Revised 2003

1. TITLE
The title of the organisation shall be “The British Watch and Clock Makers’ Guild”.

2. OBJECTS
(a) The Guild exists for the purpose of safeguarding the interests of all those professionally engaged in the manufacture of, or repair to, watches and clocks, and to preserve and enhance the reputation of the British Watch and Clock Making Trade.
(b) It is the policy of the Guild to stimulate interest in all matters appertaining to horology and to co-operate with and support those authorities whose object is the propagation and encouragement of horological training.
(c) To provide technical advice to all members.
(d) To afford members opportunities of meeting socially and arrange lectures and visits to places of interest and instruction.
(e) To draw attention to any deceptive and misleading advertisements and trade descriptions and any other dishonest practices tending to bring the good name of the trade into disrepute.

3. CONSTITUTION
(a) The Guild shall be governed by the Council consisting of the officers and members who are elected to the Council at the Annual General Meeting.
(b) The officers of the Guild shall be Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary and Assistant Secretary if one be appointed.
(c) The Council shall consist of the Officers, and a maximum of 21 members, one third of whom shall retire at each Annual General Meeting and their names together with any newly nominated members will be placed before the meeting and the required number to fill vacancies caused by their retirement or resignation from the Council will be elected by ballot.
(d) The Council has the power to fill vacancies which may occur on the Council by co-option until the next Annual General Meeting. The Guild may in General Meeting vary the number of members of the Council.
(e) All Officers of the Council retire at each Annual General Meeting and are subject to re-election.
(f) Nominations of members as Officers or Members of the Council must be in writing and sent to the Secretary at least 14 days before date of Annual General Meeting. All elections shall be by ballot.

4. POWERS OF THE COUNCIL
(a) To manage and superintend the affairs of the Guild.
(b) To appoint their own meetings and regulate their own proceedings and to fix the date of all General Meetings of the Guild.
(c) To appoint any sub-committee as shall be deemed necessary and such sub-committee to report to the Council.
(d) To administer the funds of the Guild for the purposes of the Guild.
(e) To require the resignation of any officer or member of the Council who shall without reasonable or just cause fail to attend four consecutive meetings of the Council or be deemed non-persona-grata on account of conduct.
(f) To require, after due hearing, the resignation of any member of the Guild who on account of conduct has been deemed to have brought the name of the Guild or the Trade into disrepute.
(g) To affiliate to the Guild such bodies as they may determine.
(h) To organise social functions as are deemed beneficial to the Guild.
(i) To cause proper minutes to be made of the proceedings of all meetings of the Guild and of the Council and Committees of the Council and of all business transacted at such meetings.
(j) To indemnify Officers and other members of the Council in respect of any law action or costs arising therefrom as a result of the discharge of their official duties.
(k) To appoint Trustees and or Investment consultants and dismiss the same.

5. MEMBERSHIP QUALIFICATIONS
Subject to the election by the Council, as hereinafter provided, those qualifying for membership are:
(a) Any firm, company or person professionally trading as watch and clock makers who are concerned in retail distribution to the public or who are concerned with the repair of watches, clocks, jewellery or other goods recognised by the Guild council.
(b) Manufacturers and importers of watches , clocks, jewellery, gold, silver and plated goods.
(c) Antique dealers specialising in any of the above.
(d) Wholesalers and material dealers who deal with and supply to the horological and allied trades.
(f) Employees of the foregoing.
(g) Honorary Members. Upon recommendation of the Council the members at a General Meeting may elect to Honorary Membership any person or persons who shall have rendered special service to the craft.
(f) Bona-fides of applicants for membership shall be decided by the Council and membership may be refused without explanation. In such a case subscription will be returned to the applicant.
(h) Membership Certificate. A Guild Membership Certificate will be issued to all members. It being understood that this Certificate will remain the property of the Guild and can on demand by the Council be recovered by the Guild, without obligation or prejudice. The public display of this Certificate denotes that the holder is a person, or firm, complying with the Rules and Objects of the Guild and that in all their dealings with the public the status, traditions and honourable business methods of their trade is upheld. The Certificate does not imply any special degree of craftsmanship.
(i) Associate/Student Membership. Upon the recommendation of the Council, Associate/Student Membership without voting rights may be granted when special circumstances render this desirable.

