Constitution of West Region Scout Council
Posted on 17 September 2021
The Constitution of the West Region Scout Council can be read here:
THE WEST REGIONAL SCOUT COUNCIL
PREAMBLE
The members of the said Regional Scout Council adopted the following Constitution at their meeting held on 5th September 2010.
CONSTITUTION OF THE WEST REGIONAL SCOUT COUNCIL
- THE REGIONAL SCOUT COUNCIL
West Regional Scout Council (hereinafter referred to as “the RSC”) is responsible for overseeing and supporting Scouting in the local authority areas of Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire (part), Inverclyde, West Dunbartonshire, and Argyll & Bute. It has a particular responsibility for supporting District Scout Councils in the Region in regard to development, recruitment, adult training and public relations. It is an autonomous body, affiliated to The Scout Association, and its affairs are managed by the Regional Executive Committee.
- PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENTS
The RSC may appoint a President and one or more Vice Presidents from time to time and for such periods as it may decide.
- MEMBERSHIP OF THE REGIONAL SCOUT COUNCIL
Membership of the RSC shall consist of:
- the President and Vice Presidents (if any)
- the Regional Chairman, Regional Secretary and Regional Treasurer
- the Regional Commissioner, Assistant Regional Commissioners and Regional Advisers
- all District Commissioners, District Chairmen and Group Scout Leaders in the Region, including those holding
provisional appointments
- two named representatives of each District Scout Council in the Region
- those District Youth Representatives who are members of The Scottish Council The Scout Association
- the Chief Commissioner of Scotland and the Chairman of the Board of The Scottish Council The Scout
Association, and
- any persons elected or re-elected annually by the RSC on the recommendation of the Regional Commissioner and the Regional Executive Committee.
- MEETINGS OF THE RSC
The RSC shall hold an Annual General Meeting as soon as practicable after the end of each financial year, and in any event within eight months of the end of each financial year.
At each Annual General Meeting the business shall be:
- to approve minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting and any subsequent Extraordinary General Meeting
- to receive, to consider and, if thought fit, to adopt the Annual Report of the Regional Executive Committee, including annual accounts and associated financial statements
- Appoint a Regional President and/or Vice Presidents for a period of time as laid out in the byelaws.
- to receive and, if thought fit, to approve the Regional Commissioner’s nomination of the Regional Chairman, who shall not be a Scouter holding a Regional appointment in that Region
- to elect a Regional Treasurer and (unless it is a remunerated post) a Regional Secretary, neither of whom shall be a Scouter holding a Regional appointment in that Region
- to elect up to six elected members of the Regional Executive Committee as directed in the byelaws
- to receive and, if thought fit, to approve the Regional Commissioner’s nominations of up to six nominated members of the Regional Executive Committee
- to elect a nominated member and a nominated youth representative to serve on the Council of The Scout Association
- to appoint three nominated members from the Regional Scout Council (ideally the Regional President, Secretary and Treasurer) to serve as delegates on the Council of The Scottish Council The Scout Association
- to appoint a suitably qualified auditor or independent examiner, as appropriate
- to receive a report from the Regional Commissioner, and
- to transact any other business which was specified in the agenda for the meeting either at the request of the Regional Executive Committee or by requisition signed by five members of the RSC and lodged with the Regional Secretary at least eight weeks prior to the meeting.
An Extraordinary Meeting of the RSC shall be called by the Regional Secretary within sixty days at the request of the Regional Executive Committee, or either the Regional Chairman or the Regional Commissioner, or by requisition signed by ten members of the RSC. At Extraordinary Meetings, the business shall be limited to the purpose for which the meeting was called.
Notice of all meetings of the RSC, including a copy of the agenda, shall be issued to members of the RSC at least two weeks prior to the date of the meeting, either in paper form or electronically. Such notice may be given by including it in a newsletter or other publication, which is circulated throughout the Region.
