Society Rules

1. Name of the Society

The Society shall be known as the Forces Postal History Society, hereinafter referred to as the "Society".

2. Aims of the Society

(a) The aims of the Society shall be the study of the postal history of the Armed Forces of all countries, at all times, whether in war or peacetime. The scope of such study shall include postmarks, cachets, postage rates, prisoner of war mail, stamps and stationery, censorship and the organisation of postal services. Related matters such as the effects of war on civil mails, wartime airmail routes and services, psychological warfare leaflets, and courier services are included.

(b) The Society shall hold meetings, publish a Journal and its Supplement, run an exchange packet, auction and library.

3. Management of the Society

(a) The business of the Society shall be conducted by a Committee of not less than eight and not more than thirteen members, consisting of the Officers of the Society. The Committee shall have the power to co-opt as they deem necessary.

(b) A Committee quorum shall be five members, and no business shall be conducted unless a quorum is present.

(c) The decision of the Committee on all matters connected with the Society shall be final, except where otherwise determined at an Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting called for a specific purpose.

(d) The Committee may appoint members to other offices or sub-committees, as and when the occasion arises, in order to assist the work of the Society. These members shall not be Officers of the Society.

(e) Any member of the Society may attend Committee meetings, but they may not speak and they may not vote.

4. Membership

(a) Membership of the Society shall be open to all persons of good standing who are vouched for by a member of the Society, or a member of good standing of another society or by two other philatelic references.

(b) The Committee reserves the right to reject any application for membership without giving a reason.

(d) Honorary Life Membership shall only be conferred on a member by the members present at an Annual General Meeting, following a recommendation by the Committee. Honorary Life Membership bestowed upon an individual means the individual does not have to pay membership subscriptions, is entitled to all the privileges of membership, including being entitled to stand as an officer/member of the Committee and to vote at general meetings.

(e) Every member when accepted shall receive a copy of these Rules and shall be deemed to be bound by them.

5. Termination of Membership

(a) The Committee reserves the right to terminate the membership of any member whose conduct is considered detrimental to the interests of the Society, and can do so without giving a reason. A simple majority decision of the whole Committee shall be necessary to bring this into effect.

(b) An expelled member may appeal against the expulsion at the next following Annual General Meeting of the Society and shall be given due notice of the time and place of that meeting.

(c) A member's activities may be restricted without notice in respect of the Exchange Packet and Auctions at the discretion of the Exchange Packet Secretary (subject to the provisions of the Packet Rules) and Auctioneers respectively.

6. Annual Subscriptions

(a) Each member shall pay an annual subscription. The amount of the annual subscription shall be agreed by the Committee and ratified by an Annual General Meeting. Annual subscriptions are due on the 1st February of each year in advance. Members joining after 1st October of each year shall be regarded as being paid up members until the end of the following year.

(b) Overseas members are responsible for the payment of all bank charges that may arise for payments made other than in sterling currency. Cheques should NOT be made payable in Sterling unless the cheque is payable at a UK-based branch of the bank concerned.

7. Arrears of Annual Subscriptions

(a) A member whose annual subscription is in arrears at the time of the Annual General Meeting of each year shall automatically have his or her name removed from the membership list and shall receive no publications (other than those pre-paid) or Society packets from that date. On re-application all arrears must be paid in full before being re-admitted.

(b) A re-joining fee may be imposed upon those members who fail to renew their annual subscriptions by 1st March each year. The amount of such a fee will be determined by the Committee and published in the Society Supplement and on renewal notices sent to all members. The fee may be waived at the discretion of the Committee.

(c) Rules 7(a) and (b) are to be quoted in the Winter edition of the Society Supplement of each year as a reminder to all members.

8. General Meetings of the Society

(a) An Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held in April or May of each year to conduct the following business:

(i) To receive from the Committee a report, an audited balance sheet and a statement of accounts for the preceding year.

(ii) To elect Officers and Committee members to hold office until the end of the next Annual General Meeting and to appoint an auditor for the ensuing year.

(iii) To conduct any other relevant business.

(b) All motions for discussion at the Annual General Meeting and nominations for Officers for the ensuing year must be advised to the Hon. Secretary in writing at least twenty-one days before the date announced for the Annual General Meeting. Nevertheless, any motion or nomination not previously advised may be made at the Annual General Meeting if supported by at least six members present. Notice of Annual General Meetings will be published in the Society's Newsletter and/or Supplement.

