OF Society > Rules

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1. Name of the Society, and Definitions
1. The Society shall be called "The Society of Old Framlinghamians".
2. In these Rules "the School" shall mean Framlingham College including Brandeston Hall.
3. In these Rules all references to male persons shall be deemed to be also references to female persons.


2. Objects of the Society

The objects of the Society are:
1. to promote the interests of the School in every possible way,
2. to enable past members of the School to keep in touch with one another,
3. to promote a bond of union between past and present members of the School to their mutual pleasure and advantage.


3. Membership
1. All former pupils of the School shall be eligible for Ordinary Membership of the Society but nothing in these Rules shall affect the right to Life Membership of former pupils who became Life Members before 1 September 1995 or any then current pupil in respect of whom at least one instalment of the subscription for Life Membership had been paid by that date.
2. The Council shall have the sole and unfettered discretion to refuse membership to any former pupil, including one who has otherwise qualified for Membership under the terms of Rule 4 (c) or 4 (d), and on such refusal shall refund without interest any subscription which has been paid by or on behalf of such former pupil.
3. A non-OF member of the School’s Board of Governors or staff who has served the School for a continuous period of at least six years shall be eligible to apply for Ordinary Membership of the Society, such membership being subject to the approval of the Council and to payment of the full amount of the initial subscription then current.
4. Possession of Ordinary Membership under the terms of Rule 3 (c) shall not affect eligibility for election to Honorary Membership in accordance with Rule 8 (a) but in the event of such election no part of the Ordinary Membership subscription paid shall be refunded.
5. The Council may in its absolute discretion suspend or cancel the membership of any person in respect of whom it considers such action appropriate and the Society shall then be under no obligation either to refund any part of the person's subscription or to give any reason for the suspension or cancellation of membership.


4. Subscription
1. Subject only to the provisions of Rule 3 (b), a person’s initial subscription for Ordinary Membership shall entitle the person to membership of the Society for life, and the Ordinary Member shall enjoy the same benefits of membership as Life Members with the exception of the limitation, under the provision of rule 4 (g), of the entitlement to be sent the Magazine.
2. The subscription for Ordinary Membership shall be £99. Any change shall be agreed by not fewer than two thirds of those present and voting at an Annual General Meeting of the Society, and implemented at the beginning of the next academic year. Any recommendation of the Council that the subscription should be varied at an Annual General Meeting shall be stated in the notice convening it.
3. The School shall (so long as the Governors agree) make a payment towards the subscription for Ordinary membership for each leaver from the School
4. If there should be a shortfall between the amount paid by the School and the current level of subscription approved by the Council, either for an individual leaver or for all leavers at a given point in time, then the leaver or the parents or guardians of each leaver shall be offered the opportunity to pay the balance of the subscription for Ordinary Membership, such that the outstanding balance shall be paid before he becomes entitled to membership.
5. A pupil whose subscription has been paid under the terms of Rule 4 (c) or 4 (d) shall, subject to the provisions of Rule 3 (b), become an Ordinary Member on the day he leaves the School or when the final balancing payment is received by the Honorary Treasurer.
6. Every Life Member is entitled to be sent (to his latest address as notified to the Honorary Secretary) one copy of each issue of the Society's Magazine or equivalent periodical.
7. Every Ordinary Member is entitled, for 20 years or up to his 40th birthday, whichever shall represent the longer period, to be sent (to his latest address as notified to the Honorary Secretary) one copy of each issue of the Society's Magazine or equivalent periodical. At the end of this initial period, the member shall be entitled to be sent the Society’s Magazine or equivalent periodical each year on payment of £10 per annum or whatever amount may subsequently be approved by the Council.


5. Management of the Society
1. The management of the Society shall be vested in the Council consisting of the President, the President-designate, such Past Presidents and Vice-Presidents as indicate a wish to serve thereon, Hon. Treasurer, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Assistant Secretary, Trustees, the elected members of the Finance Committee, an appointed member of the School’s common room (subject to the qualification that he must already be a member of the Society or an Honorary member), the Head or his appointee, the Head of School and his counterpart, the current Moreau Scholars, and up to nine further members, the required balance of whom shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting each year for a period of three years. Five members of the Council shall form a quorum. Secretaries of O.F. Activities may be invited to serve on the Council ex officio.
2. All except the Past Presidents, ex-officio appointees, council members with unexpired terms and the Trustees shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting each year.
3. The President, at the end of his first year of office, shall be eligible for re-election but may not hold office for more than two years consecutively. In the event of the President’s re-election, a President-designate shall be nominated by the Council, to serve as deputy to the President through his term of office, with the intention that he will be put forward for the post of President at the end of the current President’s term.
4. Elected members of the Council shall retire in rotation at the Annual General Meeting each year and shall not be eligible for re-election for the following year. If any elected member of the Council shall die or resign during the period for which he was elected, a replacement for the remainder of that period shall be elected at the ensuing Annual General Meeting. If any officer of the Society other than a Vice-President or a Trustee shall die or resign during a period of office, the vacancy so occasioned shall be filled by a nomination of the Council until the next Annual General Meeting.
5. At the Annual General Meeting each year a Finance Committee shall be appointed consisting of the President, the President-designate, Trustees, Hon. Treasurer, Hon. Secretary, and at least three members of the Council. At the President’s discretion these three, or others by co-option, shall represent the major cost-bearing activities of the Society, including but not limited to: the Magazine; the Society’s Website; Suppers & Events; and Marketing & Communications. The Finance Committee shall have full powers to deal with all matters connected with the finances of the Society not dealt with by the Trustees; three to form a quorum.
6. The Council shall have power to appoint a sub-committee of any number of members of the Society in order to deal with any particular matter and to report thereon to the Council, and a majority of the members of such a sub-committee shall decide the conduct of its business.


