A nomination to serve on the committee should be accompanied by a proposer and a seconder together with the agreement of the nominee. Committee members shall be elected for a two-year term. Committee members having served on the committee for two years shall be eligible to seek re-election.

Chairman

 e)        The committee shall be empowered to co-opt from amongst the elected members a person to fill a vacancy arising amongst its elected officers or members. The co-opted member shall seek endorsement of his appointment to the committee at the next Annual General Meeting after his co-option.

f)          The committee may appoint from amongst its elected members, or co-opt from amongst the members of The Association, persons to assist it or to hold honorary appointments, such as Membership Secretary, Social Secretary, Fund raiser, etc. The committee shall be empowered to appoint sub committees as necessary. Such appointees and sub committees shall be accountable to the committee.

g)         The quorum for the committee shall be three persons.

HONORARY ACCOUNTANT

14)         The Hon Accountant for The Association shall be appointed by the Annual General Meeting.

DISBURSEMENTS

15)      

a)   The committee may, at its discretion, or on instruction from the Annual General Meeting, pursue fund raising activities or approach the membership of The Association for voluntary contributions towards a specific, identified and defined need or purpose, either of renovation, repair, or improvement of a facility or equipment within the school. The responsibility for identification of the need, and the application and control of any such funds through to completion of the specified approved purpose shall rest solely with the committee who shall be accountable to the Annual General Meeting of The Association.

 b)   The committee shall be permitted, at its discretion, to raise funds or to donate a sum from The Association’s surplus funds, should such exist, to support good causes or charities in Darjeeling or elsewhere in India. The proper application and control over those donations shall rest with the committee who shall be accountable to the Annual General Meeting of The Association.

Rules of the OPA (Europe) adopted by the AGM of The Association on 28 June 2014.

ELIGIBILITY

1)         a)       Full membership of The Association shall be open to all those over the age of 18 years who have been at any time students or staff of St. Paul’s School, Darjeeling and who are now normally resident in Europe.

           b)        Honorary membership shall be open to all student Old Paulite members whilst pursuing full time further education studies; all members of staff, their wives or widows; widows of Old Paulites and their immediate family members who may wish to apply to The Association for such membership. Honorary members shall not be required to pay a subscription. They may do so entirely voluntarily if they so wish, in which case they shall enjoy the rights of full membership including the right to vote at meetings of The Association.

           c)         The committee may at its discretion grant membership to The Association to Old Paulites at present living in countries where an Old Paulite Association does not exist.

           d)         Admission to membership shall be by election of the committee which may refuse any application without stating a reason, or, provided six weeks notice in writing is given to the Hon Secretary of the intention to propose such membership, by election at a General Meeting of The Association on a majority vote of those present and voting.

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS

2)         The financial year of The Association shall run from 1st April to 31st March.

3)         The subscription for membership of The Association shall be due and payable on the 1st of April in each year, except that for newly-joined members the first subscription shall be due immediately on election. Subscriptions shall preferably be paid by Bankers Order.

4)        The scale of subscriptions shall from time to time be decided upon by the Annual General Meeting of The Association and shall be determined by a majority of those present and voting. The notice of subscriptions shall be sent to all members at the first opportunity after such a General Meeting has approved it.

WITHDRAWAL OF MEMBERSHIP

5)         a)         In the event of the subscription of a member being due and unpaid for two successive years their membership shall lapse. Membership having lapsed under this rule, a lapsed member shall be liable to pay the due and unpaid subscriptions. At his discretion the Hon Secretary shall withhold invitations to official Old Paulite functions organised by The Association until the subscriptions are paid.

           b)         The committee shall have the discretion not to apply this rule in particular cases where they see fit.

c)         The Hon Secretary shall at his discretion be entitled to withhold the UK Newsletter from any member who has not paid his subscription for six months after it falls due.

6)         Any member may resign at any time by notice in writing to the Hon Secretary, but a member whose written resignation is received by the Hon Secretary after his subscription for the current year has become due shall be liable for his subscription for that year.

