The Gosport Shed
RULES
Version 14 dated April 2024
The Gosport Shed is a charity, and the formal constitution will be taken up based on common usage for such institutions. The following rules are designed to enable TGS to conduct its day-to-day business and all members are expected to accept these rules when renewing / joining The Gosport Shed.
1 Title The name of the enterprise shall be ‘The Gosport Shed’, herein referred to as TGS.
2 The aims and purposes of TGS
2.1 TGS is a craft and social centre mainly for retired people, organised and run by its members for the benefit of all.
2.2 The aims of TGS are to help its members maintain their health and well-being make new friends and enjoy working on a range of projects. TGS will also assist the community of Gosport in practical ways whenever possible.
2.3 TGS will be managed by its elected committee in a democratic, good-humoured, and open way, as set out by the constitution and this set of rules.
2.4 These rules will be managed and amended as necessary by the standing committee.
2.5 TGS will aim to be available to members at least five days a week between 9am and 4pm. It may also be open at other times at the discretion of the committee.
2.6 The assets and equipment of TGS will be owned collectively.
2.7 The work done by TGS members may be individual tasks, projects, and hobbies, or can be collective projects done as a team.
2.8 Members with particular skills will be encouraged to pass them on to others.
3 Membership
3.1 Membership of TGS is open to all interested persons.
3.2 Application for membership must be sent to the membership secretary on the membership agreement form.
3.3 Application forms will be available in the joining folder, which will contain suitable information that a prospective member may wish to know.
3.4 The membership applicant’s name will be displayed on the Shed notice board prior to the management committee so members can comment on the application. The membership application will be considered by the management committee at their next meeting. The committee reserve the right to refuse membership. The committee reserve the right to refuse membership.
3.5 The membership agreement shall be logged and kept as a record of an agreement between the member and TGS until the member informs the TGS that he no longer wishes to be a member (See: 19 Privacy Policy)
3.6 All members are invited to confirm/update personal details and renew their subscription by 1 January, when renewal forms will be available.
3.7 Member’s details will be held on the club register in both analogue and digital format, (See 19 Privacy Policy).
3.8 The membership secretary is required to report to the committee the current state of the membership and whether any new joiners need assistance, guidance or special needs.
3.9 The membership secretary is to maintain the ‘Rogues Gallery’.
3.10 The Social secretary will account for the Club Regalia and issue and order replacements as required.
4 Subscriptions
4.1 Members of TGS are required to pay an annual membership fee which becomes due on 1st January each year and should be paid in full by 31st January each year.
4.2 A month’s grace will be allowed (but see paras 3.8 and 4.8) which will come into force for those members having not renewed as per para 4.1. Members failing to pay their annual membership fee by the last day of February will cease to be a member (at the discretion of the committee). Any such ‘ex-member’ may reapply to be a member as if a new member.
4.3 The membership annual subscription will be recommended by the committee and will be ratified by majority vote at the AGM.
4.4 New members joining TGS will be required to pay the annual membership fee. New/returning members joining in a particular month will pay the percentage of the annual membership fee as follows:
Jan/Feb/March – 100%
April/May/June – 80%
July/Aug/Sept – 60%
Oct/Nov – 40%
Dec – 100% but covering the following year’s membership fee.
These will be reviewed annually with the membership fee.
4.5 Only fully paid-up members and their guests may take part in events of the society.
4.6 The subscription may be paid in instalments over 2 months as agreed by the Treasurer and under special circumstances or hardship the subscription may be waived at the discretion of the Committee.
4.7 A new joiner (but not a previous member who previously lapsed) may have two month’s grace before being required to pay the subscription in order to determine whether TGS is suitable for their needs.
4.8 At the discretion of the membership secretary, members whose subscription has lapsed for more than 3 months will cease to be entitled to membership benefits until subscriptions are fully paid.
4.9 A member terminating their membership shall not be entitled to any refund of their annual membership fee.
5 Liability
5.1 No member of TGS shall be responsible in any way for any injury or damage to persons or property whilst partaking in any TGS activity.