6. Meetings
1. There shall be an Annual General Meeting on or before 30 April each year. The quorum at any General Meeting shall be ten.
2. The Council shall meet during the months of January, April, July and September or October.
3. At least fourteen days' notice shall be given of any Council or General Meeting, and at least seven days' notice of any meeting of the Finance Committee or a sub-committee.
4. The President may, and on a requisition signed by twenty Life or Ordinary Members of the Society shall, call an Extraordinary General Meeting to be held within a month of such requisition and at such Meeting no business shall be transacted other than that specified in the notice convening the meeting.
5. At all General, Council and Committee meetings of the Society the President shall be the Chairman if he is present and, if he is not present, the Chairman shall be his appointee or, in the case of no such appointment having been made, shall be appointed by a vote taken at that meeting by those present and eligible to do so. The Chairman shall have a casting vote in addition to his vote as a member.


7. Finance
1. The Society's funds, with the exception of the General Fund, shall be vested in not more than four Trustees appointed by General Meeting but such Trustees shall not be elected annually, and in the event of the death or resignation of any Trustee the vacancy so occasioned may be filled by a nomination of the Finance Committee until the next Annual General Meeting.
2. The Bankers of the Society for the purposes of the General Account shall be approved by the Finance Committee. The Trustees shall make their own arrangements for the funds that they administer.
3. The annual Financial Statements of the Society shall be examined by a suitably qualified Independent Examiner. Such person shall be nominated by the Finance Committee and elected each year at the Annual General Meeting. If the appointed Examiner shall die or resign during a period of office, the vacancy so occasioned shall be filled by a nomination of the Council until the next Annual General Meeting.
4. The Financial Statements of the Society shall be made up to 31 December. Copies shall be available to all members attending the Annual General Meeting of the Society and to any other member of the Society who applies in writing to the Hon. Treasurer.


8. Honorary Membership
1. Any person may be proposed for election by an Annual General Meeting as an Honorary Member of the Society in recognition of outstanding service to either the School or the Society. Any nomination submitted to an Annual General Meeting shall have had the prior approval of the Council.
2. Any member of the School Common Room and of the School’s Management Team shall, after ten years in office, be eligible for an invitation to become an Honorary Member of the Society.
3. An Honorary Member shall enjoy all the benefits of Life Membership except that he shall not have a vote at any meeting of the Society unless currently serving as a member of the Council.
4. An Honorary Membership may be suspended or cancelled at any Council meeting if the Council shall in its sole and unfettered discretion consider that such suspension or cancellation is justified by circumstances.


9. Associate Membership
1. A non-OF member of the School’s Board of Governors shall be eligible for Associate Membership of the Society.
2. A non-OF member of the School’s staff may apply for Associate Membership of the Society. The grant of such membership shall be subject to the approval of the Council.
3. An Associate Membership may be suspended or cancelled at any Council meeting if the Council shall in its sole and unfettered discretion consider that such suspension or cancellation is justified by circumstances, and shall in any case cease when the Associate Member leaves the Board of Governors or the staff of the School.
4. Associate Membership shall not require the payment of any subscription.
5. The Society’s Magazine shall be made available to Associate Members by being provided in appropriate quantities at Governors’ Meetings and in the Staff Common Rooms at the College and Brandeston Hall.
6. An Associate Member shall be entitled to wear the tie or other insignia appropriate to that membership.
7. An Associate Member may attend any General Meeting of the Society and may speak to any motion but shall not have a vote.
8. Possession of Associate Membership shall not affect eligibility for election to Ordinary Membership or Honorary Membership in accordance with Rules 3.c and 8.a respectively.


10. Changes to Rules
1. The Rules of the Society shall not be added to, altered or rescinded except by the consent of no fewer than two thirds of those present and voting at a General Meeting.
2. A copy of any proposed addition or alteration to the Rules of the Society shall be sent to all members of the Society with a notice convening the General Meeting at which it is to be proposed. If not previously approved by the Council a copy of any proposed addition or alteration must be in the hands of the Hon. Secretary together with the names of the Proposer and Seconder at least six weeks before such meeting.

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