THE GUILDRY OF STIRLING
(Established 1119)
CONSTITUTION
- NAME OF ORGANISATION
The name of the organisation shall be The Guildry of Stirling.
- AIMS OF THE ORGANISATION
i. To safeguard and promote the historical traditions of The Guildry of Stirling and the City of Stirling and surrounding area.
ii. To promote fellowship among Guildry Members.
iii. To assist in ensuring that the operation of The Guildry of Stirling Charitable Trust is carried out in compliance with the requirements of the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.
- MEMBERSHIP
i. Membership is open to invited persons residing in the City of Stirling and the surrounding area or having links to Stirling through birth or business who are deemed to have an interest in the continued welfare of The Guildry of Stirling and the City of Stirling and surrounding area.
ii. Membership is for life except under the provisions outlined in 3.v. below
iii. Prospective Members must sign and submit to the Guildry Clerk a Petition stating full name, address, occupation, date of birth and other information from time to time specified.
iv. Subject to prior approval by the Dean’s Council the Petition of a Prospective Member will be heard before the Spring, Summer or Winter Court. Approval must be given by a majority of Guild members attending the Court.
v. The Dean’s Council reserve the right to refuse Membership or to terminate the Membership of any individual if in the opinion of a majority of Members of Dean’s Council there is sufficient reason so to do.
- ENTRANCE FEES AND ANNUAL LEVY
i. The Dues of Entry and Annual Levy will be as determined at the Annual General Meeting.
ii. The Dues of Entry are a single payment due on admission.
iii. The Dues of Entry for the invited issue of a Guildry Member will be one half of the full dues of entry.
iv. The Annual Levy is a yearly contribution to the cost of running The Guildry.
v. Payments to The Guildry of Stirling Charitable Trust are entirely voluntary. Donations are to be used for the purposes referred to in the Trust Deed for The Guildry Charitable Trust.
vi. Members who have not paid their Annual levy for three consecutive years shall be classified as “inactive” and removed from the mailing list.
- HONORARY MEMBERSHIP
Honorary Membership may be granted for a special reason to any person for whom such Membership is proposed, seconded and approved by a majority at a Guildry Court.
- MANAGEMENT
i. The management of The Guildry shall be vested in the Dean’s Council which shall consist of the Dean, Past Dean, Clerk, Treasurer, Guildry Officer and eight Council Members.
ii. Members of the Dean’s Council shall be elected at the Annual General meeting and will serve for one year and be eligible for re-election.
iii. Resignation from the Dean’s Council should be intimated by not less than three months notice for Members and not less than twelve months’ notice for Office Bearers unless due to ill health or other unforeseen circumstances.
iv. The Treasurer shall keep accounts and records of the financial affairs of The Guildry and shall operate the Current Account and Charitable Trust Account.
v. An Independent Examiner shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting where Accounts will be available for approval.
vi. A Bank Account shall be maintained and operated for the Guildry of Stirling. Cheques must be signed by two out of three authorised Members of the Dean’s Council.
vii. A separate Account shall be maintained and operated for the Charitable Trust.
- MEETINGS
Unless otherwise decided by the Dean’s Council and intimated to Guildry Members:
i. The Winter Court shall be held on the first Wednesday in December at which the Annual General Meeting will be held.
ii. The Spring Court shall be held on the last Wednesday in March.
iii. The Summer Court shall be held on the Wednesday before the 18th of August.
iv. The Kirkin’ Service shall be held on the second Sunday in May.
v. The Harvest Supper shall be held on the last Friday in September.
vi. The Remembrance Service shall be held on the second Sunday in November.
vii. The Dean’s Dinner shall be held on the Friday before the 13th February.
viii. The Dean’s Council shall meet two weeks before the respective Court Meetings and before the Dean’s Dinner.
ix. The Dean may at any time at his discretion call an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Guildry on giving not less than seven days’ notice.
x. The Dean shall have a casting vote at an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting.
- QUORUM
i. At an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting fifteen Members including a minimum of two Office Bearers shall be a Quorum.
ii. At a Dean’s Council Meeting five Members including a minimum of two Office Bearers shall be a Quorum.
- MINUTES
i. Minutes containing an accurate record of all proceedings, resolutions and decisions made at Guildry Courts and Dean’s Council meetings shall be kept.
ii. The Minutes shall be recorded in a suitable format and donated at an appropriate time to Stirling Archives to be available with other Guildry records for access by the public.
- PROPERTY
i. The title to all property, heritable and moveable owned or acquired by or on behalf of the Guildry shall be deemed to be vested in the current Dean, current Clerk and current Treasurer or in the current Trustees of the Guildry Charitable Trust as appropriate.
ii. The Guildry Rings, Chain of Office, Dean’s Robes, The Guildry Rod and other Guildry possessions shall be securely and suitably stored and maintained.
iii. The Guildry Records and Minutes donated to Stirling Archives should be securely and suitably stored and maintained.
- ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION
i. Alterations can only be made to the Constitution at an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting called for that purpose.
ii. Any proposed alteration to the Constitution must be submitted in writing to the Clerk not less than fourteen days prior to the date of the meeting.
iii. Alterations to the Constitution must be approved by not less than two thirds of the Members present.
- DISSOLUTION
i. If at any Guildry Court Meeting the Dissolution of The Guildry of Stirling is called for by a majority of those present the Dean shall convene an Extraordinary General Meeting to be held not less than one month thereafter to discuss and vote on the call for Dissolution.
ii. If at that Extraordinary General Meeting the Dissolution of the Guildry of Stirling is called for by not less than three quarters of those present the Dean’s Council shall thereafter discharge all debts and liabilities of The Guildry of Stirling and proceed with Dissolution.
iii. After discharging all debts and liabilities of The Guildry of Stirling any remaining funds and property will not be paid or distributed amongst the Members of the Guildry but will be paid, delivered and made over to such individuals, organisations and bodies, charitable or otherwise, as shall be agreed by a majority of those present at an Extraordinary General Meeting called for that purpose. In the event of the Dissolution of the Guildry of Stirling the operation of the Guildry Charitable Trust will be brought to an end and any funds or property held within the Guildry Charitable Trust will be paid, delivered and made over in accordance with the purposes of the Trust.
28th March 2007