Rules of the Allotment Society
The Ashford Allotment Society is commonly known as the Allotment
Forum.
1. Objectives:
1.1 To enable allotment sites within the Borough of Ashford (the
Borough) to co-operate with each other and with Ashford Borough
Council on matters of mutual interest.
1.2 To advise Ashford Borough Council on improvements
and enhancements that may be made to allotments in their
ownership.
1.3 To obtain supplies of seeds, fertilisers, tools and other
horticultural equipment needed by allotment tenants (Bulk
Buying).
1.4 To arrange lectures, demonstrations, competitions, film
shows and other social events.
1.5 To co-operate with other Gardening Societies in matters of
mutual interest.
1.6 To promote allotment gardening in the Ashford Borough
Area.
2. Membership:
2.1 All allotment tenants within the Borough (including private,
parish and town council tenants) are eligible to be members of the
Society.
2.2 The Secretary of the Society shall keep a register of
Members, including the following:
their name and
address
their date of
joining
payments (or non
payment) of fees for the Bulk Buying Scheme
Note: This information may be stored on a computer. It will not
be disclosed to third parties without the Member’s consent.
2.3 Membership of the Society shall cease if:
the Member ceases to be
an allotment tenant
the Member notifies the
Secretary in writing of their resignation from the Society.
3. Subscriptions:
3.1 No subscription is required for membership of the
Society.
3.2 A subscription is required for membership of the Bulk-Buying
Scheme (see 7.5)
4. Officers of the Society:
4.1 The Society shall be following officers:
Chairman
Secretary
4.2 The Society’s Committee elects the above officers. Officers
need not be elected Site Representatives. Officers will be elected
at the Committee’s AGM (see 6.2), and serve for two years. With the
exception of the secretary who will be elected at the autumn
meeting.
4.3 Except for the Chairman’s casting vote, Officers of the
Society will not vote at the Society’s Committee Meetings.
4.4 The Show Secretary will be responsible for arranging
horticultural shows, lectures, demonstrations and outings that the
Committee shall decide upon from time to time. The Show Secretary
will be responsible for submitting accounts to the Treasurer, for
all activities he arranges. All activities should be run to make a
profit unless the Committee agrees, prior to the event, to
subsidise the event.
5. The Society's Committee
5.1 The Society’s Committee will consist of its Officers and one
Member elected from each allotment site within the Borough. This
Member will be know as the Site Representative.
5.2 Each site will be asked to propose and second an individual
tenant as their Site Representative. Should more than one
individual be nominated, there will be a postal ballot of all
tenants to determine which individual is elected. The position of
Site Representative will be held for two years.
5.3 If a Site Representative is elected to one of the Society’s
officer posts, the Site’s Members may elect another individual to
the Committee as its Site Representative.
5.4 Site Representatives are eligible to vote at the Society’s
Committee meetings.
5.5 If a Site Representative is not able to attend a Meeting,
she/he will give their apologies to the Chairman or the Secretary
and will inform them of another Member from their site will attend
in their place.
5.6 Responsibilities of Site Representatives (for Ashford
Borough Council Sites):
On behalf of their Members, Site Representatives will raise the
following matters with Ashford Borough Council as
necessary:
Water
Site security
Site tidiness
Integrity of paths, plot
layouts and external boundaries
they should also:
Attend site inspections
with Ashford Borough Council representatives at a time to
be mutually arranged.
Promote site
occupancy.
Communicate from time to
time as necessary to Site Members information from Ashford Borough
Council and The Ashford Allotment Society.
5.7 The Committee may, from time to time, nominate
sub-committee/s of three or more Members of the Society to advise
the Committee on various matters. Unless otherwise eligible as
Members of the Society’s Committee, members of a sub-committee do
not have voting powers.
5.8 Ashford Borough Council and Parish Councils will nominate
such officers, as they consider necessary to work with the
Society.
5.9 A Steering Committee of at least three Members of the
Society, one of whom will normally be the Secretary, will be
responsible for implementing committee policy between meetings and
drawing up the agendas for future meetings.
6. Meetings of the Society:
6.1 Four Committee meetings will be held each year, usually in
January, April and September the fourth meeting usually in October
will be an Open Forum.
6.2 Members of the Society who are not Committee members are
welcome to attend the meetings as observers. They may not vote and
may not take part in discussions, unless agreed by prior
arrangement with the steering Committee.
6.3 The Society’s AGM will take place during the April Committee
Meeting, Officers with the exception of the Secretary will be
elected every other year at this meeting.
6.4 An Open Forum meeting will be held each year. The Open Forum
will enable a dialogue to take place between Members of the Society
and Committee Members and Officers. Prizes and awards will normally
be made at the Open Forum.
6.5 Agenda Items for the Committee Meetings and the AGM should
be forwarded to the Secretary, for consideration by the steering
committee, at least four weeks before the meeting. Society Members
should submit items to their Site Representative, for consideration
as above.
