Co. Waterford Beekeepers’ Association

The Association shall be affiliated to The Irish Beekeepers’  Association, CLG.

1. The business and affairs of the Association shall be managed by a committee consisting of Chairperson, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Education Officer, Public Relations Officer and three elected members. The Chairperson shall have a casting vote.
2. The Officers and Members of the Committee shall be elected at the AGM.
3. After the coming into force of the provisions of this Constitution, the Chairperson, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Education Officer and the PRO shall hold office for a maximum period of 3 years and shall be ineligible to hold the same office for a further period of 2 years.
4. Four members shall be a quorum for Committee Meetings.
5. The Committee shall meet at least 3 times per year.
6. The Committee shall have power to fill any vacancy which may arise in their number during their year in office. The Committee shall have the power to co-opt members to the Committee.  Such co-opted members shall be non-voting members and shall hold office until the next AGM.
7. A Minute Book recording decisions of all meetings of the Association shall be kept by the Honorary Secretary.
8. A report on the Association’s finances shall be available at each Committee Meeting.
9. All Association cheques will bear two signatures. Authorised signatories are the Chairperson, Honorary Treasurer and Honorary Secretary.  The Committee shall nominate two members who will audit the Association’s accounts for the AGM.
10. The financial year of the Association shall be from 1^st September to 31^st August of the following year.

Honorary President – Micheál Moynihan
Chairperson – PJ Curran,
Honorary Secretary – Antoinette Walsh
Honorary Treasurer – James Moloney
Education officer & PRO – Colette O’Connell
Micheál Moynihan, Paddy Moloney, Michael Moynihan, Shane Balfe, Zsolt Borzasi.

The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held in the month of November each year.  At least fourteen days’ notice of the AGM will be sent by electronic mail to all members and where e-mail addresses are not available,  and/or if members want such notices sent by ordinary post and have informed the secretary, such notices will be despatched in writing by ordinary post.

• If an AGM or an EGM is adjourned the meeting shall be reconvened within 21 days.
• The Quorum necessary for an extraordinary or Annual General Meeting shall be 25% of the membership of the Association.
• The Annual General Meeting shall receive reports from the Chairperson, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and the Education Officer.
• An Honorary President will be elected at the Annual General Meeting.  The Honorary President will not be an ex-officio member of the Committee.  The Honorary President will chair the election of Officers at the AGM.

Should any member or members conduct themselves in such a manner as to bring the Association into disrepute or be held to be in breach of any of the Association Rules, the Committee shall seek an explanation from the member or members concerned.  If such an explanation is not satisfactory to the Committee, and Independent Committee consisting of 3 officers from another Beekeeping Association shall investigate the matter and its decision shall be binding on both parties. 

Should any member or members conduct themselves in such a manner as to bring the Association into disrepute or be held to be in breach of any of the Association Rules, the Committee shall seek an explanation from the member or members concerned. 

A member may be sanctioned as follows:

• Such a member may be cautioned.
• Such a member may be suspended from membership of the Association for not less than one calendar year.
• Such a member may be declared ineligible for membership or renewal of membership of the Association.

Any member suspended or declared to be ineligible to apply for membership under provisions of Article 6 shall not be entitled to a refund of any monies paid to the Association.