1 Name
The name of the Society shall be "The International Society of Meccanomen".
2 Interpretation
The expression "Meccano System" shall mean the system of model building and mechanical demonstration patented by the late Frank Hornby and shall include its derivatives and the words "Meccano", "Meccano Club" "Meccanoman" and the like shall be understood accordingly.
3 Objects
The Objects for which the Society is constituted are as follows:
3.1 To encourage and support international interest and co-operation in the study and development of model engineering through the medium of the Meccano System and to disseminate information relating to it throughout the world.
3.2 To encourage support for Meccano Clubs throughout the world.
3.3 To promote research and to assist and co-operate with the manufacturers of Meccano in furthering the technical improvement and development of the Meccano System.
3.4 To promote or support such exclusively charitable educational objects in any field of engineering as the Society may from time to time decide.
4 Membership
4.1 The Society shall have two classes of members: Ordinary Members and Honorary Members.
4.2 Ordinary Membership shall be open to any individual over the age of 7, but members under the age of 18 may not vote at general meetings or hold office.
4.3 An applicant for Ordinary Membership shall complete an application in the form devised by the Committee from time to time, and shall accompany the application with one year's subscription; and any member of the Committee (as defined in Section 5 following) may receive the application.
4.4 Membership of the Society shall entitle the holder to one copy of each of the Society's publications when they appear, and to vote on resolutions.
4.5 Honorary Membership may be conferred upon any individual pursuant to Rule 6.7 and shall carry all the privileges of ordinary membership together with exemption from Rule 11.1.
5 Management
5.1 The Society's affairs shall be managed by a Committee including Chairman, Treasurer, and Journal Editor, all of whom shall be Members PROVIDED that at all times
5.1.1 The Committee shall consist of not fewer than four and not more than twelve members (subject to 5(l)(2) and 5(4) below).
5.1.2 If at an Annual General Meeting (AGM) fewer than four persons willing to act as Committee Members shall offer themselves for election then those persons actually elected to the Committee at the meeting shall as soon as possible appoint sufficient persons from among the Members of the Society to bring the numbers of Committee Members up to four.
5.2 Members of the Committee shall be elected at the AGM and shall hold office for three years to run from the date of their election until the next third following AGM.
5.3 The Committee may co-opt not more than three additional members.
5.4 Co-opted Committee members shall hold office until the next AGM of the Society following their co-option.
5.5 Any casual vacancy caused by the resignation illness or death of a Committee member may be filled by the other members of the Committee for the time being and any person so appointed shall hold office until the next AGM of the Society following his appointment.
5.6 The Members of the Committee shall hold office until the end of the AGM at which their terms respectively expire.
5.7 The Committee may at its discretion appoint a President of the Society.
6 Powers of the Committee
The Committee shall have the power to do all or any of the following things in the name of the Society:
6.1 To issue ajournal at intervals to be decided by the Committee
6.2 To issue a newsletter or bulletin from time to time.
6.3 To publish information which in the opinion of the Committee is conducive to the Society's Objects.
6.4 To hold exhibitions competitions and meetings at any time and from time to time in any part of the world.
6.5 To appoint technical consultants to advise and assist the Society about any of its business and to set up sub-committees (each of which shall include at least one member of the Committee) to take charge of any activity or event.
6.6 To do anything reasonably incidental to any of the above or to the pursuit of the Society's Objects.
6.7 To recommend the Society at its AGM to confer marks or awards of distinction on persons or groups (whether members of the Society or not) in recognition of outstanding services rendered to the Meccano hobby. Such marks of distinction may include the conferring of Honorary Membership on any individual.
6,8 To confer awards of distinction for excellence in Meccano model-building.
6.9 To invite and encourage other Meccano Clubs to affiliate with the Society, with the intention of indicating fraternal regard, for exchanging information (including information for publication on agreed terms), and for such other purposes consistent with the Objects of the Society as the Committee may from time to time determine.
6.10 To accept an application for membership or for renewal of membership (as prescribed in 4(3)), or to decline an application without having to give a reason.
7 Duties of the Committee
7.1 The Committee shall at all times ensure that the Society remains independent of all persons or other organizations.
7.2 The Committee shall encourage the preparation of a version of these Rules in any other language than English, with the proviso that this version of the rules is the version by which the Society's affairs shall be conducted.
7.3 The Committee shall conduct the Society's activities so as not to interfere with or supplant those of local or national clubs.
7.4 The Committee shall not commit the Society's resources to any trading for profit but any profit incidentally arising from any activity shall not render that activity improper.
