1. NAME & ADDRESS
a) The Society shall be called the South East Cheshire Ornithological Society, hereinafter referred to as the Society and abbreviated to SECOS.
b) The official address of the Society shall be that of the Secretary.
2. OBJECT
a) The object of the Society shall be to promote and foster an interest in ornithology by observation, research and record-keeping, with a focus on community engagement.
b) The Society shall bring together bird enthusiasts and experienced ornithologists to deepen their collective understanding of avian life and to celebrate its rich diversity.
c) The Society shall operate in a friendly, inclusive and open manner, welcoming members of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of expertise. It shall strive to create a supportive environment for learning and collaboration.
d) The Society shall pursue its object by a variety of means which may include, but is not limited to, indoor meetings, field meetings, bird surveys, and recording bird sightings to inform Society members and support county and national ornithological organisations.
e) The Society shall endeavour to ensure its longevity by actively seeking to increase its membership.
3. RECORDING AREA
a) The Society's recording area shall be the part of Cheshire that lies within the five 10 km squares SJ74, SJ75, SJ76, SJ85 and SJ86.
4. SOCIETY MANAGEMENT
a) The Society shall be managed by an elected Committee comprising three officers, Chair, Treasurer and Secretary, together with up to six General Committee Members.
b) Elected committee members may serve not more than three consecutive years and shall then be eligible for re-election.
c) At a committee meeting after an Annual General Meeting (AGM), non-officer roles (e.g. Membership Secretary, Indoor Meetings Secretary, Recorder), may be assigned to any Committee member, as deemed necessary by the Committee.
d) The quorum for committee meetings shall consist of four members.
e) Committee positions shall be subject to election every three years, staggered as follows:
Chair and two general committee positions in the first year
Treasurer and two general committee positions in the second year
Secretary and two general committee positions in the third year
f) Officers and General Committee Members shall be elected at an AGM.
g) At the three consecutive indoor meetings before an AGM, a notice shall be publicly displayed, which shall detail those Committee members due to retire at the next AGM. In exceptional circumstances, where indoor meetings cannot be held, the notice shall be published to members by email or by post.
h) Proposals to fill Committee vacancies shall be made on the notice. Proposals must be signed by the Nominee, a Proposer and a Seconder, who must all be Society members. Nominations shall close two weeks before the AGM.
i) The Committee may, at its discretion, co-opt a member to fill a vacancy on the Committee, or for a specific purpose. A co-opted member is entitled to vote. A co-opted member shall serve on the Committee no longer than the next AGM.
j) Committee members shall not receive payment, either directly or indirectly, for their services, other than payment for reasonable expenses.
5. FINANCE
a) The Society shall be non-profit-making. Any balance at the end of the financial year shall be carried over to the following year.
b) The Society shall maintain a reserve fund for contingencies at a level deemed appropriate by the Committee.
c) The financial year of the Society shall end on 31st March.
d) The accounts of the Society shall be reviewed and certified by an independent examiner. The examiner shall be a person with the skills, knowledge, and experience to perform the examination effectively, but does not need to be a qualified accountant. To ensure independence, the examiner shall not be a current committee member or be related to one. The examiner shall be appointed at an AGM.
e) The Society shall have up to four committee member signatories, one of whom shall be the Treasurer. Payments, withdrawals, and financial documents shall be authorised by any two signatories, who shall not be related.
6. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
a) The AGM shall take place on some convenient date in April to be fixed by the Committee.
b) Any item for inclusion on the AGM Agenda must be with the Secretary at least one month before the AGM.
7. MEMBERSHIP
a) Membership is open to anyone who is interested in nature and who will support the object of the Society.
b) Members who are under the age of eighteen at the time of paying the membership subscription shall be termed Junior Members and shall pay the Junior Member’s subscription rate. They shall not be entitled to vote at AGMs.
c) To ensure safeguarding and wellbeing, Junior Members must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at indoor and outdoor events.
d) Non-members may attend indoor meetings as visitors.
e) Non-members may be invited by a member to join the Society’s excursions, accommodation permitting, on payment of the charge fixed for such excursions.
f) The Society may appoint a patron to serve as a non-executive Honorary President. A recommendation for an Honorary President shall be submitted by the Committee to an AGM for approval.
g) The Society may have an Honorary Vice-President who shall be a member who has given long and outstanding service to the Society, including a period in a leadership role. A recommendation for an Honorary Vice-President shall be submitted by the Committee to an AGM for approval.
h) Honorary Life Membership may be conferred on a member in recognition of outstanding service to the Society. A recommendation for Honorary Life Membership shall be submitted by the Committee to an AGM for approval.
i) Should a member be thought to be behaving in a way likely to prejudice the good name of the Society, the Committee may, after investigating the matter, require the member to resign.
8. SUBSCRIPTIONS
a) Annual subscriptions shall be proposed by the Committee and approved at an AGM.
b) The full annual subscription shall be due and payable on joining the Society. Thereafter, it shall be due and payable on 1st September each year.
c) Members joining after 30th April shall pay the full annual subscription, which shall cover their membership up to 31st July in the following year.
d) A member whose current year’s subscription remains unpaid at the end of December shall cease to be a member.
9. USE OF FUNDS
a) The Committee has authority, at its discretion, to charge for any function or activity of the Society, and also to subsidise any function, activity or interest of the Society.
10. WINDING UP & DISPOSAL OF ASSETS
a) The Society shall not be wound up except by a resolution of three-quarters of those present at an Extraordinary General Meeting convened for that purpose.
b) In the event of a winding-up, the assets of the Society shall be realised and the full proceeds, following the complete settlement of outstanding liabilities, allocated to a nationally recognised ornithological society or societies, proposed by the Committee and approved by using a transferable vote system by three-quarters of those present at an Extraordinary General Meeting.
11. AMENDMENTS
a) Amendments to the Constitution and Rules shall be made at:
• An AGM, providing the proposal is given in writing to the Secretary not less than two calendar months before the AGM.
• An Extraordinary General Meeting convened for this purpose by the Committee, when four weeks' notice shall be given to members.
• An Extraordinary General Meeting called in response to a proposal from not less than 25% of the current membership, when four weeks’ notice will be given to members.
b) At least three weeks' notice of any proposed amendment shall be given to members.
12. AFFILIATIONS
a) The Society may be affiliated to any appropriate organisation(s), subject to Committee approval.
13. REVISION HISTORY
Version 1.0 08 November 1998
Version 1.1 14 April 2000
Version 1.2 14 July 2006
Version 2.0 12 April 2024