Rules of Membership
1. NAME
The name of the Association shall be the Fleet Air Arm Officers’ Association, hereinafter referred to as the Association.
2. OBJECTS
The purposes of the Association are:
2.1. To provide means of association for those officers who are serving or have served in or who have been connected with the Fleet Air Arm,
2.2. To foster and advance the special and privileged affinities and friendships and sense of purpose which such officers have enjoyed during service with the Fleet Air Arm.
2.3. To promote social activities for members and give an equal status to each member within the Association notwithstanding his or her rank, age or service experience.
2.4. To support the Royal Navy actively in furthering the interests and effectiveness of the Fleet Air Arm.
2.5. To foster public interest and awareness of the Fleet Air Arm and of its vital importance as a key arm of the Royal Navy.
2.6. To support such charities as may be agreed by the Committee.
3. FULL MEMBERSHIP
Full membership of the Association shall be open to Officers who hold or have held a commission in the:
3.1. Royal Navy, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Marines, Royal Marines Reserve, Women’s Royal Naval Service or Women’s Royal Naval Reserve.
3.2. Other Armed Services of the Crown, including Commonwealth Services and NATO provided that such Officers have been connected with or have shown particular interest in the work of the Fleet Air Arm.
4. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP
Associate membership shall be open to such persons with a close connection to the Association or the Fleet Air Arm not eligible for full membership. The Rules of the Association shall apply equally to Associate Members except that they shall not be eligible for election to the Committee.
5. HONORARY MEMBERSHIP
The Committee shall have power to elect Honorary Members of the Association. For members who have demonstrated particular service to the FAAOA, this may include a maximum of 3 Honorary Vice Presidents.The election of an honorary member shall be by a unanimous vote of the Committee present and voting at which the election is considered.
6. ELECTION OF MEMBERS
6.1. A candidate for membership must complete an Application Form and submit it to the Secretary. Providing the Secretary is satisfied that the candidate meets the eligibility criteria he will notify the candidate of his acceptance into membership of the Association and request payment of the appropriate subscription.
6.2. If any candidate shall not make satisfactory arrangements for the payment of the subscription within 28 days of acceptance into membership the provisions of Rule 20 shall apply.
6.3. At each committee meeting the Secretary shall report the details of all new candidates accepted into membership of the Association
7. PRESIDENTS AND VICE PRESIDENTS
7.1. The Association shall have one President and such number of Vice Presidents as elected by members in General Meeting. The Presidents and Vice Presidents shall be nominated by the Committee for election by the members at a General Meeting.
7.2. The President and Vice Presidents shall be entitled to receive notice of and to attend meetings of the Committee, but shall not be entitled to vote.
8. COMMITTEE
8.1. The general management and conduct of the Association shall be vested in a Committee, which shall consist of not less than eight nor more than twelve full members of the Association elected at an annual General Meeting of the Association.
8.2. An elected member must retire after serving three years on the committee (excluding any period as a co-opted or ex-officio member). At the end of a first period of three years, a member may go forward for election for a second three year term, after which he must stand down for at least one year before being eligible to offer himself for further re-election to the committee.
8.3. The following officers shall be appointed from the elected members of the Committee:
Chairman
Vice Chairman
Secretary
Treasurer
In the case of Officers of the Association rule 8.2 shall not apply at the end of a second term of three years. After a continuous period of six years in office they shall be subject to annual nomination by the committee and endorsement of their appointment by the Annual General Meeting.
8.4. Any committee member may at any time resign from the Committee by giving notice in writing to the Secretary. If during any period of six months an elected member fails to attend at least one Committee meeting held within that period, he shall be deemed to have resigned unless he can provide satisfactory evidence to the Chairman that an acceptable case of ‘force majeure’ prevented his attendance.
8.5. Nominations for election to the Committee must be lodged with the Secretary in writing not later than fourteen days before the Annual General Meeting. Each nominee must be proposed and seconded by full members of the Association and make a declaration of willingness to serve. If the total number of nominations and retiring Committee members seeking re-election exceeds the number of places available, then election of the Committee shall be by ballot of the members present at the Annual General Meeting
8.6. The Committee shall have authority to co-opt any full member to fill a vacancy in the Committee. Any member co-opted to fill a vacancy shall remain a committee member only until the next following Annual General Meeting but shall then be eligible for election by the Association membership. A co-opted member shall be entitled to vote at all meetings of the committee.
