Workington  & District Camera  Club

Established in 1959

 

Affiliated to the Northern Counties Photographic Federation (NCPF),

 And to the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain (PAGB).

 

Meetings are held at

The Bridgefoot Village Hall, Bridgefoot, Workington, CA14 1YF.

on Friday evenings commencing at 7.30pm

(Unless stated otherwise in the programme)

 

CONSTITUTION and GENERAL RULES

 

 

1.    TITLE:-    The Club shall be called "WORKINGTON AND DISTRICT CAMERA CLUB"

 

2.   OBJECTS:-

           A  The Objects of the Club shall be to encourage the art of photography.

                 B  To provide facilities for social intercourse between members and their friends.

                 C  To circulate among its members information on all matters affecting photography.

                 D  To organise lectures, exhibitions, competitions and similar functions and to report on all matters of general interest in relation to photography. 

 

3.    MEMBERSHIP:-    Membership shall be open to both amateur and professional photographers. Power of acceptance or rejection is vested in the Committee, no reason given

 

4.    MANAGEMENT:-  The business of the Club shall be conducted by a Committee consisting of: Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer, General Secretary, Programme Secretary, Competition Secretary, Publicity Officer, Events Officer, Webmaster, Western area Representative, and Safeguarding Officer (as required) nominated, seconded and elected annually by ballot at the Annual General Meeting.  Some roles may be combined if necessary.

            Chairperson and Vice Chairperson shall not be held by any person for more than two years consecutively, unless events dictate otherwise.

             In addition, up to 4 committee members may be elected.

            Four members of the Committee shall form a quorum.

 

The Office of President shall be proposed, seconded and elected at each AGM. There is no time limit on the holding of this office.

 

            The Committee shall have the power to co-opt additional members for any specific purpose and may delegate its authority to a Sub-committee when deemed advisable. The Sub-committee shall also have the power to co-opt.

 

            The Club, on the nomination of the Committee, may at an AGM, elect individual members to the position of honorary life members.

 

5.    ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING:-    The date of the Annual General Meeting shall be shown in the Programme and this shall be deemed sufficient notice thereof.  The business of the Annual General Meeting shall be to:-

             

            a)  Receive summaries of the year from Chairperson, Secretary, Competition secretary,     Treasurer and Programme Secretary, including the statement of accounts, duly audited.

            b)  Elect Officers and Committee.

            c)  Elect a President

            d)  Transact any business that may properly be brought up providing 14 days notice has been given.  Only members whose subscriptions are not in arrears shall be eligible to vote.

 

             A quorum at the A.G.M. should be at least 1/3 of the members.

 

            An Extraordinary General Meeting may be summoned at any time by the Committee or at the request, in writing, of at least eight members of the Club.  This requisition must give notice of the business to be transacted and be signed by the members concerned.  The meeting shall be held within 28 days of the request.

 

6.    SUBSCRIPTIONS:-    The annual subscription shall become due on the date of the first meeting on the programme and shall be paid not later than 3 weeks after the first meeting; the amount of such subscriptions shall be determined by the Annual General meeting.

6a        Members joining the Club after 31st December in any Club year shall pay half the appropriate subscription.

6b        Visitors who are not members of other affiliated camera clubs should pay £3.00 per visit, and may attend only THREE meetings in that season, there after you would be expected to join Workington Camera Club, members of affiliated clubs should pay £3.00 per visit.

6c          Members can bring their husbands or wives or partners F.O.C. up to THREE visits with no voting or competition rights.  The visitor’s fee can be changed with committee approval.

6d        Any new membership after 31st December will be charged at half the normal membership rate for that season.

 

   7.  COMPETITIONS: -         The judges will be appointed by the Competition Secretary.  Only members can enter competitions.

 

8.  TROPHIES: -    Details of trophies appear in the competition rules. All trophies are perpetual and remain the property of the Club.  They are to be returned to the competition secretary at the latest two weeks before the date of the final competition.

 

9.  APPLICATION OF FUNDS: -    The funds of the Club shall be applied solely to its stated objects. Members of the Club shall not receive payment, either directly or indirectly for their services or for anything except legitimate expenses incurred in the work of the club.

 

10. PROTECTION POLICY:- The Club identifies its responsibilities under  legislation and will take every practical step to ensure that Children, Young Persons and Vulnerable Adults are protected from risks. To this extent no young person under the age of 18 can become a member or a regular attendee of the Club unless they are accompanied by a parent or a responsible adult approved by the parent. This approval to be submitted in writing to the secretary of Workington and District Camera Club. A full copy of the Club Policy is in appendix A.      

