THE PUNCH AND JUDY FELLOWSHIP
CONSTITUTION

1. DEFINITIONS

1.1. The name of the organisation is 'The Punch and Judy Fellowship', hereinafter called 'the Fellowship', which was established 8th September 1980

1.2. Control of the Fellowship shall be vested in an Executive Committee referred to as 'the Committee'. The Committee shall consist of the President, Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and up to six other members of the Fellowship as may be elected annually by a majority vote of members at the Fellowship's Annual General Meeting (AGM).

1.3. 'Members' of the fellowship are persons who have been admitted as such by the Committee.

2. OBJECTS

2.1. The objects of the Fellowship are:

2.1.1. To preserve and promote, the traditions, heritage and performance of Punch and Judy.

2.1.2. To defend the right of members to perform the Punch And Judy Show without persecution or insult.

2.1.3. To support, encourage and inspire young performers to ensure continuity of the art of Punch and Judy into the future.

2.1.4. To promote friendship between members of the Fellowship who share an appreciation of the art of Punch and Judy.
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2.1.5. To maintain an archive of Punch and Judy performers and performances, including both Fellowship members and, where known to the Committee, non-members, for the use of historians and researchers.

3. MEMBERSHIP

3.1. Membership is open to persons who satisfy the Committee that they have an interest in the art of Punch and Judy, except that the Committee retain the discretion to decline or withdraw membership even where those requirements are met where it considers that to grant or allow continued membership would harm the Fellowship in any way.

3.2. Associate Member - Any person who performs or has an interest in the Punch and Judy show.

3.2.1. Each application will initially be considered by the Membership Secretary who may accept the application or refer it to the next formal meeting of the Committee for its consideration,.

3.3. Full Member - An Associate Member may apply for Full Member status if he or she performs a suitably skilled and entertaining performance using the traditional swazzle to a standard approved by the Committee.

3.4. Honorary Life Members - Such persons who have rendered special services over a sustained period to the Fellowship may be elected as an Honorary Life Member at the AGM. Honorary members are not required to pay an annual subscription.

3.5. The use of the title Punch and Judy 'Professor' is a matter of personal choice by any member and does not indicate any category of membership of the Fellowship.

3.6. All members enjoy the same rights of membership of the Fellowship.

3.7. Copies of the Fellowship Newsletter The Swazzle will be regularly distributed to all paid-up Members. At the discretion of the Committee, complimentary copies shall be distributed to those who are giving service to the Fellowship

3.8. The membership year shall be from 1 October to the following 30 September.

3.9. The committee may discontinue the membership of any member of the Fellowship whose subscription is six months in arrears. The Membership Secretary will notify the decision of the committee to the ex member. Members excluded for non-payment of subscriptions, may apply to the Membership Secretary under clause 3.2.3. to regain membership. If re-entry is approved, a joining fee plus any outstanding subscriptions will become payable.

3.10. Details of members will be kept on an electronic register and will only be used by the Committee in furtherance of their work, subject to all relevant data protection requirements. When a member leaves the Fellowship, his or her details will be archived unless there is a specific request that they should be deleted.

3.10.1. Any member can at any time request a copy of their details held on Fellowship records by applying to the Membership Secretary.

3.10.2. The register of members, excluding those details specifically requested by a member to be excluded, will be released by the Committee, to the following:

3.10.2.1. Affiliated organisations solely for the purposes of advising members of performing and promotional opportunities

3.10.2.2. Members of the Fellowship

4. PATRON

4.1. The Committee may invite a celebrity (or any other person it considers suitable) to act as 'Patron' to the Fellowship.

5. THE COMMITTEE

5.1. The Committee shall be elected annually by the Fellowship in Annual General Meeting. Where there are more nominations than places vacant, election shall be by ballot. Where a ballot proves necessary, the rules of that ballot shall be determined by the existing Committee in advance of the AGM.

5.2.  At least 2 auditors, who are not members of the Committee shall be appointed at the AGM.

5.3. The Committee may appoint such persons as it may desire, to fill vacancies on the Committee occurring between AGMs or to complete a specific project.

5.4. Sub-committees may be appointed to complete a specific task or project and report to the full Committee.

5.5. The Committee shall have full powers to manage and administer the affairs of the Fellowship in accordance with its objects. All votes taken by the Committee will be decided by a majority of Committee members present with the Chairman having a casting vote where a majority has not been reached.

