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Constitution

  1. Name
    1.1. The Society shall be known as Swindon Film Society, referred to here as “The Society”.

  2. Objects
    2.1. The Object of The Society is to advance the education of the public in the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the arts, particularly the art of film and allied visual techniques.
    2.2 In furtherance of the foregoing object The Society will organise activities in order to give the people of Swindon and surrounding area the opportunity of seeing a wide ranging programme of international films that would otherwise get little or no local exposure.

  3. Membership
    3.1. Membership of The Society is open to anyone over the age of sixteen years on payment of the current fee and at the discretion of the Committee.
    3.2. Membership of the Society shall entitle the holder to attendance at all film shows and other meetings.
    3.3. At the beginning of each season, the Committee will send a copy of the new season brochure to all previous season members at their last known address, inviting them to renew their membership.
    3.4. Members may join the Society or renew their membership at the beginning of the season in advance by post, or on any of the Society’s film nights prior to the screening.
    3.5. Members may also signal their intention to join or renew by submitting the Membership Form found on the Society’s website, but they shall not be deemed to be members of the Society until payment is made of the appropriate fee.
    3.6. Only members and their guests shall be admitted to the Society’s film screenings in its main programme at Swindon Arts Centre. Only members may purchase guest tickets, up to a limit of three tickets for any film show, subject to the discretion of the Committee.

  4. Management
    4.1. The Society shall be run by a Committee of at least 6 and no more than 12 of the Society’s members. The quorum for Committee meetings shall be 5 Committee members.
    4.2. The Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting, which shall be held once a year, normally in the Autumn. The date of the meeting shall be notified to members in the programme brochure.
    4.3. Committee members shall normally hold office until their successors are elected at the next AGM. However, in the event that a Committee member fails to attend three successive Committee meetings without reasonable explanation, the other Committee members may, at their discretion, deem that person to have resigned from the Committee. If the number of Committee members falls below the maximum number, the Committee may, at its discretion, co-opt additional members pending the next AGM.
    4.4. A Special General Meeting may be called at any time by the Committee or upon written request being made to the Committee signed by at least 5 current Members. The quorum for any General Meeting (including the AGM) shall be 10 current Members.
    4.5. The Committee shall appoint a Chairperson, a Treasurer and a Secretary, and any other offices that it shall from time to time determine as required for efficient and effective running of the Society.
    4.6. The Society shall be non-political (i.e. it shall not espouse the cause of any political party).
    4.7. The Committee shall appoint an independent, suitably qualified and licenced person to inspect the Society’s annual accounts which shall be presented to the membership at the AGM.
    4.8. The Society shall not be run for the private profit of a Member or Members. Any balance at the end of the year shall be carried over and devoted to the Objects of The Society.
    4.9. No Members, or Committee Members, shall receive payment directly or indirectly for their services or for anything other than legitimate expenses incurred in work for The Society.
    4.10. The Society shall not be wound up except by a resolution of three-quarters of those present at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose. In the event of a winding up, the remaining funds of The Society shall not be distributed among members but be passed to a charitable organisation or organisations with objects similar to those of The Society. Such organisation(s) shall be chosen by the Committee in consultation with the British Federation of Film Societies or its equivalent body.

  5. Alteration of Rules
    5.1. No alteration of the rules shall be made except by a resolution of two-thirds of those present at a General Meeting. No amendment shall be made to the Objects clause (Clause 2 ), the dissolution clause (Clause 4.10) or this clause (Clause 5). No amendment shall be made which would cause The Society to cease to be a Charity in Law.

Date last amended 02 November, 2016.