the committee, the curator will be empowered to make further nomination from the

membership. Five members of the committee for time being, one of whom must be the Curator or the Curator’s nominee, shall constitute a quorum.

ii. Each candidate for election to the committee must be proposed and seconded by members present at the meeting, and if any candidate is unable to be present at the meeting then that person’s nomination must be accompanied by their consent to serve.

ii. If the nominations for the committee exceed the number of vacancies a secret ballot shall take place.

iv. The committee shall have power to fill any vacancies arising amongst the officers and committee members and shall have power to co-opt not more than five additional voting members during any one year.

6) Meetings

i.	An annual general meeting of the Association shall be held in each calendar year. The business of the meeting shall include reception of the committee’s report and the audited accounts of the Association, and the election of the officers and members of the committee for the ensuring year. 

ii.	Eightdays notice of any general meeting of the Association shall be given in writing to each member. 

7) Financial Provisions

i.	The treasurer shall keep a full record of the income and expenditure of the Association. The accounts of the Asscoiation shall be audited annually and those audited accounts shall be presented to the members at the annual general meeting. 

ii.	In the event of the winding up of the Association, its funds and assets shall pass to such body having charitable objects as may be selected by a majority of the members present and voting at a meeting of the Association convened for that purpose. 

8) Amendment

This constitution may be altered by resolution passed by a two thirds majority of members present and voting at a general meeting. The committee must give each member eight days written notice of any motion for such alteration, provided that no amendment is made which would cause the Association to cease to be a charity at law.

Trustee Signature …………………………………………………

Date …………………………………………………………………….