6. FORM OF APPLICATION
(a) All applicants for membership shall sign the prescribed form of application agreeing to abide by the Rules, Regulations and Resolutions of the Guild. This form is obtainable from the Secretary. The form should be completed and returned to the Secretary together with the names and details of trade references and the appropriate subscription/joining fee. A provisional acknowledgement will be sent to the applicant but no right of membership is thereby conferred or implied.
(b) Applications for Membership will be placed before the Guild Council following receipt of the completed Membership Application form by the Secretary and, if approved, published in the next available issue of our News Letter or Trade Press.
An applicant shall be declared duly elected if the majority of the votes cast by the Members of the Council are in the applicant’s favour.
(c) Members who are 6 months in arrears with subscription shall be notified by the Secretary that unless such subscription be paid within one month their name may be removed from the register of members and a demand made for the return of the Membership certificate.
(d) Any person, or firm, whose name has been removed from the register of members may apply for re-election and the Council shall have the power to reinstate such a member upon such terms and conditions as they think fit.
(e) A permanent register of members shall be kept by the Secretary and shall be open for inspection by members at reasonable times.

7. BRANCHES OR SECTIONS
(a) The Guild shall approve the formation of Branches or Sections of its members and where formed facilitate social education and co- operative administration in suitable areas.

8. SUBSCRIPTIONS AND FEES
ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS AND FEES SHALL BE PAYABLE ANNUALLY IN ADVANCE IN JANUARY OF EACH YEAR. Members subscriptions shall be as determined by Annual General Meeting.

9. TIME AND PLACE OF MEETINGS
Annual General Meetings (AGM) and Extraordinary General Meetings (EGM) shall be held at such time and place as appointed by the Council. An AGM shall be held each calendar year, not more than fifteen months after the last AGM. Notice of the AGM, together with a Statement of Accounts shall be published in our News letter, Trade Press, or in writing to each member. Notice of EGM shall be published in a sim

10. ADVERTISING MATTER
Members shall be entitled ( on payment of a nominal fee ) to such Stereos, Signs, Transfers or other advertising matter supplied by the Guild and shall be entitled to use and display same. It being understood that all such stereos, signs, etc., bearing the insignia of the Guild remain the property of the Guild and if misused can on demand by the Council be recovered by the Guild without obligation or prejudice.

11. SECRETARY ( OR HONORARY SECRETARY)
The Secretary shall perform all duties assigned to him/her by the Council. In particular he /she shall summon all meetings, receive and reply to all communications as and when directed by the Council, collect all monies due and contributed, and with the Treasurer ( or Honorary Treasurer) shall keep a full and intelligible account of all monies received and expended on behalf of the Guild.

12. TREASURER (OR HONORARY TREASURER)
The Treasurer shall keep a proper account of receipts and payments and in conjunction with the Secretary will administer the funds of the Guild. A full statement of accounts is to be submitted to the Annual General Meeting. Interim receipts and payments accounts will be reported to the Council meetings.
BANKING ACCOUNT A banking account shall be kept in the name of the Guild. Cheques to be signed by any two of the following : Treasurer, Secretary and/or Chairman.

13. AUDITORS AND SOLICITOR AUDITORS. Professional Accountants shall be appointed annually at the Annual General Meeting.
SOLICITOR. The Guild Solicitor shall be appointed annually at the Annual General Meeting.

14. ALTERATIONS AND AMENDMENTS TO THE RULES
The Rules may be altered or amended at any Annual General Meeting of the Guild or at any Extraordinary General Meeting called for this specific purpose. These Rules and Objectives as printed on this sheet are an abridgement of the full Memorandum & Articles of Association.For an unabridged copy of the Memorandum & Articles of Association please send an A4 SAE to the Guild Secretariat with postage to cover 80 grams, plus the envelope.