SEG Constitution

SOUTHERN ELECTRIC GROUP CONSTITUTION: 7TH REVISION

Object

1. The aim of the Southern Electric Group (“the Group”) is to promote interest in the electric (and diesel-electric) railway system of the Southern Region of British Rail, its predecessors and its successors. To this end the Group shall provide to members a magazine (“Live Rail”), undertake and ensure preservation of relics and records, disseminate knowledge and arrange fixtures.

Membership

2. Membership may be accorded to any person who shall satisfy such requirements as the     Committee may from time to time determine.

3. The Committee may exclude from membership any person whose conduct is considered harmful to the interests of the Group.

4. Any member whose subscription has not been renewed three months after the due date shall be deemed to have resigned. A member may resign membership by giving written notice of intention not to renew to the Membership Secretary.

Organisation

5. The affairs of the Group shall be conducted by a Management Committee (“the Committee”) which must include a Chairman, a General Secretary, and a Treasurer together with up to five other Officers from the list in clause 6. All these persons must be adults. There may also be up to three elected ordinary members subject to a maximum number of eight Committee members at any one time.

6. The Officers of the Group shall include: Live Rail Manager, Membership Manager, Preservation Manager, Knowledge Manager, Publicity Manager, Fixtures Manager, Sales Manager, Modelling Officer. Should an individual hold more than one named position they shall only have one vote.
7. The Committee may co-opt not more than three other members. Co-option shall cease at the next AGM.
8. At least 7 days’ notice must be given by the Secretary or by two other Committee members of the intention to hold a Committee meeting. A quorum of the Committee shall be three members thereof.
9. The Committee shall keep minutes of all proceedings.
10. The Committee may appoint (and dissolve) Sub-committees to undertake specific functions on its behalf. Minutes shall be taken of all Meetings and shall be reviewed at the next Management Committee Meeting.
11. The Committee may appoint (and release) members of the Group as titled Officers to support individual member(s) of the Committee to undertake specific functions on behalf of those individuals.
12. No defect in the qualification or election of any member of a committee shall necessarily invalidate any proceedings of such committee.
13. All Committee members and Officers shall be Group members and shall act in an honorary capacity.

General Meetings

14. An Annual General Meeting shall be held in each calendar year. All other general meetings shall be known as Extraordinary General Meetings (EGM).

15. At least four weeks’ notice shall be given to each member of the date, time, and place of a GM, and the nature of any special business.

16. An EGM shall be called whenever the Committee resolves, or on the written request of not less than 10.members. Any-such request shall express the object of the proposed meeting and shall be delivered to the Secretary at least six weeks before the proposed meeting.
17. Business at a GM shall commence within half an hour of the advertised starting time provided that the greater of at least 10 members or more than 2% of the current membership are present. At an EGM, at least 6 of the members who requested the meeting must attend.
18. The Chairman of a GM may adjourn such meeting, but no business shall be transacted at the resumed meeting other than the business left unfinished at the adjourned meeting. Notice for the resumed meeting need only be given to those present at the original meeting, and to those from whom apologies for absence were received.
19. The business of an AGM must include: receiving minutes of the previous AGM and of any subsequent EGM; receiving a report from the Committee on the Group’s activities; electing a Committee; appointing an Independent Examiner.
20. One-third of the Committee shall retire each year by rotation.
21. Any adult Group member (including retiring Committee members) who consents, and is both nominated and seconded, may stand for election to the Committee. Nominees shall be elected individually to the Committee by a simple majority of votes.
22. At GMs, members shall have a single vote on each resolution. A resolution shall in the case of constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority. In the event of a tie, the Chairman shall have a casting vote. Members unable to attend a GM may vote by proxy.
23. Minutes shall be kept of all proceedings at GMs.

Finance

24. The Treasurer shall keep account of all receipts, payments, assets and liabilities. An Examined Balance Sheet and Income and Expenditure Account shall be made available to each member annually.

25. An Independent Examination shall be carried out either by one qualified accountant or by two members. No person serving as a Committee member or Officer during the financial year under review or during the course of the examination may act as examiner(s).

Branches

26. A branch is an organisation whose object shall be to further the aim of the Group at a local level.

27. The day-to-day affairs of a Branch shall be managed by a Branch Committee whose Secretary shall report to the Management Committee.
28. Branch membership may be accorded to any person who satisfies such requirements as the Branch Committee may from time to time determine, except that no person who has been excluded from Group membership may be a Branch member.
29. Each Branch shall hold an AGM, to receive accounts and to transact such other business as may be appropriate. Branch accounts and AGM Minutes shall be submitted to the Group Management Committee as soon as possible after the Branch AGM.

General

30. Subscriptions shall not be returnable.

31. No member shall receive any form of payment for other than legitimate expenses.
32. No member shall use the Group’s name for personal advantage.
33. Any required written notice is deemed to be served by its despatch by post to the last notified address of a member. The accidental omission to serve notice shall not invalidate any proceedings.
34. This Constitution may be altered upon a decision of the Committee having not more than one member thereof dissenting. Such alterations shall have effect until the next GM.
35. In the event of the dissolution of the Group, the net assets shall be donated to a body having similar aims to those of the Group, as determined at a GM, failing which, to the Science Museum.
36. The Committee shall be the sole authority for the day-to-day interpretation of the terms of this Constitution, and shall be empowered to decide upon any matters not provided for herein.

The current Constitution was adopted as the Constitution of the Southern Electric Group at the fifty-fourth Annual General Meeting of the Group, held on 1^st June 2024. It supersedes all previous revisions of the Constitution.