GENERAL MEETING

7)       a)         A General Meeting of the the Association shall be held annually. Any member who desires that a particular resolution be put to the Meeting shall give at least eight weeks notice before such a meeting. This should be sent to the Hon Secretary.

           b)         Only fully paid up members shall have the right to vote at meetings of The Association.

           c)         A quorum for an Annual General Meeting shall be seven voting members.

ANNUAL ACCOUNTS

8)       The Hon Treasurer shall be required to present a set of audited accounts for adoption by the Annual General Meeting.

NOTICES

9)       The Hon Secretary shall send two notices of the Annual General Meeting to all members of the   Association. The first notice shall be posted or e-mailed at least three calendar months before its         due date. The second notice shall be posted or e-mailed one calendar month before its due date.           Any notice or other communications shall be deemed to have been given to any member for the   purpose of this or any other rule if it is posted to the last address or e-mail address of the member             known to the Hon Secretary. It shall be the responsibility of an individual member to inform the   secretary of any change of address, telephone number, or e-mail address.

COMMITTEE AND OFFICERS

10)          a)     The committee of The Association shall be empowered to manage the affairs of The Association in a proper manner in accordance with the rules set by the Annual General Meeting and shall be required to report annually to the Annual General Meeting of The Association.

               b)       The Annual General Meeting of The Association shall elect the committee. The committee shall consist of the Hon President, the Hon Vice-Presidents, the Hon Secretary, the Hon Treasurer, and committee members as decided by the AGM.

A nomination to serve on the committee should be accompanied by a proposer and a seconder together with the agreement of the nominee. Committee members shall be elected for a two-year term. Committee members having served on the committee for two years shall be eligible to seek re-election.

Committee members shall be expected to attend and participate in at least 50% of the committee meetings (there are usually four meetings, one of which is the AGM). Participation could also be via audio/video links. For a committee member who is consistently unable to comply a new committee member may be co-opted in his place. This rule shall not apply to the Hon President or Hon Vice-Presidents (see (c) below).

               c)         The Hon President and Vice-President(s) may attend committee meetings if they so wish, and if present shall be entitled to vote, but their attendance at committee shall not be obligatory.

d)         The committee of The Association shall elect a Chairman from amongst its members. The chairman is entitled to vote in committee and shall also be entitled to a casting vote when necessary. Thus the working committee shall be:

1. Chairman
2. Hon Secretary
3. Hon Treasurer
4. Elected and co-opted committee members

               e)       The committee shall be empowered to co-opt from amongst the elected members a person to fill a vacancy arising amongst its elected officers or members. The co-opted member shall seek endorsement of his appointment to the committee at the next Annual General Meeting after his co-option.

                 f)         The committee may appoint from amongst its elected members, or co-opt from amongst the members of The Association, persons to assist it or to hold honorary appointments, such as Membership Secretary, Social Secretary, Fund raiser, etc. The committee shall be empowered to appoint sub committees as necessary. Such appointees and sub committees shall be accountable to the committee.

               g)       The quorum for the committee shall be three persons.

HONORARY AUDITOR

11)         The Hon Auditor for The Association shall be appointed by the Annual General Meeting.

DISBURSEMENTS

12)     a)   The committee may, at its discretion, or on instruction from the Annual General Meeting, pursue fund raising activities or approach the membership of The Association for voluntary contributions towards a specific, identified and defined need or purpose, either of renovation, repair, or improvement of a facility or equipment within the school. The responsibility for identification of the need, and the application and control of any such funds through to completion of the specified approved purpose shall rest solely with the committee who shall be accountable to the Annual General Meeting of The Association.

          b)   The committee shall be permitted, at its discretion, to raise funds or to donate a sum from The Association’s surplus funds, should such exist, to support good causes or charities in Darjeeling or elsewhere in India. The proper application and control over those donations shall rest with the committee who shall be accountable to the Annual General Meeting of The Association.

Rules of the OPA (Europe) adopted by the AGM of The Association in June 2011.