Society Rules

1. The name of the Society shall be “THE BRITISH MATCHBOX LABEL AND BOOKMATCH SOCIETY” (hereinafter called “the Society”).
2. The sole object of the Society is to promote interest in and understanding of the hobby of Matchbox Label and Bookmatch collecting together with any item pertaining to the hobby.
3. The general administrative year of the Society shall commence on 1st April in any one year and extend to 31st March in the following year. Such term shall be referred to as the “Society Year”. The accounting year of the Society shall commence on 1st January in any one year and extend to 31st December in the same year. Such term shall be referred to as the “Financial Year”.
4. The affairs of the Society shall be conducted by a Committee of nine Members elected by the general membership. Only members of the Society may serve on the Committee and each must have at least twenty-four consecutive months membership immediately prior to their nomination. Three Committee members shall be elected by the start of every Society Year, each for a three-year period. Re-election is permitted.
5. Nominations for Committee membership must be proposed and seconded by separate members and countersigned by the nominee, and shall be submitted in writing to reach the General Secretary by not later than 31st December in the year preceding a due election. In the event of nominations exceeding the number of vacancies, postal voting papers shall be issued to all members. Voting papers shall be sent to a “Returning Officer” appointed by the Committee who shall not be a Committee Member nor a candidate for the election, and who shall supervise the counting of the votes and declare the result at the next Annual General Meeting. All voting papers shall be retained by the General Secretary for a period of two years.
6. The elected Committee shall have the authority to co-opt up to three additional members for a period not exceeding twelve months each. Renewed co-option is permitted.
7. The quorum for Committee meetings shall be four. The Committee shall, by simple majority vote at its first meeting in the Society Year, or at any time to fill a vacancy, appoint the following Office Holders from amongst its number or by co-option,
   (a) A President who shall lead the Committee in the co-ordination of the activities of the Office Holders to the benefit of the members and the Object of the Society.  The President shall appoint a member, who may be the President, to chair a Committee meeting.  The President shall appoint a member, who may be the President, to chair a General Meeting. The President, or in his absence the Chair, may exercise a casting vote at meetings,
   (b) A General Secretary who shall conduct all correspondence on behalf of the Society,
   (c) A Treasurer who shall maintain the finances of the Society and keep all such financial records as are required,
   (d) A Membership Secretary who shall maintain all records of membership,
   (e) An Editor who shall arrange preparation and production of the Society periodical,
   (f) The Committee shall appoint from its own members or from the general membership other Office Holders as deemed necessary. The Committee shall be authorised to disband any Office at any time.
8. In the event of a Committee vacancy occurring, the Committee shall be authorised to appoint a replacement for the expiry of the period of that office. Any Committee Member who is absent, without having sent his/her apologies, from three consecutive Committee Meetings, shall be deemed to have resigned from the Committee.
9. The Committee shall be authorised to appoint from their own numbers or the general membership any Sub-Committee deemed necessary and to disband any such Sub-Committee at any time.
10. The General Secretary shall ensure that minutes are taken for all meetings held, including meetings of all Sub-Committees.  The minutes of all Annual or other General Meetings shall be available for inspection at Annual General Meetings.  Copies of such minutes shall be made available to any member within two months of the meeting concerned, upon written request accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope.  Minutes of all meetings of the Committee or any Sub-Committee shall be available to any Society member after they have been agreed and signed at a subsequent meeting of the Committee if a written request is made to the General Secretary and accompanied by a stamped self-addressed envelope.
11. The Annual General Meeting shall be held within two months of the end of the Society Year.  It shall receive reports from the Committee, Office Holders and other Members carrying out special duties and consider and decide upon any proposals.  The quorum for the AGM shall be eight members, of which four must be Committee members. The Annual General Meeting will only consider proposals duly signed by the proposing member and supported by a second member and which have been notified to the General Secretary before 28^th February and published to the membership before the Meeting.
