Club Charter

This charter was prepared and agreed by the Committee, to formalise the existing working practice and procedures of the Club. It is to be officially adopted at the AGM held on 11/05/2015 and updated on 18/02/2026.

Foundation

The society was originally formed as the Droitwich Photographic Society to support, assist and further the interests of amateur photographers of all abilities in the Droitwich area. The title Droitwich Spa Photographic Society was adopted unanimously at the AGM on April 29, 1996. The name was changed by poll on 27/10/2014 to Droitwich Camera Club (DCC).

Aims

DCC aims to provide a broad-based programme of talks, demonstrations and information exchange to educate and encourage the membership. Competitions will be run as a means for members to compare their work with others and obtain independent feedback from external experienced photographers. The Club will also associate with other photographic clubs to promote the status of DCC and to raise the standard of photography through inter-club competitions.

Committee

The Club shall be run by a Committee, elected annually by the membership at the AGM. It will fall for a fully paid up member to nominate an individual who has provided consent to act in any Committee role and for that nomination to be seconded by a further fully paid up member. A Committee member will be expected to perform the role to the best of their ability and the key significant duties of each role comprise of, but are not limited to, the following:-

Chairperson

Responsible for the overall development of the Club.
Duties to co-ordinate the activities of the Committee.
Ensure that the programme will appeal to the members.
Encourage knowledge sharing and a friendly environment for Club evenings and events.

Vice Chairperson

Understudy and deputise for the Chairperson in preparation for election to that position.
Actively interact with new and prospective members ensuring they have the opportunity to integrate with the established membership.
Be active in reporting ‘grass root’ feelings from the general membership to the Committee reporting the opinions and feelings.

General Secretary

Liase with PAGB, MCPF and other organisations.
Circulate notices and external competition/exhibition events to DCC members.
Take and circulate Minutes of all meetings.
Ensure AGM Minutes are prepared and circulated within 14 days of the AGM.
Maintain a membership list and communicate to members any publicity received.

Treasurer

Enrol new members taking contact details especially an email address
Collect in subscription revenue and
Payment of fees to weekly Judges or speakers.
Maintain society
Publish annual accounts at AGM for the Club’s financial year 1st May to 30 April.
Maintain an lnventory of Assets.

Programme Secretary

Arrange a broad based annual programme, book the speakers and liaise with the treasurer in respect of the level of fees being charged.
Circulate the programme with committee members for publication via the club’’s communication channels.
Remind speakers of upcoming events and supply contact and address details.

Competition Secretary

In conjunction with the Programme Secretary, to schedule Club internal competitions and external inter-clubs as well as any entry to MCPF or similar external competitions (where applicable).
Prepare the competitions with software supplied.
Run the Club competitions.
Maintain a record of results for the awarding of Club trophies.
Arrange trophy engraving.
Book judges for all internal competitions and inform the treasurer with regards to the costs being incurred.

Assistant Competition Secretary

To assist with all aspects of the Competition Secretary’s duties as detailed above, by agreement with the Competition Secretary.

Inter-Club Competition Secretary

Book judges for all “at home” inter-club competitions.
Liaise with other participating clubs in respect of agreeing dates and venues for inter – club competitions.
Liaise with other participating clubs in respect of agreeing the criteria for selecting photographs for each inter – club competition.
Arrange for selection of entries for inter-club competitions (with the assistance of more photographically experienced Club members if appropriate).

Assistant Inter-Club Competition Secretary

To assist with all aspects of the Inter – Club Competition Secretary’s duties as detailed above, by agreement with the Competition Secretary.

Publicity Officer

Seek the use of local and any other methods available to keep DCC in the public eye.
Work in conjunction with the Website & IT officer to share content via DCC social media channels.
Publicise programme items likely to have popular appeal including any ‘Big Event’ planned.
Circulate other Club’s and photographic contacts with DCC events where this may help with attendance and funding.

Website & IT Officer

Maintain the DCC website, social media channels and manage regular updates across all digital communication channels alongside other members of the committee.
Working with the Competitions Secretaries to ensure competition results and images are published within 7 days of the holding of any such event.
Maintain the blog reporting and general updates necessary to keep the website fresh.
Maintain social media links which are used by DCC.

Social Secretary

To encourage the membership to engage in social events.
To take an overview of the Club’s requirements to maintain a rota for tea/coffee duty on Club nights.

