1.

Name

2.

Objectives

3.

Eligibility for membership

4.

Management

5.

Annual subscriptions

6.

Associate membership

7.

Life membership

8.

Joint membership

9.

Lapse of membership

10.

Annual general meeting

11.

Special general meetings

12.

Record of meetings

13.

Finance

14.

Voting

15.

Rule changes

16.

Formalities

17.

General discretionary powers

18.

Wind-up procedure

1. NAME

The BBC Pensioners' Association is an association of persons who are receiving a pension or who are entitled to a deferred pension from a BBC pension scheme.

2. OBJECTIVES

The Association's objectives are:-

2.1 to promote and safeguard the interests of BBC pensioners and deferred pensioners and to improve their benefits;

2.2 to provide a forum for the examination and discussion of all matters relating to BBC pension schemes;

2.3 to provide a means whereby the interests and views of BBC pensioners and deferred pensioners may be ascertained and collectively represented to the administrators of BBC pension schemes, to the trustees and to BBC management;

2.4 to obtain information from and co-operate with other bodies concerned with the advancement of pensioner interests at a national level;

2.5 to obtain professional advice and do anything else reasonably required in pursuance of the objectives of the Association.

3. ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP

3.1 Any person in receipt of a pension or entitled to a deferred pension from a BBC pension scheme is eligible for membership of the Association.

3.2 At the invitation of the committee the surviving spouse of a member is eligible for honorary life membership.

3.3 At the discretion of the committee honorary life membership may be offered to the dependant(s) of a member following his or her death if there is no surviving spouse.

3.4 At the discretion of the committee honorary life membership may be conferred on members in recognition of their services to the Association.

3.5 Any member of BBC staff who is also a member of a BBC pension scheme and is within one year of normal retirement age shall be eligible for associate membership of the Association. Any member of BBC staff over the age of 50 who is also a member of a BBC pension scheme and has received formal notice of impending early retirement shall also be eligible for associate membership.

4. MANAGEMENT

4.1 The Association shall be managed by a committee which consists of not fewer than four and not more than nine members of the Association. Associate members shall not be eligible to serve unless co-opted.

4.2 The committee shall serve from one Annual General Meeting (AGM) to the next but committee members may be re-elected and serve further terms.

4.3 Candidates for the committee shall be nominated by a proposer and a seconder who are members of the Association and have secured the agreement of their candidate to be nominated.

4.4 If the number of members of the preceding year's committee who are willing to serve for another year together with the number of other candidates exceeds nine, then a ballot shall be held at the AGM and the nine receiving the most votes shall be elected and serve as the committee for the following year.

4.5 At its first meeting after an AGM the committee shall elect from amongst its number the following four officers: a chair, an honorary secretary, an honorary treasurer and an honorary membership secretary.

4.6 The committee may co-opt additional members or associate members to serve on the committee at any time.

4.7 An officer of the commiteee together with three other members of the committee constitute a quorum for the purpose of transacting any business provided due notice of the meeting and the business has been given in the normal way.

4.8 The committee shall be responsible for keeping members of the Association informed about current issues relating to the BBC pension scheme s and developments at a national level that are likely to have an impact on BBC pensioners.

4,9 The committee will normally arrange two regional meetings a year in addition to the AGM and any SGMs and will undertake the publication of an annual newsletter.

5. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS

5.1 A person who wishes to become an ordinary member or an associate member shall pay a subscription to the Association upon joining and a renewal subscription on 1st May in each subsequent year, until the year in which the member attains the age of 90 whereupon payment of all subsequent subscriptions shall be waived.

5.2 Any changes in the annual subscription shall be determined by the committee and ratified by an AGM.

6. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP

6.1 A person may remain an associate member of the Association from the date he/she is accepted into associate membership until he/she ceases to be a member of BBC staff.

6.2 Associate members shall be entitled to attend all general meetings of the Association, subject to the provisions of rules 9 and 10 below, but shall not vote on any matter. As provided in rule 4 associate members may not serve as members of the commitee unless co-opted. Associate members shall otherwise enjoy the same benefits as ordinary members.

7. LIFE MEMBERSHIP

7.1 A member aged 75 or over may at his/her option choose to become a life member on payment of a single subscription.

7.2 Any changes in the life membership subscription rate shall be determined by the committee and ratified by an AGM.

8. JOINT MEMBERSHIP

Two members both paying annual subscriptions and living at the same address may at their option choose to become joint members and shall if they exercise that option thereafter pay a reduced annual joint subscription in place of two annual subscriptions. Joint members shall receive one copy of any notices or other matter sent to members by the Association.

