The
Branch Constitution
& National Council Standing Orders
| 1. | Aims |
| a) | To provide support and guidance for parents and grandparents who are seeking to maintain contact with their children or grandchildren during or after divorce or separation. |
| b) | To seek support from local organisations and individuals for changes in public attitudes regarding the right of children to a continuing close relationship with both parents during and after divorce or separation. |
| c) | To promote Families Needs Fathers in Bristol and the surrounding area in line with the stated aims and objectives of FNF National Council. |
| 2. | The Committee |
| a) | The affairs of the Branch shall be managed by a committee of no fewer than four and no more than eleven FNF members who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. |
| b) | The Officers of the Committee shall consist of a Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer who shall be elected directly at the Annual General Meeting. |
| c) | The Committee shall have the right to co-opt members to fill vacancies. |
| d) | Any committee member who fails to attend two consecutive meetings without offering prior apology to one of the officers for absence may be deemed to have resigned from the committee. |
| e) | Any officer or member of the Committee who assumes office or takes part in the management of any other organisation related to family breakdown should inform the Committee. |
| f) | No officer of the branch may hold office in any other branch of the Society. |
| g) | The Committee shall meet at least every quarter. The quorum for meetings shall be three. |
| h) | Minutes of every Committee meeting must be taken, provided to each Committee member and be available toother Branch members if requested. |
| 3. | Meetings |
| a) | The Annual General Meeting shall be held no sooner than ten months and no later than fourteen months after the previous Annual General Meeting |
| b) | An Extraordinary General Meting may be requested by any four members of the Committee or by any eight other eligible members or by National Council by writing to the branch Secretary. This meeting must then take place within one calendar month of the request being received. Note: an eligible member is a fully paid up member of Families Need Fathers who has attended at least two of the Branch meetings over the previous six months. |
| c) | The quorum for all General Meetings shall be five members. |
| 4. | Requirements for National Council |
| a) | The National Council, through the designated Trustee, shall approve branch standing orders and may require changes to be made either immediately or at the next branch General Meeting. |
| b) | The Committee shall report to the National Council when required. |
| c) | The Branch shall not act contrary to the Society's constitution or policies of the National Council as from time to time laid down. |
| d) | Written communications with National Council shall be addressed to the FNF Secretary at the Society's National Office, unless responding to a specific enquiry from another officer. |
| e) | The branch Treasurer shall provide a written or verbal report at not more than six monthly intervals. The Committee may request an additional report at any time. |
| f) | The branch shall provide National Office with the names, addresses and telephone numbers of branch officers elected at the Annual General Meeting and report any subsequent changes to the National Office immediately they occur. |
| g) | The branch shall send a copy of the miniutes of each Committee meeting to the National Office. |
| h) | Officers of the Committee will undertake to have a credit check made on them and give the results to the FNF Secretary. |
| i) | A member who is standing for election to the Committee and who is an undischarged bankrupt must declare this when their name is put forward and must not act as a signatory to the Branch Accounts.. |
| j) | A member who has a criminal conviction for any ofence involving a child must declare this when their name is put forward.. |
| k) | Branches must not publish any material without prior approval by National Council under such procedures as National Council may from time to time determine. Proposed publications must be submitted to the National Office in advance. Branches must not submit responses to Government consultations. |
| 5. | Financial Control |
| a) | The branch Treasurer shall be responsible for all money collected on behalf of the Branch. |
| b) | The Branch shall not operate more than one account without permmission from the National Treasurer. This account must have Families Need Fathers in full (not FNF) as part of the name of the account. |
| c) | The account shall be managed on a dual signatory basis. Only members of the Committee shall be signatories. |
| d) | The Branch must operate a credit balance at all times and shall not incur debts without the written permission of the National Council. |
| e) | The National Council can at any time call upon funds held in the Branch account to be transferred to the Society's national account, with the exception of funds donated by outside organisations or individuals for local purposes. |
| f) | The branch Treasurer shall provide accounts for the year ending December 31st each year and forward them to the National Treasurer to reach him by February 28th. The National Council may require branch accounts to be audited. |
| 6. | Branch Constitution and Standing Orders |
| a) | The Branch Constitution and Standing Orders may be changed at a properly constituted General Meeting subject to a two thirds majority of those present and all members having received ten days notice of any proposed amendment. |
| 7. | Dissolution |
| The Branch may be dissolved, or any of its officers removed, by the National Council or by a General Meeting subject to the same rules as for changing Standing Orders. On dissolution any assets of the Branch shall revert to National Council. |