8.7. In addition the Committee shall have authority to appoint persons from any class of Association membership as an ex-officio member of the Committee for specific tasks and any such person shall be appointed for such period as the Committee may determine. Ex-officio committee members will be entitled to receive minutes and notices of meetings and to attend all meetings, but will not be entitled to vote at such meetings, unless deemed otherwise by the Chairman.
8.8. Four members of the Committee shall form a quorum. Questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by majority vote. In the event of a tie the Chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.
8.9. The Committee shall meet as it thinks fit, but not less than four times in every year.
8.10. The Committee may delegate any of its business to Sub Committees as it may consider necessary and confer on them such authority as the Committee shall deem fit. Sub Committees shall report to the Committee.
9. CHAIRMAN and VICE CHAIRMAN
The Chairman, or in the absence of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman shall:
9.1. Preside at all meetings of the Committee and of the Association.
9.2. In the absence of both the Chairman and the Vice Chairman from any meeting of the Committee or the Association, the members present at such meeting shall appoint another full member to preside, the meeting being conducted by the Secretary until such an appointment is made.
9.3. The Chairman and Vice Chairman shall be ex-officio a member of all Sub Committees.
10. SECRETARY
The Secretary shall:
10.1. Give notice of all meetings of the Association to members entitled to receive notices of meeting.
10.2. Keep minutes of all meetings of the Association and of the Committee.
10.3. Maintain the Register of Members (The Blue Book)
10.4. Transact the ordinary business of the Association as the Committee may direct.
10.5. Where appropriate and at his discretion the Secretary may delegate specific tasks to an Administrator appointed to manage the Association's office.
11. TREASURER
The Treasurer shall:
11.1. Advise the Chairman and committee on the financial aspects and implications of the Association’s current or proposed activities.
11.2. Receive and administer all monies on behalf of the Association.
11.3. Make all payments on behalf of the Association as directed by the Committee.
11.4. Keep the accounts of the Association to run from 1st November to 31st October inclusive or such period as may be determined by the Annual General Meeting
11.5. Present a report of the finances of the Association together with audited accounts in such form as the Committee may direct to each Annual General Meeting of the Association.
11.6. Nominate suitable Independent Financial Examiner(s) for approval by the members at the Annual General Meeting.
11.7. Where appropriate and at his discretion the Treasurer may delegate specific tasks to an appropriate officer or member of the association.
12. SUBSCRIPTIONS
12.1. The annual subscription shall be such sum as the Committee shall determine to ensure the financial stability of the Association. The committee’s determination shall be subject to the approval of the members in General Meeting.
12.2. The subscription shall be payable in advance for the subscription year beginning 1 November or such other date as the committee may propose, subject to the approval of the members in General Meeting.
12.3. A member elected eight months after the commencement of any subscription year shall not be required to pay any subscription in respect of that year.
13. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held not later than six months following the end of the Association Financial year. The meeting shall be convened for the following purposes:
13.1. To receive the Chairman’s report of proceedings for the past year.
13.2. To receive the Treasurer’s report and the year-end accounts as reviewed by an independent firm of accountants.
13.3. To elect Committee members,
13.4. To appoint the Independent Financial Examiner for the ensuing financial year,
13.5. To transact such other business as the Committee shall think fit to bring before the meeting,
13.6. To transact any business of which notice has been given by any member pursuant to Rule 15
14. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS
14.1. The Committee may at any time convene a Special General Meeting of the Association.
14.2. The Committee shall convene a Special General Meeting of the Association within sixty days of receipt by the Secretary of a requisition signed by not less than thirty members specifying the purpose of the proposed meeting.
15. MOTIONS AND OTHER MATTERS
15.1. Any member desiring to move any motion at or otherwise to bring any matter before any meeting of the Association shall give the Secretary notice in writing of such motion or matter not less than sixty days before the date of that meeting.
15.2. Upon receipt of any such notice the Secretary shall communicate to the Committee the contents thereof and the Committee shall direct the Secretary to put notice of such motion or other matter upon the Agenda for the next General Meeting of the Association.
16. NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETINGS
16.1. Not less than twenty-one days notice of a General meeting shall be given to members of the Association.
16.2. The notice shall specify the place, day and hour of the meeting and (except in the case of business by these Rules required to be conducted at the Annual General Meeting) the nature of the business and the terms of any motion directed to be put upon the agenda.