5.2 TGS will maintain a third-party insurance policy.
6 Accounts
6.1 A Bank Account shall be operated in the name of The Gosport Shed. All cheques require the signature of the Treasurer and one of three nominated people. In very exceptional circumstances in the absence of the Treasurer, a cheque may be signed by two of the above nominated persons.
6.2 The Treasurer is authorised to pay invoices by BACS.
6.3 The Treasurer is authorised to allocate cash up to a maximum of £100 to the craft centre manager and to leaders of specific projects. Project leaders must keep detailed records of expenditure which must be reported to the Treasurer monthly.
6.4 TGS’s financial year shall end on the 30 October each year.
6.5 Accounts of TGS shall be certified by two members of TGS nominated by the committee.
6.6 The Treasurer is responsible for the maintenance of accounts and their submission at each Committee or General Meetings of TGS.
6.7 Members shall have the right to inspect the accounts by request in writing to the Treasurer.
6.8 TGS may invest surplus funds, but the choice of investment is to be made by the committee.
6.9 A millage allowance is payable for prior approved trips undertaken on behalf of TGS. The allowance rate will be set by the treasurer and amended from time to time with due regard to current fuel and other costs.
6.10 All monies raised by donation, by sale of donated goods, or in any other manner on behalf of TGS shall be passed directly to the Treasurer and accounted for. Any agreed expenses associated with the raising of these monies may be claimed from the Treasurer
7 AGM
7.1 An Annual General Meeting shall be held at the end of the financial year. The date of the AGM will be posted on TGS notice board at least one calendar month before the due date.
7.2 Fourteen days’ notice in writing/email with attached agenda shall be issued to all members prior to the AGM. Posting/email to last address shall be suffice as giving due notice.
7.3 The Treasurer shall make available copies of accounts for inspection at the meeting.
7.4 Ten members, or 10% of the memberships, including members of the committee shall form a quorum.
7.5 Items intended for inclusion on the agenda at the AGM should be submitted in writing to the Secretary, together with names of proposer and seconder, not less than twenty-one days prior to the date of the AGM.
8 EGM
8.1 The committee shall be bound to call an Extraordinary General Meeting if requested to do so; it will require at least ten members to put their request in writing to the committee.
8.2 The notice shall specify the nature of the business; fourteen days’ notice shall be given to all members of the date of the meeting.
8.3 Ten members, including members of the committee shall form a quorum.
9 Voting
9.1 All members whose subscriptions are not in arrears shall be entitled to a vote at all General Meetings.
9.2 A two-thirds majority will be necessary to carry out a resolution, to alter, add to or delete from the constitution of TGS. A simple majority will be required for all other propositions.
10 Minutes
Minutes of each Committee, Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting shall
be taken, and copies posted in the club minute book located in the lounge area and copied to all members of the committee.
11 President
11.1 TGS may invite a suitable person to act as President.
11.2 The initial period of office shall be three years, which may be extended at the discretion of TGS.
11.3 TGS may similarly invite a suitably interested person to act as Vice President.
12 Committee
12.1 The affairs of TGS shall be managed by a committee consisting of not less than six and not more than fifteen members.
12.2 The committee will consist of a chairman, vice chairman, a secretary, a treasurer, membership secretary, social secretary, craft centre officer and Health and Safety representative. Other members may be co-opted as necessary.
12.3 Committee members shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting.
12.4 All existing committee members shall retire annually at the AGM and are eligible for re-election.
12.5 The committee shall consider proposals regarding the running of the Shed, it’s facilities and equipment. When a proposal has been discussed by the committee and rejected, as recorded in the minutes, the subject of the proposal shall not be re-introduced for a minimum period of six months.
13 Nominations for Elections
13.1 All paid up members are eligible for election to the committee.
13.2 Nominations for election shall be proposed and seconded by paid up members, with the agreement of the nominee.
13.3 Nominations for committee positions to be voted on at the AGM should be submitted in writing to the Secretary, together with names of proposer and seconder, not less than twenty-one days prior to the date of the AGM.
