Detail

Back to Revised Laws of Saint Lucia (2021)

Back to Table of Contents

Schedule

(Section 9(2))

1. Interpretation

Interpretation of terms—

“Act” (in these rules means) the Saint Lucia Blind Welfare (Incorporation) Act 1972;

“register” (in these rules) means the register of members kept by the General Secretary;

“Minister” means Minister responsible for community development and social affairs.

2. Name

The name of the Association shall be the Saint Lucia Blind Welfare Association.

3. Patron of Association

The Association shall have a patron who shall be requested by the Council as soon as practicable after the commencement of this Act, and at any other time to serve as patron.

4. Membership

(1) The Association shall consist of ordinary members and honorary members.

(2) The members of the Council appointed hereinafter shall be members of the Association.

(3) Any person desirous of becoming a member of the Association shall apply to the Association at its fixed address.

(4) Any person who is not an ordinary member of the Association shall ipso facto be an honorary member.

(5) The General Secretary shall submit to the Council from time to time the names and addresses of prospective ordinary members duly recorded by him or her for whom qualifying subscriptions have been received at the fixed address of the Association.

(6) All such persons may then be declared ordinary members and entered into the register of members in a notice approved by the majority of the Council.

(7) Ordinary members shall subscribe annually the sum of $3; provided that a subscription of $5 annually shall constitute both husband and wife to be ordinary members.

(8) Annual subscriptions shall become payable on the first day of January each year and shall be in respect of the fiscal year ending on the 31^st December, except that the first annual subscription at the commencement of this Act shall be deemed to commence on that date in respect of that fiscal year. At any general meeting of the Association only those members by whom subscriptions are payable and who have paid these subscriptions in respect of the fiscal year ending on the 31^st December immediately preceding such meeting shall be considered financially qualified and be entitled to vote.

(9) Any member who is in arrears in the payment of his or her subscription for 2 years, from the 1^st January in any year, shall automatically be removed from the register of members of the Association, unless the Council for some special reason decides otherwise.

(10) Any member who in the opinion of the Council (who shall be the sole and final authority), has been guilty of conduct detrimental to the best interest of the Association shall upon a 2/3 vote of the members of the Council present and voting, have his or her name removed from the register forthwith and the name of any person so removed shall not be restored to the register except upon a 2/3 vote of the members present and voting.

5. Council meetings

(1) The Governing Body of the Association shall be a Council consisting of not less than 10 nor more than 20 persons.

(2) The first members of the Council shall be those individuals who have been appointed by the Minister as members of the Saint Lucia Blind Welfare Committee together with such individuals as the Minister may hereafter appoint to fill any vacancies.

(3) The members of the Council appointed by the Minister pursuant to this rule shall continue in office until their term of office comes to an end by virtue of the next succeeding rule or earlier resignation or death.

6. Regulation of meetings

(1) The members of the Association shall at the first Annual General Meeting of the Association to be held subsequent to the expiration of one year from the date on which the Association came into force determine by vote—

(a) the number of members, not being less than 10 nor more than 20 which shall constitute the council for the ensuing and succeeding years;

(b) the proportion of such number, not being less than half, that shall be elected by the Association.

(2) The term of office of the members of the Council then in office shall come to an end at the conclusion of the said meeting.

(3) The members of the Association shall at the said meeting proceed to the election of the number of members of the Council to be elected. The members of the Council so elected shall retire from office at the next Annual General Meeting of the Association.

(4) The Minister shall appoint to be members of the Council a sufficient number of persons to complete the complement determined upon by the Association. The members of the Council so appointed shall remain in office for a period of not more than 3 years.

(5) All members of the Council retiring from office shall from time to time be eligible for re-election or re-appointment by the Minister.

(6) In the event of a member of the Council dying or resigning prior to the expiration of his or her term of office, the vacancy so created may be filled by the Council the person so appointed shall hold office for the remainder of the term of office of the person whom he or she replaces.

(7) The number of members determined by the Association as constituting the Council and the proportion of such number to be elected may be varied from time to time by the Association in General Meeting, provided that the number of members to constitute the Council shall not be less than 10 nor more than 20 and the proportion of such number to be elected shall not be less than half.