17. TRANSACTION OF BUSINESS AT GENERAL MEETINGS
17.1. No motion shall be discussed at any General Meeting unless a member present at the meeting has seconded it.
17.2. At a General Meeting voting upon any matter shall be by a show of hands and if upon any vote being taken the ayes and noes are equal the Chairman shall have an additional casting vote.
17.3. A quorum at any General Meeting shall be fifteen. If within twenty minutes from the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present the meeting shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same time and place. If that shall be for any reason impracticable, until a day and at a time and place appointed by the Committee.
17.4. Notwithstanding the provisions of Rule 15 any member may at any meeting ask leave on the ground of urgency to move any motion concerning a subject of which no notice has been given.
17.5. Upon such leave being given by both the Chairman and by a majority of the members present such motion may be moved, seconded, discussed and voted on.
17.6. If during discussion of any motion any member shall move that the question be now put and such motion shall be seconded the Chairman shall forthwith cause a vote to be taken upon such motion that the question be now put and if it be carried a vote shall forthwith be taken upon the motion before the meeting.
17.7. Upon any motion being moved and seconded at any meeting any meeting may move an amendment thereto and upon such amendment being successful it may be discussed and voted upon.
17.8. General Meetings shall be private meetings and, no persons other than members shall be present during the transaction of business unless the Committee or Meeting otherwise direct.
18. EMERGENCY ACTION BY COMMITTEE
Notwithstanding anything else contained in these Rules and notwithstanding that such action would be otherwise outside the scope of its powers the Committee may in any matter or urgency take such action as it thinks fit in the interests of the Association provided that the Committee shall report on such action to the next General Meeting of the Association.
19. ALTERATION OF RULES
These Rules shall not be altered save at a General Meeting of the Association. No motion for any alteration shall be deemed to be in order unless the proposed alteration shall have been set out in the notice convening the Meeting at which the motion is to be put. Any motion for an alteration of the Rules must receive the assent of not less than two thirds of the Members present and voting.
20. CESSATION OF MEMBERSHIP
If any member fails to pay the due subscription within twenty-eight days from the due date, the Secretary shall give notice in writing to his last recorded address to require payment of the subscription within a further twenty-eight days, in default of which the member will be deemed to have resigned.
21. INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL EXAMINERS
The accounts of the Association shall be examined before each Annual General Meeting and at such other time or times as the Committee may direct and the Independent Financial Examiners shall be entitled to receive notices of and to attend the Annual General Meeting.
22. REMUNERATION
All officers of the Association shall be honorary. However, the Committee may appoint such paid staff, contractors, consultants or Independent Financial Examiners as it thinks fit.
23. INTERPRETATION
If any question arises on interpretation of these Rules or as to any matters of procedure not provided for these Rules then:
23.1. If the question arises at a meeting of the Association it shall be decided by the Chairman of the meeting, whose decision shall be final.
23.2. If it arises otherwise than at a meeting it shall be decided by the Committee whose decision shall be final.
23.3. In these Rules all words importing the masculine gender shall be deemed to also import the feminine gender.
24. INFORMALITIES
No action or decision of the Committee or of any meeting of the Association shall be invalidated by reason only of informality or neglect in any service of notices or in any matter or matters of procedure unless in the opinion of the Committee such informality or neglect has resulted or may result in a situation which is substantially undemocratic or otherwise unjust.
25. PUBLICATION OF RULES
25.1. The Rules are available for inspection at the office of the Association and on the Association Website.
25.2. A copy of the Rules shall be supplied to every new member on election to the Association.
26. ASSOCIATION PUBLICATIONS AND THE REGISTER OF MEMBERS
(The Blue Book)
All Association publications are intended solely for the personal use of members. They are not ‘in the public domain’ and may not be published distributed or used for any purpose unconnected with the Association.
26.1. In particular, the Blue Book, including the version of it contained in the members section of the Association website, is for the exclusive personal use of members of the Association.
26.2. Members shall use their best endeavours to ensure that the Blue Book is not made available to non-members.
26.3. In case of doubt about a proposed use of any Association publication, a member must first contact the Secretary or an Officer of the Association for guidance.
updated 2019