Constitution and AGM papers

2023 AGM

Agenda
1. Welcome, Apologies
3. Committee report and accounts 2023
4. Elections to the committee
5. Councillor Scott Arthur: “Integrating walking, bus and tram in the transport hierarchy”
6. Q&A

2022 documents

2021 documents

Constitution (as amended 2021)

  1. Name

The name of the group shall be  Edinburgh Bus Users Group [‘EBUG’].

  1. Aims

Edinburgh Bus Users Group is a voice for bus users and potential users, which is committed to protecting and improving Edinburgh’s bus network. Participation is open to anyone with an interest on that basis.

It is user/supporter led, independent of any operator, local or national authority, political party or trade union.

It is concerned with bus services operating within the City of Edinburgh Council area and those which cross its boundary, and with city-wide rather than local issues. We are committed to sustainable transport.

  1. Powers

EBUG shall have the power to do anything that will properly further the foregoing aims, and in particular:

  • to promote and provide for the dissemination and exchange of knowledge and information and EBUG’s views
  • to raise, spend and hold funds in a bank or other account
  1. Membership

Membership is open to anyone who:

  • is aged 16 years and over, and
  • supports the aims of Edinburgh Bus Users Group

Membership will begin as soon as the membership form and first annual payment has been received.

There will be such annual membership fee as will be agreed at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and will be payable by all members.

Affiliate membership shall be open to voluntary and statutory organisations that wish to further the aims of the group.

A list of all Members and Affiliate Members will be kept by the Membership Secretary.

Ceasing to be a member

Members may resign at any time in writing.

Any member who has not paid their membership fee for one year will be contacted by the Committee, who will then decide whether that member is deemed to have resigned.

Any offensive behaviour, including racist, sexist or inflammatory remarks, will not be permitted. Anyone behaving in an offensive way or breaking the equal opportunities policy may be asked not to attend further meetings or to resign from the group if an apology is not given or the behaviour is repeated. The individual concerned shall have the right to be heard by the management Committee, accompanied by a friend, before a final decision is made.

  1. Equal Opportunities

Edinburgh Bus Users Group will not discriminate on the grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, sexuality, disability, religious or political belief, marital status or age.

  1. Office Bearers and Committee

The business of the group will be carried out by a Committee elected at the Annual General Meeting. The Committee will meet as necessary, and not less than four times a year.

The Committee will consist of no less than 3 office-bearers plus up to 8 other members.

The Committee will include a Chair, Secretary and Treasurer, and may include other office bearers as decided by the Committee.

In the event of an officer standing down during the year a replacement will be elected by the next General Meeting of members. The Committee may co-opt EBUG members to vacancies arising on the Committee between Annual General Meetings.

No individual may be Chair, Secretary or Treasurer for more than five successive years. However, any individual may hold any other office after their maximum term in one office.

Any Committee member not attending a meeting without apology for three months will be contacted by the Committee and asked if they wish to resign.

The Committee meetings will be open to any member of Edinburgh Bus Users Group wishing to attend, who may speak but not vote.

  1. Meetings

7.1 Annual General Meetings

An Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held within fifteen months of the previous AGM.

All members will be notified at least 21 days before the date of the meeting, giving the venue, date and time.

Nominations for the Committee may be made to the Secretary before the meeting, or at the meeting.

The quorum for the AGM will be 10% of the membership or 10 members, whichever is the greater number.

At the AGM:

  • The Committee will present a report of the work of Edinburgh Bus Users Group over the year.
  • The Committee will present the accounts of Edinburgh Bus Users Group for the previous year.
  • The officers and Committee for the next year will be elected.
  • Any proposals given to the Secretary at least 14 days in advance of the meeting will be discussed.

7.2 Special General Meetings

The Secretary will call a Special General Meeting at the request of the majority of the Committee or at least eight other members giving a written request to the Chair or Secretary stating the reason for their request.

The meeting will take place within 21 days of the request.

All members will be given 14 days’ notice of such a meeting, giving the venue, date, time and agenda, and notice may be by telephone, email or post.

The quorum for the Special General Meeting will be 10% of the membership or 10 members, whichever is the greater number.

7.3 General Meetings

General Meetings are open to all members.

All members will be given 14 days’ notice of such a meeting, giving the venue, date, time and agenda, and notice may be by telephone, email or post.

The quorum for a General Meeting shall be 10% of the membership or 5 members, whichever is the greater number.

7.4 Committee Meetings

Committee meetings may be called by the Chair or Secretary. Committee members must receive notice of meetings at least 7 days before the meeting.

The quorum for Committee meetings is three Committee members.

  1. Rules of Procedure for meetings

All questions that arise at any meeting will be discussed openly and the meeting will seek to find general agreement that everyone present can agree to.

If a consensus cannot be reached a vote will be taken and a decision will be made by a simple majority of members present. If the number of votes cast on each side is equal, the chair of the meeting shall have an additional casting vote.

  1. Finances

An account will be maintained on behalf of the Group at a bank agreed by the Committee. At least two account signatories will be nominated by the Committee (one to be the Treasurer).  The signatories must not be related nor members of the same household.

All payments will be authorised by two of the signatories.

Records of income and expenditure will be maintained by the Treasurer and a financial statement given at each meeting.

Auditors will be appointed by the Committee before the Annual General Meeting.

All money raised by or on behalf of Edinburgh Bus Users Group is only to be used to further the aims of the group, as specified in item 2 of this constitution.

No single member of the Committee shall be liable for any loss incurred by EBUG, provided the action which led to the loss was made in good faith.

  1. Voting / amendments to the Constitution

Voting at all meetings shall be on the basis of a simple majority, except in regard to any amendment to the Constitution. Amendments to the constitution may only be made at the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting.

Any proposal to amend the constitution must be given to the Chair in writing. The proposal must then be circulated with the notice of meeting.

Any proposal to amend the constitution will require a two thirds majority of those present and entitled to vote.

  1. Dissolution

If a meeting, by simple majority, decides that it is necessary to close down the group it may call a Special General Meeting to do so. The sole business of this meeting will be to dissolve the group.

If it is agreed to dissolve the group, all remaining money and other assets, once outstanding debts have been paid, will be donated to a local charitable organisation. The organisation will be agreed at the meeting which agrees the dissolution.

This constitution was agreed at the Inaugural General Meeting of the Edinburgh Bus Users Group on:

First adopted: 02/05/2019 at Inaugural Meeting, Quaker Meeting House, Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh

Amended: 17/06/2021 at 1st AGM (virtual meeting)

 

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