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Maidstone Hackspace Constitution

September 2015

DEFINITIONS

Constitution refers to this document.
Maidstone Hackspace refers to the group of members.
Organisation refers to “Maidstone Hackspace” as a not-for-profit membership organisation.
The Board refers to the trustees of Maidstone Hackspace.
The Space refers to a physical area or buildings leased or purchased by Maidstone Hackspace.
Trustee refers to members elected to ensure the adequate running of Maidstone Hackspace.
Member refers to any person currently a member of Maidstone Hackspace.
Junior Member refers to any person currently a member of Maidstone Hackspace who is under 18 years old.

  1. NAME

The name of the group is “Maidstone Hackspace”, a not-for-profit membership organisation. There are Hackspace’s all around the world and now there’s one in Maidstone.

  1. AIMS

Our aim is to provide and maintain a shared community workspace with manufacturing equipment, offering education, support, and encouragement around Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Maths to the general public within Maidstone and surrounding areas. By doing so new skills are learnt and passed on to ensure that creativity and innovation continue.

  1. OBJECTIVES

The group will fulfil the aim by:

  1. Promoting the skills and abilities of people in our local area.

  2. Sharing our tools and equipment between members.

  3. Involving existing members and local volunteers.

  4. Carry out competitions and projects.

  5. Promoting the “hacker ethic”.

  6. Publicising and promoting our projects.

  7. Opening a bank account to collect membership payments.

  8. Making rules and payment options for members.

  9. Organising meetings, workshops and events.

  10. Working alongside similar groups to exchange information and advice.

  11. MEMBERSHIP

Our aim is to provide and maintain a shared community workspace with manufacturing equipment, offering education, support, and encouragement around Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) to the general public within Maidstone and the surrounding areas. By doing so new skills are learnt and passed on to ensure that creativity and innovation continue.

Membership will be granted to any person(s) seeking to join Maidstone Hackspace, unless specific reasons exist why a person should be prevented from joining. These could include, but are not limited to, previous exclusion from similar groups or where the person's membership would not be in the best interests of the group. In these circumstances, a person's membership will be determined by a vote of the management committee.

Members will be expected to pay membership fees to Maidstone Hackspace. These fees will be set or reviewed at the AGM or if an EGM is called. Any changes to the fees will be agreed by way of voting, as outlined in clause 5.4. In certain circumstances, reduced fees may be offered to members who are unable to pay the full fees, so as to not exclude any person(s). For a member to qualify for a reduced membership fee, they should contact the management committee who will review each request and vote on whether the member qualifies for the reduced fee. All Junior Members will qualify for a 50% discount on their membership fee.

  1. MANAGEMENT

  1. The Maidstone Hackspace organisation shall be administered by a management committee of no less than three (3) people.

  2. Management Committee members must be at least 18 years old.

  3. The Officers of the Management Committee shall be:

  4. The Chairperson

  5. The Treasurer

  6. The Secretary

  7. other officers the group shall deem necessary at a meeting.

  8. Voting shall be by show of hands on a majority basis. If there is a tied vote The Chairperson shall have a second vote.

  9. In the event that The Chairperson, The Treasurer or The Secretary of the Management Committee resigns from the Committee, or if their membership is terminated:

  10. Unless within 3 months of the next AGM, the remaining Officers of the Management Committee shall then decide on the date of an EGM to appoint a member to the vacated role.

  11. Members may nominate themselves for the role, either in writing to the Management Committee prior to the AGM/EGM, or in person at the AGM/EGM.

  12. With the Member's permission, the Management Committee may appoint a Member as an "Interim" Officer of the Committee. The Member will fulfil the role until the day of the AGM/EGM, at which point all "Interim" appointments will cease.

  13. Should any further Officers of the Committee resign "Interim" appointments must be attempted, if unsuccessful an EGM must be called to discuss the dissolution of the group (see Clause 13.)

  14. SAFETY

  1. The Maidstone Hackspace aims to provide the space and tools for members to work on their own projects. Each member must assess the safety of their own projects, the tools they are using, and the space they are using before starting. Each member is individually responsible for their own safety and their own actions whilst at hackerspace events. Maidstone Hackspace accepts no liability for any injury, death or loss caused by members’ actions, except where required by law.

  2. Members put the safety of themselves and other members ahead of all other considerations. Members should not use any tools or equipment that they are not confident in using, or should seek assistance to do so. If an urgent safety risk is identified, members are required to cease all work until the risk is resolved.

  3. Members must respect the Hackspace by ensuring they clear up their projects when finished and that their work does not cause hazards to others whilst in progress. Members should also respect that some items provided are not to be hacked, and this will be made clear.

