Luton and Dunstable Community Network

(Part of the Consume Project)

Constitution

(Draft 30 Nov 01)

1. Name
The Club shall be known as:- The Luton and Dunstable (L&D) Community Network.

2. Aims
The aims of the Club shall be to:

  • Establish a high speed broadband (11Mbps) computer wireless local area network that is freely available to every home, amateur and voluntary organisation in the L&D area.
  • Co-ordinate locally produced material (e.g. radio, television, interactive games, etc.) that will be made available to all members.
  • Provide facilities for local inter-personal, inter-club and inter-organisational communication (e.g. news, e-mail, web pages, chat, telephone, video-conferencing, etc.) for all members.
  • Provide one or more gateways for high speed access to the Internet
  • Support other Consume groups, particularly those nearby, and support the cause of free networks worldwide.

    3. Membership
    Membership shall be open to all individuals, households, amateur and voluntary organisations in the L&D area regardless of age, sex, religion, nationality, etc.

    Full Membership Condition: Members who require access to the network HAVE to be over 18 years old and HAVE to agree to, and sign the Terms and Conditions (see Reference 2).

    Membership can be in the following Categories:
    Full Members. Full members have Full Member status and may use the networking facilities throughout the country (extendable to other countries and the entire world in time). There are two sub-categories:

  • Contributing Members. Contributing members are those Full Members who operate an always-on network node that is available to all other members. At the discretion of the committee, other types of contribution may qualify for "contributing member" status such as some other network facility, (e.g. provision of a news feed, a music feed, a mail server, etc) that is made available to all other members and in subsequent years is to recommended by the Committee for ratification at the AGM.
  • Non-Contributing Members. Non-Contributing members are those Full Members who do not operate an always-on network node and do not make any other contribution.

    Guest Members. Guest Members are those Guests, Visitors, Members aged under 18 and Trial users that Full Members allow to access the network through their node. Guest members are the responsibility of the Contributing Member (who should ensure that the Guest complies with the Terms and Conditions).

    Speculative Members. Speculative members are those who express an interest in joining the Club but have not signed the Terms and Conditions and do not have or provide a network node. The "Location" and status of Speculative members is important to the Club for network connectivity reasons.

    Non-Local Consume Members. who are members of Consume in other areas (of the country) have full rights to access to all facilities of the L&D area network and provide reciprocal facilities.

    Honorary Members. Honorary Members are those persons who have made a significant contribution to the club or to the cause of free networking. Honorary Membership is bestowed to signify the Club's respect for the member. Honorary members may be listed in Club documents. There are no other benefits or rights.

    Excluded from Club Membership are: Commercial businesses and any other profit making organisations. This is a condition imposed by the Government Radiocommunications Agency (RA) for licence-exempt wireless broadcasting.

    Expulsion. The Committee shall have power to expel any member whose conduct, in the opinion of at least three-quarters of the full Committee, renders that person unfit to be a member of the Club. No Member shall be expelled without first having been given an opportunity to appear before the Committee.

    4. Subscriptions
    There are two types of subscription, Club Subscription and Internet Subscription

    4a. Club Subscription
    The purpose of club subscription is to raise funds to contribute to the purchase of Club equipment so that eventually, free access can be granted to everyone. Club subscription should be regarded as a temporary measure.

    In the meantime, the Club shall operate a system of subscriptions as follows:

    (a) The annual subscriptions for membership shall be recommended by the Committee for ratification at the AGM.

    (b) All subscriptions shall be due and payable at the beginning of the financial year. Members in arrears have no voting rights.

    (c) The financial year shall run from 1 April to 31 March.

    (d) A member is deemed to have resigned from the Club, if, by the following 1st June, the subscription has not been paid i.e. is more than two months late.

    (e) The Committee shall have the power to waive or reduce subscriptions in special circumstances for a period not exceeding 1 year at a time.

    There are categories of subscription corresponding to the membership categories.

    Full Members. Full members:

  • Contributing Members. Contributing Members pay the Base Fee.
  • Non-Contributing Members. Non-Contributing Members pay the Base Fee and an additional Contributary Fee to compensate the Club for resources that they use.

    Speculative Members, Guest Members and Other Consume Members. Speculative members, Guest Members and Other Consume Members have free membership.

    4b. Internet Subscription
    The purpose of Internet subscription is to provide shared broadband access to the Internet for those members who require it.

    The club will purchase Internet access from an ISP and share this among those members who subscribe.

    Internet subscription will be made on a non-profit-making basis and will cost a proportion of the ISP rate (which is subject to ISP charges and price rises, etc.). For example if four members share Internet access they would each pay one quarter of the cost.

    Members dropping out from this scheme must inform the committee at least three months in advance.

