SOUTH AFRICAN SCOUT ASSOCIATION : KWAZULU NATAL AREA

GREATER DURBAN DISTRICT

CONSTITUTION OF THE 29th DURBAN SCOUT GROUP

1.               PREAMBLE

This constitution shall be complimentary to and shall in no way conflict with the provisions of the Constitution and Bye-laws of the Kwazulu Natal Area or the Policy, Organisation and Rules of the South African Scout Association, as amended from time to time.

2.               REPEAL

Any or all former Constitutions of this Group shall be and are hereby repealed, having no force or effect whatsoever.

3.               NAME

The name of the Group shall be the 29th Durban, Umbilo Congregational Scout Group of the South African Scout Association, Kwazulu Natal Area, Greater Durban District.

4.               FUNCTION

The function of the Group shall be laid down in the Policy, Organisation and Rules of the South African Scout Association, as amended from time to time.

5.               MEMBERSHIP

Membership of the Group shall be a laid down in the Policy, Organisation and Rules of the South African Scout Association, as amended from time to time, and shall include boys, girls, men and women as provided for therein, provided that the Group Committee may decide to confine membership of the Group to a defined area or to members of a particular institution or class.

6.               SUBSCRIPTIONS AND FEES

Subscriptions shall be levied on the members as decided by the Group Committee annually.

Annual capitation fees payable to the South African Scout Headquarters shall represent the first call on Group funds and shall be paid to Area Headquarters on or before the 31st October for the ensuing year.

Annual District capitation fees shall be payable to the District Resource Committee or District Commissioner from the Group funds, when due.

The Group Committee shall determine the amount of subscriptions to be paid by each member of the Group and shall determine the manner of payment.

The Group Committee shall have discretion to reduce or waive Group subscriptions where hardship exists so that no boy or girl shall be denied membership for non payment of subscriptions.

  7.               FINANCE

7.1       The Annual Audited Financial Accounts shall be submitted to Area Headquarters before the 30th October each year, with a copy of the Annual Report and an inventory of Group property.

7.2       All monies received by or on behalf of the Group shall be administered by the Treasurer, acting in consultation with the Group Committee, and shall be paid into a financial institution or any other similar financial institution account in the name of the South African Scout Association, 29th Durban Scout Group.

7.3       Such accounts shall be operated on any two of four signatories appointed by the Group Committee

7.4       The District Commissioner and Area Manager additionally shall be signatories on the Group=s accounts as referred to in 7.3

7.5       The treasurer shall cause books of account to be kept and all transactions duly recorded and shall be responsible for the financial records and auditing of the accounts annually.

8.               PARENTS ASSOCIATION

Parents of all boys and girls who are members of the Group shall automatically become members of the Parents Association.

9.               ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Group shall hold its Annual General Meeting during October in each year, on the date of the fourth Friday of that month, when the following business shall be conducted:

9.1       The election of the Group Committee, each of whom shall be nominated and seconded and shall accept nomination before being eligible for election.

9.2       Presentation of the Annual Reports and Accounts

9.3       The election of an Auditor for the ensuing year.

9.4       Application for re-registration of the Group for the ensuing year.

9.5       Such other purposes as the Chairperson shall permit.

The Group Secretary shall record the minutes of the Annual General meeting. A copy of these minutes to be submitted to the District Resource Committee and Area Headquarters within one month of the meeting. These minutes shall be ratified at the following Committee Meeting and signed by the Chairperson and Secretary.

10.            GROUP COMMITTEE

10.1     The Group Committee shall consist of not less than three and not more than thirteen members, who may be parents or other interested parties.

10.2     Uniformed members, other than the Group Scouters or the Senior Scouter in the absence of a Group Scouter, shall not be members of the Group Committee, but may attend meetings at the invitation of the Committee.

10.3     The Group Committee shall annually, at the first meeting after the Annual General Meeting, elect from among their number a Chairperson, Treasurer and Secretary, provided that such office bearers may be elected at the Annual General Meeting. Dual portfolios may be held.

10.3.1              Any person who has served as a member of the Executive may be re-elected for a further term of office.

10.4     The Group Committee shall have the right to co-opt additional members from time to time, either to fill vacancies which may occur, or to fulfill specific functions or needs that may arise.

10.5     The Group Committee shall meet monthly except December

10.6     All meetings of the Group Committee shall be minuted by the Secretary and shall be confirmed by the meeting thereafter and signed by the Chairperson and Secretary.

11.            NOTICE OF MEETING

11.1     Notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be served on all members of the Group in such a manner as shall be decided by the Committee, not less than two weeks before the date of the meeting, and such method shall be considered as valid service of notice.

11.2     Notice of the Group Committee meetings shall be sent to all members at least seven days before such meeting, unless a regular meeting date is laid down at the start of each Scout year and all members advised. (See 10.5)

12.            QUORUM

12.1     The quorum for an Annual General Meeting shall be one quarter of the members of the Parents Association, provided that the Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary and Senior Scouter, or their nominees are present, and provided that in the absence of any of them the meeting may continue upon a resolution to that effect being carried by a two-thirds majority of those present.

12.2     The quorum for a Committee meeting shall be four members of whom one shall be either the Chairperson or the Group Scouter.

12.3     If a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting it shall be adjourned for a period of not more than 7 days and those present at such an adjourned meeting shall be a quorum. The time, date and place of the adjourned meeting shall be conveyed to all members.

13.            VOTING

13.1     Only members present at a meeting shall be entitled to vote.

13.2     The Chairperson shall have a deliberative as well as a casting vote.

13.3     Voting may be by a show of hands or secret ballot at the discretion of the meeting by simple majority.

 

14.            CHAIRPERSON

14.1     The Chairperson of the Group Committee shall also be the Chairperson of the Parents Association, and shall preside at all meetings.

14.2     In the absence of the Chairperson, the Group Committee shall appoint one of their number to take the Chair, failing which the meeting shall elect a Chairperson

15.            AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

15.1     This constitution may be amended at an Annual General or Special General Meeting of the Group convened for that purpose.

15.2     At least 14 clear days notice of any proposed amendments must be given by the Secretary to all members of the Group Committee and the Parents Association together with the date, time and place at which such a meeting is to be held.

15.3     A majority of at least two-thirds of those present shall be necessary to pass any resolution involving the amendment of this constitution.

15.4     Upon adoption, any such amendments shall be submitted to the District Commissioner and Area Headquarters for approval before being in force and of effect.

16.            WINDING UP

In the event of the Group having to be closed and its affairs wound up, the following provisions shall apply :

16.1     The last remaining Chairperson or available member of the last appointed Committee shall immediately advise the District Commissioner and /or Area Headquarters of the circumstances.

16.2     Area Headquarters shall call upon the last appointed office bearer of the Group to deliver the Group=s Books of Account showing the assets and liabilities, together with all the unexpended funds of the Group and all Group equipment and assets to Area Headquarters, where the same shall be held in trust until such time as the Group is re-registered. If, after a period of two years the Group has not re-registered, such assets shall become the property of Area Headquarters to be used at the sole and unfettered discretion of Area Headquarters for the benefit of Scouting in the Area.

16.3     Area Headquarters shall have the right to take the necessary steps to liquidate any debts of the Group from any unexpended funds and any other monies realised from the assets of the Group, before any monies realised from the assets of the Group, before any monies are placed in trust for the Group, provided that any monies placed in trust shall be invested for not more than a two-year fixed period.