RHODESIA ARMY ASSOCIATION

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Formation

The Rhodesia Army Association was formed in early 1989 in the United Kingdom.

The Aims of the Rhodesia Army Association (RAA)

1. Publish a Military History of the Rhodesian Army covering the period 1964 to 1980
2. To provide a focal point for the furtherance of the aims of other Associations e.g. RAR, RLI, Retired Officers, etc.
3. Organise reunions and maintain contact between former members of the Army on an international basis thus fostering comradeship and assistance.
4. Maintain an up to date record of all who served in the Rhodesian Army.
5. Establish branches of the Association wherever there are sufficient numbers to make it viable.
6. Invest any income from the publication of the History and to use the proceeds to assist any former members of the Rhodesian Army who might have fallen on hard times.

Membership Application Form

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Constitution and Rules

PART I: THE CONSTITUTION
THE CONTENTS

Name of the Association 1.1.
Aims of the Association 1.2.
Association Badge and Colours 1.3.
Membership of the Association . I.5
Election of Members 1.7.
Branches     1.9.
Management 1.11.
Composition of Committees 1.13.
Annual General Meetings (AGMs) 1.19.
Special General Meetings (SGMs) 1.20.
Eligibility to vote 1.21.
Voting 1.22.
Accounts 1.23.
Audit 1.25.
Financial Status 1.27.
Subscriptions 1.28.
Grant Aid 1.29.
Stock & Moveable Assets 1.30.
Headquarters Location 1.32.
Contract Personnel 1.33.
Annual Reports 1.34.
Suspension or Expulsion 1.35.
Amendments 1.37.
Winding up of the Association 1.39.

Appendix
A: Roles and Duties of the Welfare Officer
B: Roles and Duties of the Archive and Museum Members
C: Application for Full Membership Ð Form A
D: Application for Associate Membership Ð Form B
E: Application for Affiliate (Intaf and Guard Force) Membership Ð Form C
F: Recommendation for Honorary Membership Ð Form D

Article 1. Name of the Association

1. The name of the Association shall be the Rhodesian Army Association (abbreviated to RAA) hereafter referred to as the "Association", listed under UK registered Charity Number 1085238.

Article 2. Aims of the Association

2. The aims of the Association shall be to:
a. Maintain a list of military histories of the Rhodesian Security Forces and their units since 1890.
b. Annually, on Remembrance Sunday, honour those members of the Rhodesian Security Forces who died in the service. of Rhodesia.
c. Provide a focal point for the furtherance of the aims of other related Rhodesian military associations.
d. Organise functions and reunions, and maintain contact between former members of the Rhodesian Army and other related Rhodesian military associations on an international basis thus fostering comradeship and assistance.
e. Maintain an up-to-date record of all who served in the Rhodesian Army.
f. Establish branches of the Association wherever there are sufficient members to make it viable.
g. Provide assistance to members of the Association (principally, but not exclusively, former members of the Rhodesian Army) or their dependents who need support or are experiencing hardship.
See Appendix A for the Roles and Duties of the Welfare Member.
h. Establish an Archive and Museum Committee for the collection, collation, and preservation of records, items and property of the Rhodesian Army.
See Appendix B for the Constitution of the Archive and Museum Committee.

Article 3. Association Badge and Colours

3. The badge of the Association shall be the right-hand arm flash of the Rhodesian Army and its colours shall be red and green. The Lion and Tusk superimposed in the centre shall be white.

Article 4. Membership of the Association

4. Membership of the Association shall be open to all races world-wide who qualify in terms of paragraph 5 below.

5. There shall be five types of membership, namely:
a. Full members. All those who served in the Regular or the Territorial Force of the Rhodesian Army for not less than six months during the period 1964 to 1980.
b. Associate Members. All descendents or dependents of full members over the age of eighteen years.
c. Affiliate Members. Persons who served in Internal Affairs (Intaf) or the Guard Force during the period 1972 to 1980.
d. Honorary Members. Persons not eligible for membership as detailed above but who have the interests of the Association at heart and wish to be associated with the Association may be granted Honorary Membership.
e. Life Members. There are 2 categories of life membership:    i. Members may be granted Life Membership if they have given outstanding services to the Association. Life Members must be proposed and elected by a unanimous vote at an Annual General Meeting (AGM).    ii. Life Membership may be purchased by Full Members by a one-time payment equal to ten yearsÕ subscription at the rate in force at the time of purchasing such a class of membership.

