Old Bedford Modernians' Club - The home of the old BMS boys

MEMBERSHIP

OBM CLUB RULES

(Adopted July 1999, amended June 2003, and further amended by the Annual General Meeting on 6th July 2007)

TITLE AND OBJECTS

The Club shall be called the Old Bedford Modernians’ Club and the objects of

the Club shall be the bringing and keeping together of past pupils of Bedford Modern School, and the maintenance of the full corporate unity of the School.

MEMBERSHIP

(a) The following shall be entitled to membership, subject to 3 (b) below : Past pupils of sixteen years of age and upwards, Past members of the academic Staff who have served not less than two years at the School, Present members of Staff during the time of their appointment to the School shall be considered members ex officio.

(b) The Life Membership subscription for pupils shall be part of the School fees, and mentioned as such in the School’s parent contract.

(c) The Committee may nominate Honorary Life Members for approval by the Annual General Meeting.

(d) In recognition of outstanding service to the Club and/or School, or for such other reason as shall be considered appropriate, the Committee may, on occasion, nominate any OBM for election by the Annual General Meeting as a Fellow of the Old Bedford Modernians’ Club, such distinction being recorded appropriately within the School.

TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP

3. (a) Anyone leaving the School (or any OBM at any time) may resign his or her membership of the Club by notifying the Secretary in writing.
The Annual General Meeting may, on the recommendation of the Management Committee, resolve to expel from Club membership any OBM whose public conduct on any occasion is deemed to have been seriously detrimental to the good name of the School.

PUBLICATIONS

Every OBM shall receive the Club magazine Eagle News, the costs of which shall be borne by the School, sent to the last notified address.

FINANCE

5. The School shall consider an annual estimate of day-to-day running costs from the Club, to be received by the School Bursar, by 15th December, for a financial year beginning 1st April. The estimate shall include officers’ reasonable expenses together with administrative and other costs as appropriate. After consideration, the School will either agree a budget for the following year in line with the estimate provided or enter into constructive discussion where required.

CLUB MANAGEMENT

(a) The Officers of the Club shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Chairman of the Committee, a Secretary, an Assistant Secretary, a Treasurer and an Assistant Treasurer. These posts shall be honorary, except for that of Secretary. The Secretary shall receive pensionable remuneration from the School. In consideration of his work for the Club’s finances, the Treasurer shall be entitled to receive an annual honorarium, the amount to be determined by the Committee from time to time. The Committee shall consist of the Chairman, (who is the Headmaster ex-officio), the Officers of the Club and twelve other elected members, but it shall have the power to co-opt members at its discretion.

7. (a) A Founder’s Commemoration Dinner and London Lunch shall be held annually and other social events annually or at such interval as the Committee may decide.
The Annual General Meeting shall take place during the Summer term at such a time that the retiring President may invest his successor with the Badge of Office at the Annual Dinner. Notification of, and agenda for the Annual General Meeting shall be printed in Eagle News. (a) All Honorary Officers except the Chairman shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting for one year, but other members of the Committee for two years. Half of these members shall retire annually, but shall be eligible for re-election. Co-opted representatives for sports and other special interests shall not be subject to annual election, but their names shall be listed in the Agenda.

In the case both of Honorary Officers and other Committee members nominations for election shall be handed in at least seven days before the Annual General Meeting, the consent of the nominee having previously been obtained.
The Committee shall be empowered to fill any vacancy that may occur during the year. One member of the Committee shall be a past pupil who has left School not more than seven years previous to the date of the election. Elections and appointments made at the Annual General Meeting shall be effective from 1st September each year, except in the case of the President/ Vice-President as above 7(b). The Vice-President may represent the President at Club and School events and functions. The Vice-President shall be the Committee’s nominee for next President.

9. The Auditors shall be appointed by the Annual General Meeting.
At the Annual General Meeting the Committee, through the Secretary and Treasurer, shall present a Report and a Financial Statement for the year ending 31st March. (a) The Committee shall meet at least once in every School term. Not less than nine shall form a quorum. Any member of the Committee, having the approval of the President, may require the Secretary to call a meeting within fourteen days. At least seven days’ notice of a meeting shall be given by the Secretary The Committee may delegate to sub-committees consideration of certain matters, and approval of expenditure within limits set by the Committee, as may be thought necessary. (a) A General Meeting may be called at any time by the Committee. The Secretary shall call a Special General Meeting within one month of a request made (in writing) by at least thirty members stating the reason(s) for the request. Seven days’ notice of a General Meeting (accompanied by an agenda) shall be given to members.

COLOURS AND INSIGNIA

(a) The Club shall have as its badge the arms of the Founder, Sir William Harpur. The Club colours shall be red, black and white. For gentlemen, the Club tie shall be black with a red and white diagonal strip interspersed with red eagles. For ladies, there shall be an equivalent appropriate design for a brooch and/or scarf. The Club tie and apparel may only be purchased by Club members. Other items of clothing in Club colours may be made available from time to time as necessity demands, at the discretion of the Management Committee.

ALTERATIONS TO RULES

Alterations to these Rules can be made only as follows: at the Annual General Meeting, when 21 days’ notice of the proposed alteration(s) must have been given (in writing) to the Secretary, or at a Special General Meeting called in accordance with Rule 11, except that for this purpose 21 days’ notice shall be given, such alterations becoming effective immediately upon their acceptance by the Annual or Special General Meeting.