The Rhodesian Army Association
Museum Trust
Military Records of Rhodesian Forces
Formation
The Rhodesian Army Association Museum Trust was formed on 26th February 2001, and is registered as a Charity in England and Wales - No 1085238
Aims and Objectives
The advancement of the education of the public in the history of Rhodesia by the preservation of the records of The Rhodesian Army and other related documents or property.
Constitution of the RAA Museum Trust
INDEX
Article 1: Name and purpose
Article 2: Extent of Operations
Article 3: Object
Article 4: The Trust
Article 5: Membership
Article 6: The Trustees
Article 7: Powers of the Trustees
Article 8: Duties of the Trustees
Article 9: Meetings
Article 10: Auditor
Article 11: Financial Year
Article 12: Distribution of Profits
Article 13: Amendment of Constitution
Article 14: Dissolution
(a) The body shall be named the Rhodesian Army Association Museum Trust, hereinafter referred to as "the Trust".
(b) The Trust shall be for the furtherance of the object set out in Article 3.
ARTICLE 2 : EXTENT OF OPERATIONS
The Trust shall conduct business, collect contributions and accept donations worldwide in support of the objectives of the Trust.
The advancement of the education of the public in the history of Rhodesia by the preservation of the records of The Rhodesian Army and other related documents or property.
(a) The Trust shall be established with its headquarters at the British Empire & Commonwealth Museum, Bristol.
(b) The Trust shall operate as a voluntary body.
(c) The Trust shall be autonomous and shall not be subservient to any individual group.
Membership of the Trust shall be open to such fully paid-up members of the Rhodesian Army Association as shall, on application and on payment of the prescribed subscription, be accepted by the Trustees as members of the Trust.
(a) The Trustees shall be former residents of Rhodesia/Zimbabwe and such of their descendants over the age of eighteen years as are willing to assist in furthering the Object.
(b) The Trustees shall consist of:
(i) a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, all of whom shall hold office for a period of three years;
(ii) not more than six members who shall hold office for a period of one year.
(c) The Trustees shall be elected by the members at an Annual General Meeting. A Trustee whose term of office has expired shall be eligible to stand for re-election.
(b) In the event of a Trustee resigning or, through death or illness, being unable to continue in office, the remaining Trustees may co-opt another member whose appointment shall be subject to ratification at the next Annual General Meeting.
(e) In the event of the number of Trustees falling below four, the Trust shall be wound up and its assets disposed of in accordance with the provisions of Article 14(b).
ARTICLE 7 : POWERS OF THE TRUSTEES
The Trustees shall conduct the affairs of the Trust and shall
have power generally to do any such acts as may be deemed necessary or
expedient to achieving the Object. Without detracting from the general
nature of the aforementioned powers, which shall in no way be limited
nor the specific powers mentioned hereunder, the Trustees shall be
empowered:
(a) to co-opt until the next Annual General Meeting any
persons as
Trustees provided that they are eligible to be Trustees and that a
vacancy exists;
(b) to promote communication and fellowship amongst Rhodesian
Army and
other service associations worldwide;
(c) to make arrangements for the fulfilment of the Object either through its own endeavours or through any agent or agency with specific reference to:
(i) the recording, cataloguing and collection of all records,
items and property received by the Trust;
(ii) the storing and preservation of all such records, items
and
property received by the Trust;
(iii) the raising and administration of funds required for the
acquisition, transportation, storage and preservation of all
such records, items and property, and for the administration
of the Trust;
(iv) in conjunction with the archive, the determination,
monitoring and
control of access to records owned by the Trust;
(v) the identification, after consultation with the
appropriate
specialist archivist, of duplications of records and the
approval of the method of disposal of such records;
(vi) assistance to approved researchers;
(b) to encourage and support any other organisation formed with the same or similar object.
(e) to apply for charitable status;
(f) to borrow or raise and secure the payment of money in such
manner and on such terms as the Trustees shall think fit in the
pursuance of the Object;
(g) to purchase, take on lease, exchange, hire or otherwise
acquire any
immovable property and to sell, lease, mortgage, dispose of or
otherwise deal with such property;
(h) to invest and deal with the monies of the Trust and to open and operate banking and deposit accounts with any bank on behalf of the Trust;
(i) to raise by way of public or private appeal for subscriptions or donations such monies as may be deemed necessary or incidental for the attainment of the Object, and to take and accept any such subscriptions, contributions, gifts, endowments and bequests, whether in landed property, money or otherwise, and to carry out any trust attached to any such contribution, gift, endowment or bequest;
(j) to determine from time to time the rate of the annual subscription payable by members of the Trust;
(k) to appoint such officers or employees not being trustees as may be considered necessary and to determine their duties and remuneration from time to time;
(1) to bring or defend any action or other legal proceedings in any court of law or to refer to arbitration or join in referring to arbitration any matter, question or dispute or enter into or accept any settlement, absolute or conditional.
