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CONSTITUTION of the BRITISH FIELD TARGET ASSOCIATION

1.         Name
            The name of the Association is the British Field Target Association (hereinafter referred to as the Association”)

2.         Administration
            Subject to the matters set out below the Association and its property shall be administered and managed in accordance with this constitution by the members of the management Committee, constituted by clause 7 of the constitution.

3.         Objects
            Being the Governing Body for the sport of field target shooting the objects of the Association are;
            a.         To promote and encourage the safe and lawful use of air and gas powered guns.
            b.         To promote the sport of field target and air gun shooting of inanimate targets.
            c.         To accept the role of protector and public relations agency in the furtherance of the        sport and its projected image to the world at large.

4.         Powers
            In furthering the objects of the Association the Management Committee will:-
            a.         conform to all relevant requirements of the law,
            b.         not endanger the independence of the Association,
            c.         not endanger the independence of or infringe upon the autonomous rights of any             Member Body,
            d.         not engage in any substantial permanent trading activities.

5.         Membership

5.1       Membership of the Association shall be open to properly constituted National/Regional Associations (hereinafter referred to as the “Member Bodies”) who are committed by their constitutions furthering the objects of the Association. The current membership is defined in the Association Bye Laws.

5.2       The Management Committee may terminate the membership of any Member Body providing that:-
            a.         The Member Body has been informed by the Secretary of the Association in writing of the nature of the proposed termination.
            b.         The Member Body has the right to be heard by the Management Committee and if        desired be accompanied by a representative(s).
            c.         Any decision of the Management Committee must be unanimous, the subject     Member Body having no vote in this instance.

6.         Honorary officers.
            At (the inaugural general meeting and) each (subsequent) annual general meeting of the Association the Member Bodies shall elect from amongst themselves a chairman, a secretary and a treasurer (hereinafter referred to as the “Office Bearers”) who shall hold office from the conclusion of the vote.

7.         Management Committee.

 7.1      The Management Committee shall consist of the Office Bearers specified in the preceding clause and one voting representative nominated by each of the Member Bodies. The office bearers may only vote if they attend the meeting as the voting representative of their Member Body.

7.2       All members of the Management Committee must represent a National/Regional Association that is a full current Member Body of the Association.

7.3       The Management Committee may in addition appoint non-voting co-opted Office Bearers as required to fill any posts deemed necessary but so that no-one may be appointed as a co-opted member if, as a result, more than one third of the members of the Management Committee would be co-opted members. Each appointment of a co-opted Office Bearer shall be made at an Annual General Meeting or a special meeting of the Management Committee called under clause 10.1 and shall take effect from the end of that meeting unless the appointment is the fill a place which has nor been vacated in which case the appointment shall run from the day when the post became vacant. The Offices of these co-opted members is contained in the Bye Laws.

7.4       All the Office Bearers shall retire from office together during the annual general meeting next after the date on which they came into office and may be re-elected.

7.5       No person shall be elected as an Office Bearer or accepted as a member Body representative who is under 18 or who would be disqualified under the provisions of clause 8.

8.         Determination of membership of the Association Management Committee.
            An Office Bearer of the Association shall cease to hold office if he or she:-

8.1       ceases to be a full current member of one of the Member Bodies; or

8.2       becomes incapable by reason of mental disorder, illness or injury of managing and administering his or her own affairs; or

8.3       is absent without permission of the Management Committee from two consecutive meetings and the management Committee resolve that his or her office be vacated; or

8.4       gives to the management committee notice that he or she wishes to resign and a date from which he or she wishes that notice to be effective.

9.         Management Committee members not to be Personally Interested.

9.1       Subject to the provision of clause 9.2 no member of the management committee shall acquire any interests in property belonging to the Association (otherwise than as a trustee for the Association) or receive remuneration or be interested (otherwise than as a member of the management committee) in any contract entered into by the Management Committee.

9.2       Any member of the management Committee for the time being who is a solicitor, account or other person engaged in a profession may charge and be paid all the usual professional charges for business done by him or her firm when instructed by the other members of the Management Committee to act in a professional capacity on behalf of the Association, provided that at no time shall a majority of the members of the management Committee benefit under this provision and that a member of the Management Committee shall withdraw from any meeting at which his or her own instructions or remuneration, or that of his or her own firm, is under discussion.

10.       Meetings and Proceedings of the Management Committee.

10.1     The management committee shall hold at least two meetings each year, one of which must be the Annual General Meeting. An Extraordinary meeting may be called at any time by the chairman or by any 5 Member Bodies upon not less than 14 days notice being given to the other members of the Management Committee of the matters to be discussed.

10.2     If the Chairman is absent from any meeting the members present shall choose one of their number to be chairman of the meeting before any other business is transacted.

10.3     The management Committee shall keep minutes, in books kept for the purpose, of the proceedings at meetings of the Management Committee and any sub-committee.