 

11.  DISSOLUTION: -    The Club may be dissolved by the consent of two-thirds of the members voting in favour of such a course of action at an Annual General Meeting, or at an Extra Ordinary General Meeting held at that time.  The Committee shall then decide how the effects of the Club shall be liquidated.

 

12.  AMENDMENT OF RULES: -    The rules of the Club may only be amended at an Annual General Meeting, and then only by way of:-

            i)  A recommendation from the Committee decided at a previous Committee Meeting; or

            ii)  a notice in writing to the General Secretary to be received by him/her no less than 14 days before the date of the General Meeting.  A motion will only be successful if supported by a majority of the members present and voting.

 

13.  The Club shall meet at a place and time to be decided upon by the Management Committee.

 

14.  The Annual General Meeting shall normally be held on the last Club evening of the season.

 

15.  The Management Committee shall meet at monthly intervals or as necessary during the year.

 

16   Termination of membership of the club, subject to the discretion of the committee, shall be incurred if subscriptions are in arrears for more than two months.

 

17   The Chairman and General Secretary shall draw up an agenda for committee meetings.

 

18   The chairman of the club shall have a second vote or casting vote at any Committee meetings, Annual General Meeting or Extra-ordinary General meeting.

 

19.  In cases of voluntary resignation members should notify the secretary.

 

20.  The secretary shall keep and maintain a minute book.

 

21   The treasurer shall, at the each year end, prepare and submit to the members an audited statement of accounts.

 

22   The competition secretary will keep a record of all images entered in competitions and all images used in battles with other clubs.

 

23   The minutes of committee meetings shall be available to any paid up member of the club.

 

24   Workington and District Camera Club cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to member’s personal equipment.

 

25   Any member of the club shall NOT purchase any equipment on behalf of the club with out the permission of the clubs committee this to exclude normal running costs.

 

26   Only P.A.T. tested equipment can be used at the venue, unless protected by a circuit breaker.

 

27. The committee has the power to suspend any member who brings the club into disrepute until a full investigation has taken place.

 

 

Revised - at AGM  21st April 2017

Approved at Committee Meeting 20th June 2017.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Addendum 1

 

WORKINGTON AND DISTRICT CAMERA CLUB POLICY AND WORKING PRACTICES:

 

JUNIOR MEMBERS / VISITORS

 

Workington and District Camera Club (WADCC) recognise the importance of encouraging young people with an interest in photography and welcomes junior members and visitors to the club.

It is hoped that junior members and visitors will participate fully in the Club’s activities.

This document sets out how WADCC exercises its Duty of Care to ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to ensure the safety of junior members and visitors involved in Club activities. It also describes what associated actions are required by WADCC members and WADCC officers.

This policy takes into account of the “guidance for safer working practice for adults who work with children and young people” commissioned by the DfES (2015) 

Members should give every encouragement and assistance to junior members/visitors to help them develop their photography skills, and they should not be discouraged from doing so by the requirements of this policy. Members should not let the rules stand in the way of sensible Club interaction.      

 

Definitions:

1. Activities are meeting, events, shoots, visits, outings or anything else that is organised by WADCC.

2. Children and young people are interchangeable terms referring to children who have not yet reached       their 18th birthday.

3. DBS Clearance refers to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), formerly the Criminal Records            Bureau (CRB) as set out in relevant legislation.

4. Nominated Adult is someone chosen the junior member or visitor’s parents to act in “loco parentis”           and to look after their child’s interests while attending WADCC. This may be a friend of the family or   a relation.

5. Parent, does also include guardian.

6. Responsible Adult may be one of the junior member/s parents or alternatively a nominated adult.

7. WADCC Officers are elected WADCC Committee members

8. Junior member (young person) or visitor is a member of WADCC who has not yet reached his/her 18th       birthday.

Attendance of young people at WADCC activities.

 

At all Club activities a junior member/visitor MUST be accompanied by a responsible adult with the full consent of the junior member/visitor’s parents or guardian. The junior member/visitor may then participate in all Club activities including those which may otherwise require DBS clearance for ALL participating WADCC members.

If the junior member/visitor presents himself at a club activity WITHOUT a responsible adult they will not be able to join that activity until the responsible adult is present.

Parents and junior members/visitors are urged not to put WADCC officers in the position of having to deny admission to activities.

At the beginning of the season, parents will need to identify the nominated adult (s) for that season by completing the consent form and the junior member will be issued with a membership card, which includes the names of the nominated adult(s). One of whom MUST be present at meetings.

