Interpretation

In these rules:

1. The Association means The North Wales Association of Church Bell Ringers.
2. The Bell Restoration Fund means The North Wales Association of Church Bell Ringers Bell Restoration Fund.
3. Words expressed in any gender shall, where the context so requires or permits, include any other gender.
4. Words expressed in the singular shall, where the context so requires or permits, include the plural.
5. References to a Member shall, unless the context otherwise requires, refer to a Member of the Association of any class of membership.
6. References to a Branch shall mean a Branch of the Association.

1. To promote ringing for Divine Service and to secure recognition of bellringers as church workers.
2. To advance the art and skill of church bell ringing within its area by encouraging the recruitment of new ringers and by the training of new and existing ringers.
3. To encourage the authorities of each church having bells to:
   1. support its ringers and take an active interest in the ringing of its bells, and
   2. maintain its bells and ringing rooms in a proper state of repair and condition.

1. The Association's objects shall be carried out within the Dioceses of St Asaph and Bangor, either directly or through its Branches.
2. Branches of the Association, and the churches within those branches are:
   • East Clwyd Branch
     • Buckley
     • Flint
     • Halkyn
     • Hawarden
     • Llandrillo yn Edeyrnion
     • Mold
     • Northop
   • Gwynedd & West Clwyd Branch
     • Abergele
     • Bangor
     • Barmouth
     • Beaumaris
     • Bodelwyddan
     • Clynnog Fawr
     • Denbigh
     • Dolgellau
     • Llanbedrog
     • Llandegai
     • Llandudno
     • Llangefni
     • Machynlleth
     • Porthmadog
     • Prestatyn
     • Rhuddlan
     • Rhyl
     • Ruthin
   • Powys Branch
     • Berriew
     • Forden
     • Guilsfield
     • Leighton
     • Llandinam
     • Llandyssil
     • Llanidloes
     • Llanfyllin
     • Llansilin
     • Montgomery
     • Newtown
     • Welshpool
   • Wrexham
     • Bangor-is-y-Coed
     • Bettisfield
     • Chirk
     • Gresford
     • Hanmer
     • Holt
     • Hope
     • Llangollen
     • Overton-on-Dee
     • Ruabon
     • Worthenbury
     • Wrexham

1. Voting Members elected in accordance with Rule 6 shall comprise of:
   1. Ringing Members:
      Bellringers over 18 who are resident within, or are ringing members of a church within, the Dioceses of St Asaph and Bangor.
   2. Student Ringing Members:
      Bellringers of any age who are resident within, or are ringing members of a church within, the Dioceses of St. Asaph and Bangor and who are in full time education or training.
   3. Honorary Members:
      Former Ringing Members who by meritorious service to the Association or to their own Branch are so elected by the Association.
   
   
   Voting members shall be elected in accordance with rule 6.
    
2. Non-voting Members elected in accordance with rule 6 shall comprise of:
   1. Patrons:
      The Bishops of the Dioceses of St Asaph and of Bangor and all incumbents of churches having bells within those Dioceses;
   2. Non-resident Life Members:
      Bellringers who are not resident within, nor are ringing members of a church within, the Dioceses of St Asaph and Bangor.
   3. Associate Members:
      Non-ringers having an interest in the objects and activities of the Association.
       

3. Each Member (unless a Patron or Non-resident Life Member) must be a member of a Branch of the Association. Membership of a Branch automatically confers membership (of the same membership class) of the Association.

