Constitution
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Constitution of the Thai Adoption Group of Ireland (draft).

 

This Constitution was adopted by the Thai Adoption Group in General Meeting on the     day of                 2000.

 

 

1. Name & Address.

The name of the Association shall be the Thai Adoption Group (Ireland). For ease of reference, the Association may be referred to as the "Thai Adoption Group" or "T.A.G.".

For the purposes of official correspondence, the Address of the Association shall be that of the Secretary for the time being.

 

2. Aims.

The Aims of the Thai Adoption Group shall be:-

To promote and facilitate the lawful adoption of children legally available for adoption in Thailand to families resident on the Island of Ireland.

To assist and support, through social, educational and other appropriate means, all families that have adopted a child from Thailand wishing to avail of such assistance and support;

To assist, through fundraising and other appropriate means, those Thai Agencies dedicated to promoting the welfare of children in care in Thailand;

To establish and maintain a mailing list for the purposes of circulating materials from the Thai Adoption Group to members or other parties interested in adoption from Thailand;

To do all such other things as shall be conductive to the attainment of the above objects.

 

 

3. Membership.

3.1 Eligibility.

The following persons shall be eligible for membership of the Thai Adoption Group:-

Any person over the age of 18 years and who has been adopted from Thailand and is domiciled on the Island of Ireland;

Any person domiciled on the Island of Ireland who has adopted a child from Thailand;

For the purposes of this clause, once a Thai child has been placed in the custody of his prospective adoptive parents, such child shall be deemed to be adopted.

3.2 Application for Membership.

Persons eligible for membership and wishing to join the Thai Adoption Group shall complete a membership form and furnish it to the Committee for acceptance along with the subscription fee for the time being applicable.

The content of the membership form shall be determined by the Committee from time to time.

3.3 Register of Members.

The Committee shall maintain a register of current and former members of the Thai Adoption Group. Such Register may be maintained in such form as the Committee considers convenient.

 

4. Subscription.

4.1 The annual subscription shall be determined from time to time by the Committee.

4.2 The annual subscription shall be payable upon joining the association and thereafter, upon the 1st day of February of each subsequent year.

4.3 Subscriptions shall be payable on a family basis; ie one subscription per family of association members.

 

5. Resignation.

5.1 A member shall cease to be a member upon furnishing written notice of resignation to the secretary for the time being.

5.2 A member whose subscription stands more than 3 months in arrears shall be deemed to have resigned.

 

6. Expulsion.

6.1 The committee shall have power to expel a member when, in their opinion, it would not be in the interests of the association for him to remain a member. A member shall not be expelled unless he is given 14 days written notice to attend at a meeting of the committee and such written notice shall give reasonable details of the reason for his proposed expulsion. The member concerned shall be given a reasonable opportunity to appear before the committee to answer the proposal to expel him and he shall not be expelled unless at least two thirds of the committee then present vote in favour of his expulsion.

6.2 The procedures to be applied at a committee meeting held to consider a proposal to expel a member shall be determined by the Committee and shall be informal.

 

 

7. Committee.

7.1 The Committee shall consist of a Chairman, a Secretary, a Treasurer and two elected members.

7.2 The Committee members shall be proposed, seconded and elected by ballot at the Annual General Meeting. The Committee's term of office shall be until the following Annual General Meeting. Any vacancy arising by resignation or otherwise during the Committee's term of office may be filled by the Committee. Committee members shall be eligible for re-election.

7.3 In the interest of continuity of committee membership, the annual election of committee members should strive to achieve a balance between the introduction of new members to the committee and the re-election of existing members.

7.4 The Committee shall meet from time to time and shall not meet less than three times each year. The quorum for committee meetings shall be three. Notice of Committee meetings shall be reasonable and in any event, shall not be less than 2 days. Decisions of the Committee shall be by simple majority and in the event of equality of votes, the Chairman (or the acting chairman at that meeting) shall have a casting, or additional vote. The secretary (or the acting secretary at that meeting) shall take minutes.