ARTICLE 8 : DUTIES OF THE TRUSTEES
The Trustees, subject to any resolution of a General Meeting, shall be responsible for:
(a) the keeping of minutes of General Meetings and meetings of Trustees in which shall be recorded the names of the persons attending such meetings;
(b) the payment of all monies received for the Trust into a
bank account kept in the name of the Trust. For the purpose of this
paragraph, "bank" includes Post Office, savings bank, commercial bank
and building society;
(c) the keeping of such books of account as shall accurately
reflect
the financial activities of the Trust including particulars of all
property acquired and disposed of;
(d) the signing of all cheques drawn on the Trust by not less
than two
persons out of a panel of four appointed by the Trustees;
(e) ensuring that no contributions are raised by the Trust
for any
purpose not set out in this Constitution and that no money or property
of the Trust is applied to any other purpose.
ARTICLE 9 : MEETINGS
(a) The Trustees shall meet at such dates and times and at
such places
as they may determine and shall meet not less than twice in each year.
(b) The quorum necessary for the conduct of business by the
Trustees
shall be five, one of whom shall be either the Chairman or the
Vice-Chairman. The Trustees shall, nevertheless, be empowered to co-opt
not more than two persons qualified to be Trustees for the purpose of
achieving a quorum provided that the facts are reported to the next
Annual General Meeting.
(c) An Annual General Meeting of the Trust shall be held each
year at
which the quorum for the conduct of business shall be eight. In the
event of an equality of votes the person in the chair shall have a
casting vote.
(d) Any paid-up member of the Rhodesian Army Association (UK)
or of
organisations affiliated thereto, not being a member of the Trust,
shall be entitled to attend any General Meeting of the Trust as an
observer and may, with the permission of the chair, speak in debate but
may not exercise a vote. The presence of such person shall be
disregarded for the purposes of establishing a quorum.
(e) At each Annual General meeting a report by the Chairman and the audited balance sheet and accounts for the preceding financial year shall be presented to the meeting for adoption.
(f) A Special General Meeting shall be called at any time by the Trustees or by the Chairman or Secretary upon the written request of not less than 50% of the paid-up members of the Trust, stating clearly the reason for requesting the meeting.
(g) Not less than twenty-one days notice of any General meeting shall be given in writing to paid-up members of the Trust.
(h) The Chairman of the Trustees shall assume the chair of any General Meeting or, in his absence, the Vice-Chairman or in his absence any other Trustee.
An Auditor shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting to hold office until the next succeeding Annual General Meeting. He shall not be a member of the Trust. His remuneration, if any, shall be determined by the Trustees.
The financial year of the Trust shall close on 31st August
ARTICLE 12 :
DISTRIBUTION
OF PROFITS
The Trustees may not distribute any of the profits or gains of the Trust to any person but are required to utilise such funds solely for investment or for the attainment of the Object: provided that a Trustee or member may be refunded any expenses reasonably incurred by that person on behalf of the Trust.
ARTICLE 13 : ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION
(a) Subject to the following provisions of this article the constitution may be altered by a resolution passed by not less than two thirds of the members present and voting at a general meeting. The notice of the general meeting must include notice of the resolution, setting out the terms of the alteration proposed.
(b) No amendment may be made to Article 1 (the name of charity), Article 3 (the objects), Article 14 (the dissolution) or this Article without the prior consent in writing of the Commissioners.
(c) No amendment may be made which would have the effect of making the Charity cease to be a charity at law.
(d) The Executive Committee should promptly send to the
Commission a copy of any amendment made under this clause.
ARTICLE 14 :
DISSOLUTION
OF THE TRUST
(a) The Trust may be dissolved if at least two-thirds of the
members of
the Trust present and voting at a General Meeting of the Trust convened
for the purpose of considering dissolution are in favour thereof. Not
less than twenty-one days written notice shall be given of such meeting
and the notice convening the meeting shall state clearly that the
question of the dissolution of the Trust and of the disposal of its
assets shall be considered. If there be no quorum at such General
Meeting, the meeting shall stand adjourned for not less than one week
and the members attending such adjourned meeting shall constitute a
quorum.
(b) If upon dissolution of the Trust there remain any assets
after the
satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities, such assets shall not be
paid to or distributed among the members but shall be given to such
other organisation having similar objects as may be decided at the
General Meeting held under paragraph (a). If no agreement on the
disposal of assets can be reached, the question shall be determined by
the Rhodesian Army Association (UK).
TRUSTEES
| 1. | Chairman: | Brig. Pat LAWLESS SCR |
| 2. | Treasurer: | Eric T JACKMAN |
| 3. | Welfare: | Pending |
| 4. | Archive: | Donald (Hobo) HOBSON |
| 5. | Functions: | Pending |
| 6. | Secretary: | Will M RANSOM |
| 7. | Artefacts: | John Wynne HOPKINS |
| 8. | Fund Raising: | Bryn Price |
| 9. | L&T Editor: | Interim - Will Ransom |
| 10. | Web Master: | Ed Potterton |
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