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Constitution

  1. Title
    1. The Club shall be called the SOLIHULL BUSINESS CLUB and shall exist for the purpose of contributing to its members' well-being by creating business between them and for them in every possible way.
  2. Membership
    1. Each member business shall have one vote in all cases. The Club definition of a Member shall be a member business having paid the annual subscription.
    2. There will be no restriction on the size or location of member companies or businesses in any way, except that no more than three representatives of any member business can attend regular meetings.
    3. New companies/businesses wishing to join the club will be accepted following committee approval in good faith with no discrimination in age, colour, creed or type of business activity provided that the activities are legally and morally acceptable. In any case of doubt the membership application will be put to Club members and ratified by vote.
    4. Club members are welcomed into the Club in good faith and on the understanding that they will act in other members best interests. Should the officers or any individual Club member object to their activities, the committee may terminate in writing the membership, subject to appeal to a General Meeting of the Club.
    5. Club members expelled will not, in normal circumstances, be acceptable for membership re-application. The Secretary will however, submit the application to the Committee for ratification.
    6. Visitors may attend for a maximum of two meetings after which time it will be necessary to join as a member in order to continue to attend. The first visit will be free but the second will be at a charge which will, from time to time, be decided at the Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting.
  3. Meetings
    1. The Club will meet at times and venues to be announced at each meeting, in the monthly Newsletter and on the Club website.
  4. Committee and Officers
    1. The Club will be organised by a Committee comprising Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Membership Secretary plus no less than four and no more than eleven other members.
    2. Members will be asked for their nominations for Officer and Committee positions and a notification letter, together with nomination forms, will be sent out during the month of May. In order to qualify, completed nomination forms must be received by the Chairman no later than the date of the committee meeting in June. All nominations must be seconded and be signed by the proposer and seconder. Each nomination must have the full agreement of the nominee.
    3. In order that long and/or exceptional service to the Club may be recognised, the title of Honorary Vice President can be awarded with the agreement of a majority of members at the Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting, the award being recognised by the inclusion of the title and name of the person being included on Club stationery and other means of communication as appropriate. Honorary Vice Presidents will remain as members of the Club with all the rights and privileges enjoyed by ordinary members but they will not be required to pay a membership fee.
    4. Officers of the Club and Committee members will serve for a maximum of one year before submitting themselves for re-election.
    5. The Committee shall have the right to co-opt extra members when required; these extra members will automatically retire when they have completed their contribution.
    6. Committee decisions on the Club policy will be taken collectively by Officers and Committee with the Chairman holding a casting vote if required.
    7. Contentious matters may at the discretion of the committee be put to the Club members for ratification by a majority vote.
    8. All Club correspondence will be dealt with by the Chairman and/or the Secretary.
    9. The minimum number of Officers and Committee members present at a meeting to make a quorum is six.
    10. The subscription level will be decided by the Club Committee and then put to the Annual General Meeting for ratification.
    11. The Treasurer will conduct the bank account in the name of the Solihull Business Club. The Treasurer, Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Secretary will sign the bank mandate for withdrawal and any two of the four signatures will be required for any withdrawal.
  5. Annual General Meeting
    1. The Annual General Meeting will be held under the control of the retiring officers, and the Secretary (or other officer) will conduct the election of the new Chairman before resigning from their position.
    2. The new Chairman will then conduct the election of the new Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-Chairman, Membership Secretary and Committee.
    3. Any amendments to the Constitution must be ratified by a majority of members at the Annual General Meeting or at a specially constituted meeting.
    4. Any Club member may challenge committee decisions and request a vote of members to ratify the decision. The majority feeling of members should be abided by Officers and Committee.