7. Rules

The Council may make such rules for the general conduct and management of the business, affairs, property and estate of the Association, as the Council may deem necessary or advisable; and may, in its discretion, delegate any of its powers to any person, department, committee or association upon such terms and subject to such conditions as it may determine.

8. Engagement of officers etc.

The Council shall engage or authorise the engagement of such officers, servants, agents and employees of the Association as it may think fit.

9. Meetings

The President, or in his or her absence the senior Vice-President available, shall call a meeting of the Council as often as the interest of the Association demands, or if requested to do so by any 5 members of the Council, provided that at least one meeting of the Council shall be held in each half of the Association's Fiscal Year. At a meeting of the Council seven members shall form a quorum and all matters dealt with shall be decided on a majority vote.

10. Non-members

No paid official or employee of the Association shall be a member of the Council.

11. Officers

(1) The Officers of the Association shall be a President, one or more Vice-Presidents, a General Secretary, a Treasurer, and such other officers with such duties as the Council may from time to time determine.

(2) The Council may, in its discretion, elect an honorary President and one or more honorary Vice-Presidents.

12. Duties of officers

(1) At all general meetings of the Association and at all meetings of the Council the President, or in his or her absence a Vice-President shall preside. In the event of neither the President nor a Vice-President being present at a meeting, the meeting shall elect one of their number to be chairman for that meeting.

(2) Notwithstanding what is stated in rule 12 an honorary President or honorary Vice-President may, on invitation of the Council, preside at a general meeting of the Association.

(3) The President shall be ex-officio a member of all committees of the Association and shall preside at the meeting of any committee at which he or she is present provided that if a standing chairman has been elected for any committee the latter, if present, shall preside at all meetings of such committee. In the absence of the standing chairman, if any, and of the President to form a Committee meeting, the members present shall elect one of their number to be chairman.

(4) The paid officials of the Association shall perform such duties as the Council may from time to time prescribe, subject to the provisions of these rules and the terms of their employment.

(5) The General Secretary shall be the custodian of the Seal of the Association and shall certify documents issued by the Association save as otherwise provided. He or she shall act as Secretary to the Council but shall not vote at meetings.

13. Execution of documents

The execution of documents shall be carried out in accordance with the terms of incorporation of the Association.

14. Auditors

All accounts and other records relating to the finance of the Association shall be audited at least once in every year. The balance sheet and financial statement of the affairs of the Association for its fiscal year shall be accompanied by the certificate of audit and report of the auditor or auditors. The auditor or auditors shall perform such duties as may be assigned by the Council which shall fix the remuneration to be paid to him or her or them.

15. Fiscal year

The fiscal year of the Association shall end on the 31^st day of December.

16. General meetings

(1) A general meeting of the Association shall be held at least one in every year at such time and place as the Council may determine; provided that the annual general meeting shall be held within 4 months of the end of the fiscal year.

(2) Notice convening any meeting of the Association shall state the time and place of meeting and, in the case of special business, the general nature of such business, and shall be delivered or posted to members at least 15 days before the meeting.

(3) The business of the annual general meeting shall be to receive and adopt the accounts and report of the Council, to elect officers (other than paid officers); and such members of the Council as may be necessary for the ensuing year, to appoint an auditor or auditors and to transact such other business as may be.

(4) Twelve members shall form a quorum at meetings of the Association.

(5) The Chairman of any meeting of the Association, the Council or any Committee shall have an original, and, in the event of a tie, a casting vote.

17. Voting

Every ordinary member who is of financial standing in the Association and otherwise not disqualified under these rules, and every honorary member, present at any annual general meeting of the Association, shall be entitled to vote.

18. Subsidiary and auxiliary associations

The Association may establish and support or aid in the establishment and support of, associations or committees to provide local administration for serving in appropriate areas.

19. Further powers of Association

(1) The Association may seek paying members.

(2) The Association may raise and acquire funds for the purpose of advancing its activities by Government grants, private subscriptions and donations, the proceeds of special efforts and by any other lawful means within the powers of the Association.

(3) The Association may invest such monies of the Association as are not immediately required in such securities as the Association may from time to time determine.

20. Amendment of rules

No amendment to any rule of the Association shall be made except at a general meeting of the Association of which at lease 2 weeks' notice has been given. Such notice shall also indicate the nature of the proposed amendment and no amendment shall be carried unless at least 2/3 of the members present and voting shall declare in favour thereof.