Membership Terms & Conditions

GENERAL STRUCTURE OF THE ORGANISATION

The organisation is composed of Ordinary Members (individual or group), Junior Members, Associates and Charity Trustees.

 

MEMBERSHIP

There are four membership types:

• Ordinary Individual – Resident of Aberdeen City/Shire with an interest in mountain biking, skiing or adventure sports. Over 18. Has voting rights.

• Junior Individual – Resident of Aberdeen City/Shire with an interest in mountain biking, skiing or adventure sports. Under 18. Has voting rights.

• Group / Organisation – Based in Aberdeen City/Shire whose members have an interest in mountain biking, skiing or adventure sports. Has voting rights.

• Associate Individual – Non Aberdeen City/Shire resident or has no interest in mountain biking, skiing or adventure sports. Does not have voting rights.

The members of the organisation shall consist of those individuals who made the application for registration of the organisation and such other individuals as are admitted to membership as per the following:

The organisation shall have no fewer than 20 members at any time; in the event that the number of members falls below 20, the Board may conduct only essential business other than taking steps to ensure the admission of sufficient Ordinary Members to achieve the minimum number.

Membership of the organisation is open to:
• Individuals aged 18 or over who are members of the Community (Ordinary Members).
• Individuals aged under 18 who are members of the Community (Junior Members) (such Members not being eligible to serve as Charity Trustees).

If a member ceases to fulfil the criteria as per the above two bullet points, that individual must inform the Organisation. The Organisation may choose to reclassify a Junior Member as an Ordinary Member.

 

APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP

No Individual may become a Member unless that Individual has submitted a written application for membership in the form prescribed by the Charity Trustees and the Charity Trustees have approved the application.

The Charity Trustees shall consider applications for membership promptly. The Charity Trustees shall assess each application to determine whether the applicant meets the criteria for becoming an Ordinary Member or Junior Member.

Membership of the organisation may not be transferred by a member.

 

RE-REGISTRATION OF MEMBERS

The Board may, at any time, issue notices to the members requiring them to confirm that they wish to remain as members of the organisation, and allowing them a period of 28 days (running from the date of issue of the notice) to provide that confirmation to the Board.

If a member fails to provide confirmation to the Board (in writing or by e-mail) that they wish to remain as a member of the organisation before the expiry of the 28-day period, the Board may expel them from the membership.

 

LIABILITY OF MEMBERS

The members of the organisation have no liability to pay any sums to help to meet the debts (or other liabilities) of the organisation if it is wound up; accordingly, if the organisation is unable to meet its debts, the members will not be held responsible.

The members and Charity Trustees have certain legal duties under the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005; and the above paragraph does not exclude (or limit) any personal liabilities they might incur if they are in breach of those duties or in breach of other legal obligations or duties that apply to them personally.

 

CESSATION OF MEMBERSHIP

A member shall cease to be a member if:

• That Member sends a written notice of resignation to the registered office of the Organisation; they will cease to be a member as from the time when the notice is received by the organisation
• That Member has failed to respond to any re-registration requests
• A resolution that that Member be expelled (where that Member’s conduct, in their/its capacity as a Member, has been detrimental to the effective functioning of the Organisation) is passed by special resolution at a GM (notice of which shall state: (a) the full text of the resolution proposed; and (b) the grounds on which it is proposed) at which the Member is entitled to be heard
• In the case of an Individual, that Individual has died (membership of the Organisation not being transferable)
• Where the Member is a Charity Trustee of the Organisation, that Member has failed to comply with the code of conduct for Trustees in a manner which would result in them ceasing to be a Trustee and a member

 

REGISTER OF MEMBERS

The Board shall keep a register of members, setting out for each current member:
• Their full name
• Their address
• The date on which they were registered as a member of the organisation

Where any member is not an individual, the register must also contain:
• Any other name by which the member is known
• The principal contact for the member
• Any number assigned to it in the Scottish Charity Register, if it is a charity
• Any number with which it is registered as a company, if it is a company

For each former member the register must set out, for at least six years from the date on they ceased to be a member:
• Their name
• The date on which they ceased to be a member

The Board will ensure that the register of members is updated within 28 days of receiving notice of any change.
If a member or Charity Trustee of the Organisation requests a copy of the register of members, the Board must ensure that a copy is supplied to them within 28 days, providing the request is reasonable. If the request is made by a member (rather than a Charity Trustee), the Board may provide a copy which has the addresses blanked out.

 

ASSOCIATES

Individuals wishing to support the Purposes who are not members of the Community may become associates of the Organisation (“Associates”). Associates may attend and speak at GMs but may not participate in such meetings for voting or quorum purposes.

No Individual may become an Associate unless that Individual or Group has submitted a written application to become an Associate in the form prescribed by the Charity Trustees and the Charity Trustees have approved the application.

The Charity Trustees shall consider applications for associateship promptly. The Charity Trustees shall assess each application to determine whether the applicant meets the criteria for becoming an Associate.

The Charity Trustees shall cause a register of associates to be maintained containing:
• The name and address of each Associate;
• The date on which each Individual was registered as an Associate
• The date at which any Individual ceased to be an Associate

An Associate shall cease to be an Associate if:
• That Associate sends a written notice of resignation to the Organisation
• That Associate becomes a member of the Community
• A resolution that that Associate be expelled from being an Associate (where that Associate’s conduct, in their capacity as Associate, has been detrimental to the effective functioning of the Organisation) is passed by special resolution at a GM (notice of which shall state: (a) the full text of the resolution proposed; and (b) the grounds on which it is proposed) at which the Associate is entitled to be heard)
• The Individual becomes insolvent or apparently insolvent or makes any arrangement with their creditors
• The Individual has died