6.6 The following will be standing items at the Committee
Meetings:
Chairman’s opening
remarks
Minutes of the last
meeting
Site Reports from the
Site Representative
Bulk Buying Manager’s
report
Treasurer’s Report
6.7 Special Meetings of the Committee will be held, if a request
is made in writing to the Steering Committee, supported by at least
five Committee Members.
7. Bulk Buying:
7.1 The Bulk Buying Scheme has been set up by the Ashford
Allotment Society to provide Members with a competitively priced
supply of seeds, fertilisers, composts, tools and other
horticultural items.
7.2 The Bulk Buying Manager will be elected by the Society’s
Committee and with two or more members of the Society, will form
the Bulk Buying Committee. The Manager is responsible for the
day-to-day running of the scheme.
7.3 The Manager will hold a separate bank account t the Society.
Payments from this account must be authorised by the manager and
one other member of the Bulk Buying Committee. The account should
not contain more than £xxxx. Surpluses over this amount should be
transferred to the Society’s main bank account. The bulk buying
account is only to be used for the purchase of stock. All other
expenses incurred under the bulk buying scheme eg insurance,
electricity, fixtures and fittings and water, will be paid for by
the Treasurer from the Society’s main account.
7.4 The Bulk Buying Manager will maintain records of sales and
purchases. These are to be audited annually by two members of the
Society’s Committee who are not involved with the Bulk Buying
Sub-Committee.
7.5 Membership of the Bulk Buying Scheme is open to all members
of the Society and other gardeners upon payment of an annual fee of
£2.50. A membership card will be issued and must be used to support
all purchases.
7.6 Members joining the Scheme after the inaugural year will be
required to pay an additional joining fee of £2.50. Non allotment
holders £5 per annum and £5 joining fee.
7.7 Members of the Scheme may apply in writing to the Secretary
to have their membership suspended for one year giving reasons,
where appropriate. Otherwise, Membership will lapse if the annual
fee is not paid.
7.8 The annual fee should be paid by the end of October each
year, membership will be considered to have lapsed if not paid by
January and a joining fee will be required to rejoin.
8. The Main Account:
8.1 This account will be maintained by the Treasurer who will
keep a record of all income and expenditure, except that relating
to the Bulk Buying Scheme (see 7.3).
8.2 The Treasurer may make payments of expenses for the running
of the Bulk Buying Scheme and expenses for running the Society
incurred by the Secretary eg stationery, postage. All other
payments by the Treasurer shall have prior approval of the full
Committee of the Society.
8.3 The Accounts should be audited annually by two independent
members of the Committee prior to the AGM. If the annual income of
the Society exceeds £XXX, external auditors should be appointed.
The Treasurer should present the annual accounts at the September
meeting.
8.4 On presenting the financial statements (accounts) to the
September meeting, the Treasurer should make a recommendation to
the Committee as to the amount of funds in the forthcoming year at
the Committee’s disposal. Where available, a proportion of any
surplus should be allocated to a reserve fund.
8.5 The Treasurer should maintain a cash float of £25 for
day-to-day use. All amounts above £25 should be kept in the
Society’s main account. The Treasurer and one other Member of the
Committee should sign cheques drawn against the society’s bank
account. There may be three signatories. Funds surplus to
day-to-day needs will be kept in a deposit account.
8.6 Committee members may ask to inspect the accounts of both
the Bulk Buying Scheme and the main account. Other members of the
Society may apply in writing to the Committee to appoint an actuary
or accountant to inspect the accounts at their expense.
8.7 Additional rules governing the management and day-to-day
running of the bulk buying seed shed will be added prior to the
completion of the shed.
9. Amendments to the Rules:
9.1 The rules may be amended by resolution at the AGM (or
special Committee Meeting) subject to a two-thirds majority voting
in favour of the change.
10. Membership of the National Society of Allotment and Leisure
Gardeners:
10.1 The Ashford Allotment Society will be a Member of the above
Society.
11. Arbitration
11.1 In case any dispute arises between the Society or any of
its offices and any Members or persons claiming on account of a
Member or under the Rules, or in case of any complaint against any
Member, application may be made to the Committee for redress, and
should the Committee not bring the parties to agreement, the matter
in dispute shall be submitted to arbitration. One arbitrator shall
be appointed by each of the parties concerned, and one by the
Management Committee of the National Society. The award of the
arbitrators shall be final, and the costs of such arbitration shall
be borne by the disputing parties in such proportion as the
arbitrators may determine. In this rule the word Member includes
any person aggrieved who has for not more than six months ceased to
be a Member.
12. Dissolution of the Society:
12.1 The Society may, at any time, be dissolved by the consent
of three-fourths of the Members, testified by their signatures to
an instrument of dissolution.
This webpage was updated on 10/23/2007