The President (if one has been appointed and if he or she is present and wishes to take the chair) shall preside at meetings of the RSC. Otherwise, the Regional Chairman shall preside and, in his or her absence, the meeting shall elect a chairman from the members present.
- REGIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Regional Executive Committee shall be responsible to the RSC for managing the affairs of the RSC, for supporting the Regional Commissioner in meeting the responsibilities of his or her appointment and for providing support for Scout Districts, Groups and Explorer Scout Units in the Region. It shall be specifically responsible for:
- promoting the development of Scouting in the Region and arranging for harmonious cooperation with other organisations
- acting on matters relating to the Region’s finance and property
- appointing sub-committees and overseeing their operation
- appointing a Regional Secretary from time to time if it is a remunerated post, and for dealing with any staff matters
- supervising the administration of Districts, particularly in relation to finance and property matters
- attending to Regional administration, including matters relating to adult appointments, registrations and membership of The Scout Association
- complying with legislation applicable to Scottish charities
- approving an Annual Report, including annual accounts and associated financial statements, for submission to the Annual General Meeting of the RSC.
The RSC may enact and from time to time alter such Bylaws as it may deem necessary for the regulation of its procedures and the powers and procedures of its sub-committees, provided that changes in the Bylaws shall be reported to the next Annual General Meeting of the Council.
The members of the Regional Executive Committee shall serve as charity trustees for the RSC, and in that capacity they shall have the fullest powers to administer and manage the RSC’s affairs in furtherance of its charitable purposes provided that the RSCs assets are to be applied solely for the purposes, management and administration of Scouting. In particular, but without limitation, the Regional Executive Committee shall have power, subject to appropriate disclosure in the next Annual Report, (i) to lend and to borrow, (ii) to invest widely, (iii) to raise funds by levying a subscription on members of the Association in the Region, (iv) to award grants, including grants to one or more of their number, (v) to engage one or more of their number or their relations, either directly or through an a connected company or firm, to provide on a commercial basis services which they are suitably qualified to provide, (vi) to grant honoraria, including honoraria to one or more of their number and (vii) to reimburse one or more of their number from the RSC’s funds for all or part of any expenses reasonably incurred in the course of their duties.
- MEMBERSHIP OF THE REGIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Regional Executive Committee shall consist of:
Ex officio members: the Regional Chairman, Regional Commissioner, Regional Secretary and Regional Treasurer
Elected members: not more than six members of the RSC elected annually at the Regional Annual General Meeting.
Nominated members: persons nominated annually by the Regional Commissioner and whose nominations are approved at the Regional Annual General Meeting, and
Co-opted members: not more than four persons co-opted annually by the Regional Executive Committee
provided that (a) at the time of their nomination, the number of nominated members must not exceed the number of elected members, (b) persons ineligible to be charity trustees may not serve on the Committee, (c) nominated members and co-opted members need not already be members of the RSC and (d) when considering the appointment of co-opted members, the Committee shall use its best endeavours, if necessary, to ensure that at least two members of the Committee are aged 18 years or over, but less than 25 years.
The Chief Commissioner of Scotland and the Chairman of the Board of The Scottish Council The Scout Association shall have the right of attendance at meetings of the Regional Executive Committee.
The Regional Executive Committee may fill casual vacancies in their number by interim appointment until the next Annual General Meeting of the RSC.
- SUB-COMMITTEES
The Regional Executive Committee shall appoint an Appointments Advisory Sub-Committee and such other sub-committees as it decides. The Regional Executive Committee shall appoint the chairmen, secretaries and relevant members as it shall decide of all such sub-committees, who need not be members of the RSC or of the Regional Executive Committee. The Regional Chairman and Regional Commissioner shall be ex officio members of all sub-committees.
The Appointments Advisory Sub-Committee shall be responsible to the Regional Executive Committee for carrying out the process of assessing the suitability of all adult applicants for Regional appointments, including District Commissioners, and for associated matters, including applications for change of appointment and the periodic review of existing appointments, all in accordance with the Rules of The Scout Association as applicable in Scotland.
