Staffordshire Governors Association

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1. Name

a) The organisation shall be called Staffordshire Governors Association (referred to as SGA).

2. Objectives

a) To be an independent, democratic forum for all Governing Bodies in Staffordshire.

b) To assist Governing Bodies to further the interests and education of children and young people in Staffordshire.

c) To promote the highest possible standards of School Governance.

d) To encourage co-operation and the sharing of good practice between schools and Governing Bodies.

e) To further good relationships with the local authority and other relevant agencies.

f) To provide a vehicle for expressing collective views of Governing Bodies and to make appropriate representation at local, regional and national level.

g) To maintain links with Staffordshire Governors Support and Governor Training Units.

h) To provide a coherent voice for Staffordshire Governors in making representations to central government on matters of common concern.

3. Membership

a) Membership of the Association shall be open to all Governing Bodies of Staffordshire schools.

b) Individual Governors shall be members by virtue of being members of a Governing Body in the Association.

c) A maximum of four non-voting memberships, who may be non-governors, may be offered to other appropriate individuals at the discretion of the Executive Committee, subject to any policy of the Association.

d) Governing Bodies will become members on payment of their prescribed subscription.

e) All Governing Bodies in membership of the Association will be entitled to attend Association Meetings. Each Governing Body will be entitled to only one vote.

f) It may be necessary at certain events to include Chair of Governors and one other within the membership and make a charge for any further members of that Governing Body.

4. Funding

a) All monies shall be applied to further the aims of the Association and for no other purposes.

b) Subscriptions shall be determined annually by the AGM following a recommendation made by the Executive Committee.

c) The accounting period for the Association will commence on April 1st each year.

d) The Treasurer shall keep an account of all income and expenditure and submit audited accounts to the Annual General Meeting.

e) The Association will keep a bank/building society account in its name. Withdrawals will be made by any two of four authorised signatures.

f) The Association will not go into debt.

5. Executive Committee and Officers

a) An Executive Committee will be elected at the Inaugural Meeting and thereafter at the Annual General Meeting. Should a vacancy in the Executive Committee occur mid-term, this may be filled by the inclusion of an appropriate item on the agenda of the next Association meeting, providing a 50% quorum is achieved. The Executive Committee will be responsible for the general management of the Association and such business as is decided by meetings of the Association.

b) All members of the Executive Committee will hold membership of the Staffordshire Governors Association. No more than two representatives from any one Governing Body shall be on the Executive Committee at any one time.

c) The Executive Committee will include, in principle, representation from all types of schools within the authority, all phases of education and, where possible, representation from geographical clusters.

d) The Executive Committee shall consist of up to fifteen members including the following officers:-

i. Chair
ii. Vice-Chair
iii. Secretary
iv. Treasurer
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e) The officers will be elected at the AGM and will hold office for one year. No officer may hold the same office for more than three consecutive years, excepting that no other nominations are forthcoming.

f) Other individuals may be invited to serve on the Executive Committee in a non-voting capacity.

g) The Executive Committee will meet at least once per term.

h) The Chair or Vice-Chair will preside. If both are absent, the Executive Committee will elect a Chair from the floor.

i) The quorum shall be 50% of the membership of the serving Executive Committee.

j) The Chair of the Executive Committee will have a second, casting vote in the event of a tied vote.

k) Minutes of Executive Committee meetings will be made available to Association Meetings.

l) The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the day to day running of the Association.

m) A resolution to amend this constitution can only be considered by the Association at an AGM or EGM at which an amendment to the Constitution is shown as an agenda item.

6. Working Groups

a) The Executive Committee shall have the authority to form working parties and/or sub committees from Association members. Decisions of the working parties or sub-committees shall be ratified by a subsequent full meeting of the Executive Committee.

7. Association Meetings

a) All Governors belonging to a Governing Body in membership of the Association will be entitled to attend association meetings.

b) The Association will meet at least once per term. One of these meetings will usually be the AGM.

c) Decisions will be made by a simple majority of those present with voting rights.

8. Annual General Meeting

a) The Annual General Meeting, (AGM), shall be held in the Summer term. 21 days notice will be given to each Governing Body.

b) All Governors belonging to a Governing Body in membership of the Association will be entitled to attend the AGM. Each Governing Body will nominate one person to cast their Governing Body one vote.

c) The AGM shall:-

i. Conduct such elections or business of the Association as may be necessary.
ii. Approve the previous year's annual accounts and elect an auditor for the following year.
iii. Consider relevant education issues.

d) Decisions shall be made by a simple majority of those representatives present and with voting rights.

e) An Emergency General Meeting, (EGM), may be called by a simple majority of the Executive Committee or by a simple majority of Governing Body representatives.

f) Changes to the constitution may only be made if agreed by at least two thirds of Governors entitled to vote and attending the AGM or EGM.

g) The AGM shall be deemed quorate if 25% of Governing Bodies of schools who are subscribing members are present.

h) The Chair or Vice-Chair will preside. If both are absent, the meeting will elect a Chair from the floor.

i) The Chair of the Meeting will have a second casting vote in the event of a tied vote.

9. Affiliations

a) The Association may affiliate to any other body whose aims are consistent with those of the Association, as decided at an Association meeting.

10. Representation on other Bodies

a) Where the Association is invited to nominate representatives onto other bodies, the Executive Committee shall nominate such persons. Whenever possible, such appointees should be members of the Executive Committee. Any such appointments shall be ratified at the following AGM.

11. Dissolution

a) If the Executive Committee decides by a simple majority or is requested by 25% or more of Governing Bodies in membership of the Association to propose the dissolution of the Association, it shall call a special meeting giving not less than 60 days notice. If two thirds of those nominated representatives attending agree, the Association shall be dissolved. Any assets remaining shall be transferred to other non-profit making organisations having objectives similar to those of the Association as the Executive Committee shall decide.

12. Dismissal / Suspension

a) Any dissatisfaction or complaint against a member of the Executive Committee or a Governing Body should be made in writing to the Chair. In the event of a complaint being made against the Chair the missive should be sent to the Vice- Chair.

b) The matter will be raised at the next full Association meeting.

c) Any conduct regarded as bringing the Association into disrepute will be voted on by the Executive Committee, its verdict recorded and an appropriate letter of action will be sent to the party in question.

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