7.5 The Committee may from time to time establish sub-committees to pursue specific undertakings on behalf of the Committee and/or the Thai Adoption Group. Such sub-committees shall be made up of such members of the Thai Adoption Group (and where appropriate other persons) as the Committee considers appropriate. Upon request from the Committee, such sub-committees shall report to the Committee on it's proceedings.

 

8. General Meetings.

8.1 Annual General Meeting.

8.1.1 The Annual General Meeting of the Thai Adoption Group shall be held during the Spring or Summer of each year to transact the following business:-

To receive the Chairman's Report on the activities of the Association during the previous year;

To receive and consider the Treasurers Report as to the financial position of the Association;

To elect the Officers and other members of the Committee;

To decide on any resolution submitted in writing to the Secretary not less than 10 days before the Annual General Meeting;

 

8.2 Special General Meeting.

A Special General Meeting may be called at any time by the Committee. A Special General Meeting shall be called within twenty eight days of receipt by the Secretary of a requisition in writing signed by not less than one third of the current full membership stating the purpose(s) for which the meeting is required and the resolution(s) proposed.

 

8.3 Procedures at General Meetings.

8.3.1 Only members of the Thai Adoption Group shall be eligible to attend and vote at a General Meeting.

8.3.2 The Secretary shall send to each member at his last known address written notice of a General Meeting setting out the place, date and time of such meeting along with a resume of the business to be transacted.

8.3.3 The quorum for a General Meeting shall be one third of the current association membership. Where a quorum is not formed at a General Meeting, the meeting shall be re-convened by the Committee and the presence of two or more association members shall be deemed to be a quorum for such re-convened meeting;

8.3.4 The Chairman, or in his absence, a committee member selected by the Committee shall take the chair.

8.3.5 The Secretary, or in his absence, a member of the Committee, shall take minutes at General Meetings.

8.3.6 Each eligible person attending a general meeting shall have one vote and resolutions shall be passed by a simple majority. In the event of an equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a casting, or additional vote.

 

9. Amendment of the Constitution.

9.1 Any provision of this Constitution may be altered or amended by resolution at a General Meeting. Such a resolution however, may only be carried by a two thirds majority of those attending the meeting.

9.2 Where the Committee considers it appropriate, it may seek the amendment or alteration of any provision of this Constitution by postal ballot of all full members. For the purposes of such postal ballot, the Secretary shall send to each member at his last known address a suitable ballot paper detailing the proposed amendment, the date by which ballots should be returned and the date and place where ballots will be opened and counted. A majority of the Committee shall attend the opening and counting of ballots. Any full member of the Thai Adoption Group may attend the opening and counting of ballots. An amendment of this Constitution by postal ballot may only be carried by a two thirds majority of valid ballots.

 

10. Finance.

10.1 All monies payable to the Thai Adoption Group shall be received by the Treasurer and deposited in a bank/building society/post office or other such account in the name of the Thai Adoption Group.

10.2 No sum shall be drawn from a Thai Adoption Group account except by cheque signed by two of the three signatories nominated by the Committee for that purpose.

10.3 Any monies not required for immediate use may be invested as the Committee in their discretion think fit.

10.4 The income and assets of the Thai Adoption Group shall be applied only in furtherance of the objects set forth above.

10.5 The financial transactions of the Thai Adoption Group shall be recorded by the Treasurer in such books of accounts or such other manner as the Committee think fit.

 

 

11. Dissolution.

11.1 The Thai Adoption Group may only be dissolved by resolution passed at a Special General Meeting by three quarters of the full members present.

11.2 The dissolution shall take effect from the date of the resolution and thereafter, the Committee's sole responsibility shall be the winding up of the affairs of the Thai Adoption Group.

11.3 Any property remaining after the discharge of the debts and liabilities of the Thai Adoption Group shall be donated to such Thai Agency dedicated to promoting the welfare of children in care in Thailand as the Committee shall nominate.