12. Any other General Meeting will be convened by the General Secretary by unanimous decision at a Committee Meeting or at the written request of not less than twenty-four members.  It shall only consider proposals duly signed and notified to the General Secretary and published to the membership not less than four weeks and not more than 16 weeks before the General Meeting.  The Committee may delay such notification to accompany the next scheduled Society periodical.
13. Applications for membership of the Society shall be made in writing and addressed to the Society and be received by the Membership Secretary on behalf of the Committee.  The Committee shall have the right to reject any application.  When a member acts in a manner which is deemed prejudicial to the interests of the Society or to members in general or gives rise to complaints to the General Secretary, the Committee shall consider all the circumstances and, if appropriate, shall have the authority to either immediately terminate membership and refund any part of subscriptions already paid for the current period or decline to accept the ensuing Annual subscription of the member in question. The Committee shall advise the person concerned of its decision but shall not be obliged to state any reason for taking action under this rule. 
14. The Annual Subscription rates shall be determined by the Committee and ratified by members at a General Meeting.  Alterations in annual subscriptions shall be notified to all members by being published in the first available Society periodical. 
15. Subscriptions become payable upon application for membership and renewable on the anniversary of that date each year or on a date advised by the Membership Secretary. 
16. Members resident in the British Isles being one month in arrears or overseas members being three months in arrears of payment of the annual subscription shall be deemed to have allowed their membership to lapse, and their names shall be deleted from the Membership List. 
17. The payment of the annual subscription shall entitle each member to a Membership List and to amendments to such List, to all scheduled Society periodicals, and to participate in all events and facilities offered by the Society during membership. 
18. Non-members who wish to attend a Society event or benefit from a Society Service may apply for and obtain Temporary Membership by payment of the Admission Fee as determined by the Committee.  Temporary membership shall not extend beyond the event or service provided and shall not carry any entitlement other than that specified in this Rule or its interpretation by the Committee. 
19. All funds received by the Society shall be devoted exclusively to the use of the Society.  The annual statement of accounts shall be presented to the Committee for approval not less than one week prior to a General Meeting.  A copy of the annual statement of accounts shall be available for inspection at that General Meeting and be issued to all members.  The Committee shall appoint a competent person who is not a Committee member to audit the accounts. 
20. Whilst reasonable and practicable effort shall be made by the Committee to safeguard property of members no responsibility shall rest with the Society or Officials thereof for losses which arise through transit either with the Society directly or in direct exchange between members. Although reasonable precaution will be taken, the Society shall accept no liability for loss of material placed on display or offered neither for sale at any event of the Society nor for the personal or other property lost by any member or any other person visiting any meeting organised by the Society. 
21. No alteration or addition to these rules shall be made except by consent of two-thirds of members voting at a General Meeting. Any alterations or additions shall be circulated to members by being published in the next available Society periodical. 
22. Every member shall be equally liable for the debts of the Society, but each member’s liability shall be limited to the amount of the annual subscription paid for the current Society Year. No member shall be entitled to pledge the credit of the Society. 
23. Clubs or other recognised organisations shall be eligible for affiliation to the Society on compliance with the rules and Committee decisions prevailing at the time. Such affiliated bodies shall be bound by the rules of the Society. 
24. No proposal for the dissolution or amalgamation of the Society with any other body shall be carried unless it receives the support of more than 75% of the membership of the Society. No proposal of amalgamation shall be entertained unless it contains a complete scheme to show the object and rules of the proposed body; subscriptions and all other charges to be levied; the rights and privileges of all members and the treatment of all assets. 
25. Dissolution of the Society shall require all its property to be sold by persons deemed to be competent by decision of the Committee. If, at the date of the decision to dissolve the Society, there are any residual funds that were obtained from charitable grants then these funds shall be transferred to an appropriate not-for-profit organisation as identified by decision of the Committee. Thereafter all remaining funds available shall, after settlement of expenses, be returned in equal shares to every member at the date of the decision to dissolve the Society.

Date : April 2024