(c) Other Extraordinary General Meetings may be held at times and places as deemed convenient by the Committee. Every member shall receive at least twenty-one days notice of such meetings.

(d) The Hon. Secretary will be required to convene an Extraordinary General Meeting within three months of representations received in writing from at least ten members of the Society. Notice of such a meeting is to be circulated to all members at least twenty-one days in advance of such a meeting.

(e) Any member wishing to express his or her views on any matter which may be properly brought up at an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting, but who is unable to attend in person, may express such views in writing to the Hon. Secretary not less than four days before the date of the meeting. The Hon. Secretary, or other appointed Officer, shall present these views to the meeting.

(f) At General Meetings of the Society only paid up members and Honorary Life Members present at such meetings shall be entitled to vote. Voting will be on a straight majority basis. The chair of the meeting shall have a vote and the casting vote whenever necessary.

9. Publications Sub-Committee

The Committee may appoint a Publications Sub-Committee to oversee the planning, publication, sale and distribution of Society publications.

10. Officers of the Society

(a) The Officers of the Society shall consist of:

1. President (appointed for three years)

2. the three Vice-Presidents

3. Immediate Past President

4. Hon. Secretary

5. Hon. Treasure

6. Exchange Packet Secretary

7. Journal Editor

8. Librarian

9. Postal Auction Manager

10. Membership Secretary

11. Publicity Officer

And such other Officers as the Society consider expedient.

(b) The Officers of the Society (except for the positions of President, Vice-Presidents and Immediate Past President) shall be elected at each Annual General Meeting and the Officers so elected shall hold office until the close of the succeeding Annual General Meeting or unless otherwise expelled from the Society under Rule 5. Retiring Officers shall be eligible for re-election. Election shall be by a vote count taken at the meeting.

11. President

The position of President will be for a fixed two year term of office, effective from the end of the Annual General Meeting at which the appointment was made. The appointment will automatically lapse at the second Annual General Meeting following the one at which the appointment was made. This two year period may be extended in extenuating circumstances as agreed by the Committee for a period not exceeding twelve months.

12. Vice-Presidents

The number of Vice-Presidents will not exceed at any one time three in number. The senior of the three Vice-Presidents shall automatically become President for a fixed two year appointment in accordance with Rule 11 unless he/she waives this appointment. Vice-Presidents shall be elected at an Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Society called for that purpose to fill any vacancies that may have arisen.

13. Finance

(a) The Society financial year shall run from 1st February until 31st January of the following year.

(b) The Hon. Treasurer shall keep an account of all monies received and expended by the Society. A complete financial statement shall be prepared by the Treasurer as soon as practicable after 31st January each year, for examination by a person appointed for such purpose at an Annual General Meeting, for presentation at the Annual General Meeting.

(c) Society funds not needed in the Society current account shall be left on deposit account or an appropriate Investment account as agreed by the Committee. The Committee shall authorise investment of surplus funds in order to maximize income.

(d) In the event of a decision to disband the Society, the members at an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting shall appoint a Receiver who shall realise the assets of the Society, pay any proven debts of the Society and distribute any remaining balance as directed by the members so present at that meeting.

(e) Invoices passed to the Treasurer for payment should be authorised by a Committee member or officer of the Society. Payments in excess of £500 must be agreed by the Committee in advance.

14. Examination of the Financial Statements

(a) An Hon. Independent Examiner shall be appointed annually at the Annual General Meeting.

(b) The accounts shall be presented for approval by the members at the Annual General Meeting after being examined by the Hon. Independent Examiner. A statement shall be included in an appropriate place on the Financial Statements to the effect that: 'I have examined the annexed/above Financial Statements for the year ended 31st January **** and in my opinion they give a true and fair view of the Society's financial affairs at that date' or other such statement as the Independent Examiner considers appropriate."

15. Library

Members shall be responsible for the safe custody of any material borrowed from the Society's Library, and will be liable for pay for registered postage in both directions. Books may be retained for no longer than one calendar month. This period may be varied at the discretion of the Librarian.

16. Alteration of Rules

(a) These Rules shall not be rescinded or altered except by the vote of the majority of the members personally present and authorised to vote under Rule 8(f) at an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting convened under Rule 8.

(b) Any proposed alteration of the Rules must be supported by at least six members and submitted to the Hon. Secretary in writing under Rule 8.