    5. Financial
    All money received by the Club shall be promptly deposited in the Club’s bank account. Withdrawals require the signature of the Club’s Treasurer and one other nominated committee member of the Club.

    The Club will raise funds for:

  • Network shared infrastructure components, e.g. connecting nodes, shared network software, etc.
  • Hiring premises for meetings
  • Any other shared facility or activity the committee agrees upon.

    The Club will not spend funds for specific individuals unless it is for a common benefit and has been agreed by the committee.

    The Club finances will be audited annually by external auditors.

    All other network property will be owned by the members individually or in groups (e.g. neighbours, local clubs, voluntary organisations) and is excluded from the audit.

    6. Membership and Responsibilities of the Committee
    The Club’s affairs shall be administered by a Committee elected at the Annual General Meeting.

    The Committee, in whom the Club’s property shall be vested, shall be responsible for:
    (a) providing facilities that benefit the majority of members
    (b) managing the finances of the club wisely
    (c) approval of membership applications
    (d) organising the activities of the club and its members
    (e) ensuring the safety of its members while on club activities
    (f) ensuring that equal opportunities are provided to all members within the scope of The Equal Opportunities Policy (Ref 1) and monitoring this
    (g) deciding the types of contribution that may qualify a member for "contributing member" status (resulting in waived or reduced subscriptions).

    The individual members of the Committee shall consist of:

    (a) A Chair who will preside at all meetings at which s/he is present. No member may hold this position for more than three consecutive years. S/he may be re-elected after a break of one year.

    (b) A Vice-Chair who will act as Chair in the absence of the Chair.

    (c) A Secretary who will be responsible for:
    (i) keeping the minutes of all meetings of the Club
    (ii) ensuring that all correspondence is correctly handled
    (iii) maintaining a master roll of members and honorary members
    (iv) maintaining a register of Club equipment and its location
    (v) keeping members up-to-date with current activities
    (vi) organising help parties to advise on, and install new equipment
    (vii) maintain the website.

    (d) A Treasurer, who will be responsible for:
    (i) keeping the Club’s accounts,
    (ii) advising the Committee on all financial matters,
    (iii) preparing the accounts for audit and presenting them at the AGM.

    The Public Relations Officer, who will be responsible for:
    (i) making contacts with other local public/voluntary sector organisations that might be interested in joining the Club.
    (ii) co-ordinating promotional activities.

    (e)Ordinary Committee Members.
    Not more than four co-opted members who have full voting powers.

    7. Committee standing orders
    (a) The quorum for the Committee shall be three members. In the absence of a quorum, business may be dealt with but any decisions taken only become valid after ratification at the next meeting at which a quorum exists.

    (b) Committee meetings may be called by the Chair or the Secretary or any other committee member with the agreement of the Chair or the Secretary.

    The Committee are responsible for

    8. Annual General Meeting
    (a) The Annual General Meeting shall normally be held on the first day of May of each year. At least 21 days notice shall be given to each member in writing.

    (b) The quorum for the meeting shall be five members.

    (c) The agenda for the Annual General Meeting shall be:

    (i) Apologies for absence
    (ii) Minutes of the previous AGM
    (iii) Chair’s report
    (iv) Secretary’s report
    (v) Treasurer’s report
    (vi) Election of the new Committee
    (vii) Election of auditors
    (viii) Other business
     Items (i) to (vi) shall be chaired by the out-going Chair and the remaining business by the newly elected Chair.

    (d) Nominations for Committee members will only be valid if confirmed by the nominee at the meeting or previously in writing.

    (e) Items to be raised by members under other business must be notified to the Secretary not less than 21 days before the AGM.

    9. Extraordinary General Meeting
    (a) Extraordinary General Meetings may be called by the Committee or not less than five members of the Club, the date of the meeting being the earliest convenient as decided by the Committee. At least 28 days notice in writing must be given to the Secretary, who in turn shall give members at least 14 days notice in writing of the agenda. No other business may be transacted at the EGM.

    (b) The quorum for the EGM shall be five.

    10. Amendments to the constitution
    The constitution may be amended only at an EGM called for that purpose.

    11. Winding up of the Club
    (a) The decision to wind up the Club may be taken only at an EGM.

    (b)The funds of the Club shall, after the sale of all assets and the payment of all outstanding debts, be disposed of as directed by members at the final EGM.

    Reference 1: The L&D Community Network Equal Opportunities Policy.
    Reference 2: The L&D Community Network Terms and Conditions.

    Please send comments on this draft to the Local Co-ordinator:
    Paul Clarke
    39 Bampton Road
    Luton LU4 0DD
    Tel: 01582 508616
    E-mail: wlan@freeuk.com

    30 Nov 01