If a parent wishes to identify an additional nominated adult not previously nominated at the beginning of the season for a particular activity, the parent must complete a supplementary consent form. In this respect WADCC reserves the right to request some form of identification from an accompanying adult at any time. For example, any item which confirms the person’s name and address such as utility bill or driving licence.

This is necessary so that it is clear to all concerned that any nominated adult is acting with the consent of the parents (s) and that the nominated adult is acting with the role he/she is undertaking.

The completed consent form should be handed to a WADCC officer at the commencement of the season upon joining the Club, together with the relevant membership form and before an activity is required.

NO officer of WADCC should enter into any form of agreement to act as this nominated adult. Parents should not ask officers to do so.

Whenever a junior member/visitor is present at a Club activity, the start of the activity it is the duty of the responsible WADCC officer or member who is organising that activity or hosting the meeting to make sure that all persons present know that a junior member/visitor is attending, and to advice any visiting speaker of the implication regarding the display of inappropriate material (see below).

 

Display of inappropriate material.

 

From time to time there may be included amongst images displayed by visiting speakers or Club member’s images which parents may consider as inappropriate for junior members to view. For example, an unclothed human figure. While this may be infrequent it is not always predictable.

In so far as WADCC can assure, if a particular activity is known by WADCC to include the presentation of such images, WADCC will endeavour to provide advance warning to the parents or junior members/visitors. Parents must be aware that WADCC will not always know in advance if such material is included in the activities and therefore WADCC cannot guarantee to give advance warning. It will be the duty of the accompanying responsible adult to decide what to do in any such circumstances.

If requested by the parent or nominated adult, the responsible officer of WADCC will ask the speaker to warn of unsuitable material. It shall be the responsibility of the parent or responsible adult to make it known if they do not wish the junior member/visitor to view the images, and to escort them elsewhere whilst the images are shown.

 

General behaviour

 

Junior members/visitors should be treated as ordinary members and encouraged to participate in all activities.

Members should always act, and be seen to be in the junior member/visitor’s best interests and should avoid any conduct which would lead a reasonable person to question their motivation and intentions

Members should not send individual messages to a junior member/visitor via internet, web-based communications or social network channels such as Facebook.

All normal WADCC correspondence by email should be sent to the parent (s) of the junior member as well as the junior member, unless the parent(s) have elected to have all mail sent to them (the parent) only.

Members should not give their personal contact details to junior members/visitors this includes mobile telephone numbers, details of any blogs and personal websites, except in the circumstances necessary for the organisation of WADCC activities in which the junior member/visitor is participating, and then only with the knowledge of the junior member/visitors parent(s).

 

Photography and junior members.

 

This is a camera club and so we are going to be taking pictures. However, as we must have due regard for the privacy of junior members/visitors, the situations where WADCC members may be in a position to take an image of a junior member/visitor fall into two categories:

1. Portrait evening or workshop:

In this situation the purpose is to take pictures of people in a controlled environment. A junior member/visitor should only be the sitting subject of a portrait shoot if prior parental permission has been granted. Unless agreed otherwise, images may be used for WADCC competitions, but may not be used or published in any other form without a formal model release form

1. Club outings/shoots

On club outings and shoots it is common practice for one member to take photographs of another. However members should avoid making images of junior members/visitors in “one to one” situations or which show a single junior member/visitor with no surrounding context. Members must always ensure they have parental permission to take and /or display such photographs.

Members must not take images “in secret”, or take images in situations that may be construed as being secretive.

 

If there is a problem:

 

As an organisation that may deal with young people, WADCC is obliged to make it clear what to do if there is child protection or welfare concerns, regardless of the likelihood.

In the unlikely event that there are concerns by a WADCC member or a parent of a young person or a nominated adult, they must first contact the WADCC membership secretary, the WADCC chairman, the WADCC safeguarding officer, or another officer of WADCC.

It is the duty of all members to report any junior member/visitor’s child protection or welfare concerns to a WADCC officer and/or report any concerns to the local social care officer

Concerns about a junior member/visitor suffering harm, neglect or abuse should be reported to Cumbria County Council, at the Cumbria Safeguarding Hub, telephone 0332401727 during office hours (8am – 5pm Monday to Thursday, and 8am to 4.30pm Friday). Out of normal working hours, at weekends or on bank holidays, telephone the same number 0332401727 and you will be connected to the duty social worker.

Concerns about the immediate safety of a child should be reported to the police on 101 at any time.

If there is an accident or emergency involving the junior member/visitor, while WADCC members and officers will obviously give any necessary assistance, it is the final responsibility of the nominated adult to make decision affecting the junior member/visitor,