1. Voting Members and Associate Members shall be elected to membership at any general meeting of a Branch or of the Association. The candidate for election must be proposed and seconded by Voting Members and the proposition passed by a majority of Voting Members present.
2. A Ringing Member or a Non-resident Life Member may, in cases of emergency, be elected otherwise than at a general meeting of a Branch or of the Association. He must be proposed and seconded by Voting Members and pay the full subscription due.
   1. If elected a Ringing Member his membership must then be notified, and his subscription paid, to the Secretary of the Branch in which the Member was proposed for membership.
   2. If elected a Non-resident Life Member his membership must then be notified to the Secretary of the Association and his subscription paid to the Treasurer of the Association.
3. If a Member is elected to membership at a general meeting of the Association he must (unless a Non-resident Life Member) at the same time join a Branch. Details of his election shall be provided by the Secretary to the Secretary of that Branch.
4. Patrons are automatically members of the Association. A Patron shall cease to be a Member upon his ceasing to hold the office giving rise to his membership.
5. An Honorary Member shall only be elected to membership at a general meeting of the Association. He must be proposed and seconded by Voting Members and the proposition passed by a majority of Voting Members present.
6. A Member shall cease to be a Member:
   1. if he gives to the Secretary of his Branch written notice of his resignation of his membership.
   2. if he fails to pay his annual subscription for two consecutive years.
   3. if he commits some act, or is guilty of behaviour inconsistent with membership of the Association, and the Association, in general meeting, resolves on a motion of the Association Committee to remove him from membership.
7. The Secretary of each Branch shall keep a register of the names of all persons who become Members, and of those whose membership has ceased. He shall provide details of Branch membership to the Association Secretary when requested to do so.

1. Subscriptions for the calendar year during which the Annual General Meeting takes place shall be determined by the Association at that Annual General Meeting. Each subscription shall be divided and allocated as follows:
   • to the Member's Branch – 40%
   • to the Association – 30%
   • to the Bell Restoration Fund – 30%

   Subscriptions paid by Non-resident Life Members shall be divided equally between the Association and the Bell Restoration Fund.

2. No subscription shall be payable by Patrons or Honorary Members.
3. Non-resident Life Members shall pay a single subscription which entitles them to life membership.
4. Annual subscriptions shall be paid to the Treasurer of the Branch of which the Member is a member on the first day of the month following the month during which the Annual General Meeting is held.
5. Each Branch Treasurer shall account promptly to the Treasurer of the Association in respect of the proportion of the Branch Members' subscriptions payable to the Association and to the Bell Restoration Fund.
6. Peal Fees for the year (or other period) ending with the next following Annual General Meeting shall be determined by the Association at its Annual General Meeting.

1. Association Officers
   1. The Honorary Officers of the Association shall be Voting Members of the Association and shall be:
      • The President
      • The Ringing Master
      • the Deputy Ringing Master
      • the Secretary
      • the Treasurer
      • the Report Secretary
      • the Peal Secretary
      • the Bell Adviser
   2. The Officers of the Association shall retire at the end of each annual general meeting of the Association but shall be eligible for re-election at that meeting.
   3. The President shall be elected for a term of three years and shall chair any general meetings of the Association that he attends.
2. Branch Officers
   1. The Honorary Officers of each Branch shall be Voting Members/Honarary Members of the Association and shall be:
      • The Ringing Master,
      • the Secretary,
      • the Treasurer
   2. The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined if the Branch so resolves at its annual general meeting.
   3. The officers of each Branch shall retire at the end of each annual general meeting of that branch but shall be eligible for re-election at that meeting.
   4. No business shall be conducted by a Branch except in general meeting.

1. The Association Committee shall consist of the Officers of the Association; two representatives (who shall be Voting Members) of, and appointed by, each Branch; and any Members who represent the Association on the Central Council of Bellringers.
2. The Association Committee shall manage all the affairs of the Association and shall have power to do everything for that purpose.
3. The Association Committee shall meet not less frequently than twice yearly. The Ringing Master (or the Deputy in his absence) shall chair the meeting.
4. The quorum shall be five, of which not fewer than two shall be Officers of the Association.
5. Not less than three days written or oral notice shall be given by the Secretary to the members of the Association Committee of any meeting, but in an emergency, at the discretion of the Ringing Master (or the Deputy in his absence) and the Secretary, additional meetings may be called on 24 hours notice.
6. Decisions at meetings of the Association Committee shall be made by a simple majority and in the event of equality of voting the Ringing Master (or the Deputy in his absence) shall have a casting vote.
7. Any casual vacancy on the Committee or of any office (including that of auditor) arising between annual general meetings may be filled by the Committee.

