Statutes

RARA – Royal Avenue Residents’ Assocition – Articles of Association

Voted at Annual General Meeting of 25th January 2022

The Association exists to represent the interests and concerns of those residing in Royal Avenue (hereafter residents). It will also take note of the views of Non-resident owners (hereafter NROs). Each Royal Avenue household has one vote exercised by a resident who is a member of that household. The Association is financed by voluntary contributions from residents and NROs, and managed by elected officers and committee members.

  1. The Officers of the Association will be Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary. No person may hold more than one Office at the same time.
  2. Operation
    a.          The Association will be run by the Officers and members of a Committee.
    b.          Communication will normally be by email (except for rule 9 and 10) based on the mailing list which is open to both residents and NROs. The mailing list will be maintained by the Chairman with the assistance of the Secretary and Treasurer.
  3. The Officers will each be elected annually at an Annual General Meeting (AGM) to which all residents of Royal Avenue households shall be invited. All NROs who shall have registered their interest (herein registered NROs) in writing or by email to the Chairman shall also be so invited. The AGM is to be held no later than the end of February of every year.
  4. Committee Members are elected annually, but may be co-opted during the year by the Officers.
  5. The maximum number of Committee Members is 6 excluding the Officers.
  6. If between AGMs any Office becomes vacant the Committee may appoint a candidate who is willing to act until the next AGM, where the candidate should stand for election.
  7. Only Royal Avenue residents may stand as Officers or Committee members. If they cease to be residents of the Avenue they shall resign before the next AGM.
    a.         New candidates shall be nominated by another resident in writing, countersigned by the candidate and the nomination lodged with the Secretary no later than 2 weeks before the AGM. Existing Officers and Committee Members may nominate themselves for re-election.
    b.          The names of all candidates must be circulated via the mailing list to Royal Avenue households and registered NROs at least 1 week before the AGM.
    c.           In the event that Officers or Committee members are unopposed at the AGM, they will be deemed to have been elected. In the case of an equality of votes the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote. In the event of a contested election, the candidate with the largest number of votes will be deemed elected. If the post of Chairman is contested, the residents present at the AGM shall elect one of their number to take the chair to conduct the election of Officers and Committee. In the case of an equality of votes such person shall have a second or casting vote.
  8. At the AGM
    a.         The Chairman will report on the past year’s activities.
    b.         The Treasurer will submit a statement of accounts.
    c.         Residents and NROs may raise questions on matters arising from the reports or other items on the agenda.
    d.         The Officers and the Members of the Committee for the following year shall be elected.
  9. Notice in writing of an AGM shall be given to Royal Avenue households at least 4 clear weeks beforehand by the Secretary. Notice will also be given on the mailing list. All such notices shall briefly describe the business to be conducted at the AGM which shall include the matters specified in Rule 8.
  10. Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM)
    a.        The Chairman may at any time convene an EGM of the Association by giving to Royal Avenue households and registered NROs at least 4 clear weeks’ notice in writing and shall so convene an EGM if at least 6 residents of Royal Avenue (each being from a different household) shall sign and submit to him a notice in writing requesting him so to do whereupon he shall convene the meeting so requested as soon as possible by giving to Royal Avenue households and to registered NROs such notice as aforesaid. All notices requesting or convening an EGM shall specify the purpose of the EGM and shall briefly describe the business to be transacted at it. A notice convening an EGM requested by Royal Avenue residents shall specify the purpose of, and describe the business to be transacted at, the EGM as respectively specified and described in the notice requesting the meeting.
    b.         The notices to be given by the Chairman to Royal Avenue households and registered NROs under rule 10a shall also be given on the mailing list.
  11. Attendance and voting.
    a.        At all AGMs and EGMs each Royal Avenue household has 1 vote, and all residents may attend and speak at all such meetings.
    b.         In addition the owner of an estate or interest in a property with an address in Royal Avenue but who is not a resident of Royal Avenue (NRO) and who is a registered NRO may also attend and speak at any such meeting but shall not have a vote thereat. Such an owner who is not a natural person, such as a company, may appoint a representative to attend and speak on its behalf at any AGM or EGM. Such appointment shall be by signed notice in writing submitted to the Chairman before the time of the relevant meeting and all such appointments shall be valid until revoked by or on behalf of the appointees by notice in writing to the Chairman.
    c.         Votes of households at AGMs and EGMs may be cast by a member of the household in person by a show of hands, or by proxy if the voting issue has been described in the notice convening the meeting. A proxy shall be in writing in any common or usual form, shall appoint the Chairman or him failing the Secretary to be the proxy of the household giving the proxy and shall be signed by a member of such household. The form so completed and signed shall be deposited with the Chairman or the Secretary at any time prior to the meeting to which it relates.
  12. For a valid meeting of the Association the minimum quorum is 4, of which 2 shall be Officers.
  13. The Officers and Committee shall meet at least once in the year outside the AGM.
  14. Management process
    a.       A meeting of the Officers and Committee may be held by Zoom or by such other telephone or television or other electronic or virtual means in which all participants may communicate with all other participants. A particular AGM or EGM may also be so held if so agreed in advance by resolution of the Committee in a case where a face-to-face meeting is in advisable or impractical on account of, or is prohibited by, governmental or other official advice, regulation or law.
    b.         A resolution in writing signed (including by way of electronic signature) by all the Officers and Committee members shall be as valid and effectual as if it had been passed at a meeting of such persons duly convened and held and may consist of several instruments (including emails) in the like form each signed (including by way of electronic signature) by one or more persons. The date of the written resolution shall be the date on which the last person signs.
    c.         In the case of a resolution which is proposed in an email sent by the Chairman to all other officers and committee members it shall be sufficient if all such persons confirm his or her approval of such resolution by email to the Chairman in which case the resolution shall take effect upon the receipt by the Chairman of the last of such emails.
  15. Notices of meetings of the Officers and Committee, AGMs and EGMs as well as invitations referred to in rule 3, may be given by email from the Chairman or the Secretary.
  16. In the event of the dissolution of the Association any surplus funds are to be given to a local charity. The name of the charity and the amount are to be notified to the Royal Avenue households.