The Constitution of Transition Evesham Vale

Name

The association shall be known as “Transition Evesham Vale” or “TEV”.

Vision

Harnessing the potential of our communities to power a sustainable future.

Aims

Our core purpose is to help local communities adapt to the challenges posed by the use of fossil fuels, their depletion (‘peak oil’), and climate change.

1 Area

1.1 TEV operates in the Vale of Evesham as it is defined by Lodge (1974).

2 Activities

2.1 Raising awareness of the issues and opportunities surrounding climate change and ‘peak oil’ in the Vale of Evesham.

2.2 Establishing connections with people, groups and organisations concerned with these issues.

2.3 Recruiting new members.

2.4 Supporting interest groups who work to achieve the above aims in such areas as: waste, transport, energy, education, economics, food and water, local government.

2.5 Raising funds to fulfil these aims.

2.6 Developing a framework to adapt to ‘peak oil’ and climate change, with particular emphasis placed on improving local ‘resilience’.

3 Ethos & Operating Principles

3.1 TEV is an officially recognised Transition initiative of the global Transition Network and is an unincorporated, not-for-profit organisation .

3.2 A supporter shall cease to be registered if they bring the organisation in to disrepute. Decisions concerning de-registration will be made by the Core Group, with the Chairman wielding the casting vote.

4 Structure

4.1 TEV has a Core Group which undertakes necessary administration, and holds an overview of the range of activities undertaken by the interest groups.

4.2 TEV will comprise, where possible, interest groups devoted to particular areas, including, but not limited to: waste, transport, energy, education, economics, food and water, local government.

4.3 The Core Group shall comprise: –

• Chairman and Vice-Chairman: Chairs Core Group meetings and the AGM; prepares and distributes the agenda for Core Group meetings and the AGM; oversees TEV’s activities.
• Treasurer: Responsible for managing the group’s finances.
• Secretary: Principal minute-taker (minute-taking can be rotated); responsible for maintaining membership records; where necessary, managing relations with the media.

4.4 Minutes of meetings must be kept.

5 Membership

5.1 All residents in the Vale of Evesham are welcome to join TEV. Members are Vale residents who have consented to add their name to a membership list having first agreed to abide by the aims and objectives stipulated in this document.

5.2 A list of members will be maintained.

5.3 A member shall cease to be a member if s/he

• resigns; or
• leaves the area; or
• is required to resign by a ‘majority vote’ of the Core Group; or
• dies.

5.4 Members expelled by the core group are entitled to appeal at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) where their petition will be decided by a vote among those attending. Any decision must be carried by a ‘majority vote’. Appeals must be made within 14 days of expulsion, and considered at an EGM convened within 14 days of the appeal’s submission.

6 Meetings

5.1 Core Group meetings shall be held at least quarterly.

5.2 Every year an AGM will be held, with 14 days notice given to all members. For its deliberations to be considered legitimate, the AGM must be quorate. Quorum is an attendance of at least 30% of members.

5.3 The AGM must consider accounts and balance sheets prepared by the Treasurer.

5.4 Members of the Core Group will be elected at the AGM to serve for a term of one year.

5.5 Interest groups will meet as required.

7 Decision-making and financial management

7.1 Decisions at Core Group meetings shall be made by a majority of those voting (with one exception: see 7.5.) following free and fair discussion. In the event of a tie, the Chair will have the casting vote.

7.2 At the AGM, every member has one vote.

7.3 The Core Group and interest groups may each raise funds, but grant applications shall be agreed by the Core Group. All income and expenditure will be monitored by the Treasurer on behalf of the Core Group. The Treasurer must prepare a statement of finances for review at the AGM.

7.4 Reasonable expenses incurred in pursuit of the aims of TEV may be reimbursed to members subject to agreement by the Core Group. Receipts must be kept as evidence.

7.5 Members may be paid for work to further the aims of TEV, if unanimously agreed by the Core Group (in the absence of the member involved).

7.6 All funds, whether raised by the Core group or individual interest groups, will be held in one or more bank accounts operated by nominated members in the name of TEV, and administered by the Treasurer. All cheques must be signed by two out of four unrelated signatories. Funds shall only be used to support the aims of TEV.

8 Amendments to Constitution

8.1 Changes may be made to this constitution, where necessary, by a ‘majority vote’ at the AGM or at an EGM convened by the Core Group for that purpose with 14 days notice given to all members.

9 Dissolution

9.1 Dissolution shall require a unanimous decision by the Core Group. In the event of dissolution and after any debts and liabilities have been settled, any funds in TEV’s account shall be divided equally between active projects and interest groups associated with TEV. If there are none, they shall be donated to the nearest Transition Town initiative to Evesham, or failing this, to a local charity or group who are working towards similar aims to those of TEV.

Appendix 1: Glossary.

Majority Vote:  An absolute majority i.e. a number of votes constituting more than half of the number cast.

Peak Oil: The point at which the amount of oil produced declines because of diminishing supplies of oil rather than a fall in demand. Note that if demand falls prior to this, ‘peak’ oil production is never realised.

Resilience: Resilience describes a system’s ability to withstand shocks from the outside and still maintain reasonable levels of equilibrium. The system could be an ecosystem, an individual, a business or a community. In Transition terms, this typically refers to all the people, connections, institutions, land base and knowledge base that makes up a community and that gave it resilience in the past.

Appendix 2:The Vale of Evesham.

TEV takes its definition of the Vale of Evesham from Lodge, R., ‘Horticulture in the Vale of Evesham’, in B. Adlam (Ed.), Worcester and its region, Geography Division Offprint Series, No. 21, University of Worcester, United Kingdom (1974).