Important Notice: Special General
Meeting
Members
are reminded that the Annual General Meeting will take place on 11th June 2008.
It will be followed this year by a Special General Meeting. The purpose of this
Special Meeting is to consider and (it is hoped) endorse a proposed new
Constitution. The reasons which the Executive Committee have for proposing this
were explained at last year's AGM. Essentially, our present Constitution was
produced speedily, at the inception of the Friends, and before it could be
realised how our organisation would grow and develop. It served us quite
adequately over the past years but it does not cater for all our administrative
requirements. A more comprehensive document, which provides more extensive
administrative powers and more comprehensive provisions for the management of
the Friends, is felt by the Executive Committee to be needed.
The
Constitution which it is proposed should be adopted has been submitted to the
Charity Commission and the Commissioners gave their consent to its adoption by notice
dated 26th March.
A
copy of the proposed Constitution and a copy of the Commissioners' consent have
been posted on the Friends' website (http://www.athosfriends.org/Documents/ConstitutionDraft.html. Members who do not have access to this or
who wish to see a hard copy of the document are invited to write to the
Secretary (Dr Graham Speake, Ironstone Farmhouse, Milton, Banbury, OXON, OX15
4HH) or apply to the Treasurer (Simon Jennings at Rawlinson & Hunter,
Eighth Floor, 6 New Street Square, New Fetter Lane, London EC4A 3AQ) to inspect
a copy.
The
most notable feature of the proposed Constitution is the provision for wider
Objects. The present Objects are ̉the advancement of education of the public in
the study and knowledge of the history, culture, arts, architecture, natural
history, and literature of the Orthodox monasteries of Mount Athos and the
promotion of the religious and other charitable work of the Holy Community and
monasteries of Mount Athos"
It
is proposed that these Objects should be expanded to:
i)
refer to the dependencies of Mount
Athos as well as the monasteries there
ii)
make explicit a general objective
of the advancement of religion not only through the direct support (in so far
as is consistent with English Charity Law) of the monastic communities on the Holy
Mountain, but also of religious communities outside Mount Athos which are
affiliated thereto by dependency (such as the monastery at Ormylia, or at Solan
in France) or by deriving their ethos from the monastic life of Mount Athos.
This not only reflects a broader interest on the part of the Friends but would
allow for better fulfilment of the overriding requirement for public benefit,
allowing the support and encouragement of communities adhering to the Athonite
spirit but which are more accessible to all our members.
This
extension is not in any way meant to detract from the main and continuing
object for which the Friends exists - namely the support of Mount Athos itself.
Mount
Athos and the Holy Community are both defined in the proposed constitution.
The
proposed Constitution also makes provision for Life and Honorary Members (as
well as for Patrons and for a President, as the existing Constitution does). It
provides for a Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee, in addition to the
existing officers.
It
provides for rules governing the meetings of the Executive Committee (and more
extensive rules governing meetings of members).
It
specifies that the Executive Committee are the Trustees of the Charity, and
provides for them to have more extensive and appropriate powers of grant
making, fund raising, investment and management of property. It enables them to
take out indemnity insurance which is considered necessary particularly in view
of some of the activities which they undertake, such as the footpath project.
It provides for exceptional cases where payments might be made to members of
the Executive Committee (most obviously where the Friends might sponsor
publication or purchase books written by Committee members). Such payments
would be subject to stringent conditions to ensure that any approval would be
independent of the interested member.
It
is hoped that Members will approve the proposed Constitution and that it will
be formally adopted on 11th June.
Simon Jennings
Hon. Treasurer