5.6. Five members shall constitute a quorum at meetings of the Committee.

5.7. If the Chairman is absent from a meeting, a stand-in Chairman for the meeting will be elected from those present.

6. MEETINGS

6.1. An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) may be convened at any time by resolution of the Committee or at the written request of at least ten members of the Fellowship. An Annual General Meeting shall coincide each year with a Fellowship Festival subject to twenty-one days' notice.

6.2. An agenda and motions from the Committee will be distributed to all members twenty one days in advance of the AGM.

6.3. Any fully paid up Member shall submit no more than three Motions to be debated at an AGM or EGM which should be given in writing to the Hon. Secretary 13 days in advance of an AGM or EGM.

6.4. The Fellowship in general meeting may, by resolution passed by not less than three-quarters of those present and voting, amend this Constitution.

6.5. All other votes will be decided by a majority of members present.

6.6. Each member having duly paid his or her subscription and attending at the AGM or an EGM shall be entitled to one vote.

6.7. Members unable to attend the AGM may give their views on proposals to the Hon. Secretary in writing who will express them at the meeting prior to a vote on that issue being taken. Absent members are not eligible to cast a vote.

7. FINANCE

7.1. Arrangements

7.1.1. The financial year of the Fellowship will run from 1 September to 30 August.

7.1.2. The Treasurer will maintain a bank account to manage the day to day finance of the Fellowship. The Treasurer will be authorised to sign all cheques on behalf of the Fellowship.

7.1.3. The Treasurer will present a set of annual accounts as at the year end at the AGM, setting out each category of expenditure and giving for each such category a comparison with expenditure for that category in the previous financial year.

7.1.4. The Treasurer will submit the accounts to be audited by persons appointed as auditors at the AGM and present the auditor's report to the Committee by the end of the calendar year.

7.1.5. The Treasurer will present an analysis of income and expenditure of the Fellowship for the current year to date for each Committee meeting to a level agreed by the Committee.

7.1.6. The title to any property (whether real or personal) which may be acquired by or for the purposes of the Fellowship, shall be vested in a custodian trustee, or in trustees who shall be appointed by the Committee as appropriate and confirmed by an AGM or EGM.

7.1.7. The income and property of the Fellowship howsoever it is derived , shall be applied solely for the purposes of the furtherance of the objects of the Fellowship. No portion thereof shall be paid or transferred by way of profit to any member PROVIDED that nothing herein shall prevent the payment, in good faith, of any reasonable and properly incurred expenses to any officer, member or servant of the Fellowship

7.1.8. The Committee or Trustees, as the case may be, shall invest any surplus monies howsoever received in any investment authorised by law for the investment of Trust Funds including real property, with power to vary any such investment at their discretion.

7.1.9. The committee may appoint and determine the appointment of a Custodian Trustee or Trust Corporation to act for the members by holding any monies or investments of real property belonging to the Fellowship.

7.1.10. The Committee shall have the power to pay all appropriate legal, accountancy and other administrative expenses where properly incurred.

7.2. SUBSCRIPTIONS

7.2.1. Subscriptions shall be levied as follows:

7.2.1. A joining fee.

7.2.1.2. An annual fee for members residing in the UK

7.2.1.3. An annual fee for members residing in Europe to account for the extra costs of administration

7.2.1.4. An annual fee for members residing outside Europe to account for the extra costs of administration.

7.2.2. The Treasurer shall make recommendations to the Committee on the level of subscriptions due for the following year by 1 June. The Committee will consider the recommendations, account for a planned programme of activities for the coming year and propose subscription levels to be put before the AGM.

7.3. DONATIONS

7.3.1. The Committee may organise Festivals at which income is collected by bottling. The Committee has the right to claim all the money so collected for the Fellowship’s funds and to make a contribution towards the expenses of those members who take part as it sees fit.

7.3.2. The Committee may also organise Festivals sponsored by a third party at which performing members may receive an agreed fee and/or proper expenses via the Fellowship funds.

8. DISOLUTION

8.1. Should the Fellowship be dissolved at any future date either by resolution at an AGM or EGM, which is carried by three quarters of those entitled to vote, any assets of the Fellowship will be transferred to another properly constituted organisation that supports puppetry, as decided by that meeting.

Adopted October 2004

Amended May 2007