  4. All Junior Members and vulnerable adults must be accompanied and supervised by a member who will take full responsibility for the Junior Member/vulnerable adult. The supervising member:

  5. Must be 18 years or older, and legally responsible.

  6. Must be either the Junior Member's/vulnerable adult's Guardian/Parent, or has been appointed by the Guardian/Parent to supervise the Junior Member/vulnerable adult.

  7. Must not be supervising more Junior Members/vulnerable adults in the Space at any one time than the ratio agreed to by The Committee.

  8. TERMINATIONS

Membership may be terminated if:

  1. The member dies or, if it is an organisation, ceases to exist;

  2. The member resigns by written notice to the Board;

  3. any sum due from the member to Maidstone Hackspace is not paid in full within six weeks of it falling due - a minimum of one reminder will be sent during that time;

  4. the member is removed from membership by a resolution of the Board that it is in the best interests of Maidstone Hackspace that his or her or membership is terminated. A resolution to remove a member from membership may only be passed if

  5. the member has been given at least twenty-one days’ notice in writing of the meeting of the trustees at which the resolution will be proposed and the reasons why it is to be proposed;

  6. the member or, at the option of the member, the member’s representative (who need not be a member of Maidstone Hackspace) has been allowed to make representations to the meeting.

  7. FINANCE

  1. Any money collected by the group shall be used only for the group.

  2. Any revenue generated by the group should remain within the group or distributed fairly to its members.

  3. Any bank accounts opened for the group shall be in the name of the group.

  4. The Management Committee will ensure that the group stays within budget.

  5. The Management Committee must keep proper financial records as the organisation may be liable for tax.

  6. Any and all financial records should be open and transparent and available to members upon request. The normal process for sharing these will be at the AGM.

  7. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEETINGS

  1. The Management Committee shall meet at least two (2) times each year.

  2. At least three (3) Officers must be present for the meeting to take place.

  3. The Management Committee shall be accountable to the members.

  4. Meetings must be minuted and available to any interested party.

  5. The Officers shall be given at least seven (7) days notice of a meeting unless it is deemed an emergency meeting.

  6. GENERAL PUBLIC MEETINGS

  1. The Management Committee shall call at least two (2) general public meetings each year, the purpose of these meetings is for the group to account for its actions and consider the development according to the group’s objectives.

  2. The Chairperson of the group shall normally chair these meetings, unless circumstances prevent them from doing so.

  3. At least fourteen (14) days notice of such a meeting must be given and advertised in at least two (2) public places.

  4. General Public Meetings must be minuted and available to any interested party.

  5. There must be at least six (6) persons present for a General Meeting to take place.

  6. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS

  1. The Maidstone Hackspace shall hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) at not more than 15 month intervals.

  2. Where possible members shall be notified personally, otherwise notice will be deemed served by advertising the meetings in at least two (2) public places giving at least 14 days notice.

  3. The agenda of the meeting shall include:

  4. Receiving a report from the Chairperson of the group’s activities over the year.

  5. Presented with a report of the last year’s accounts from the Treasurer on the finances of the group.

  6. A review on the current membership fees

  7. Electing a new Management Committee.

  8. Considering any other business as may be appropriate.

  9. All Annual General Meetings must be minuted and available to any interested party.

  10. There must be at least six (6) persons present, of which no fewer than three (3) will be Officers for a General Meeting to take place.

  11. Annual general meetings can be called more frequently if there is a requirement within the group. These will be referred to as Extraordinary General Meetings (EGM) and, with the exception of clause 11.3, these will have the same stipulations as an AGM.

  12. ALTERATIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION

  1. Proposals for the amendments to this constitutions, or dissolution (see Clause 13) must be delivered to The Secretary in writing. The Secretary in conjunction with all other officers shall then decide on the date of a meeting to discuss such proposals, giving at least 2 weeks (14 days) notice.

  2. Any changes to this constitution must be agreed by the majority of members by vote at any general meeting.

  3. DISSOLUTION

The group may be wound up at any time if agreed by the majority of members by vote at any general meeting. Any assets will be returned to their providers (if possible), or passed on to a group with similar aims and/or an appropriate charity chosen by the Management Committee.

  1. ADOPTION OF THE CONSTITUTION

This constitution was adopted by the members present at the meeting held on:

Date:			        ____________________

Signed By chair         ____________________

Signed By secretary		____________________

Signed By treasurer		____________________

Signed by member		____________________

Signed by member		____________________

Signed by member		____________________