WAAF Association Constitution revised version 2014

OBJECTIVES
To maintain contact, including home visits, with ex-WAAF and ex WRAF.
To provide practical, and other such assistance as possible to Members.
To arrange meetings, outings and other activities for Members.

MEMBERSHIP
Ex-WAAF who served between 1939 and 1949
Serving and ex-WRAF 1949 onwards

COMMITTEE AND OFFICERS
Officers: these shall be Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.
All must be Members of the Association and elected at an Annual General Meeting.

COMMITTEE: This will consist of the 4 Officers plus 3 Members.

Elected Officers will serve for a period of 2 years. Each will be eligible for re-election at the end of the term.

Nominations must be in writing to the National Secretary not less than 14 days before the Annual General Meeting. If insufficient nominations are received in advance of the Annual General Meeting, the Chairman of the meeting may take nominations from the floor.

All nominees must be present at the Annual General Meeting except when the member has been ill and is unable to attend the AGM then, provided her nomination has been proposed and seconded, she may be elected in her absence. In the event of a vacancy arising, the Committee shall have the authority to co-opt a Member to the Committee for the remainder of the year during which the vacancy has occurred.

Each Committee Member shall have one vote and the result shall be by a simple majority. In the event of equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a second casting vote.

QUORUM
1 Officer and 3 Members shall form a quorum at all meetings of the Committee.

WELFARE CONSULTANT
This post will be for a 3 year period. All cases to be confidential to the Welfare Consultant and/or the relevant Branch Welfare Consultant only.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
This will be held in April each year and organised by the National Committee.

SPECIAL MEETINGS
These shall be called at the discretion of the National Committee or by written request to the Secretary by one third of the Full Members. Notice of 30 days prior to the meeting must be allowed. Only such matters as in the Notice of the Special Meeting to be discussed.

EXPULSION
Any Member found to be bringing the Association into disrepute, or where actions can be deemed to be prejudicial to the Association, can be suspended or expelled on the findings of the National Committee and at an Extraordinary General Meeting. Such a proposal shall be a formal Agenda item, the Member being notified in advance and having the right of representation.

FINANCES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
The Financial Year shall be from 1st January to 31st December. Subscriptions shall be payable to the Treasurer by 1st January each year, at the rate determined at the Annual General Meeting.

Members not renewing their subscriptions by the end of February shall be deemed to be lapsed members and will not receive any further magazines.

All Association cheques must be signed by any 2 of the 4 elected officers i.e. Treasurer, Chairman, Vice-Chairman or Secretary.

The Association Accounts shall be audited annually and submitted, in full, to Members attending the Annual General Meeting and published in the magazine.

Should the National WAAF Association be dissolved, all monies, properties and other assets held in the name of the Association be donated to the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.

BRANCH FUNDS
All monies raised by the Branch shall belong to the said Branch and, on cessation of the Branch shall be disposed of at the direction of the Branch Members.

AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
All amendments shall only be made at an Annual General Meeting by a simple majority vote, or at a Special Meeting convened for that purpose. Notice of amendments to be received by the Secretary not less than 28 days prior to the meeting.

BRANCH COMMITTEE
Will consist of Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Committee as nominated by said Branch.

BRANCH WELFARE
All Branches will be responsible for the welfare of their members, advising the National Welfare Consultant and the Record Keeper (Treasurer) of serious cases or deaths.

At the discretion of the Branch Welfare Consultant, welfare can be extended to ex-WAAF and ex-WRAF who are not members of the Association.

UNIFORM
This will be a navy skirt/WAAF kilt, jumper/cardigan, blue shirt, WAAF Association tie, barely black tights and black shoes.
Uniform is not essential.

STANDARD
The National Standard has been laid up and is in St. Clement Dane's Church in London.

text amended as stated in WAAF Association News issue 53, Winter 2014, page 3