WEST ACTON RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION
STANDING ORDERS
1 To be eligible for membership freeholders, leaseholds and tenants must live in the area represented by West Acton Residents Association.
2 The Chair is responsible for the management of meetings, which will be run according to an agenda sent previously to committee members. Where it is not possible and a vote is required, decisions will be taken by a simple majority. In the event of an equal vote, the Chair will have the casting vote.
3 Minutes of the meeting will not be verbatim. They will record the main points of debate, the decisions reached and any action points. However, members may request that a particular statement or point of view be minuted.
4 All those in attendance at meetings will conduct themselves in a reasonable manner. Members must not use personally abusive, racist or other discriminatory language. Members in breach of the standards of reasonable behaviour may be requested by the Chair to leave the meeting and may be asked to resign their post on the committee of WARA or refused permission to attend further meetings.
5 The Chair will set a time limit for meetings, which in general should not exceed two hours.
6 Unless otherwise decided at committee meetings, the Chair is responsible for all correspondence of a policy nature with the Local Authority and other bodies. It is the responsibility of the Chair to ensure that all substantive correspondence is copied to members. Preparation of minutes and correspondence and their circulation to members may be delegated to the Secretary or other committee members.
7 Meetings will be open to non-members by prior invitation only or in exceptional circumstances, by approval of members at the commencement of the meeting.
8 The Treasurer has primary responsibility for maintaining the accounts of WARA, preparing them for audit, and presenting the audited accounts at the AGM. The Treasurer has the primary responsibility for fund raising and for submitting requests for grant funding. It is the Treasurer’s responsibility to keep accurate petty cash records along with appropriate books, receipts and vouchers.
9 The Treasurer is authorised to maintain a cash float, which shall not exceed £100. The Treasurer must seek officer’s approval to maintain a larger cash float in special circumstances. The Treasurer may make payments to members to meet legitimate expenses incurred on the business of WARA, such as travel and refreshment. Full receipts must accompany all such expense claims. Where receipts have been lost or could not be obtained, precise details of the expenses must be provided in writing by members in order for payment to be made. The Treasurer may make payments in advance to members for expenses expected to be incurred on WARA business. A record of such advances will be kept by the Treasurer and counter-signed by the member to whom the advance is made. The Treasurer may make payment of invoice received by the Management Committee for goods or services supplied.
10 Requests by members for expenditure to attend conferences, training courses etc. shall be authorised by the Committee.
11 The Committee is solely responsible for the conduct of the business of WARA in between and as directed by general meetings of members. The Committee will not make any policy commitments without the prior approval of members.
12 The Committee is authorised to issue newsletters, press statements etc. on behalf of WARA, but only within the framework of policies agreed by members.
13 The Committee is solely responsible for the administration of WARA affairs, such as conducting correspondence, arranging and minuting meetings, maintaining accounts etc. subject to the accountability and reporting mechanisms outlined in the Constitution.
14 Working parties, including joint working parties with officers of WARA, the Local Authority or other bodies may be set up from time to time for a particular purpose, as agreed by general meetings of members or by Committee subject to ratification by members. Working parties will consist of members and, if agreed necessary, of co-opted non-members whose knowledge will assist WARA.
15 Working parties will report regularly to Management Committee meetings on the progress of their work and circulate all papers for comment. The final conclusions of working parties are subject to ratification by members.
16 Sub-committees of WARA may establish from time to time as agreed by the Management Committee ratification by members. A sub-committee of the main Committee and drawn from its membership.
17 Meetings of sub-committees, including keeping minutes etc. will be subject to the rules governing meetings as outlined in the Constitution and these Standing Orders.
18 Sub-committees may be allocated a budget. The Treasurer will have responsibility for all monies allocated to or raised by sub-committees.
19 Where it is agreed to dissolve the Association, a General Meeting will be called to discuss the proposal. The Management Committee shall have the power to dispose of any assets held by the Association after payment to lenders or claims assets held by the Association after payment to lenders or claims from funding bodies, to the benefit of members of the Association.