10.4     No byelaw, rule, standing order or other regulation may be made which is inconsistent with this constitution.

10.5     The management Committee may appoint one or more advisory or sub-committees consisting of three or more members of the Management Committee for the purposes of making any enquiry or supervising or performing any function or duty which in the opinion of the Management Committee would be more conveniently undertaken or carried out by a sub-committee provided that all acts and proceedings of any sub-committee shall be fully and promptly reported to the Management Committee.

11.       Receipts and Expenditure

11.1     The funds of the Association, including all donations, contributions and bequests, shall be paid into an account operated by the Management Committee in the name of the Association at such bank or building society as the Management Committee shall from time to time decide. The Association may operate more than one bank account. All cheques drawn on the Associations bank account must be signed by two members of the Management Committee.

11.2     The funds belonging to the Association shall be applied only in furthering the objects of the Association.

12.       Property

12.1     Subject to the provisions of sub-clause 12.2 of the clause, the Management Committee shall cause title to:
            a.         all land held by or in trust for the Association; and
            b.         all investments held by or on behalf of the Association; and
            c.         all assets of the Association other than land and investments; to be vested in not less       than three individuals appointed by them as holding trustees. Holding trustees may be removed by the management Committee at their pleasure and shall act in accordance with the lawful directions of the management Committee. Provided that they act only in accordance with the lawful directions of the Management  Committee, the holding trustees shall not be liable for acts and defaults of its members.

12.2     If a corporation entitled to act as a custodian trustee has not been appointed to hold the property of the Association, the Management Committee may permit any investments held by or in trust for the Association to be held in the name of a clearing bank, trust corporation or any stockbroking company which is a member of the International Stock Exchange or any subsidiary of any such stockbroking company) as nominee for the Management Committee, and my pay such nominee reasonable and proper remuneration for acting as such.

13.       Annual general meeting

13.1     There shall be an annual general meeting of the Association which shall be held each year within two months of the end of the Associations financial year or as soon after as is practicable.

13.2     Every annual general meeting shall be called by the Management Committee. The secretary shall give at least 28 days notice of the Annual general meeting in writing to all members of the Management Committee as defined in clause 7.

13.3     The management Committee shall present to each annual general meeting the report and accounts of the Association for the preceding financial year.

13.4     Nominations for election as Office Bearers of the Association must be made by Member Bodies of the Association in writing and must be in the hands of the Secretary to the management Committee at least 14 days before the annual general meeting. The person nominated must confirm in writing his or her willingness to stand. Should nominees exceed vacancies, election shall be by vote.

14.       Procedure at general meetings

14.1     The secretary or other person specially appointed by the management committee shall keep a full record of proceedings at every general meeting of the Association.

14.2     There shall be a quorum when at least a majority of the Member Bodies and at least three of the Office bearers of the Association for the time being are present at any general meeting.

14.3     If after 30 minutes from the start stated for the commencement of the meeting there are still insufficient members present to form a quorum, the meeting shall be adjourned to another time and place. The adjourned meeting shall take place within 14 days of the date of the original meeting, or as soon after as is practicable.

14.4     If at the adjourned meeting there are insufficient members present to form a quorum, the meeting will proceed after a delay of 30 minutes unless sufficient members are present before that time to form a quorum.

15.       Notices
            Any notice required to be served on any Office Bearer or Member Body of the Association shall be in writing and shall be served by the Secretary or the management Committee by sending it through the post in a prepaid letter addressed to the Member or his Member Body at his/her or its last known address in the United kingdom, and any letter so sent shall be deemed to have been received within 10 days of posting.

16.       Voting
            Every member Body shall have one vote on any resolution on which they are entitled to vote. Every resolution shall be decided by a majority of votes by those present and entitled to vote on the question but in the case of a tied vote the Chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote, which must be in favour of status quo.

17.       Alteration to the Constitution
            The constitution may be altered by a resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the member Bodies present and voting at an annual general meeting, or an extraordinary general meeting called for this purpose. The notice of the meeting must include notice of the resolution, setting out the terms of the alteration proposed.

18.       Dissolution
            If the management Committee decides that it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the Association it shall call a meeting of all Member Bodies of the association, of which not less than 28 days notice (stating the terms of the resolution to be proposed) shall be given. If the proposal is supported by two-thirds of those present and voting the Management Committee shall have the power to realise any assets held by or on behalf of the Association. Any assets remaining after the satisfaction of any proper debts and liabilities shall be given or transferred to such other organisation or institution having objects similar to the objects of the Association as the members of the Association may determine.

19.       Arrangement until first General Meeting.
            Until the first general meeting takes place this constitution shall take effect as if it references in it to the Office bearers and Member Bodies comprising the Management Committee were references to the persons whose signatures appear at the bottom of this document.

            This constitution was adopted on the date shown below by the persons whose signatures appear at the bottom of the document.