WHARFEDALE BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION
Registered Charity Number: 506891
Name: The name of the association is Wharfedale Beekeepers Association (“WBKA”).
Objectives: The objectives of the association are:
- The encouragement, improvement and advancement of the keeping of honey bees in Wharfedale and district
- To advance the education of the public in beekeeping and the importance of honey bees.
Membership: Any person interested in beekeeping may become a member on payment of an annual subscription determined at a General Meeting of the members.
Classes of membership are:
Registered Members: individuals who have paid the membership fee that includes the capitation fee to the British Beekeepers Association.
Country Members: individuals who have an interest in beekeeping, but for whom the Association does not pay a capitation fee to British Beekeepers’ Association. Country members shall not be entitled to vote at meetings of the Association. Country members may be members of other beekeeping associations through whom they pay their BBKA capitation fee.
Partner Members: members residing at the same address as a registered member of WBKA for whom the Association does not pay a capitation fee to British Beekeepers’ Association.
Junior Members: Individuals under 18. Juniors shall not be entitled to vote at meetings of the Association.
Registered juniors are beekeepers for whom a capitation fee is due.
Partner Juniors are living at the same address as a registered member.
Honorary Life Members: for individuals in recognition of their contribution to WBKA. Honorary members shall be elected at a General Meeting of the members.
Voting: Only registered members and honorary life members shall be entitled to vote at General Meetings.
Application for membership shall be made to the membership secretary.
The Committee may cancel the membership of anyone whose activities would in its opinion be detrimental to the interests of the Association.
Any member may terminate their membership by notifying the membership secretary. No refunds of subscription shall be made.
The membership secretary shall keep a record of members’ contact details and this record shall not be distributed to any other organisation except as required by the British Beekeepers’ Association, Yorkshire Beekeepers’ Association, regulatory authorities and insurance policies. Members of the committee and any other member shall have access to these records by permission of the committee and only for purposes associated with WBKA activities. Members shall be asked to confirm that their email address can be used for WBKA communications.
Membership of WBKA shall lapse on the last day of February if membership fees have not been paid.
No member of WBKA shall be entitled to any financial remuneration from the association except for the reimbursement of expenses incurred for WBKA activities.
Financial year: The financial year shall begin on 1st October and end on 30th September of the following year. Subscriptions are due on 1st October.
Officers and the Committee: The officers shall be a Chair person, the Secretary and the Treasurer. The President (ex officio) and up to six ordinary members shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and their responsibilities determined by the committee.
The quorum for a meeting of the Committee shall be four.
The officers of the committee, having stated their eligibility and willingness to be trustees, shall be deemed trustees of the Association and registered as such with the Charities Commission. If an officer or trustee resigns, the committee may appoint a replacement to serve until the next general meeting.
The committee, by a majority decision, may co-opt additional committee members.
No decisions of the committee shall be valid unless a quorum is present at the time or a quorum has agreed in a written communication.
Use of resources : The income and property of the WBKA shall be applied solely towards the promotion of the Objectives of the WBKA.
A member of the committee may be paid out of, or be reimbursed from, the property of the WBKA, for reasonable expenses properly incurred by him or her when acting on behalf of the WBKA
None of the income or property of the WBKA may be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividend bonus or otherwise by way of profit to any member of the WBKA. This does not prevent a member, who may be a Trustee, from receiving reasonable and proper remuneration for any goods or services supplied to the Charity, provided that said member takes no part in the committee’s decision to procure goods or services from him or her; the purchase of indemnity insurance for the committee, officers, employees and members of Sub-Committees and Working Parties against any liability that by virtue of any rule of law that would otherwise attach to a Trustee or other officer in respect of any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust of which he or she may be guilty in relation to the WBKA but excluding: fines; costs of unsuccessfully defending criminal prosecutions for offences arising out of the fraud, dishonesty or wilful or reckless misconduct of the member of the committee; liabilities to the WBKA that result from conduct that the Trustee or other officer knew or ought to have known was not in the best interests of the Charity or in respect of which the person concerned did not care whether that conduct was in the best interests of the WBKA or not. No member of the committee may be paid or receive any other benefit for being a Trustee.
Meetings: Members shall be given a minimum of two weeks’ notice of a meeting.
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association shall be held within 6 months of the end of the financial year. The committee shall be appointed at the AGM.
The Secretary shall convene a Special General Meeting on receiving a requisition signed by five voting Members indicating the business for which the meeting is to be held. The business shall be stated on the notice calling the meeting.
The quorum for a General Meeting shall be six.
Yorkshire Beekeepers’ Association: The Wharfedale Beekeepers’ Association shall be affiliated to the Yorkshire Beekeepers’ Association and through them to the British Beekeepers’ Association, and WBKA registered members shall have the privileges of those Associations.
Alteration of the constitution: This constitution shall not be altered except by a two-thirds majority of the members present at the Annual General Meeting or at a Special General Meeting convened for that purpose. Any proposed alterations shall be stated on the notice calling the Meeting. No amendment shall be made which shall cause the Association to cease to be a Registered Charity.
Dissolution: The proposition for winding up the WBKA shall be put to the AGM or a special general meeting of the association and to be effective must be carried by a two thirds majority at that meeting.
If the Association is dissolved, any assets remaining after payment of outstanding debts and liabilities shall be transferred by the trustees to some other organisation(s) having objectives similar to the WBKA.
The above Constitution and Rules were approved at the Annual General Meeting held on 12th November 2020 held online through Zoom