Article 5. Election of Members

6. Full, Associate and Affiliate Members as outlined in subparagraphs 5a to 5c may become members on completion of application Form A (Appendix C), B (Appendix D) or C (Appendix E), as appropriate and on approval by the Executive Committee.
7. The conferring of Honorary Membership must be recommended by two full members of the National Executive of the country in which they reside, on Form D (Appendix F), and must receive the approval of the RAA Executive Committee. Approval or rejection of the application by the RAA Executive Committee shall be final.
Honorary Members will be presented with an Honorary Membership Certificate and RAA tie.
A nominal roll of all honorary members is to be maintained by the Secretary.

Article 6. Branches

8. Branches on a national or local level, with a minimum membership of ten, may be set up worldwide, wherever there are sufficient members to so warrant. Such branches may apply for affiliation to the Association and may determine their own constitutions: provided that no provision of any such constitution shall be in conflict with any of the provisions of this Constitution.
9. The minimum number of members to form a branch should be ten. This, however, does not preclude membership of the Association if there are insufficient members to form a specific area.

Article 7. Management and Structure

10. The following officers will be appointed to manage the Association's affairs:
a. A Non-Executive Life President.
b. An Executive Committee, which will consist of the following members and will be responsible for the overall management of the Association:

a. The Chairman.
b. The Secretary.
c. The Treasurer.
d. Archive Officer
e. Museum Officer.
f. Functions/Events Officer
g. Fundraising Officer
h. Welfare Officer
i. A webmaster
j. Rhodaf and such other officers as may be determined from time to time with the approval of a majority of members voting at a General or Special Meeting of the Association.

11. The quorum for a meeting of the Executive Committee shall be five, one of whom shall be the Chairman or, in his absence, a member elected from those attending the meeting.

12. The Executive Committee may co-opt consultants/advisors as and when it is necessary or deemed expedient.

13. Officers and Committee members are elected initially for a period of 3 years. One third will stand for re-election each year at the AGM Article 8. Annual General Meeting

14. A General Meeting shall be held annually, normally in conjunction with a gathering following the Service of Remembrance or prior to The Annual Dinner. Not less than 21 days notice shall be given of the holding of such meeting. A notice to that effect, incorporating the agenda, a summary of the financial statement and details of any special resolution of which at least 30 days notice has been given to the Executive Committee, shall be deemed to be appropriate for the purposes of this paragraph when published in the official magazine "The Lion and Tusk", and on the official RAA website.

Article 9. Special General Meetings

15. A Special General Meeting may be called at any level of the Association by the Executive Committee. In addition, such a meeting shall be called following the delivery to the Secretary of a written request signed by not less than twenty-five percent of the full membership. Such Special General Meeting shall be held within four weeks of the delivery of the request to the Secretary and all members will be given at least 14 days notice in writing of the Special General Meeting. No business other than that specified in the written request shall be transacted. Notification of any Special General Meetings must be passed to the Executive Committee.

Article 10. Quorum

16. Save as is provided at paragraph 29 below, the quorum at any General Meeting shall be 12 full members.

Article 11. Voting

17. At all General Meetings, voting powers shall be confined to full, associate and affiliate members who are currently paid-up members of the RAA.
18. In respect of any special resolution referred to in paragraphs 14 and 15 above, a full member shall be entitled to request from the Secretary a postal ballot form on which he may record his own vote or enable a named person to vote by proxy for him or her. Such postal ballot paper ?shall be delivered to the Secretary not later than the commencement of the meeting concerned.

