RCTA Constitution

1. Name

The name of the group shall be The Roving Canal Traders Association or RCTA

2. Aims

The aims of the Roving Canal Traders Association will be:

1. To be a collective voice for all roving canal traders
2. To provide advice to current and new roving canal traders as well as those interested in becoming roving canal traders
3. To support the Canal and River Trust to improve accessibility for roving canal traders
4. To hold waterside events that provide opportunities for roving canal traders
5. To promote trading activities
6. For membership to target at least 60% of registered C&RT roving canal traders

3. Membership

Associate Membership and Joint Associate Membership are available for six months to those who:

•  Are over the age of 18
• Have sent a valid roving canal trader business proposal to C&RT

Or at the discretion of the committee

Full Membership is open to anyone who …

• Is over the age of 18
• Has a Roving Canal Trader Licence from the Canal and River Trust

Full membership is registered per powered trade boat and up to two people may be named per membership each of whom may vote independently at general meetings.

Unpowered trade boats are considered an extension of its associate powered trade boat.

Membership will begin as soon as the membership form and first annual payment has been received.

There will be an annual membership fee which will be agreed at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and will be payable by all full members.

A list of all members will be kept by the membership secretary.

All named full members can vote at general meetings.

Ceasing to be a member

Members may resign at any time in writing to the membership secretary.

Any member who has not paid their membership fee for one month will be contacted by the committee, who will then decide whether that member is deemed to have resigned.

Any personally directed offensive behaviour, including racist, sexist or inflammatory remarks, will not be permitted. Anyone behaving in this way or breaking the equal opportunities policy may be asked not to attend further meetings or to resign from the group if an apology is not given or the behaviour is repeated. The individual concerned shall have the right to be heard by the trustees, accompanied by a friend, before a final decision is made.

Physical assaults shall be reported to the police and the offender immediately suspended from the RCTA until both police and committee investigations are complete.

4. Equal Opportunities

Roving Canal Traders Association will not discriminate on the grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, sexuality, disability, religious or political belief, marital status or age.

5. Trustees and committee

The business of the group will be carried out by a Committee elected at the Annual General Meeting. The Committee will meet as necessary and not less than four times a year.

The Committee will consist of 9 members, and be composed of 3 trustees and 6 statutory committee members. Up to 9 additional members may be co-opted onto the committee at the discretion of the committee.

Committee Members may take on multiple roles. Trustees may also take on multiple roles but only one Trustee position

The Trustees roles are as follows:

• Chair, who shall chair both general and committee meetings. Is responsible for ensuring that the Trustees have not been barred from holding such positions. Can cast an additional vote when there is a tie. The chair will also be responsible for public liaison.
• Secretary, who shall be responsible for the taking of minutes at general and committee meetings and then distributing these to the other committee members. To digitally store all minutes and any other documents that require storage as provided by other committee members. To retrieval of records when required. To record and monitor any requests for Special General meetings and, if necessary call a Special General Meeting as required in section 6.2. To oversee the distribution of all papers and communications to members. To Record all complaints and the responses to these complaints. To record items to include in meeting agenda. To record all votes.
• Treasurer who shall be responsible for maintaining accounts and ensure financial safeguarding. Will also ensure that all financial transactions are in keeping with the aims and best interest of the association.

In the event of a trustee standing down during the year a replacement will be elected by a Special General Meeting of members.

The statutory committee members roles are as follows:

• Membership Admin, who shall be responsible for keeping records of members and ensuring all members adhere to the membership criteria
• C&RT Liaison: Shall attend meetings with C&RT as the RCTA representative, prepare meeting reports and draft all correspondence with C&RT for committee approval  Traders Liaison: Point of contact for traders who are experiencing issues with mooring and licensing. If needed can be raised to C&RT Liaison to take further.
• New Traders Liaison: Point of contact & support for new traders. Produce new members good trading practises info. Help with getting started booking events, queries on moorings and any other issues
• PR Communications PR: In support of the secretary. Answering general website enquiries received via email. Manage General RCTA PR including press releases. Radio etc… Distribute PR opportunities to traders.
• Market and Event Coordinator: Manage applications to hold events. Checking of Risk Assessments supplied by H&S admin, and sending them with applications. Liaison with relevant authorities. Deciding maximum number of boats which can attend at a set location. Measuring locations and assessing moorings available.

Any committee member not attending a meeting without apology for three months will be contacted by the committee and asked if they wish to resign.

The Committee meetings will be open to any member of Roving Canal Traders Association wishing to attend, who may speak but not vote.

