1]      Name:

 

1.1       The name of the Organisation referred to in this constitution shall be the York Palestine Solidarity Campaign Branch hereinafter referred to as 'the branch'.

 

1.2       The National Palestine Solidarity Campaign reserves exclusive rights over the name 'Palestine Solidarity Campaign' and the logo of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and may withdraw the right of use from a branch.

 

 

2]         Mission Statement and Objectives:

 

2.1    The mission statement and objectives of the branch shall be in accordance with those of the national PSC mission statement and objectives. In addition there shall be the following -

Recruit members for the national PSC and the local branch.

Raise awareness and disseminate information on Palestinian issues at the local level.

Fundraise to ensure financial viability of the Branch.

 

2.2       The Branch is committed to an equal opportunities policy in all its activities.  These aims and objectives will be pursued without regard to age, colour, disability, ethnic origin, gender, religious faith, sexual orientation and political affiliation.

 

2.3       The Branch shall remain independent of any political party or religious Organisation.

 

 

3]         Membership:

 

3.1       Membership of the branch shall be open to all members of the public who agree with the mission statement and objectives of the PSC and have been accepted by the branch, hereinafter referred to as ordinary members.

 

3.2    Affiliate membership can be conferred by the Branch Committee.  Affiliate members may not vote at Branch General meetings and AGM or EGM.

 

3.3     The Branch Committee shall determine the membership subscription of the branch.

 

3.4       Any member may be suspended from membership, for any period or may have their membership terminated, by a decision of the Branch Committee.

 

3.5       Branch members will be encouraged by the Branch Committee to join the national PSC.

 

 

4]         Branch Officers and Committee:

 

4.1       Administration shall be vested in a Branch Committee, which shall have as a minimum a Chair, a Treasurer and a Secretary.  The Branch Committee shall, every year retire and be replaced by a new committee, all of whom shall be elected at the branch AGM; the new Committee may contain any one or more of the retiring Branch Committee members.

 

4.2       No member may hold more than one post on the Branch Committee at any one time.

 

4.3      The quorum for Branch Committee meetings shall be 3.

 

4.4       A Branch Committee may, by a two-thirds majority, pass a motion of no confidence in any officer of the branch, in which case the position shall be deemed vacant.

 

4.5       Vacant positions must be filled within 28 days.

 

4.6       The Branch Committee shall have the power to co-opt members to the Branch Committee, co-opted members must not constitute more than one third of the Branch Committee on any occasion.

 

 

5]   Branch Meetings and Branch AGM Procedure:

 

5.1      In the event of a motion having a split vote, the Chair shall have a casting vote.

 

5.2     The minutes of all Branch Committee meetings shall be kept by the Secretary.  The Secretary must sign the minutes and paste them into the minutes book.  Copies will be made available to any branch members requesting one.

 

 

6]    Finance:

 

6.1       Any debts incurred shall be the sole responsibility of the Branch Officers of the Branch Committee at the time the debts are incurred.

 

6.2    The Treasurer shall keep accounts of the financial transactions of the branch which shall be available to members of the Branch.

 

6.3       The Branch Committee shall compile annual accounts for presentation to the AGM.

 

 

7]         Affiliation:

 

7.1       The Branch shall affiliate to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and shall at all times take account of such guidelines and amendments to the Branch Code of Practice as shall from time to time be approved by the PSC National Executive Committee.

 

7.2       If a Branch is deemed to have grossly infringed the Branch constitution, Code of Practice or brought the PSC into disrepute, the National Executive Committee can disaffiliate the Branch.

 

7.3       Affiliation shall not be made to anybody not connected with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign without agreement having been obtained from the PSC National Executive Committee.

 

 

7.4       The branch shall pay an annual affiliation fee to the National PSC as set by the National AGM.

 

 

8]         Amendments:

 

8.1       This Constitution may be added to or amended by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting in favour of the proposed amendment at the Branch AGM.

 

 

9]         Interpretation:

 

9.1       All questions of interpretation of this branch constitution shall be refered to the PSC National Executive Committee.

 

 

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign Annual General Meeting adopted this Constitution on the eleventh day of November 1999.