Article 12. Accounts and Assets

19. A bank account shall be opened in the name of the Association and shall be operated by the Treasurer.
20. The Chairman, Treasurer and two other nominated members of the Executive Committee shall have signing powers, any two to sign on behalf of the Association.
21. All donations, monies raised by fund-raising and membership subscriptions (including annual Lion & Tusk payments) shall be properly brought to account by the Treasurer and monies banked accordingly.
22. The Association’s financial year shall be from 1 March to the last day of February.
23. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to keep the accounts and finances of the Association in a form to the satisfaction of the Charity Commissioners, to keep the Executive Committee informed at all meetings and to provide statements of account to the Annual General Meeting.
24. The Executive Committee shall appoint a member to order and maintain an inventory of all stocks and movable assets.
25. An auditor, who shall neither be, nor related to, a member of the Association, shall be appointed annually to audit the accounts and assets of the Association. His remuneration shall be agreed with the Executive Committee.

Article 13. Subscriptions

26. The Executive Committee may levy an annual subscription upon members as well as charges for “The Lion and Tusk", newsletters and periodicals.

Article 14. Suspension or Expulsion

27. The Executive Committee shall have power to reprimand, suspend or expel any member who is guilty of any serious breach of the Constitution or Rules, or whose conduct is considered as likely to endanger the welfare and good order of the Association. Such member shall first be given, if he or she so desires, the opportunity of appearing in person before the Executive Committee.

Article 15. Amendments

28. Amendments to the Constitution may be made only by a two-thirds majority of votes cast by the Executive Committee, members of the Association present and voting at a General or Special Meeting, after due consultation with branches of the Association of which due notice has been given setting forth the nature of the proposed amendments.

Article 16. Dissolution of the Association

29. The Association may be dissolved if at least two-thirds of the members present and voting at a general or Special Meeting 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 Association and disposal of its assets shall be considered. If there be no quorum at such General or Special Meeting, the meeting shall stand adjourned for one week and the members attending such adjourned meeting shall form a quorum.
30. If upon dissolution of the Association there remain any assets after the satisfaction of all 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 objectives as may be decided upon at the General or Special Meeting held under paragraph 29.

APPENDIX A TO THE RAA CONSTITUTION 2010
Roles and Duties of the Welfare Officer

Appointment
1. The Welfare Officer shall be appointed for a three-year term, which can be extended for further terms, by election at an Annual (or Special) General Meeting.

Aim
2. The Welfare Officer's aim shall be the furtherance of the objective set out in Article 2 (Subparagraph 2g).

Extent of Operations
3. The Welfare Officer shall conduct business, collect contributions and accept donations worldwide in support of the object of the RAA. He/she may co-opt other members of the RAA to form a subcommittee to assist him/her in this task .

Mission
4. To assist members of the Rhodesian Army Association (principally, but not exclusively, former members of the Rhodesian Army) or their dependants who need support or are experiencing hardship (hereafter referred to as the "Object").

Objectives
5 (a). Collate a file detailing the names and contact details of all Widows and Widowers of RAA members. Liaise with welfare agencies in respect of providing support to members of the RAA who need it. Have access to minimum funds with which to provide immediate support to members in need. 5 (b). Ensure frequent communication is maintained with members in point (5.a.) above.

APPENDIX B TO THE RAA CONSTITUTION 2010
Roles and Duties of the Archive and Museum Sub-Committee Members

Name and Purpose
1. The body shall be named the RAA Archives and Museum Sub-Committee.
2. The Sub-Committee shall ensure the furtherance of the object set out in Article 2 (Subparagraph 2h).

Extent of Operations
3. The Sub-Committee shall conduct business, collect contributions and accept donations of property and documents worldwide in support of the object of the RAA.

Object
4. To preserve in perpetuity and for posterity the records of the Rhodesian Army and other related documents and items of property so that the military history of Rhodesia may be researched and recorded and that memorabilia may be on display (hereafter referred to as the "Object”).

5. Objectives
Ensure that the records of the Rhodesian Army and other related documents and items of property are recorded, maintained and securely accessed.
Ensure the security of the records of the Rhodesian Army and other related documents and items of property, with an especial emphasis on preserving the security and reputation of those members (and their relatives) of Rhodesia's Armed Forces.
The supervision of and collation/documentation of all secret and top secret documents by the UWE onto computers.
Control and facilitation of the access of authorized persons to these documents.
Ensuring that records of the Rhodesian Army and other related documents and items of property are displayed on occasion either in temporary or fixed exhibitions.

Membership Application Form 2018

Click here to open the form. Print it and send in to the address on the form.

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