Days Out Organiser

To promote and foster the friendly and educational nature of the Club there will be monthly trips arranged by the Days Out Organiser, mixing local and further afield venues.
Any prior attendance requirements (e.g. agreeing the use of tripods etc.) will be agreed by the Days Out Organiser with the venue.
It is a conditional feature of taking part in any of the Days Out events that participation is exclusively at the risk of the participant and that the Club is not to be held liable or responsible for any injury or loss of any nature suffered from such participation.
The Days Out events will continue throughout the closed season.
It will be for the Days Out Organiser to circulate and coordinate all aspect of this element of activity.

General Committee Member

To inter-act with the Committee and assist with the implementation of agreed actions.
Generally inter-act with and encourage newer members and first timers to the Club to enjoy a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
To assist with any other Committee roles as and when required.

Whilst it is not necessarily desirable, due to the volume of time required to fulfil any Committee role, for any one Member to hold more than one position, it is allowable that this may, from time to time, be the case with the Members consent obtained at the AGM.

Committee Meetings

For a quorate meeting any 4 Committee members, including the Chair or Vice Chair, must be present.
The Committee may co-opt other members on a temporary basis for assistance in special circumstances or to prepare for future Committee duties.
Any such co-opting will be by a simple majority of Committee members present at a meeting where this is intended.
At the end of the season the Committee shall resign 'en bloc' to permit new officer elections to take place.
Individuals may offer themselves for re-election to the same or alternative role(s).
No member may hold the same position for more than three consecutive years (unless the AGM approves of a further term) together with the consent of the current office holder. The new Committee will take over immediately upon election but there should be transitional meetings between the old and new Committee during the closed season to ensure a smooth handover.
Not withstanding the above, the role of Chairperson can only be held by one person for a maximum of three years in any one period, with re – election only being permitted after a break of a minimum of three years.

Finances

Finances will be raised by annual subscription & weekly attendance fees.
The levels will be decided annually by Committee resolution to maintain a sufficient credit balance for the normal running costs together with a contingency for equipment repair and replacement.
Once paid, there will be no circumstances where there will be a pro-rata refund of the annual subscription if the member is unable to make further attendances. Accounts are to be prepared annually and presented to the membership at the AGM by the Treasurer.
A payment of 50% of the annual subscription will be due for any person taking up a full membership after January 1st in any year.
Under exceptional circumstances the Committee may raise a levy on the membership after consultation at a full meeting.

Society Year

The weekly meeting season will run from the first Monday in September through to the following April, ending at a time in that month which is agreed by the Committee.
To give time for preparation of accounts and handover meetings before the close season, the financial year will be from 1st May to the following 30th April.
The Annual General Meeting will usually be held (but this may not always be the case) on the last meeting night in April.

Membership

Membership shall be by formal application and payment of an annual subscription.

The rates varying for Full, Family, Student & OAP's as decided by the Committee on an annual basis.

The Club will accept and welcome visitors to its meetings to encourage new membership. Visitors will be permitted three visits in any one season before membership is required.

Dispute Resolution

Whilst the opportunity for dispute is small, we have to accept in this day and age that it is always a possibility. In the event of unreasonable behaviour or conduct which is likely to bring the Club into disrepute, a member may have membership suspended or terminated if the Committee resolve to do so at a meeting convened for this purpose. A simple majority of Committee members voting in favour of suspension or termination is required.

The member will be given an opportunity to make either a written or verbal submission to the

Committee before any vote is held to consider the action to be taken. The Committee’s decision shall be final and the member will be advised of the outcome within 24 hours of the holding of such a meeting to consider the position by the Chairperson. Where there is either suspension or termination of membership no pro-rata refund of subscriptions or fees paid will be made.

Change to this Constitution

The Committee may make changes they feel appropriate to this Constitution document at any quorate meeting by a simple majority vote. The changes will be put to the members at the Annual General Meeting for adoption, but any changes which are made by the Committee and actions which follow such change will be deemed valid even if members were to reject the adoption at the AGM.

The purpose of this is to allow the Committee to make rapid and considered changes in the event that an unforeseen incident arises and which requires a more unusual approach other than would be the ‘norm’ for the Club and it’s Committee.

Assets

Items of Club equipment are owned jointly by the paid up members.
Equipment should be held and maintained at the Club’s cost by an appropriate Committee member.
An inventory of Club assets is to be kept by the Treasurer giving names and addresses of the keepers.
A record of all trophies and the current holders is to be kept by the Competition Secretary.

The original of this Constitution document has been signed and passed to the General Secretary by the Chairperson for, and on behalf of the Committee.