Updated version of rules with changes as per February 2019 AGM
Name
Asociación U3A Internacional Costa Brava (Costa Brava U3A)
Association rules
(Authorised by Article 9(g) of the Constitution)
The name ‘Association U3A International Costa Brava’ has been shortened in these Rules to ‘Costa Brava U3A’
Objects and powers
Objects
The objects of the Costa Brava U3A are:
Powers
To further the above objectives, the Costa Brava U3A may:
Membership
Anyone who supports the Objects may become a member on approval by the Committee and payment of the annual subscription fee.
Any member who has been in continuous membership of the association for at least 10 full years and has reached at least 80 years of age will from the following subscription year onwards be entitled to Lifetime Honorary membership without further payment of the annual subscription fee.
The Committee may terminate membership of anyone who:
Management
A Committee of members controls the affairs of the Costa Brava U3A.
The Committee consists of at least eight members (not counting any co-opted members) including a President, Secretary and Treasurer (collectively the Officers). A different person must exercise each Officer role.
All Committee members are elected annually to serve until the next AGM.
No Committee member shall serve for more than nine consecutive years
Retiring Officers (President, Secretary and Treasurer) may be re-elected to their current offices provided that none holds the same office for more than three consecutive years.
Officers and Committee members are elected by secret ballot at the Annual General Meeting (AGM), or appointed, as follows:
Committee procedure
The President will chair all Meetings of the Association and the Committee. When he/she is not available, the Vice President, an officer or a nominated member of the Committee must preside.
The Secretary must keep minutes of all Committee and Annual General meetings, sign them and have them countersigned by the President. All Subcommittees should also keep minutes.
Special Committee meetings may be called by the President or by any three of its members giving seven days’ notice of all issues to be raised to all committee members.
The Committee may appoint sub-committees, delegate tasks to them and nominate chairpersons. Sub-committees must report back to the Committee when asked.
Meetings
No business shall be transacted at any General Meeting unless a quorum is present. A quorum is 10% of the members. A member counts towards the quorum if they are present in person or by proxy. The meeting shall be adjourned to such time and place as the Committee shall determine if:
If a meeting is adjourned, the Committee must reconvene the meeting and must give at least seven clear days’ notice of the reconvened meeting stating the date, time and place of the meeting. If no quorum is present at the reconvened meeting within fifteen minutes of the time specified for the start of the meeting, the members present in person or by proxy at that time shall constitute the quorum for that meeting.
Annual General Meetings (AGM):
The AGM must be held once every year. At least 21 days’ notice will be given in writing to all members.
The purpose of the AGM will be to:
Approve
Elect
Consider
All matters under b) above will be decided by a majority vote taken among the members present and those voting by proxy.
Additional items may be added to the agenda at the start of the meeting if the majority of those present agree but decisions taken on such items must be agreed by three quarters of those present.
The chairperson has a casting vote.
Extra-ordinary General Meetings (EGM)
An EGM may be called by the Committee or by a request signed by 10 per cent of all members and stating the object of the meeting. The Secretary will give 30 days’ notice of such a meeting.
Association Meetings (AM)
An Association Meeting must be held regularly to provide all members with an opportunity to meet each other, exchange information about the work of their groups, and take part in a whole association activity.
Finance
All money raised must be used at the discretion of the Committee.
The funds belonging to the U3A shall be applied in furthering the objects of the Association, which is a non-profit-making association.
Financial accounts must be kept for the calendar year ending 31st December.
The Treasurer must keep full accounts of all moneys received and spent and publish audited accounts at the AGM.
The President, Secretary and Treasurer must be signatories for all bank accounts. The Treasurer and at least one other person must sign bank transactions.
The Committee has the power to recommend ordinary and extra ordinary subscriptions and quotas for approval at the AGM.
No Committee member will be responsible for losses caused by their own actions taken in good faith or those of properly appointed agents, provided that such agents are appropriately supervised.
Committee members may receive out of pocket expenses incurred in work for the Costa
Brava U3A, subject to the ‘Rules for Reimbursement of Expenses’.
Property
All property must be applied solely towards the Objects of the Costa Brava U3A and will be held jointly by all members.
Powers of the committee
Matters not provided for in these Rules and not involving an amendment to the Constitution, must be dealt with by the Committee.
Alteration of the rules
These Rules (other than paragraphs 2, 9 and 10) may be amended with the agreement of two thirds of members voting at an Annual General Meeting. Twenty-one clear days’ notice must be given to all members stating the intention to put forward such a resolution.
No amendment can be made that would cause the Costa Brava U3A to cease to be a nonprofit making organisation.
Dissolution
The Costa Brava U3A may be dissolved by a resolution of a three quarters majority of those voting at a General Meeting PROVIDED that at lease twenty-one clear days’ notice has been sent to all members stating the intention to put forward such a resolution. Any assets remaining after payment of all debts and liabilities must be transferred to a non-profit making institution with similar objectives to the Costa Brava U3A.
The U3A Costa Brava is registered with the Spanish Data Protection Authority.
Personal data held by our association are held solely for purposes associated with the administration and functions of the Association and are used for no other purpose.