8 Meetings of the Committee
The members of the Committee may conduct its business by meeting in person or by telephonic postal or other means of communication with each other according as may seem to them convenient or desirable.
9 Annual General Meeting of the Society
9.1 An AGM shall be held in each calendar year.
9.2 The Chairman shall send notice of the AGM to all members (using air mail post to notify members not resident in the Chairman's country of domicile) with the last issue of the Society's Journal to be published before the date of the AGM or four weeks before the date of the AGM, whichever is the earlier. The notice shall include any resolutions proposed under Rule 9.6.6 and shall be accompanied by a suitable proxy form.
9.3 Members may attend in person or by proxy.
9.4 Any member whose subscription is in arrears may not exercise his right to vote.
9.5 A Quorum shall be five paid-up members attending in person.
9.6 The business transacted at the AGM shall include the following:
9.6.1 The names of members attending shall be recorded.
9.6.2 Minutes of the previous AGM shall be presented and, if found correct, approved and any matters arising shall be dealt with.
9.6.3 The Society's Chairman shall report orally on the year's activities of the Society.
9.6.4 The Treasurer shall present audited accounts for approval by the meeting.
9.6.5 Officers and Committee Members who have been proposed for election in accordance with Rule 5.1 and 5.2 shall be elected or re-elected on a simple majority of votes.
9.6.6 Any other business may be transacted but no resolution to do anything which would not be within the ordinary powers of the Committee shall be passed unless notice shall have been given at the same time as notice of the meeting.
9.7 The Committee shall publish a summary of the transactions of the AGM in the Society's Journal, newsletter or bulletin.
9.10 The Society's Chairman may, with the approval of the Committee, ask another Member of the Society to act as Chairman of the AGM.
10 Transactions conducted by post
10.1 A resolution may be put to the Society by post, if three members of the Society whose subscriptions are not in arrears notify the Chairman of their wish to do so.
10.2 On receipt of a resolution sent by post, the Chairman shall arrange forthe resolution to be published in or with the next issue of the Society's Journal (provided that receipt of the resolution is at least seven weeks before the next publication date), together with any notes provided by the authors of the resolution, any comments on the resolution by the Committee, and a procedure for voting by post (which shall include details of who will receive, scrutinise and count the votes).
10.3 To be valid, votes must be returned to the Chairman within six weeks of the dispatch of the Journal, and the terms of Rule 9.4 apply.
10.4 The vote shall be decided by a simple majority of those who vote.
10.5 The result of the vote shall be published in or with the next issue of the Society's Journal.
11 Financial
11.1 All members shall pay a yearly subscription the amount of which shall be fixed by the Committee and notified to the members with the notice of the AGM. The Committee may fix a special subscription rate for members under the age of 18 or members who are bonafide full-time students.
11.2 The subscription shall be payable in sterling and shall be due on or after the first day of October in the year preceding the Society's financial year of account.
11.3 The Committee shall cause true accounts to be kept of the financial affairs of the Society.
11.4 The Society's financial year shall end on the 31st day of December in each year. The Treasurer shall prepare and have audited a statement of account for each year and a copy of the audited statement shall be sent to each member before or with the notice of the AGM.
11.5 The surplus funds of the Society may be invested in any manner authorised by law for the investment of trust money. Subject thereto the funds of the Society shall be held in an account maintained in the name of the Society at a Clearing Bank at the choice of the Committee. Cheques drawn on the account shall require the signature of two persons from among the Treasurer the Chairman and one other elected Committee member.
11.6 No member of the Committee may receive any reward for his time or trouble in relation to the Society's affairs but may be reimbursed, out of the Society's fund, expenses reasonably incurred out-of-pocket in and about the Society's business.
11.7 Any member who has not paid his subscription by the end of the calendar year shall be deemed to have resigned his membership and will therefore not be entitled to the privileges of membership including being supplied with the Society's various publications. He may be reinstated on payment of his subscription and will then be entitled to past publications in the calendar year of his reinstatement.
11.8 Upon the dissolution of the Society its surplus funds shall be applied towards the furtherance of Object 3.4.
12 Changes to the Constitution
Any resolution to alter or add to these rules shall require a two-thirds majority of members attending in person or by proxy at a duly convened AGM, or of members voting by post in accordance with Rule 10. Notice of any such resolution shall be submitted with the notice convening the AGM.
13 Legal
13.1 The Proper Law of these rules shall be the law in force in England.
13.2 Legal documents may be executed and legal process carried on on behalf of the Society in the name of the Chairman.
Previous page