Constitution of the Charitable Committee of European and Middle East Young Friends

1. Name

The name of the Committee (hereinafter called "the Committee") is "The Charitable Committee of European and Middle East Young Friends" and the Committee is also called by the abbreviated title "EMEYF (Charitable Committee)".

2. Objects

  1. The objects for which EMEYF (Charitable Committee) is established, which shall be of a charitable nature only, are:
    1. To promote religion according to the principles and practices of the Religious Society of Friends (commonly known as Quakers), particularly amongst young people.
    2. To promote, maintain, improve and advance education.
    3. To support the work in the fields of religion and education of the Religious Society of Friends in Europe and the Middle East.
  3. In furtherance, but without prejudice to the generality of, the foregoing, the Committee shall support and participate in the work of European and Middle East Young Friends, and shall wherever possible maintain links with similar organisations in overseas Yearly Meetings of the Religious Society of Friends.
  4. The Committee shall have the hollowing powers, exercisable in furtherance of these objects but not otherwise, namely:
    1. To obtain, collect and receive money and funds by way of contributions, donations, legacies, grants and other lawful methods, and accept and receive gifts of property of any description (whether subject to any special trusts of not).
    2. The arrange and provide for, or join in arranging and providing for, the holding of exhibitions, conferences, meetings, lectures and classes.
    3. To promote, encourage or undertake organised research and experimental work.
    4. To procure to be written, and print, publish, issue and circulate, gratuitously or otherwise, any reports or periodicals, books, pamphlets, leaflets or other documents.
    5. To establish, subsidise, promote, co-operate or federate with, or affiliate or become affiliated to, act as trustees or agents for, or manage, any charitable body having charitable purposes or a charitable purpose only as its object or objects, provide financial and other assistance to any such body, and acquire and undertake all or any part of the assets, liabilities and engagements to any such body which the Committee may lawfully acquire.
    6. To undertake and execute and trusts necessary for the furtherance of the objects of the Committee.
    7. To enter into arrangements with governments or authorities (supreme, municipal, local or otherwise) or any corporation or company or persons, which may be necessary to the attainment of the Committee's objects, and to obtain from any such authorities such charter, contracts, rights, privileges and concessions as the Committee may require.
    8. To purchase, take on lease or in exchange, hire or otherwise acquire real or personal property and rights and privileges, and to construct, maintain or alter buildings or structures.
    9. Subject to such consents as may be required by law, to borrow or raise money on such security as may be thought fit.
    10. To retain or employ professional or technical advisers or workers not being members of the Committee in connection with the objects of the organisation, and pay such salaries or fees for their services as may be thought necessary.
    11. To do all such other lawful things as are necessary for the attainment of the objects of the Committee or any of them.

3. Membership

  1. The number of the members of the Committee ("the Members") shall not be less than five (5) nor more than twelve (12).
  2. The founder members are:
    1. Pink Dandelion, Flat 3, 11 Roundhill Cresent, Brighton BN2 3FQ
    2. Daniel Doncaster, 12 Bingham Street, London N1 2QQ
    3. Rachel Clogg, 16 Rock Road, Cambridge CB1 4UF
    4. Anna Barlow, 50 Square Ambiorix, B-1040 Brussels
    5. Erik Corry, 'Hulen', Becca Aberford, LS25 3BQ
  4. Subsequent Members shall be chosen by the Committee from amongst Young Friends General Meeting [NB: read originally as Young Friends Central Committee] of Britain Yearly Meeting [NB: read originally as London Yearly Meeting] of the Religious Society of Friends who are interested in furthering the objects of the Committee.
  5. Notwithstanding Clause 8 Below, the Committee may by simple majority appoint and for good and sufficient reason, dismiss Members provided they have the right to be heard at the meeting in question before such decision is taken.
  6. The membership of the Committee shall be reported from time to time to European and Middle East Young Friends.

4. Officers

The Committee shall choose fro amongst the Members its own Clerk and Treasurer, and such other Honorary Officers as it may from time to time think fit and shall delegate to such Honorary Officers such powers as it may deem desirable, expedient or necessary.

5. Nominations Committee

The Committee may appoint a Nominations Committee consisting of not less than three (3) persons, who need not themselves be Members, to being to the Committee the names of suitable persons willing to become Members.

6. Sub-Committees

The Committee may appoint a sub-committee or sub-committees consisting of such Members as it may from time to time think git, and may delegate to such sub-committees such powers and duties as it may deem desirable, expedient or necessary.

7. Professional Staff

  1. The Committee shall have the power to appoint (and to dismiss) such professional staff not being a member of the committee hereof (full-time or part-time) as the Committee may from time to time think fit.
  2. Professional staff shall be employed upon such terms of service and with such reasonable remuneration as the Committee shall from to time determine.
  3. Professional staff employed by the Committee may not be or become Members during such employment, but may attend Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings, and may give such advice thereat as the Committee shall require, thought may be asked at the Committee's discretion to leave such meetings for particular items of business.

8. Business

The Committee shall conduct its business according to the principles and practices of the Religious Society of Friends

9. Meetings

  1. The Committee shall meet for the despatch of business from time to time at such time and place and on such notice as it shall think fit, provided that at least one such meeting is held in every calendar year.
  2. On [NB: typo for 'One'] fifth (1/5) of the Members for the time being, including Officers, shall be a quorum at a meeting of the Committee.
  3. The Committee shall on an annual basis adopt an annual report and audited statement of account and appoint the auditor for the following year.

10. Finances

  1. The Honorary Treasurer shall be responsible to the Committee from the general finance of the Committee and shall attend meetings of the Committee to report (at each) on the financial situation.
  2. The Honorary Treasurer shall maintain proper accounting records of the Committee's finances. These shall be audited annually by an independent auditor. The financial year of the Committee shall run from the 1 January to 31 December.
  3. The Committee shall maintain a bank account or bank accounts in the name of the Committee at such bank or banks as it may from time to time decide. Cheques drawn on such accounts, up to a limit of one thousand (1000) pounds sterling, shall be signed by one of the Honorary Treasurer or any other member of the Committee authorised to do so.

11. Property

All real of personal property acquired by, or on behalf of, the EMEYF (Charitable Committee) shall be vested in a trust corporation lawfully entitled to act as such, or in not less than three not more than eight individuals (not being Members of the Committee) as holding trustees who shall enter into a deed of trust setting forth the purposes and conditions under which they shall hold such property.

12. Amendement of the Rules

With the prior approval in writing of the Charity Commission, the Committee may amend any one or more of the clauses hereof, with the exception of Clause 2, this Clause or Clause 13, provided that no amendment shall be made to this Constitution which shall have the effect of the Committee ceasing to be a Charity at law.

13. Dissolution

  1. Notwithstanding Clauses 8 and 9 above, the Committee may at any time be dissolved by a resolution passed by two-thirds majority of the Members present at a meeting of the Committee of which at least twenty-one (21) days' notice in writing has been circulated to all the Members.
  2. If such a resolution is passed or the Committee otherwise ceases to exist, the net assets after payment of all liabilities shall be transferred to Friends Trusts Limited, who shall dispose of them to such other charitable body or bodies affiliated to the Religious Society of Friends and having objects similar to the objects of the Committee as it may think fit, to be used for the advancement of religion and the advancement of education according to the principles and practices of the Religious Society of Friends.