Constitution   Page Last Updated: 16 Mar 2011

(THE SMALL PRINT)

(Sections coloured red are amendments to the previous version.)

The Worked All Britain Awards Group – Constitution

This constitution is effective from 11^th June 2023

1. The Name   The organisation shall be known as the Worked All Britain Awards Group (W.A.B.)
   
   

2. The aims of the Worked All Britain Awards Group (W.A.B.) are:
   1. To promote a series of Amateur Radio Awards based on the Geography and Administration of Great Britain and Northern Ireland suitable for both licensed and unlicensed members.
   2. When financially expedient to assist Organisations helping less fortunate Radio Amateurs, Short Wave Listeners and other Registered Charities (not necessarily concerned with amateur radio).
   3. To encourage a greater interest in Amateur Radio in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
   
   

3. Membership   Shall be open to all Radio Amateurs and Short Wave Listeners. Membership is upon the purchase of a Worked All Britain Record Book or CD Worked All Britain Book Package each of which is sequentially numbered. The ownership of more than one Worked All Britain Record Book or CD Worked All Britain Book Package does not entitle a member to more than one vote at an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting. Membership is to the initial purchaser or recipient of the Worked All Britain Record Book or CD Worked All Britain Book Package and is not transferable by resale or re-donation of the book.
   Membership privileges may be withdrawn by the officers of the group if a member does not operate within the terms of their licence or not in the spirit of the W.A.B. Awards Group.
   
   

4. Officers of the Group shall be:
   1. The President
   2. The Immediate Past President
   3. The Honorary Secretary
   4. The Awards Manager
   5. The Honorary Treasurer
   6. The Contest Manager
   7. The Membership Secretary
   8. The Newsletter Editor
   9. The Rallies Manager
   10. The Publicity Officer
   11. Additional Committee members to a maximum of 15. These could typically represent Short Wave Listeners, Novice Licensees, etc.
   Officers may hold more than one appointment concurrently, equally, duties in some cases may also be shared. However, the committee should be in majority agreement that such duties will be dealt with or handled appropriately on behalf of the group. (eg. In the absence of a rally manager those duties may be shared or dealt with amongst those who regularly attend the various rallies).
   
   

5. Election of President   Nominations for the post of President shall be received in writing by the Hon. Secretary no less than 28 days prior to the A.G.M. Such nominations will include a nominator and seconder. The nominee must have given their consent and confirmed this in writing to the Honorary Secretary no later than 21 days before the published date of the Annual General Meeting. Candidates for the post of President must be members of the existing committee or have served on the committee for a minimum of two years total in the previous 5 years.
   1. Election of Officers   Membership of the Committee is open to all W.A.B. members. The offices of Hon. Secretary, Awards Manager, Hon. Treasurer, Contest Manager and Membership Secretary/Book Manager are standing appointments of the committee. Officers are elected by the committee as necessary after resignation or action under section 7 of the constitution. Members of the committee are elected annually at the A.G.M. The retiring President automatically becomes a member of the committee for the succeeding year of presidency. The President may not serve in that capacity for more than two years, but may stand for re-election after at least one year has elapsed following the end of Presidency. Nominations for the committee shall be received in writing by the Hon. Secretary at least 28 days prior to the A.G.M. Such nominations will include that the person so nominated is willing to stand for election.
      Definition: In this section (exclusively) the term 'year' shall signify the period between A.G.M.s.
   
   

6. Duties of Officers:
   1. The President will chair meetings and have the casting vote where there is a tied vote on any resolution.
   2. The Honorary Secretary will be responsible for the day to day running of the business of the group and will ensure that decisions made at all meetings are recorded.
   3. The Awards Manager will be responsible for the checking of award claims and the issue of awards. The decision of this officer is final in any disputes concerning awards.
   4. The Honorary Treasurer is responsible for the day to day finances of the group and will be required to produce an annual balance sheet at the A.G.M. to cover the previous financial year. The accounts shall be examined by two W.A.B. members.
   5. The Contest Manager is responsible for arranging the dates and rules for W.A.B. contests and for the checking of Contest Logs. In the event of a dispute concerning contest results, the decision of this officer is final.
   6. The Publicity officer is responsible for publicising all events, liaison with the press and other groups and societies.
   7. The Membership Secretary/Book Manager will be responsible for the issuing of W.A.B. Record Books and the keeping of membership records.
   8. The Rallies Manager will be responsible for all matters concerning the attendance of W.A.B. at rallies, including the maintenance of full stock control, re-ordering and inventory procedures.
   9. The Newsletter Editor shall be responsible for the collection, editing and collation of items for the Newsletter. They shall also handle subscription payments and renewals, and arrange the printing and distribution of The Newsletter.
   10. Co-option of members. The committee may co-opt members to fill occasional vacancies or for specific purposes.
   
