1. NAME
The name of this organisation is called the Cri du Chat Support Group hereinafter referred to as ‘the Group’.
2. OBJECT
The Group exists to promote the care, welfare, treatment and advancement of persons with Cri du Chat Syndrome and to support, sustain and assist those persons whether parents, carers or professionals caring for people with du Chat Syndrome.
3. POWERS
In furtherance of its objects, the Group has the power to:
- hold meetings, conferences, conventions, exhibitions, workshops, seminars, family weekends, get togethers;
- provide information on Cri du Chat Syndrome to all who may benefit or find it useful and publish, print, issue or edit Same;
- provide advice, counselling or other forms of special support as needed;
- provide accommodation and professional care for people with Cri du Chat Syndrome as required;
- lobby on behalf of people with Cri du Chat Syndrome victims and their carers;
- provide funds for and/or engage in research into the causes, effect and treatment of Cri du Chat Syndrome and the problems of care therefore, including wider genetic research that may benefit those with Cri du Chat Syndrome;
- raise money for the purposes of the Group and hold it on account and disburse the same against the Group’s expenses and in furtherance of its objects.
4. MEMBERSHIP
There will be only one category of membership for the Group (Member).
- Member shall be open to any person who has the Cri du Chat Syndrome condition, an immediate family member of this person, any nominated individual that supports this individual and any person operating in a professional capacity with an interest in, or that contributes to, research within the parameters of the condition. Membership is completed upon registration onto the CDCSG members register and approval by the committee. Each registered member is entitled to one vote at the Annual Meeting.
5. SUBSCRIPTIONS
The Group does not operate a subscription service, should a subscription service be introduced, this will be legislated via an amendment titled Subscription Amendment and shall be reviewed at every Annual Meeting.
6. ANNUAL MEETING
The Annual Meeting shall be held once in every twelve months and be open to all members of the Group. It shall:
- receive a report on the work of the Group in the preceding year;
- receive and approve audited annual accounts;
- consider any resolutions submitted to it;
- elect the Committee of the Group and its Officers;
- appoint an auditor.
- The Annual Meeting shall be called and published at least 28 days prior to the meeting.
- Resolutions shall be circulated with the notice of the meeting and may be submitted by the Committee or any three members acting together and notifying the Honorary Secretary of their resolutions.
- Decisions shall be made by majority vote subject to the provisions of Sections 9 and 10.
- A Special General Meeting may be called on the same notice as an Annual Meeting to consider any urgent matter as proposed by the Committee or any five members acting together.
7. OFFICERS
The Group shall appoint at its Annual Meeting the following Officers:
- Chairperson;
- Honorary Secretary;
- Honorary Treasurer.
- Vice-Chairperson
- The terms of office shall be for two years with no limit to re-elections.
- In order to maintain a working group, Honorary positions can be filled by a third-party representative, remunerated at a rate agreed by the committee.
- The role of Chairperson will not be remunerated and must be filled by an active Group member.
8. COMMITTEE
The Committee shall appoint at its Annual Meeting a further eight ordinary members to serve alongside the Officers.
- The term of office is two years. As far as is practical, the eight members shall represent regional groups of members and shall be representative of members’ concerns and interests.
- If a Committee Member fails to attend a minimum of three meetings, then that person is automatically removed from office and their position is open for re-election at the next Annual Meeting.
- If a Committee Member is deemed to be unresponsive to email by a minimum of two Committee Members within a twelve month period, the removal of said person from office is automatically put to vote at the next Committee Meeting. If removed, the position is open for re-election at the next Annual Meeting.
- The Committee shall physically meet four times per year.
- The Committee shall have power to co-opt up to three other persons, as full voting members, to ensure there are as many active committee members as possible.
- A quorum of the Committee shall be three members.
- The Committee shall have the power to operate, or cause to operate, the Group, appoint staff, decide policy, keep records and accounts and in every way manage the day-to-day affairs and the strategic concerns of the Group.
- Persons may be nominated for election to the Committee at the Annual General Meeting by Committee or by any two members acting together.
- Decisions of the Committee shall be by majority vote and the Chairperson shall have a second and casting vote in the event of a tie.
9. FINANCE
- The Group shall keep books and records of account for the Group and the Treasurer shall report to the Committee as to the state of the finances of the Group.
- The Group shall annually set a budget.
- The Group shall cause its books of account to be professionally audited and the audited accounts to be submitted to the Annual Meeting.
- The Group shall have power to open and manage bank accounts under the supervision of the Chairperson and Treasurer.
10. DISSOLUTION
Officers, or any ten members acting together, may propose to the Annual Meeting or a Special General Meeting called for the purpose, the dissolution of the Group. If such a resolution received a two-third majority of the members present, the Group shall be dissolved and, if after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities, there shall remain any property whatsoever the same shall be transferred to a charitable association or associations with purposes similar to the Group as the Committee determine.
11. AMENDMENT
The Constitution may be amended by a resolution approved by two-thirds of the members present and voting at an Annual Meeting.
At a Special General Meeting, the resolution to be approved by 75% of members present and voting.
Amendments to the Constitution may be proposed by the Committee or any ten members acting together, provided the Honorary Secretary receives notice thereof 28 days prior to the Annual Meeting or the Special General Meeting and the members are notified in writing of the proposals on 28 days’ notice.
12. TRANSITION
For the purposes of introducing the new Constitution the provisions of Clause 8. are suspended on introduction of the Constitution for the first election of the Committee only. On that occasion the Committee of the Cri du Chat Support Group shall nominate persons to serve in the offices of the Group and as Committee members and shall designate whether that service is to be for one or two years.