Friends of South Norwood Library Constitution

Agreed in general meeting Sunday 13th December 2020.

1. Name: The name of the organisation, hereafter referred to as FOSNL shall be Friends of South Norwood Library.

2. Status: FOSNL is an unincorporated association.

3. Objectives:

   1. To protect South Norwood Library and to lead a vigorous campaign against its closure or the removal of its professional library staff provision. 

   2. To revitalise South Norwood Library and to raise its profile within Croydon and beyond.

   3. To liaise with other local, national and international groups and organisations working to save and promote local libraries as part of the community infrastructure.

4. Membership: Membership shall be open to all. There shall be no membership fee, although if, at any time, the Management Committee feels it is necessary to raise funds, members may be asked to make donations. The management committee reserves the right to withdraw membership from any member whose conduct either brings FOSNL into disrepute or is contrary to the objectives of FOSNL. A member who has their membership withdrawn has the right to appeal this process via a commission of 5 members not in the committee.

5. Annual General Meeting: The Annual General Meeting, hereafter referred to as AGM, shall be held in April each year to elect committee members and receive annual and financial reports. At least 2 weeks’ notice shall be given of the AGM. A quorum for the AGM shall be a reasonable percentage to be decided by the management committee and specified when the meeting date is announced. Proposals for consideration including amendments to the constitution should be submitted to the Secretary not less than 7 days before the AGM. Accounts for the year shall be presented at the Annual General Meeting. The financial year shall end on the last day of March.

6. Management committee

   1. The management committee of FOSNL comprises Chair, Secretary, Treasurer plus up to 5 general committee members, with a minimum membership of 3 and a maximum membership of 8.

   2. These officers shall be elected at each AGM: Chair, Secretary and Treasurer.

   3. The quorum for the management committee shall be 3. 

   4. No officer may remain in the same office for more than 3 consecutive years.

   5. The management committee shall take whatever decisions or actions it deems to further the purposes of FOSNL.

   6. The management committee is authorised to raise funds for the organisation.

7. Dissolution: Dissolution would be by a motion notified 14 days in advance and passed at an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting by two thirds majority. Should FOSNL cease to exist, any residual funds shall be passed to another Friends group or organisation with similar aims, as nominated by the Committee and ratified at a General Meeting.