The Regional Executive Committee shall set the terms of reference of any other sub-committees.
- CONDUCT OF MEETINGS
At meetings of the RSC, a quorum shall consist of such number of members present in person as the RSC shall by resolution have determined. However, if a meeting of the RSC is not quorate, it shall be rearranged for a date, time and place decided by the Regional Executive Committee and the rearranged meeting shall proceed whether or not a quorum is present.
The quorum at meetings of the Regional Executive Committee and its sub-committees shall be prescribed in Bylaws.
If any member of the RSC, Regional Executive Committee or of any of its sub-committees holds a remunerated post in the Region, he or she shall not be entitled to vote at meetings.
Except in relation to proposed constitutional alterations, decisions at meetings of the RSC, the Regional Executive Committee and its sub-committees shall be determined by a simple majority of the votes cast in person by those entitled to vote. The chairman of the meeting shall not have a casting vote and, in the event of an equal number of votes being cast for and against a proposal, it shall be declared that the proposal has not been carried.
- ALTERATIONS TO CONSTITUTION
No alterations shall be made to this Constitution except by resolution of the RSC at a meeting of the RSC at which at least two thirds of the votes cast in person by those entitled to vote are in favour of the change or changes. Particulars of the proposed change or changes must accompany the notice calling the meeting.
BY LAWS of THE WEST REGIONAL SCOUT COUNCIL: –
To be effective from 1 April 2008
- Introduction: All words and phrases in this document shall have the meaning and interpretations placed on them as in the latest edition of Policy Organisation and Rules of the Scout Association and any amendments thereto. There may well be occasions where the language employed may imply male gender. Any such implication is in all instances to be taken to subsume both male and female.
- At meetings of the West Regional Scout Council, a quorum shall consist of twelve members present in person, except that, if a meeting is not quorate, it shall be rearranged for a date, time and place decided by the Regional Executive Committee. If at such an adjourned meeting a quorum is not present those members who are present shall be a quorum and may transact the business for which the meeting was called.
- Six Members of the West Regional Scout Council to be elected to the Regional Executive Committee shall be elected as follows:
3.1 Elected members shall serve for a period of one year, taking office immediately after the AGM at which their election is announced, and hold office until the next year’s AGM.
- Election shall be by postal ballot of members of the West Regional Scout Council.
- Any adult holding an appointment in the Region aged 18 or over, with their consent, may be nominated for election to the Regional Executive Committee by resolution of a District Scout Council or District Executive Committee or by being nominated by any four members of the West Regional Scout Council.
- Nomination forms for election shall be available at least sixty days prior to the date fixed for the Annual General Meeting and they shall be returned to the Secretary of the Council at least forty-five days prior to the date fixed for the Annual General Meeting.
- Incomplete/invalid nomination forms and all nomination forms received after the closing date referred to above shall be rejected. Where possible, incomplete / invalid nomination forms will be returned for amendment, if they can be resubmitted before the closing date.
- Where more than six valid nomination forms are received, a voting form containing the names of candidates, accompanied by such biographical details of the candidates and information about their sponsors as the Regional Executive Committee shall from time to time decide, shall be sent to members of the West Regional Scout Council at least thirty days prior to the date fixed for the Annual General Meeting.
- Completed voting forms shall be returned to the Secretary of the Council at least seven days prior to the date fixed for the Annual General Meeting.
- The six nominees receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected and the result of any ballot shall be announced at the Annual General Meeting.
- The Regional Executive Committee shall appoint two members of the West Regional Scout Council (who shall not be current members of the Executive Committee or nominated to serve as an Elected Member of the Executive Committee), to act as scrutineers, responsible for overseeing the conduct of the election.
- The Regional Executive Committee shall hold its meetings at such times and places, as it shall from time to time appoint.
