FSPS rules

1. NAME AND OBJECT

The organisation shall be known as the Federation of Surrey Philatelic Societies. Its object shall be to encourage philately in Surrey and assist philatelic societies in Surrey in any way and every way that the Council of the Federation may consider proper and desirable.

2. MEMBERSHIP

Affiliation to the Federation shall be open to any duly constituted philatelic society in the County of Surrey, not being a trade Society or Association. Also eligible for affiliation are those societies formerly located within the Surrey boundaries, but now no longer so, and at the discretion of Council, societies in areas adjacent to the current Surrey boundaries.

3. OFFICERS

The Officers of the Federation shall be as follows:-

President, (b) Vice President, (c) Hon. Secretary, (d) Hon. Treasurer.

4. COUNCIL

The management of the Federation shall be vested in the Council which shall consist of:

the officers as in Rule 3;
four members, of which one shall be from the immediate past Host Society, one from the immediate future/present Host Society (“Host” means the Society hosting the Annual Convention), and two from another Societies

All to be elected at the AGM;

such other person or persons co-opted onto the Council by the Council, such appointments to be subject to confirmation at the next and each subsequent AGM.

5. COUNCIL MEETINGS

Council shall meet as and when considered desirable, either physically or by electronic means. Four Council members present at any one meeting shall be deemed to form a quorum. The Council shall have the powers to appoint one or more Sub-Committees to deal with particular matters. The Chairman of each Sub-Committee shall be a member of Council, but other members may be appointed by Council.

6. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS

Each Society being an affiliated member of the Federation shall pay an annual subscription based on the number of full members in the Society as at 1st July each year, at which date subscriptions are due and payable. The subscription rates shall be set from time to time at the AGM (or EGM). Council may, at its discretion, waive or reduce the subscription in special circumstances

7. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

(a) The AGM shall normally be held during the Annual Convention or, if necessary, by electronic means.

(b) Each member Society may send two delegates to the AGM, such delegates deemed to have full powers to vote upon any matter.

8. RESIGNATIONS

Any Society wishing to resign from membership of the Federation must notify the Hon. Secretary, in writing, before 30th June of each year. Failure to do so will render the Society liable for the annual subscription falling due on the following 1st July.

9. ANNUAL RETURNS

Each Member Society shall send to the Hon. Secretary not later than 30th June each year the names of the Society’s President (or Chairman), Hon Secretary and Hon. Treasurer, and such other information as may be required from time to time.

10. HON. AUDITOR

An Hon. Auditor shall be appointed annually at the AGM.

11. ANNUAL CONVENTION AND COMPETITIONS

An Annual Convention shall normally be held and one Society shall act as Host and be responsible for all the arrangements and financial liability in respect of the Convention. The Council shall provide financial support towards competition costs

12. PHILATELIC COMPETITIONS

The Federation shall organise annually an Annual Competition and an Open Competition for individual competition and an inter-society team competition.
The trophies specified in the Rules for each competition and - for the Annual Competition - Medals and/or Certificates may be awarded at the discretion of Council.
On occasions when these competitions are organised at a combined event, no entry shall be awarded both an Annual Competition trophy and a Mason Cup trophy. Annual Competition trophies shall have precedence over Mason Cup trophies.
The Federation may submit entries for any county, regional, national or other philatelic competition as Council sees fit.
The Federation may institute or organise any other competitions that Council considers to be for the benefit or promotion of philately in Surrey

13. WINDING UP

In the event of the Federation being wound up, all its property whatsoever shall, after all the debts and liabilities have been discharged, be given to some charitable fund or purpose determined by the Council at the time of winding up, which fund or purpose shall be a fund or purpose connected with the encouragement and advancement of philately if possible.

14. ALTERATION OF RULES

These rules shall be altered only by resolution of an AGM or EGM of the Federation. Notice of any proposed alteration shall be given to the Hon. Secretary so that particulars of the resolution may be circulated to member Societies not less than 21 days before the meeting at which the resolution will be proposed and considered.

15. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

An EGM may be convened by the Council if not less than four member societies inform the Hon. Secretary, in writing, that they wish such a meeting to be held. The notification shall be signed by the President and Hon. Secretary of each society concerned. Resolutions to be considered at the EGM shall be sent to the Hon. Secretary in sufficient time to enable all member societies to be given at least 21 days’ notice of the agenda and of the date, time and place of the Meeting.

16. DIPLOMA OF MERIT

Nominations should come from member Societies accompanied by a memorial in support of each nomination. Memorials should give details of the services that deserve recognition. No limit is placed on the number of awards. The Council has the right not to make an award in any one year. The Council may make an award on its own initiative. The closing date for the receipt by the Secretary of nominations each year is 30 June.

17. OTHER MATTERS

Any matters not covered by the foregoing shall be decided by the Council.