Rules of the Society

Approved at a Special General Meeting held on the 2nd October, 1978, revising those originally agreed at the Railway Clearing House, London, on 1st July, 1902, and amended at later General Meetings.

Words importing the masculine gender only shall include the feminine gender and vice versa.

NAME
1. The title of the Society shall be "The Retired Railway Officers' Society".

HEADQUARTERS
2. The Headquarters shall be in London.

OBJECTS
3. The objects of the Society are to bring retired Railway Officers into association, to keep alive the official brotherhood, and to maintain the friendships formed during their business life and to seek to protect the interests of members in all respects relating to pensions, travel rights and facilities.

In sharing contact details of members, the printed and electronic directory is for their personal use only, shall be kept confidential and must not be used for any commercial or marketing purposes.

MEMBERSHIP
4. All applications for membership shall be subject to consideration by the Executive Officers as detailed in Rule 8. Five persons being required for a quorum.

5. Subject to the provisions of Rule 4, the following are eligible for membership:-

As ordinary members

(i) Retired Officers of railways world-wide who, for a period of at least five years during their railway career, held a position of responsibility and seniority which, on assessment by the Executive Committee, is deemed to equate to the status required for membership, as expressed in the 2nd October 1978 revision of Rules.

(ii) Retired Officers, of equivalent status of undertakings

(a) previously within the railway organisation: or

(b) which have taken over functions previously performed by the railways.

(iii) Other Retired Officers, of equivalent status, of the undertakings referred to in (ii) above, where, in the opinion of the Committee referred to in Rule 4, there are exceptional circumstances which justify their membership within the objects of the Society.

As Honorary Members

Ordinary Members who can no longer attend the meetings of the Society due to ill health.

As Life Members

Ordinary Members who have reached the age of 80 years.

As Associate Members

Persons associated with the wider railway industry, not qualified as Ordinary Members under i) ii) & iii) who in the opinion of the Committee would enhance the objectives of the Society through their association with it.

6.- Any person eligible under Rule 5 for Ordinary or Associate Membership, desiring to join the Society, shall be proposed and seconded by two Ordinary or Life Members of the Society. His name and record, including particulars to indicate his eligibility, with emphasis on the last five years service, shall first be sent to the Honorary Secretary and subsequently brought to the notice of the committee named in Rule 4. If the Committee approve, the nominators will be asked to propose the candidate for election and the Honorary Secretary shall put a notice under the head of "Proposed New Members" on the agenda for the next meeting as follows:

.......................will propose and

.......................will second the election of

.......................as an Ordinary or Associate Member of the Society.

Each candidate's career shall be summarised to include initial and final post in railway (and other) service and shall be printed on the agenda for information of the Members.

PRESIDENT and VICE-PRESIDENT
7. A President and a Vice-President shall be elected annually.

OFFICERS
8. The Executive Officers shall consist of a President, a Vice-President, an Honorary Secretary, an Honorary Treasurer, and three Committee Members, all elected annually. The Committee shall have power to co-opt additional members as and when the situation demands. The President shall be ineligible for re-election until after an interval of two years from the date of his relinquishment of office.

CONSTITUTION
9. The Society shall be controlled and managed in accordance with these Rules.

The business transacted at meetings of the Society shall be confined to the subjects entered on the agenda; but any matter of moment may be dealt with provided the President for the day and the majority of the members then present so determine, except as provided in Rule 19.

VOTING POWER
10. Voting power shall be limited to Ordinary and Life members as set forth in Rule 5. The President of any meeting shall have a casting vote.

SUBSCRIPTIONS
11. Payments to the Society shall be as follows, or such amounts as are agreed at Annual or Special General Meetings:

(a) Ordinary Members

(i) the Entrance fee to be determined after annual review by the Committee and reported to the subsequent meeting.

(ii) Annual Subscriptions, due upon entry unless otherwise stated (see below) and on the 1st of January each ensuing year, to be determined after annual review by the committee and reported to the subsequent meeting.

