Constitution

1. Name

The club is called the British Alpine Rifles (BAR).

2. Purpose

The purpose of the BAR is to promote marksmanship.

3. Organisation

The BAR is governed by a Committee of three Officers: a President, a Secretary and a Treasurer. Other ad hoc committees may be formed and members appointed by the above Officers to serve on these committees as the need arises.

4. Election of Officers

The Officers must stand for re-election every three years. Elections will be staggered, so that no two Offices are contested in the same year. The Founding Officers will stand for re-election as follows: Treasurer in 1999, Secretary in 2000 and President in 2001. This cycle will repeat every three years in perpetuum.
Should any Officer wish to resign during his or her period of office, he or she will arrange for a substitute who will serve until the Office next falls due for election.

Elections will take place at the Annual General Meeting. Candidates for election must notify the Committee four weeks in advance of their intent to stand. They must be full members in good standing, who have been members for at least two full years, and must be proposed and seconded by two members who are also in good standing and have held membership for at least two full years.
Election will be by a simple majority of members attending the Annual General Meeting.

An Officer may only be removed from office by means of a resolution at an AGM or EGM which appeared on the Agenda circulated prior to the meeting. The resolution must be passed by a two-thirds majority of those attending the meeting. A replacement Officer may be elected immediately at the same meeting.

5. Annual General Meeting

An Annual General Meeting of the BAR will be held once a year in England, on the occasion of the BAR’s Winter Meeting. A Notice of Meeting and Provisional Agenda will be circulated at least six weeks prior to the AGM, together with the minutes of the previous AGM. Matters for inclusion in the Agenda must be notified to the Secretary at least four weeks before the AGM. Should any amendment to the Constitution be proposed, the Final Agenda will be circulated by the Secretary at least two weeks before the AGM. Otherwise the revised Agenda will be distributed at the AGM.

The AGM may be attended only by full, associate and honorary members in good standing. Full and honorary members may vote on all issues, associate members may only vote on issues concerning the administration of BAR within the UK
At the AGM, the Treasurer will present a summary of the BAR’s accounts and the President or Secretary will review the BAR’s activities during the preceding year.
Should any vote at the AGM result in a tie, the President, or in the President’s absence, the Secretary or other deputised chairman, will have the casting vote.

6. Extraordinary General Meeting

The Secretary may at any time call an Extraordinary General Meeting. An agenda for the EGM must be circulated at least four weeks before the date of the meeting.
The EGM may be called at the request of the Officers, or at the request, submitted to the Secretary in writing, of at least twelve members in good standing.

7. Membership

The BAR recognises its status as an ambassador of its sport and its country abroad, and therefore imposes a rigorous acceptance procedure on applicants for membership. All applicants must offer referees who are themselves members in good standing, or who are otherwise recognised as being of good standing in the shooting community. Where the Committee have any doubt about the suitability of any candidate for membership they shall consult with other members: acceptance must be unanimous.

8. Discipline

The BAR confidently expects the highest standards of behaviour from its members and does not anticipate the need to codify its requirements. Any Officer who believes a Member’s behaviour to be unacceptable may immediately suspend that Member and require him or her to desist from taking part in the BAR’s activities and to absent him- or herself from the premises where BAR activities are being conducted.
Following such suspension, the Committee will meet to consider the need for further disciplinary action, and if necessary will convene a commission of enquiry.
In cases of gross misconduct the Committee may choose to terminate the offender’s membership.

The offender may appeal against the Committee’s decision at the next AGM, providing the Secretary is informed of this intent in writing within 14 days of the individual being informed of the Committee’s decision. The person suspended or who has had his/her membership terminated is permitted to represent him/herself at the AGM, or may be accompanied by a representative who may speak on his/her behalf. The decision of the AGM, expressed in a simple majority vote of members present, is final.

9. Affiliation

The Committee is empowered to affiliate the BAR to any other organisation compatible with the BAR’s Purpose. Any such affiliations must be notified to the membership, and may be ratified or contested at the AGM.

10. Amendments to the Constitution

Proposed amendments to the Constitution must be notified to the Secretary at least four weeks before the AGM and must appear as an agenda item for the AGM. The amendment must be accepted by a two-thirds majority at two consecutive AGMs.

11. Rules

The Committee may from time to time make Rules regarding the conduct of the BAR, its members and events, as it sees fit. Members dissatisfied with any Rule passed by the Committee may appeal to the AGM, where a Rule may be voided by a two-thirds majority.

12. Disputes

The ultimate arbiter for any dispute within the BAR will be the AGM. There is no appeal against a decision of the AGM.

Here ends the Constitution