INAUGURATION
1.The Fighter Control Association was inaugurated at a meeting, attended by 58 serving and retired Fighter Controllers, held at Royal Air Force West Drayton on 12 October 1990.
DEFINITIONS
2.In this Constitution, unless otherwise specified, the following definitions apply:
a."The Association" means the Association of Royal Air Force Fighter Control Officers.
b."The Committee" means the elected Committee of the Association.
c."The Rules" means the Rules of the Association made under the provisions of this Constitution.
d."Fighter Control" or any of its derivations within the Constitution or Rules means the role within the Royal Air Force that determines the eligibility of a Full Member of the Association under the Rules; it may and will include roles, both prior to and subsequent to the inauguration of the Association, that may be construed to be the same as that defined at inauguration.
(inserted at AGM 13)
OBJECTIVES
3.The objectives of the Association are set out below:
a.Primary Objectives
(1)To further the recognition and identity of the Fighter Control Branch, its predecessors and successors.
(2)To unify and sustain a spirit of comradeship among serving and retired members of the Fighter Control Branch, its predecessors and successors.
b.Enabling Objectives
(1)To maintain a financial position to support the Association's primary objectives.
(2)To research the history of Fighter Control and contribute to its historical record.
(3)To provide assistance, information and advice to serving and retired members of the Fighter Control Branch, its predecessors and successors.
(4)To advise and inform all members of the Association by traditional (written, typed or printed) means and electronic means, as appropriate.
(5)To seek and achieve benefits from affiliations.
(amended at AGM 13)
MEMBERSHIP
4.Unless and until the Rules shall otherwise provide, Full Members of the Association shall be Annual Members.
5.Any officer shall be eligible for full membership of the Association providing he/she is serving, or has served, in the Royal Air Force, Womens Royal Air Force, Royal Auxiliary Air Force or Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and has served:
a.In the Fighter Control Branch and has been awarded a recognised fighter control qualification or
b.As a Radar Supervisor, Fighter Director or GCI Controller prior to the formation of the Fighter Control Branch.
6.Applications for membership of the Association shall be made in the manner and to the person, prescribed in the Rules. Every member of the Association shall pay the entrance fee and annual subscription required by the Rules.
7.Annual Members shall have the right to attend and vote at meetings of the Association, and shall be subject to the conditions prevailing in the Rules.
8.Associate and Honorary membership shall be admissible in accordance with the Rules.
OFFICERS
9.There shall be a President, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and a Treasurer of the Association and such other Officers as may be prescribed from time-to-time in the Rules.
COMMITTEE
10.There shall be a Committee of the Association consisting of such numbers of members currently prescribed in the Rules. Committee members shall be duly elected at an Annual General Meeting; nominated by their Ministry of Defence appointment or by regional branches; or co-opted as prescribed in the Rules. Committee members will hold office for the period prescribed in the Rules.
11.Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, and of the Rules, the Committee shall have responsibility for the management and control of the Association's affairs and the administration of all properties and monies thereof; the Committee shall have the power to delegate, subject to any reservations or restrictions they may deem necessary, to any Sub-Committee appointed from their own number or otherwise constituted for the purpose from other members of the Association.
12.Subject to the Rules a new Committee shall be appointed at each Annual General Meeting of the Association; at the close of the Annual General Meeting the old Committee shall be deemed to have retired and the new Committee to have assumed office.
REGIONAL BRANCHES
13.The formation of Regional Branches shall be encouraged. Approval for the formation of Regional Branches shall be invested in the Committee. Regional Branches shall form their own Committee comprising a maximum of Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and two other members; they shall also prepare their own Rules - including the raising of a Regional levy if deemed necessary - and nominate a non-voting Representative to the Committee.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
14.A meeting of all members, known as the Annual General Meeting shall be held each year at such place and time as decided by the Committee.
15.The powers, duties, nature of the business to be transacted, the right of representation and procedure of the Annual General Meeting shall be in accordance with the Rules.
16.A Special Meeting shall be convened by the Committee on their own initiative, or at the request of at least fifty members of the Association, giving such notice as required by the Rules.
FINANCE
17.The annual subscription, currently prescribed in the Rules, shall be forwarded to the Treasurer by every member, ie, Full and Associate Members. All funds so derived shall be the property of the Association and shall accordingly be vested in the Committee.
18.There shall also be credited to the funds of the Association:
a.All monies, securities and other property acquired by the Association.
b.All gifts of money or property of whatsoever kind whether arising from public or private subscription or otherwise.
c.All monies which shall come into the hands of the Association as a result, or by reason, of the activities of the Association in promoting the Objectives of the Association expressed in Article 3 herein.
RULES
19.The first Rules to be made under this Constitution shall be made within the period beginning on the date of this Constitution and ending on the date of the next Annual General Meeting. The Rules, or any one of them, may from time-to-time be revoked, altered or added to by the Association at an Annual General Meeting provided that the prescribed notice shall have been given to the members, and that the prescribed majority of those present, and entitled to vote, shall vote in favour of such Rules, revocations, amendments or additions.
VALIDITY OF PROCEEDINGS
20.No proceeding or resolution of the Association in an Annual General Meeting, or meeting of the Committee or a Sub-Committee, shall be invalidated or questioned by reason of:
a.Vacancy/vacancies in membership.
b.The disqualification of, or any irregularity in, the appointment of any member(s).
c.Accidental omission to give any member(s) notice of any meeting.
AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION
21.Any proposal for repealing, amending or adding to any of the provisions of this Constitution shall be submitted to an Annual General Meeting, or a Special Meeting convened for this purpose. Due notice of such a proposal(s) shall first be given to the Chairman; such proposal(s) shall be prepared in printed copies for submission to the members at the meeting and shall be marked "Proposed Amendment to the Constitution". Such proposal(s), for repeal, amendment or addition to any of the provisions of the Constitution, so submitted at an Annual General or Special Meeting and approved by the votes of three-fourths of the full members present or represented by a proxy vote, shall, when given approval by the President, become effective.
TERMINATION OF THE ASSOCIATION
22.The property and monies of the Association are vested in the Committee and in the event of the Association ceasing to exist, the assets shall be given or transferred to some other charitable institution or institutions having objects similar to the objects of the Association.
18 May 2013