WEVA CONSTITUTION
(adopted 4 November 2009)
1. ORIGINS
The initial contact between the Western Valleys of Cumbria and St. Martin d’Auxigny was a chance holiday visit by the McLeods of Thornhill to the French town in 2005. St. Martin already had a Twinning Committee at that time, but nowhere to twin with. After consultations with people in Wasdale and Eskdale, an inaugural meeting was held in the Old School Nether Wasdale on 1st February 2006 and this adopted the name Western Valleys Exchange Association, subsequently changed to the Western Valleys Twinning Association. The inaugural meeting also approved the shortened form WEVA, which is not only short for Western Valleys but also, if pronounced correctly, sounds like the French words “Oui! Va!” (Yes! Go!). 12 members paid the first official visit to France 5 to 9 May 2006, and a French group came to the WEVA area for the first time 27 September to 2 October that year. During a subsequent WEVA visit to St. Martin a formal Twinning Charter was signed by representatives of the two communities at a grand ceremony in the Salle des Fetes on 20 October 2007.
2. CHARTER AND AIMS
The English wording of the Twinning Charter is as follows:
“The communities of St. Martin d’Auxigny in France and the Western Valleys of Cumbria in England resolve to foster and maintain links with each other in the interests of European understanding and friendship. To this end they will jointly promote a variety of home to home exchanges and visits – cultural, sporting, educational, social and personal. The communities will support meetings and projects with a view to maintaining links, developing international friendships and contributing to peace in Europe – now and in the future.”
The aims of the Twinning Association are to put into effect the aspirations contained in the Charter.
3. MEMBERSHIP
Membership of the Association shall be open to any interested individual, family or corporate body (whether or not they live in the Association’s focus area of CA18, 19 and 20), on payment of a subscription determined by the committee.
4. ANNUAL MEETINGS AND EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETINGS
All members shall receive at least seven days’ notice of the calling of Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings. An Annual General Meeting shall be held each November, to receive reports on the Association’s activities in the year to 30 October, including statements of account prepared by the Treasurer and examined in advance by an Independent Examiner, who shall not be a member of the committee. The AGM shall appoint such a person for the year ahead, and shall elect members of a committee who will subsequently agree who will perform specific functions including those of Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. The committee may co-opt additional members at their discretion. Any officer or committee member may be replaced by simple majority of members present at a properly-convened General Meeting.
5. BANK ACCOUNT AND FUNDS
A bank account shall be operated in the name of “WEVA – Western Valleys Twinning Association” under the instruction of the Association - which may include authority for monies to be invested. The committee shall determine which of its members will be cheque signatories, any two of whom need to sign each cheque. The funds shall be applied solely for the aims and objectives of the Association, and none shall be distributed in any way to members except (a) as reasonable payment for services rendered or (b) on disbandment of the Association, if such a decision is taken at a final General Meeting.
6. CHANGES TO THIS CONSTITUTION
Any amendment to this Constitution may be made only at a properly-convened General Meeting, due notice of the proposed amendment having been given. Any amendment requires the support of two-thirds of those voting.
The wording of this Constitution was approved at the Association’s AGM on 4 November 2009
