1. Name

The name of the group shall be NOBA UK.

2. Aims

The aims of NOBA UK will be:

• To bring together and foster understanding amongst people who have passed out of Netarhat Vidyalaya, Netarhat, Ranchi, India

• To promote recreational activities, mutual support and joint aid among our members

• To use dance, drama and music to share culture and experiences

• To raise funds from its members for noble causes, such as

- helping talented students from poor background,

- helping people suffering from natural calamities

3. Membership

Membership is open to anyone who:

• Is alumni of Netarhat Vidyalaya, Netarhat, Ranchi, India

• lives in UK; and

• supports the aims of NOBA UK

Membership will begin as soon as the request to join the group is received and the first annual payment has been received.

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

A list of all members will be kept by the membership secretary.

Ceasing to be a member

Members may resign at any time in writing to the secretary.

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.

4. Equal Opportunities

NOBA UK will not discriminate on the grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic, sexuality, disability, religious or political belief, marital status or age.

5. Officers 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 two times a year.

The Committee will consist of 7 members and be composed of 2 officers and 5 committee members. Up to 2 additional members may be co-opted onto the committee at the discretion of the committee.

The officers’ roles are as follows:

• Chair, who shall chair both general and committee meetings

• Secretary, who shall be responsible for the taking of minutes and the distribution of all papers. Secretary shall also be responsible for keeping records of members

• Treasurer who shall be responsible for maintaining accounts

In the event of an officer standing down during the year a replacement will be elected by the next General Meeting of members.

The tenure of all officers and committee members will be fixed for an initial period of 2 years. Members leaving UK permanently must inform officers so that their membership can be discontinued. Members leaving UK temporarily (up to 2 years) will continue to be a member as long as the membership fee is being paid. All other exceptional cases will be dealt by committee and their decision will be final regarding the membership.

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 NOBA UK wishing to attend, who may speak but not vote.

6. Meetings

6.1 Annual General Meetings

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

All members will be notified in writing at least 3 weeks 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 NOBA UK over the year.

• The Committee will present the accounts of NOBA UK for the previous year.

• The Officers and Committee for the next period will be elected.

• Any proposals given to the Secretary at least 7 days in advance of the meeting will be discussed.

6.2 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. These meetings can be held either in person or by telephone.

The meeting will take place within twenty-one days of the request.

All members will be given two weeks’ 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.

6.3 General Meetings

General Meetings are open to all members and will be held at least once every 12 months or more often if necessary.

All members will be given two weeks’ 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.

6.4 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.

7. 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.

8. Finances

An account will be maintained on behalf of the NOBA UK at a bank agreed by the committee. Two cheque 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 signed by two of the signatories.

• For cheque payments, the signatories will sign the cheque.

• For other payments (such as BACS payments, cash withdrawals, debit card payments or cash payments), a requisition note will be signed by two signatories, and held by the treasurer.

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

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

9. Amendments 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 Secretary 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.

10. 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 NOBA UK Group on:

Date 07/04/2018

Name and position in group: Kaladhar Narayan Jha, Chair

Signed ………………………………………….

Name and position in group: Manohar Thakur, Secretary

Signed ………………………………………….