Policies and procedures
Constitution
Background
The Sutton Writers Constitution was revised in 2026 and approved at the Annual General Meeting on 21st July 2026.
It was first drawn up at a Committee meeting on 17th November 1987 and amended after decisions taken at the AGM on 9th June 1989, at the AGM on 13th July 1990 and at the AGM on 13th July 2018.
Future amendments to the Constitution may be made by the Committee, by a unanimous vote of attending Committee Members, and reported to the Members at the next AGM. All grades of Member will also be advised, by email, of any change(s) made, immediately after the Committee meeting at which the change(s| were made.
Definitions
The following definitions apply in this Constitution.
Member:
A Member must have paid a current annual fee.
This gives free attendance to regular monthly meetings and workshops (unless the workshop is in a location where a fee is charged), and a member is entitled to enter competitions, nominate Committee Members, vote at the AGM, and request an EGM is called (see later 6 – meetings).
The Committee:
The Committee 6consists of the officers (Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer) and other committee members, all elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM), unless co-opted by a simple majority of a quorum of committee members. A maximum of two committee members may be co-opted in any one year.
Where put to the vote, committee meeting decisions will be taken by a simple majority. If the vote is tied the Chair will have the casting vote.
1. Name
The name of the organisation is SUTTON WRITERS.
2. Object
The object of Sutton Writers is to encourage members in the writing craft by means of regular monthly meetings, workshops and other related activities. Sutton Writers will also support and encourage writing in the wider community
3. Membership
Membership will be Full, Honorary or any other additional grade which might be approved by the Committee.
Full Members pay the annual fee in place at the time. At the discretion of the Committee, a half-fee may be payable by members joining after February in any year.
Membership may be subject to the approval of the committee, by a majority vote. This decision will be final.
Honorary Membership is for life. No membership fee is payable by Honorary Members. Their membership can only be terminated by the committee, which must state its reasons in writing. Any such termination may be appealed against.
If a Workshop is held in a location where a fee is charged, it may at times be the responsibility of the Members of that Workshop to cover any such cost, without subsidy from Sutton Writers’ funds.
The Committee will have the power to withdraw Membership from anyone whose conduct renders them unsuitable. Any such complaint will be considered by the Committee. Any Member whose Membership is withdrawn will have the right of appeal to the Committee. Any outstanding subscription will not be refundable.
A copy of the current Sutton Writers constitution will be displayed on the Sutton Writers website.
4. Subscriptions and fees
Members must pay their annual subscription, in force at that time. Payment will be requested at the start of the Group’s year (September) and should be made within three months of the request. Membership will be withdrawn if payment has not been made at the end of three months from 1 September. Members who are unable to pay should approach the Treasurer and the matter will be dealt with, in confidence, by the Committee. There is no annual subscription for Honorary Members.
The annual subscription will be decided at an Annual General Meeting. The Committee may recommend changes in subscriptions, such changes to be duly approved at an AGM.
Potential members may attend their first meeting free of charge.
5. Management
The officers and committee will be elected at each Annual General Meeting.
The Committee will consist of:
- The Officers, namely the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer, together with a minimum of two other committee members.
- Four members of the Committee will form a quorum.
- The Committee will have the power to co-opt a maximum of two Members, who will then have full Committee rights.
- An Honorary Auditor may be elected at the AGM but will not be a Committee Member.
6. Meetings
The Annual General Meeting will be held in July of each year. The minimum notice to members will be 14 days before the meeting with an Agenda and the Minutes of the previous year’s meeting distributed by that time.
The business of the Annual General Meeting will include:
- The Chair’s address.
- Report from the Treasurer.
- The election of Officers and Committee, nominations for which must be received by the Secretary at least seven days before the meeting. All such nominations to be proposed and seconded by two members.
- Any amendment to the Constitution agreed by the Committee since the last Annual General meeting.
- Any proposed changes to subscriptions.
- Any other business decided by the committee.
One-fourth of the total Membership will constitute a quorum for the meeting, and any subsequent vote, to be valid.
All decisions will be taken by a simple majority vote of the members present.
Committee meetings will normally be convened by the Chair. Two other Officers, or one Officer and one Ordinary Committee Member, may call a Special Committee Meeting.
An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) may be called by the Chair or the Committee, on the receipt by the Secretary of a requisition stating the purpose of such a meeting. An EGM may also be called on the receipt of a similar requisition signed by at least one-fourth of the members (all grades) of Sutton Writers.
Fourteen days’ notice of an EGM must be given to members stating its purpose, and the business will be confined to this purpose only. One-fourth of the total membership need to attend to constitute a quorum for the meeting, and any subsequent vote, to be valid.
Votes will be decided by a simple majority. If the vote is tied, the Chair will have the casting vote.
7. Publicity
Members will be advised of the group activities by the Sutton Writers website, by email, by social media, or any other method agreed by the Committee.
If possible, Sutton Writers will seek to publicise any publications by Members or any events in which Members are appearing, but the Committee reserves the right not to do in every case.
8. Property
Income and property will be applied solely to the promotion of the objects of Sutton Writers, as approved by the committee.
Dissolution or amalgamation
Sutton Writers will not be dissolved or amalgamated except by a resolution at an Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting. In this event, the remaining assets, after payment of all liabilities, will be devoted to objects similar to those of Sutton Writers. These matters will be decided by calling an EGM, under the EGM rules above.