   

7. Dismissal of Officers
   The committee is empowered to request the resignation of any officer who does not carry out his or her constitutional duties, or any member who brings W.A.B. into disrepute. Any such decision shall be by a 2/3 majority vote of committee members present at the meeting. The procedure shall be that the President shall request the resignation in writing giving reasons for the request. Such request shall be sent to the last known address, using recorded delivery. If no reply is received, the resignation shall be deemed to be in force after a period of 14 days has elapsed from the date of the letter.
   
   

8. Meetings
   1. The President shall chair a committee, Annual General or Extra-Ordinary General Meeting, and shall have a casting vote in the event of a tied vote upon any proposal or motion. In the absence of the President, the meeting shall be chaired by the Immediate Past President, and in the event of their absence also, the members of the committee present shall elect a chairman/chairwoman from their number. The person taking the chair in the absence of the President shall have a casting vote in the event of a tied vote upon any proposal or motion.
   2. A General Meeting shall be held annually (A.G.M.) at a time, date and place published in a Newsletter, on the Worked All Britain Website and, if possible, in Radio Communication magazine. Items or proposals for discussion shall be received in writing by the Honorary Secretary no later than 28 days prior to the published date of the meeting, with the exception of a proposal for an addition, deletion, or amendment to the Constitution which shall be no later than 100 days prior to the published date of the meeting.
      Any proposal concerning the Constitution shall be published in a Newsletter and on the W.A.B. web site prior to the published date of the meeting. The agenda will be presented at the Annual General Meeting only. All motions and proposals shall require a simple majority vote of those present for acceptance.
      If after 30 minutes have elapsed from the published start of the meeting it is not quorate the meeting will be dissolved and reconvened within six weeks at a time, date and place set by the Honorary Secretary.  The officers and committee shall remain in office until such meeting is held. The quorum for an Annual General Meeting shall be the sum of the number of Worked All Britain Committee Members present, plus 5 members.
   3. An Extra-Ordinary General Meeting (E.G.M.) may be convened by the Committee, or on receipt of a resolution signed by at least 15 members and received in writing by the Honorary Secretary, who upon receipt will call a meeting at a time, date and place, which shall be at least 28 days after notice has been given in a Newsletter and on the W.A.B. web site. Such notice will contain the proposals to be considered.
      A simple majority vote of those present shall be required for acceptance of the proposal. No business other than that published in the notice shall be discussed. The quorum for an E.G.M. shall be the sum of the number of Worked All Britain Committee Members present, plus 5 members. If after 30 minutes have elapsed from the published time of the meeting it is not quorate the meeting will be dissolved and the proposal(s) lost.
   4. A minimum of two committee meetings shall be held between each Annual General Meeting. The Honorary Secretary shall inform each committee member of the time, date and place of a meeting and produce an agenda. The quorum for a committee meeting shall be fifty percent plus one of the elected Committee (excluding corresponding members).
   5. For the purposes of voting at an A.G.M. or E.G.M., (paragraphs b. and c. above), "those present" shall be deemed to include ALL those in attendance either in person or virtually via any recognised online meeting platform such as Zoom or Teams etc.
   
   

9. Alterations to the Constitution
   Alterations to the Constitution can only be made at an Annual General Meeting or Extra-Ordinary General Meeting. Any alteration made shall be published in full in the next Newsletter and on the W.A.B. web site following the meeting.
   
   

10. Dissolution of the Organisation
    Only an A.G.M. or E.G.M. shall have the power to wind up the affairs and monies of the organisation.
    
    

11. Legacy from Norman Marshall G1NTW
    The late Norman Marshall G1NTW (a serving committee member at the time of his death) bequeathed the sum of £150,000 to W.A.B. The committee in place at the time the bequest was received invested the money in a Multi Manager Distribution Fund with the Portfolio Service of F & C Fund Management Ltd.
    1. The four trustees of the fund in which the Norman Marshall legacy is invested must be serving members of the committee.
    2. Only the dividend from the investment fund shall be used for any donations made as per the constitution, and for the day-to-day running of W.A.B.
    
    

12. With the exception of Section 7. Wherever this constitution calls for submission to the Hon. Secretary "in writing", such submissions shall be acceptable via post or electronically, via email, either as attachments or direct message content, but shall not extend to messages via social media groups such as WhatsApp, FaceBook or Groups.io.

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