9. LAPSE OF MEMBERSHIP

If a subscription remains unpaid by the AGM in the year after the renewal date then that member's membership shall lapse at that date. The Association shall not be obliged to issue reminder notices. The operation of this rule may be waived or suspended in particular cases at the committee's discretion.

10. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)

10.1 The Association shall hold its AGM in April each year unless at the preceding AGM it has been agreed to hold the following AGM at some other time.

10.2 The business of the AGM shall include reports to be given by the chair, the treasurer and the membership secretary on the activities of the Association, its financial affairs and its recruitment of members.

10.3 The AGM shall if required under Rule 4.3 of this constitution elect the committee to serve for the following year. On the recommendation of the outgoing committee the AGM shall approve the appointment of the honorary auditor for the following year.

10.4 Notice of the agenda, date, time and place of the AGM shall be sent to all members at least six weeks before the date of the meeting. Copies of the certified accounts for the preceding calendar year shall be sent to all members prior to the AGM.

10.5 Any member who wishes to move a resolution or motion at the AGM shall send the text of the resolution or motion and the names of the proposer and seconder to the chair or the honorary secretary in accordance with any instructions relating to resolutions or motions which may accompany the agenda.

10.6 The chair may exercise his/her discretion as to whether to accept amendments and motions or resolutions which have not been received prior to the AGM or which do not conform to instructions.

10.7 Twenty members shall constitute a quorum for an AGM.

10.8 Associate members attending an AGM are asked to indicate their presence to secure compliance with rule 6.2 (nonvoting).

11. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS (SGMs)

11.1 An SGM may be called at the instance of the committee at any time.

11.2 An SGM shall be called by the committee upon receipt of a requisition requesting an SGM signed by at least twenty members and stating the purpose for which such SGM is to be called.

11.3 Upon receipt of such requisition or if otherwise requested to do so by the committee the honorary secretary shall within one calendar month send a notice to all members convening an SGM. The notice shall give the date, time place and purpose of the meeting together with the text of any formal resolution or motion which it is proposed should be put to the meeting. The SGM shall take place not less than two weeks or more than one calendar month after the date of the notice.

11.4 The chair may accept amendments to any resolution or motion which has been circulated with the notice and may accept resolutions or motions from the floor.

11.5 Twenty members shall constitute a quorum and if fewer than twenty attend the meeting then no business shall be conducted and all resolutions shall be considered void.

11.6 Associate members attending an SGM are asked to indicate their presence to secure compliance with rule 6.2 (nonvoting).

12. RECORD OF MEETINGS

The honorary secretary shall minute all meetings of the Association and the committee. Minutes of AGMs and any SGMs shall be circulated to all members before the next following AGM and shall be agreed to as a true record of the business transacted.

13. FINANCE

13.1 The honorary treasurer shall have day to day responsibility for the management of the Association's financial affairs and shall arrange for the opening and running of such bank accounts as the committee determines. The honorary treasurer and any other officer of the Association shall be authorised to sign cheques and to operate any such accounts.

13.2 Committee members who incur expenses while undertaking activities on behalf of the Association shall be entitled to be reimbursed from Association funds.

13.3 The honorary treasurer shall prepare accounts for the year to 31st December and shall submit them to the honorary auditor for scrutiny. The accounts as certified shall be available for circulation to the members prior to the AGM.

14. VOTING

14.1 A record shall be made of the names of members who attend any meeting of the Association. All resolutions, motions or ballots on which votes are taken at a meeting of the Association, except those which relate to the constitution, shall be carried by a simple majority with the chair having an additional tie-breaking vote.

14.2 Unless a postal vote has been agreed by the committee, only members present at a meeting shall be entitled to vote.

15. RULE CHANGES

No alteration shall be made to these rules other than by formal resolution at an AGM or an SGM. Any such alteration shall require a majority of two-thirds of those present and voting.

16. FORMALITIES

Only members of the Association may vote at meetings. The committee shall be entitled at its discretion to invite non-members to attend meetings.

17. GENERAL DISCRETIONARY POWERS

The committee has the power at its discretion to determine any matter not dealt with in these rules.

18. WIND-UP PROCEDURE

Winding-up of the Association and the procedure for so doing shall be determined at an SGM or AGM attended by the full committee after due notice of winding-up has been sent to all members.

SIGNED ON BEHALF OF THE COMMITTEE

BBCPA Committee

BBCPA History