Submitted 12 August 2021

1. Name

The Group shall be called The British APL Association.

2. Objects

  1. To promote the use of APL
  2. To develop awareness and competence in APL
  3. To represent the interests of Association members with other bodies
  4. To contribute to the development of the language and definition of international standards

3. Constitution

The British APL Association shall consist of:

  1. Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer
  2. Other elected officers
  3. Individual members
  4. Sustaining members

4. Members in Good Standing

A Sustaining member is in good standing with the Association by virtue of having paid all membership fees due to the Association for the current year. Any membership which is not renewed within the first four months after becoming due is deemed to have lapsed. 

5. Elected Officers

  1. The Elected Officers shall be Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer.
  2. Other officers may be elected to fill posts created by the Management Committee.
  3. It is the duty of the Elected Officers to attend meetings of the committee.
  4. Election: The officers shall be elected by vote at the Annual General Meeting – to serve until the next AGM. Postal votes from members may be collected in advance of the Annual General meeting and sent to the Secretary.
  5. Casual Vacancy: A vacancy occurring during the term of office may be filled by an appointment by the Management Committee.
  6. The occupant of any post who has held it for three consecutive years is not eligible for election to that post in the fourth year unless there are no other nominations for the post in question.

6. Management

  1. The affairs of the Association shall be managed (subject to the control of the AGM) by a Management Committee comprising the Elected Officers
  2. Co-option: The Management Committee may co-opt members as required, normally to hold office until the following AGM.
  3. The General Committee of the Association shall comprise the Management Committee together with members of Sub-Committees and Working Parties which from time to time be set up by the Management Committee.
  4. Meetings: The Management Committee shall meet at least four times in its year of office and frequently enough to carry out the business of the Association properly.
  5. Notice: At least fourteen days’ notice of the place, date and time of meetings shall be given to each member of the relevant committee.
  6. Quorum: The business of the Association may be transacted by not less than half the members of the Management Committee.
  7. In the absence of the Chairman, the Management Committee shall elect one of its members to take the chair for the meeting.
  8. Voting: In determining a question by vote of the majority of members present, each having one vote, the chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.
  9. Standing Committees: The Management Committee is empowered to set up Standing Committees to deal with matters that require continuity. A member of the Management Committee shall sit on each Standing Committee.
  10. Sub-Committees and Working Parties: The Management Committee may set up at any time sub-committees and working parties responsible to the Management Committee which shall appoint a Chairman and provide appropriate terms of reference.

7. Annual General Meeting

  1. Each year the Association shall hold an AGM in June.
  2. Notice: The Secretary shall send, at least 28 days before, notice of the date, time and place of the AGM, together with the Agenda, to all members of the Association. For this purpose, a notice printed in the official publication of the Association or on the Association website shall be considered sufficient.
  3. All members have the right to attend the AGM for which there shall be no attendance charge.
  4. Agenda: The following items shall be included:
    1. Minutes of the previous AGM
    1. Minutes of any EGM held since the previous AGM
    1. Chairman’s Report
    1. Management Committee Officers’ Reports
    1. Audited Statement of Accounts
    1. Proposals for Alterations to the Regulations
    1. Proposals for Alterations to the Fees
    1. Ratification of Auditors.
  5. Nominations: A Nominating Committee will draw up a list of Candidates for each elected post; additional candidates may be nominated by a proposer and seconder. All candidates, proposers and seconders must be members of the Association. Closing date for nominations 28 days prior to the AGM.
  6. Voting: Every question at the AGM shall be decided by a majority of the votes cast. Individual members of the Association each have a single vote. The accredited representative of a Sustaining member has five votes which may be split as desired. If a vote is tied, then there shall be a re-count; if this fails to resolve the matter the candidate with the least votes is removed and the vote retaken, this process continuing until there is a decisive vote – or it cannot be continued, in which case the Chairman has a casting vote.

8. Extraordinary General Meeting

  1. An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) shall be convened on a resolution of the Management Committee or within five weeks of receipt of the Secretary of a requisition signed by no less than one quarter of the current membership in good standing stating the business to be transacted at the meeting.
  2. An EGM shall transact only such business as is specified in the resolutions or requisitions concerning it.

9. Finance

  1. The Association shall maintain a Current Account with a UK Clearing Bank. The Committee shall be empowered to place funds in investment accounts.
  2. The financial year shall start on 1 May.
  3. All cheques drawn on the Association’s bank accounts must be signed by any two of Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and any person selected by the Management Committee for that purpose.
  4. The accounts of the Association shall be audited each year by an auditor appointed by the Committee.
  5. All income and property of the Association from whatever source derived shall be applied solely to the promotion of the objects of the Association.
  6. No member of the Association shall receive payment for his services as a member.
  7. The Management Committee shall appoint dates in the year to be membership renewal points.
  8. Sustaining membership fees are due initially on joining the Association and subsequently at the latest membership renewal point in the following full year and on that date thereafter for the duration of the membership.

10. Dissolution

In the event of the winding up or dissolution of the Association any surplus assets remaining after discharge of liabilities shall be distributed equally among the Sustaining Members.