Constitution

The Association shall be called "The Scottish Continuity Group".
The objectives of the Association shall be to:
a. Promote the development of Business Continuity practices and principles within Scottish companies and organisations throughout Scotland.
b. Encourage and support the development of a supportive infrastructure for Business Continuity activities throughout Scotland.
c. Promote and where possible represent its Scottish membership within the global Business Continuity community.
The objectives shall be achieved by the following means:
a. Offering appropriate membership levels to attract a comprehensive and representative membership throughout Scotland.
b. Facilitating the exchange of information regarding Business Continuity Management and Incident Management and Co-ordination within all sectors of services, industry and commerce in the public and private sector, for the benefit and in the interests of the individual members, their employers and clients.
c. Encouraging and supporting the integration of Business Continuity Management into the day-to-day management structure of member organisations.
d. Acting as an independent forum for benchmarking current Business Continuity practice.
e. Encouraging and supporting the application of Business Continuity 'best practice'.
f. Encouraging the development and provision of Business Continuity related education, training and development activities within the Scottish Training Provider community.
g. Encouraging and supporting conferences, meetings, seminars and social events arranged on a non-profit making basis for the benefit of the membership.
There shall be six levels of Membership:
a. Individual (Annual fee: Ł50)
'Any person with an interest in Business Continuity Management or Risk Management.'
b. Small or Medium Sized Enterprise (Annual fee: Ł100 - 3 named representatives allowed)

'Any organisation having an interest in Business Continuity Management, but not involved in providing 3rd party services as defined in the 3rd party Membership level.'