14 Events
14.1 The committee shall appoint a member to organise events, and he shall be responsible to the Treasurer for the finance of the event.
14.2 The accounts for each event shall be submitted to the Treasurer within two weeks of the event.
15 Guests
Members may include guests in any of their activities, but such guests shall be bound by the constitution of the Society. In this respect it shall be deemed that members shall draw their guest’s attention to paragraph 5 of these rules.
16 Expulsion of Members
16.1 The committee shall have the power to expel or suspend any member, who in their opinion is guilty of violating TGS’ s Constitution or Rules, or of conduct prejudicial to the best interests of TGS.
16.2 Any member against whom such action is taken shall have the right to appeal at the next Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting convened for that purpose by the committee.
17 Equipment
17.1 The Society may acquire and maintain equipment necessary for the use at meetings, events and activities.
17.2 Valuable and attractive items will be locked away in a secure cupboard and noted when being drawn for use. Key will be held by the Workshop manager or his designated representative.
17.3 Valuable and attractive items will be inventoried and marked as TGS property, then deleted on sale or disposal.
17.4 Two persons must be in the Workshop at all times.
17.5 Times of TGS/Workshop opening are 0900-1600 Monday to Friday. There is presently no weekend working.
17.6 When keys are drawn from the key safe, a second signature will be required in the log, to ensure the whereabouts of keys (both in and out) are known at all times. The key for the key safe will now be held in a combination lock
box adjacent to the key safe. This will be open in the morning and locked at close of play.
17.7 All tools and materials sold by TGS will be authorised by the Workshop Manager and a fair and reasonable price agreed upon (guided by eBay prices and also a membership discount of between 10-20%). There are no exceptions –
he must see them before they leave Shed property.
17.8 When a price for the item is agreed upon, the Workshop Manager will ask the Social Secretary to make out a receipt and the price logged to be donated to Shed funds. The Workshop Manager attends The Shed on Mondays, Tuesdays
and Thursdays therefore these will be the days sales will take place. All monies obtained through this method are entered in Shed funds, which help to provide sundries etc. for the Workshop.
17.9 The Shed also has an equipment loans policy where equipment can be borrowed from TGS by signing that item out in the log (held in the office). This will also require a second signature both in and out. A reasonable donation
to TGS funds is expected, to be decided at the time of the loan, by negotiation.
17.10 Anyone not obtaining a receipt or signing out loan equipment and removing it from shed property without permission obviously has intent to steal from the Shed and his fellow members. The result of this will be expulsion from
TGS for theft and possible police involvement.
17.11 If members bring any privately owned items of equipment onto Shed premises, these are entirely at the owner’s risk and the Shed cannot accept any responsibility for safe keeping or security.
18 Winding Up
18.1 If resolved at the Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting that the Society shall be disbanded, the funds shall be donated to worthy causes at the discretion of the committee. See also paragraph 6 of the Constitution.
19 Privacy Policy
19.1 TGS respects members right to privacy and any personal information collected will be stored on the TGS registration database; the TGS will make every reasonable effort to keep all information collected secure.
19.2 The type of information collected by the TGS on its membership forms generally include, members name, address, telephone numbers and other contact details, along with skills information etc.
19.3 All personal information which members provide will be used by TGS for communication purposes, between members.
19.4 No personal information will be passed on to third parties, unless TGS has the consent of the member involved.
19.5 Members shall be given the opportunity to withhold personal details from being printed in any future documentation.
19.6 Members’ details will be removed from TGS database if annual renewal is not made.
20 Health & Safety
TGS has adopted a health and Safety policy, will be insured against personal injury and will take every reasonable precaution to ensure that members and visitors are safe. No alcohol, non-medicinal drugs or illegal substances or smoking are permitted in the Shed. Brought-in alcohol may be allowed in exceptional circumstances with the approval of St Vincent college.
This set of rules was originally adopted on 24 March 2015
Latest Update adopted on 2 nd April 2024
Paul Millard
Secretary
