The Constitution

Old Caterhamians' Association Consititution

As revised at the AGM on 25th March 2010:

1. TITLE

The Association shall be called the Old Caterhamians’ Association.

2. MEMBERSHIP

Membership of the Association shall be open to former pupils of Caterham School and Eothen School. The Committee may at its discretion withdraw or withhold membership.

3. HONORARY MEMBERSHIP

On the decision of the Committee, subsequently confirmed by the Annual General Meeting, the Association may offer Honorary Membership to those who have given particular service to Caterham School, The Old Caterhamians’ Association or the Eothen Old Girls’ Association, or have been so involved as to merit recognition.

4. OBJECTS

The aims and objects of the Association shall be:

to encourage and enable all former pupils to remain in touch with their school colleagues and the School.
to promote the welfare of the School.
to communicate regularly with members and to inform them of news of the School, Old Caterhamians and of Association activities.

5. THE PRESIDENT

The Association shall have a President who shall be a former pupil of Caterham School and who will represent the Association at all School and public occasions.

6. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE

The Officers of the Association shall be the President, Vice Presidents (two including, if appointed, the President Elect), the Chairman, and the Treasurer.
The Committee shall consist of:
- the Officers listed in 6(a) above.
- members and honorary members appointed to undertake specific roles and duties as deemed necessary from time to time for the fulfilment of the Objects of the Association.
- three ordinary Committee Members.
- the Old Caterhamians’ Adminstrator, who will be the Secretary of the Association.
- Representatives who attend Committee meetings by right:
  - The Head Teacher
  - The Teacher appointed by the School to liaise with the Association
  - Pupil representatives appointed by the Head TeacherTwo representatives of the Eothen Old Girls’ Association
  - The representative of the Old Caterhamians’ Sports Club (who may also be an elected member of the Association).
The Committee may co-opt a new member to fill a casual vacancy or invite others to attend its meetings
At any meeting of the Committee, only those members elected and appointed under b) i), ii) and iii) above may vote and any five of these members including an officer of the Association will constitute a quorum. Resolutions shall be carried by simple majority of those members present and voting. The Chairman shall have a casting vote.

7. SUB-COMMITTEES AND DEPUTIES

The Committee may from time to time appoint an ad-hoc Sub-Committee to which any of its powers may be delegated.
The Chairman of any Sub-Committee unable to attend a meeting of the Committee may appoint any other member of the Sub-Committee as deputy.

8. ADMINISTRATION

The Association will appoint an Administrator who will be the Secretary of the Association. The Secretary may be based at the School and will carry out secretarial duties, maintain records and liaise between the Association Committee, Members, prospective Members and the School.

9. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting for the transaction of business shall be chaired by the President and held on a date decided by the Committee but will normally be in March. Members will be given 28 days notice of any special resolutions and the Committee nomination for Officers and Committee members for the following year.
Any two members of the Association may nominate in writing any other member of the Association as an Officer or Committee member providing such a nomination contains the agreement of the nominee and is submitted to the Secretary before the Annual General Meeting.
The meeting shall elect:
- The President, whose office may be combined with that of any other Committee member, to serve for one or two years. A President may not be elected to hold office for more than two consecutive years.
- Two Vice Presidents, one of whom may be the President Elect, to serve for one or two years.
- The Chairman, who shall have overall responsibility for the day-to-day running of the Association, shall preside at all committee meetings, or appoint a deputy to do so in his or her absence, shall be elected for an initial period of three years which may be extended for further terms at the discretion of the Annual General Meeting.
- The Treasurer and the members and honorary members appointed to undertake specific roles and duties.
- Ordinary Committee Members.
If between Annual General Meetings a casual vacancy occurs amongst the Officers or Committee, the Committee may nominate a member of the Association to fill the vacancy until the next Annual General Meeting.

10. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS

By order of the Committee, or on the receipt of a requisition by ten members, the Secretary shall call a Special General Meeting which shall have the powers of an Annual General Meeting. Each member shall have FOURTEEN days notice thereof, and of the purpose for which such a meeting has been called or TWENTY EIGHT days if a special resolution is to be passed. No business shall be transacted other than that for which notice has been given to members.

11. RESOLUTIONS AT ANNUAL AND SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS

Resolutions shall be carried out by a simple majority of those members present and voting at the meeting. The president shall have a casting vote.

12. ACCOUNTS

The Accounts of the Association having been independently examined shall be presented to the members of the Association at the Annual General Meeting for approval. The Association will appoint an Independent Examiner for the next year at the Annual General Meeting.

13. SUBSCRIPTIONS

The rate of subscriptions will be such as are fixed at the Annual General Meeting on the recommendation of the Treasurer. The rates of Parents’ subscriptions for Life Membership for pupils at the School will be fixed by agreement between the Treasurer and the School Bursar.

14. SOCIAL EVENTS

Events will be promoted as appropriate by the Committee and may include a Presidents’ Evening, a Dinner, Year Group Reunions and Regional Reunions.

15. RULES

No alteration of, or addition to, the rules shall be made except at an Annual or Special General Meeting for which TWENTY-EIGHT DAYS NOTICE has been given to members, in writing, of any such proposed alteration or addition but this shall not be held to preclude amendments proposed at the meeting itself of the motions of which notice has been given.

16. OLD CATERHAMIANS DAYS

Arrangements shall be made with the School for Old Caterhamians Days. Sports matches shall be played by mutual agreement with the School.

17. FUNDS ON DISBANDMENT

In the event of the dissolution of the Association, the assets shall be conveyed to the Old Caterhamians’ Trust for use by the Trustees at their absolute discretion.