c. Corporate/Public Body (Annual fee: Ł400 - 10 named representatives allowed)
'Any organisation having an interest in Business Continuity Management, but not involved in providing 3rd party services as defined in the 3rd party Membership level.'
d. Student (Free)
'Any person actively involved in a course of study in a Business Continuity or Risk Management-related subject.'
e. 3rd Party Supplier (Annual fee: Ł1,000)
'A whole or part of an organisation who is a commercial supplier of Business Continuity-related products or services.'
f. Registered Charity (Annual fee: Ł200)
'Any registered Charity with an interest in Business Continuity Management.'
Every candidate for admission as a member, at all levels, shall be proposed by entering on an application form their full details.
In every case the proposed member shall furnish to the Membership Secretary the appropriate joining fee and subscription and these should accompany the application form.
Candidates for membership shall be elected and confirmed by the Committee at it's sole discretion and shall be entitled to all the benefits and privileges of membership and be bound by these rules. A new member will be issued with the Associations Directory and Certificate of Membership as soon as practicable but these will always remain the property of the Association.
The committee shall determine the joining fee and annual subscription fee from time to time.
All annual subscriptions (except the first subscription of a new member) shall be payable on the first day of May in each year. The Committee shall determine partial payments for new members.
All joining fees and subscriptions shall be paid to the Association. Cheques shall be made payable to the Scottish Continuity Group and crossed "A/C payee".
If any member shall fail to pay their annual subscription on or before the first day of July next after it became due, notice shall be sent to them calling their attention thereto and if they shall not pay the amount within fourteen days from the posting of such notice, they may forthwith be notified that they are in default. If such subscription be not paid on or before the first day of August following they shall cease to be a member of the Association. If at any time they shall give to the Committee a satisfactory explanation, they may at the discretion of the Committee and upon payment of arrears, be re-admitted to membership without payment of any joining fee.
The Committee may at its discretion, on application by an existing member, grant "retired membership status". Such members will continue to pay an annual subscription determined from time to time by the Committee.
The Committee may, at its discretion, grant life membership to any member who has performed outstanding service having regard to their period of membership and notable contribution to the Association. These decisions shall be reported to members of the Association at the next General Meeting.
Life members shall not be required to pay any entrance fee or subscription.
Any qualified member shall be able to carry on their employment or business outside Scotland without prejudice to their membership of the Association.
Any member may terminate their membership of the Association by informing the Committee in writing. Such member shall return to the Secretary the Association's Directory and Certificate of Membership.
If at any time the Committee shall be of the opinion that the interests of the Association so require, it shall be their duty by letter to invite any member to withdraw from the Association. The letter shall indicate the reason for the Committee's invitation to withdraw and afford them an opportunity to make representation to the Committee by way of Appeal within one month. If an Appeal is forthcoming it will be considered and a decision made. If no appeal results then the member will be informed that their membership has ceased.
Any person shall, on ceasing to be a member of the Association, forfeit all right to and claim upon the Association and any property or funds which it may have.
The management of the Association (except as otherwise provided by these Rules) shall be the responsibility of a Committee of not more than eight members who shall be elected by the members at an Annual General Meeting.
The officers and members shall be as follows:
Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer (known as the officers) and four Committee Members
Student and 3rd Party Supplier members will be ineligible to stand for office.
Only those individual members who are actively involved in the field of Business Continuity Management may be elected as an Officer of the Association.
The Chairman and Deputy Chairman, as elected by members at an Annual General Meeting, will serve until the next Annual General Meeting takes place after approximately 12 months as at RULE 31. They shall be eligible for re-election on the expiration of each period of office.
The Secretary and Treasurer, as elected by members at an Annual General Meeting, will hold office for the period spanning two Annual General Meetings and shall be eligible for re-election on the expiration of each period of office.
At each Annual General Meeting of the Association the ordinary committee members shall retire and shall be eligible for re-election.
The Committee shall have the power to co-opt any member or members of the Association at their discretion between Annual General Meetings at which point such co-options shall cease. Any co-options shall be reported to the membership at the next General Meeting and in the minutes thereof.
The Committee shall meet as and when they feel it necessary, but not less frequently than once in every quarter year to examine the accounts and manage the affairs of the Association. Four members of the Committee shall form a quorum; one must include an officer bearer acting as Chairman. Minutes shall be taken of all the proceedings of the Committee and shall be open to the inspection of any member of the Association applying to the Secretary.
The Committee may also from time to time appoint from among the members of the Association sub-committees as they may deem necessary or expedient and may depute or refer to them such of the powers and duties of the Committee as the Committee may determine. In the event of any member ceasing to be a member of the Association they shall automatically cease to be a member of any sub-committee and another member of the Association may be appointed in their place. All sub-committees shall periodically report their proceedings to the Committee and shall conduct their business in accordance with the directions of the Committee.
The Committee may from time to time amend any part of the Constitution as they shall think expedient for the management and well-being of the Association subject to the confirmation of members at the Annual General Meeting.
The Committee shall have the power to appoint, pay and dismiss any person from carrying out any ancillary function or task for the Association, being a member or non-member, as deemed necessary in the interests of the Association.
The Committee shall be responsible for drawing up an Agenda for all meetings of the Association and shall give consideration to any items requested by members. The Committee shall also cause minutes to be taken at every Annual General Meeting and Special General Meeting and these shall be circulated to all members of the Association as soon as practicable after such meetings. Non-members of the Association shall not be permitted to be present at any or part of such a meeting of the Association other than with the specific prior approval of the Chairman.
If at any time the Association in General Meeting shall pass a resolution authorising the Committee to borrow money, the Committee shall thereupon be empowered to borrow for the purposes of the Association such amount of money either at one time or from time to time and in such a manner and upon such security as shall be specified in such resolution. Thereupon Trustees shall be appointed by the Committee and shall at the discretion of the Committee make all such dispositions of the association or any part thereof and enter into such agreements in relation thereto as the Committee may deem proper for giving security for such loans and interest. All members of the Association, whether voting on such resolution or not, and all persons becoming members of the Association after the passing of such resolution, shall be deemed to have assented to the same as if they had voted in favour of such resolution.
The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held at intervals of not less than twelve and not more than fifteen months upon a date and at a time to be fixed by the Committee for the following purposes:
a. To receive from the Committee a Report, Balance Sheet and Statement of Accounts for the preceding year and an estimate of the receipts and expenditure for the current financial year.
b. To fill vacancies on the Committee and to appoint an Auditor for the ensuing year.
c. To decide on any resolution which may be duly submitted to the Meeting as hereinafter provided.
A member desirous of proposing or moving any resolution at the Annual General Meeting shall give notice thereof in writing to the Secretary not less than six weeks before the date of such meeting.
The Committee may at any time for any special purpose call a Special General Meeting and shall do so forthwith upon the requisition in writing of any twelve members stating the purpose for which the meeting is required.
Fourteen days at least before the Annual General Meeting a notice of such Meeting and of the business to be transacted thereat shall be posted in any premises of the Association and a printed copy thereof shall be sent to every member. The Report, Balance Sheet and Statement of Accounts shall be circulated to the membership at least fourteen days before the Annual General Meeting.
At all Annual General Meetings, General Meetings and Special Meetings of the Association, the Chairman and in their absence a member selected by the Committee shall take the Chairman. Every ordinary member present shall be entitled to one vote upon every motion and in the case of an equality of votes the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote. The Committee shall be empowered, if they think fit, to make provision for enabling members unable to be present to vote by proxy or in writing.
The quorum for conducting ordinary business at all Annual General, General and Special Meetings shall be twenty members.
The Financial Year of the Association shall end on the 31st day of October in each year to which day the Accounts of the Association shall be balanced.
The Accounts shall as soon as practicable after the end of the Financial Year shall be audited. A vacancy occurring in the Office of Auditor during the year shall be filled by the Committee.
The charges to be made for meals, refreshments and the like shall be fixed by the Committee and every member, before leaving each meeting, shall pay to the Treasurer any such charge incurred by them.
No member shall give the address of the Association in any advertisement or use the Associations address for business purpose.
No member shall, without the authority of the Committee, disclose details from any part of the Associations Directory to any outside body or person.
Current members of the Association shall be permitted to enjoy the use of the Scottish Continuity Group logo and identify themselves as Scottish Continuity Group members for business purposes.
Every member of the Association shall from time to time communicate to the Secretary their address.
The Committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of the Rules of the Constitution and the decision of the Committee upon any question of interpretation or upon any matter affecting the Association and not provided for by the Constitution shall be final and binding on the members.
The Constitution may be added to, repealed or amended by resolution at any Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting providing that proper notice has been given as at RULE 34. No such resolution shall be deemed to have been passed unless it is carried by a majority of at least two thirds of the members voting.
If at any Annual General Meeting a resolution shall be passed by a majority of the members present calling for the dissolution of the Association the following procedure shall be followed:
a. A Special General Meeting shall be called not less than two months and not more than three months thereafter.
b. Not less than one month's written notice shall be given to each member giving the place, date and time of the meeting and details of the resolution for dissolution.
c. The Committee shall be empowered to make provision for enabling members unable to be present to vote by proxy or in writing.
d. At the Special General Meeting the resolution shall be debated and the votes of those attending and those registered as at c) above shall be counted and the result announced by the Chairman.
e. If any resolution for Dissolution is passed by a majority of two thirds of the members voting thereon, the Committee shall thereupon, or at such future dates as shall be specified in the resolution, proceed to the winding up of the affairs of the Association.
f. The Committee shall proceed to appoint Trustees to realise the property of the Association and, shall award the same to Charities as selected by the Committee.
g. Upon completion of such action the Association shall be dissolved.