- The Chairman may, and the Secretary on his instructions shall, convene a meeting of the Regional Executive Committee at any time with not less than seven days’ notice of all meetings specifying the place, day and hour of the meeting and stating the general nature of the business to be transacted shall be given to each member of the Regional Executive Committee. The accidental omission to give notice of a meeting to or the non-receipt of notice by any member shall not invalidate the proceedings at the meeting.
- No business shall be transacted at any meeting other than the business of which notice has been given, unless in exceptional circumstances the Chairman with the consent of the meeting decides otherwise.
- The Chairman of the meeting shall be the sole judge of points of order and the Chairman’s decisions thereon shall be final.
- Notices of motion for consideration at any meeting of the Regional Executive Committee may be submitted by any member of the Regional Executive Committee or West Regional Scout Council member. Such notices shall be in writing and shall be sent to the Secretary at least fourteen days before the meeting at which they are due to be considered.
- The quorum at meetings of the Regional Executive Committee shall be six members. The Regional Executive Committee shall set the quorum for meetings of any of its sub-committees.
- A meeting of the Regional Executive Committee at which a quorum is present shall be competent to exercise all or any of the authorities, powers or discretion’s by or under these Bylaws vested in or exercisable by the Regional Executive Committee generally.
- Questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes and in a case of an equality of votes the Chairman shall not have a second or casting vote but the motion shall be deemed not to have been carried.
- In the absence of the Chairman from any meeting of the Regional Executive Committee, it shall elect a chairman for such a meeting. The chairman will have a deliberative vote. In the event of a tied vote the chairman will not have a casting vote and the proposal in question will fall.
- If within half an hour after the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present the meeting shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same time and place and if at such an adjourned meeting a quorum is not present those members who are present shall be a quorum and may transact the business for which the meeting was called.
- The Regional Executive Committee shall operate a number of sub-committees as empowered by clause 7 of the constitution, comprising such persons as the Regional Executive Committee may determine from time to time and to appoint Chairmen to such Sub-Committees. Every such Sub-Committee shall in the exercise of its powers so delegated conform to any regulations that may from time too time be imposed by the Regional Executive Committee.
These committees shall be: –
Finance and General Purposes quorum 3
Development and Training quorum 3
Appointments quorum 3
Lapwing Lodge Management Board quorum 5
Lapwing Lodge Development quorum 3
- The meetings and proceedings of any such Sub-Committee shall be governed by the provisions herein contained for regulating the meetings and proceedings of the Regional Executive Committee so far as the same are applicable thereto and are not superseded by any regulations made by the Regional Executive Committee under the last preceding clause.
- All acts done by any meeting of the Regional Executive Committee or by any Sub-Committee shall notwithstanding that it shall afterwards be discovered that there were some defect in the appointment of all or any of the members of the Regional Executive Committee or of such Sub-Committees be as valid as if every member had been duly appointed.
- (1) Without prejudice to the powers of the Regional Executive Committee, the Finance and General Purposes Sub-committee is empowered to make urgent decisions on behalf of the Regional Executive Committee when these cannot be delayed until the next meeting of the Regional Executive Committee and do not warrant the calling of a special meeting of the Regional Executive Committee. Any such decision shall be reported in full to the next meeting of the Regional Executive Committee. The powers conferred under this Bylaw do not extend to any matter which involves the change of current policy or where there is doubt about change of current policy. Any such matter, however urgent, must be referred to the Regional Executive Committee.
(2) The Sub-committee is appointed annually by the Regional Executive Committee and shall consist of: –
The Regional Commissioner
The Regional Chairman
The Regional Treasurer
The Regional Secretary
Two other members of the Regional Executive Committee
(3) The chairman of this sub-committee will be appointed annually by the Regional Executive Committee and would normally be the Regional Chairman.
(4) The function of this sub-committee will be to be responsible to the Regional Executive Committee for the carrying out it’s instructions and subject thereto:
- Administering the finances of the West Regional Scout Council.
- Working with the Regional Treasurer to ensure close working with the District Scout Councils on financial matters.
- Arranging for the examination of annual accounts of District Scout Councils.