Other roles are as follows:

• Bookkeeper: In support of treasurer. Inputting of invoices raised and payments received, receipt keeping for supplier payments.
• Market Bookings Admin: In support of Market and Event Coordinator. To ensure market bookings has been placed on the website and keep a waiting list if all bookings are filled. Admin of booked places and making sure all payments have been made. Checking length of booked spaces, and adjusting remaining spaces accordingly. Preparing a list of attendees for each market and communicating this to market managers. Emailing any relevant market and H&S info to attendees. To liaise with PR, the Website Manager and the Bookkeeper.
• Market H&S admin: In support of Market and Event Coordinator. Preparation of Risk Assessments for each market for Co-ordinator. Production of all market safety signage and Distribution to Market managers
• Market Posters Coordinator: In support of Market and Event Coordinator and Secretary. Laying out a poster for each market for print and online communication. Printing and coordinating distribution of posters and flyers to members. Making sure each market manager is given banners and posters as appropriate.
• PR Communications Newsletter: To Research and produce a quarterly newsletter. Email bulletin communicating updates to members.
• Market Facebook Admin: In support of Market and Event Coordinator and Secretary. Boosting FB market posts one week before each market. Sharing market posts on all appropriate FB community and interest groups.
• RCTA Facebook Admin: In support of Secretary. Administration and moderation of all RCTA Facebook pages. Answering questions from members and visitors.
• Website Manager: In support of Secretary. Updating member’s area, posting photos of events, collecting trader information, maintaining traders emporium. Building links. Maintaining email server

In the event of a committee member who is not a trustee standing down during the year a replacement may be appointed by the committee.

6. Meetings

6.1. Annual General Meetings

An Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held within fifteen months of the previous AGM.

All members will be notified by email at least 3 weeks before the date of the meeting, giving the venue, date, time and agenda.

Meetings may be held at both physical and virtual locations at the discretion of the committee

Members who send their apologies a minimum of 1 week prior to the meeting shall be allowed to vote on any expected issues in the agenda. Votes shall be sent out 24 hours before the meeting and be returned at the latest of 1 hour before the meeting

Nominations for the committee may be made to the Secretary before the meeting, or at the meeting.

The minimum attendance for the AGM will be 15% of the membership or 15 members, whichever is the greater number. Should too few people attend then a general vote shall not take place and the committee shall continue to carry out the business of the group.

At the AGM: –

The Committee will present a report of the work of Roving Canal Traders Association over the year.

The Committee will present the accounts of Roving Canal Traders Association for the previous year.
The Trustees and Committee for the next year will be elected.

Any proposals given to the Secretary at least 7 days in advance of the meeting will be discussed.

6.2 Special General Meetings

The Secretary will call a Special General Meeting at the request of the majority of the committee or at least twelve other members giving a written request to the Chair or Secretary stating the reason for their request.

The meeting will take place within twenty-one days of the request.

All members will be given two weeks notice of such a meeting, giving the venue, date, time and agenda, and notice may be by telephone or email.

Meetings may be held at both physical and virtual locations at the discretion of the committee

Members who send their apologies a minimum of 1 week prior to the meeting shall be allowed to vote on any expected issues in the agenda. Votes shall be sent out 24 hours before the meeting and be returned at the latest of 1 hour before the meeting

The minimum attendance for the Special General Meeting will be 15% of the membership or 15 members, whichever is the greater number.

6.3 Rules of Procedure for meetings

All questions that arise at any meeting will be discussed openly and the meeting will seek to find general agreement that everyone present can agree to.

If a consensus cannot be reached a vote will be taken and a decision will be made by a simple majority of members present. If the number of votes cast on each side are equal, the chair of the meeting shall have an additional casting vote.

7. Finances

An account will be maintained on behalf of the Association at a bank agreed by the committee. Three cheque signatories will be nominated by the Committee (one to be the Treasurer). Any two of these must sign every cheque. The signatories must not be related nor members of the same household.

Records of income and expenditure will be the responsibility of the Treasurer and a financial statement given to each meeting. He will be assisted by the Bookkeeper

Any pre-agreed reasonable expenses shall be reimbursed. Travel to Annual General Meetings or Special General Meetings are excluded from reimbursement in all circumstances.

All money raised by or on behalf of Roving Canal Traders Association is only to be used to further the aims of the group, as specified in section 2 of this constitution.

Income from Membership and Markets shall be kept separate.

8. Amendments to the Constitution

Amendments to the constitution may only be made at the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting.
Any proposal to amend the constitution must be given to the Secretary in writing. The proposal must then be circulated with the notice of meeting.

Any proposal to amend the constitution will require a two thirds majority of those present and entitled to vote.

9. Dissolution

If a meeting, by simple majority, decides that it is necessary to close down the group it may call a Special General Meeting to do so. The sole business of this meeting will be to dissolve the group.

If it is agreed to dissolve the group all remaining money and other assets, once outstanding debts have been paid, will be donated to a similar charitable organisation. The organisation to be agreed at the meeting which agrees the dissolution.

This constitution was agreed at the Inaugural General Meeting of the Roving Canal Traders Association on: –

Date ………/…………/…………….
Name and position in group ………………………………………….
Signed ………………………………………….
Name and position in group ………………………………………….
Signed ………………………………………….

Please click on the link to download the signed copy of the RCTA Constitution December 2016