PURPOSE:

The Society is established with the aim of achieving the following objectives :

• To generate a greater awareness and appreciation of our historic area, especially among the local population.
• To preserve and protect all our remaining historical features.
• To gather and catalogue a full historical record of the area, i.e. songs, folklore, stories, photographs etc.
• To actively promote the Fethard area as a significant tourist centre.
• To publish and review progress annually.

MEMBERSHIP:

Membership of the Society shall be open to individuals whose objectives are consistent with those of the Society and who pay their annual subscription.

• Applications for membership may be accepted or rejected by the Executive Committee. Applications are placed on an Agenda of the first valid committee meeting following application.
• The Society shall be a non-political, non-sectarian, non-profitable organisation.
• The Society shall have the right, for good and sufficient reasons, to terminate the membership of any individual member, provided that the Society has afforded an opportunity for a hearing by the Executive Committee, before making a final decision to terminate membership. For this decision, a two-thirds majority of the membership of the Executive Committee will be required.

MANAGEMENT:

• The affairs of the Society shall be managed by an Executive Committee of no more than 13 members, consisting of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Hon. Treasurer, Hon. Secretary and at least three other members.
• The Executive shall meet no less than 4 times each year.
• The Executive shall have the power to set up such sub-committees as it deems necessary. All sub-committees will include at least one Executive Committee member who will have responsibility for reporting to the Executive Committee.
• A quorum for an Executive Meeting shall be two-thirds of full Executive Committee. If a quorum is not met, all decisions made will stand unless objected to at next valid meeting of Executive Committee.
• The Executive may appoint any member of the Society to fill a vacancy; this member shall hold office until the annual election of the Executive Committee and shall be eligible for re-election.
• The Executive or any of its sub-committees may co-opt a person who need not be a member of the Society to attend certain meetings and to give specialist advice.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING:

An Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held in March each year, at which the new Executive, Chairman, and Secretary shall be elected and the Annual Statement of Accounts shall be presented.

• Persons nominated to new Executive Committee must be valid members of the Society prior to Annual General Meeting.
• The Officers of the Executive Committee shall serve no more than three consecutive years in any one office without a break of at least one year.
• A Special General Meeting may be called by a request from 10 members in writing to the Hon. Secretary who shall then call a Special General Meeting within 14 days.
• Proposals for Amendments to the Constitution shall be received by the Hon. Secretary 14 days before the A.G.M. discussed and voted upon at the A.G.M.
• Voting at meetings will be confined to members of the Society, the Chairman shall have a casting vote in addition.
• Minutes shall be kept of each General and Executive meeting and these shall include a list of members present.
• If after 15 minutes from appointed starting time of any meeting, the Chairman or Vice-Chairman is not present, members present shall appoint a Chairman for the evening.

FINANCE:

• The Executive Committee shall operate a bank account to which all monies received on behalf of the Society shall be lodged and from which all payments on behalf of the Society shall be made.
• The Executive Committee shall assume a managerial role in the administration of central funds of the Society.
• All cheques drawn on the Society's funds shall be signed by any two of three persons nominated by the Executive Committee from amongst its members.
• The Annual Statement of the Accounts shall be available for all members at the A.G.M.
• At the A.G.M. the Executive Committee may fix the amount of the annual subscription for membership for the ensuing year.

DISSOLUTION OF SOCIETY:

• The Society may be dissolved by special resolution passed at two successive General Meetings of the Society.
• Any proposal to dissolve the Society shall be in writing signed by the proposer and seconder, and must be made two weeks prior to the next General Meeting.
• The Hon. Secretary shall call a Special General Meeting giving 14 days' notice of the purpose and date of the meeting. A majority of two-thirds of the members present at the meeting shall be required to pass the resolution.
• Any outstanding funds shall be transferred to a recognised local charity.

This constitution was adopted at the A.G.M. of Fethard Historical Society on March 28th 1989 and was witnessed by Peter Grant, Chairman, Mary Hanrahan, Hon. Secretary, and Joe Kenny, P.R.O.