- Consider any proposals for capital intensive developments from any sub-committee of the Regional Executive Committee, District or Group Scout Councils and to make recommendations to the Regional Executive Committee.
- To act on behalf of the Regional Executive Committee as set out in bylaw 16.1
- (1) The Development and Training sub-committee is appointed annually by the Regional Executive Committee and shall consist of: –
The Regional Commissioner.
The Assistant Regional Commissioner (ARC) Development.
The Assistant Regional Commissioner (ARC) Communications.
The Assistant Regional Commissioner (ARC) Training.
Up to four other members of the Regional Executive Committee.
Co-option of up to three other individuals who may be able to assist in development work.
(2) The chairman of this sub-committee will be appointed annually by the Regional Executive Committee and would normally be the Regional Commissioner.
(3) The function of this sub-committee will be to be responsible to the Regional Executive Committee for the carrying out it’s instructions and subject thereto:
- Plan the development of Scouting within the Region.
- Plan the implementation development and retention strategies for the Region.
- Plan the Region’s support to Districts within the Region with their development plans.
- Review the progress, standards and effectiveness of training of members within the Region.
- Keep the Regional Executive Committee informed of any financial requirements of the development programme.
- Keep the Regional Executive Committee informed of development, implementation and retention strategies for the Region.
- Keep the Regional Executive Committee informed of building and maintaining of relationships with external bodies.
- (1) The Lapwing Lodge Management Board (LLMB) sub-committee Chairman is appointed annually by the Regional Council from one of its members.
The LLMB shall consist of: –
A Chairman (who would not normally be the holder of a Leaders Warrant)
Up to two other members of the Regional Executive Committee.
The Warden of Lapwing Lodge.
The Regional Treasurer (or a depute with financial knowledge).
Co-option of up to three other individuals who may be able to assist in the work of running the centre.
The two REC members, and the co-opted members, will be appointed by the LLMB chairman, as appropriate.
(2) The chairman is required to have a report made of meetings of the LLMB and for this to be presented to regularly to the Regional Executive. The chairman is also responsible for ensuring the appropriate secretarial duties are undertaken.
(3) The function of this sub-committee will be to be responsible to the Regional Executive Committee for the economic running of the centre: –
- Oversee the day to day running of the centre, in conjunction with the warden.
- Oversee all aspects of Health & Safety Legislation that is appropriate to Lapwing Lodge, and its implementation in conjunction with the warden.
- Consider development opportunities for Lapwing Lodge, and for proposing these to the Regional Executive Committee.
- Circulate the regular reports of the LLMB to the Regional Commissioner, and Regional Chairman.
- Report to the Regional Executive Committee on a regular basis on the relevant aspects of Lapwing Lodge.
- The appointment of the Honourary President and vice Presidents shall be for a period of up to three years.
- The elected members of the Council shall serve for a period of up to three years
- Visitors may attend and contribute to meetings of the West Regional Scout Council, Regional Executive Committee or any of its Sub-committees, at the invitation of the Regional Commissioner, Regional Chairman or the chairman of that Sub-committee. Any such visitor will have no right of vote at the meeting.
- Amendment of Bye Law 22 (amended in 2010) to clarify who could attend Region’s meetings
No. 23A Bye Law added with immediate effect 6 September 2015
Adults with an appointment as a Leader, Manager or Supporter as described in POR: The Appointment process, members of the Scout Active Support Units, Section Assistants, Group District and Regional Skills Instructors holding certificates of appointment, Group, District and Regional Advisers, Group and District Chair, Secretary and Treasurer and other adults who opt to be Associate Members may attend and contribute to meetings of the West Region Scout Council, Region Executive Committee or any of its Sub-committees, at the invitation of the Region Commissioner, Region Chairman or the chairman of that sub- committee. Any such visitor will have no right of vote at the meeting.
- The West Regional Scout Council shall be entitled to authorise the Regional Executive Committee to make rules or Bylaws.