Ordinary Members elected in September, October, November or December shall have their annual subscription waived for the remainder of the year of their election.

(iii) Members who have elected to pay annual subscription and who have not renewed their membership by 31st March shall be deemed to have resigned.

(iv) New Members shall be required to give a Bankers' Standing Order.

(b) Honorary and Life Members

No Payment (see Rule 5 above).

As for Ordinary Members and subject to any special arrangements proposed by the Committee on an individual basis.

PRESIDENT
12. The President shall preside at the meetings of the Society. In his absence the Vice- President shall assume the chair, and should he also be away, then the President for the year previous shall act, and so on in reverse order. In the event of a lengthy absence of the President, the Vice-President shall temporarily take over his duties.

HONORARY SECRETARY
13. The Honorary Secretary shall fulfil the ordinary duties of a Secretary, inter alia:

(1) Call and attend all meetings.

(2) Make and keep minutes of meetings.

HONORARY TREASURER
14. The Honorary Treasurer shall:

(1) Collect all monies.

(2) Make such payments as are wholly necessary for the activities and commitments duly authorised or sanctioned by the Society.

(3) Keep the accounts of the Society.

(4) Submit the Statement of Accounts at the Annual General Meeting.

All monies received for or on behalf of the Society shall be without undue delay deposited in an account in the name of the Society at a bank to be approved by resolution of the Society.

Authorised signatories to banks are Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Secretary and one other member of the Executive Committee approved by the Executive Committee. Cheques or other instructions for payment up to £500 to bear the signature of one of the authorised signatories and above £500 to bear the signature of two of the authorised signatories, one of which must be that of the Honorary Treasurer.

Instructions for the transfer of funds between two accounts held by the same bank to require the signature of one of the authorised signatories.

ORDINARY MEETINGS
15. The Ordinary Meetings of the Society shall, in principle, be held on the first Monday of each month

SOCIAL MEEETINGS AND ENTERTAINMENTS
16. The meetings of members for social purposes, such as dinners, conversaziones, excursions, etc., shall, if desired, be organised by the Honorary Secretary according to the wishes of the majority of members.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEEETING
17. A General Meeting of the Society shall be held in February of each year

(1) to receive the President's report of the previous year's transactions;

(2) to receive the Honorary Treasurer's Statement of Accounts;

(3) to elect the President and the Vice-President for the year;

(4) to elect the Executive Officers for the year;

(5) to elect two members of the Society as Auditors, who will examine and certify the Statement of Accounts; and

(6) to consider any alterations to the Rules which have been notified in the agenda issued for the meeting.

SPECIAL MEETINGS
18. In the event of ten Ordinary or Life Members of the Society desiring a special meeting for a special purpose, then upon a requisition duly signed and delivered to the Honorary Secretary, he shall, within 28 days, call such a meeting at convenient place, giving seven clear days' notice thereof. At such meetings only the business specified in the requisition shall be considered.

ALTERATION OF RULES
19. No alteration or addition to these Rules shall be made without a two-thirds majority of those members present at the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting called for the purpose. Any proposed alteration or addition shall be placed on the agenda for the meeting.

WINDING UP
20. (i) If the Executive Officers deem it no longer possible to fulfil the Objects of the Society set out in Rule 3, they shall put a Resolution to the whole membership by ballot, stating the reasons for the proposed dissolution together with the terms thereof. The approval of such a Resolution shall require the support of 75% of the Members voting.

(ii) The Executive Officers of the Society, overseen by the Auditors, shall be responsible for administering the winding-up procedures. A quorum of not less than three such Officers shall be required and, if necessary, professional services shall be obtained either from existing members or independent advisers. Their duties shall include the realisation of all assets and the payment of all creditors (including Paid-up Life Members (PULM) who rank as deferred creditors in respect of their un-expired membership. Should there be any deficiency in the total assets available, the amounts due to PULMs shall be abated proportionately. Should a PULM waive his or her right to the payment, the amount concerned shall fall into the residue, the disposition of which shall be decided by the Members of the Society for the time being.