1. An annual general meeting of the Association shall be held in March. Successive meetings shall be held in each Branch by rotation at a venue to be selected by the Branch hosting the meeting.
2. The business of the annual general meeting shall be:
   1. To receive and consider the minutes of the previous annual general meeting.
   2. To receive and consider:
      • the accounts for the preceding financial year;
      • the auditors' / independent examiners' report on the accounts; and
      • the Treasurer's report on the financial position of the Association.
   3. To receive and consider reports of the activities of the Association during the preceding year.
   4. To elect Officers.
   5. To remove and elect the auditors / independent examiners of the Association.
   6. Subject to the Rules of the Bell Restoration Fund to remove and elect the auditors / independent examiners of the Bell Restoration Fund
   7. If and when necessary, to appoint Members to represent the Association on the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers, such representatives normally to serve for the three years of the Council but to be eligible for reappointment.
   8. To fix the Subscriptions for the calendar year during which the Annual General Meeting takes place.
   9. To fix the Peal Fees for the year (or other period) ending with the next following Annual General Meeting.
3. The Secretary must give Members not less than 21 days' notice of the meeting. Notice will be deemed to have been properly given if not less than 21 days' written notice is given to the Secretary of each Branch.
4. A collection shall be taken for the Bell Restoration Fund and the amount collected announced and recorded in the minutes of that meeting.

1. An ordinary general meeting of the Association may be convened at any time upon a resolution of the Association Committee.
2. The Secretary must give the Members not less than 21 days' notice of the meeting.

1. An extraordinary general meeting of the Association may be convened at any time upon either a resolution of the Association Committee or a requisition setting out the resolution or resolutions to be proposed at it. The requisition must be signed by not fewer than 6 Voting Members and served on the Secretary personally or by recorded delivery post.
2. The Secretary must give the Members not less than 21 days' notice of the meeting. Notice of the meeting must be given within 14 days of service of the requisition, failing which any of the requisitioners may do so. Notice will be deemed to have been properly given if not less than 21 days' written notice is given to the Secretary of each Branch.
3. The business which may be conducted at an extraordinary general meeting may be any one or more of:
   1. Removing all or any of the officers of the Association or the auditors and filling any vacancy caused by such removal.
   2. Altering these rules.
   3. Increasing or decreasing the number of Branches or appointing that a church shall fall within a different Branch;
   4. Dissolving the Association.

1. General Meetings
   1. Each Branch shall hold a general meeting as often as its officers appoint.
   2. Not less than three days' written or oral notice shall be given by the Secretary to the Members of the Branch by notice given to each Tower within the Branch. In an emergency, at the discretion of the Branch Ringing Master and the Secretary, a meeting may be called on 24 hours' notice.
   3. The quorum shall be five.
   4. Decisions at general meetings of the Branch shall be made by a simple majority and in the event of equality of voting the Ringing Master shall have a casting vote.
2. Annual General Meeting
   1. Each Branch shall hold an annual general meeting.
   2. The business of the annual general meeting shall be:
      1. To receive and consider the minutes of the previous annual general meeting.
      2. To receive the Branch Ringing Master's report on the activities of the Branch during the preceding year.
      3. To receive and consider:
         1. The accounts for the preceding financial year;
         2. The Treasurer's report on the financial position of the Branch.
      4. To elect officers.

1. Association
   1. The Financial Year of the Association shall end on 31st December, to which day the Association Accounts shall be balanced and drawn.
   2. As soon as practicable, after the end of each financial year, there shall be prepared a statement of the assets and liabilities of the Association at the end of the financial year and a statement of its income and expenditure during the year, which statements shall be audited by the auditor / independent examiner.
   3. Copies of the audited statement of accounts shall be sent to every Branch Secretary with the Notice convening the Annual General Meeting.
   4. The auditor / independent examiner shall be a member of the Association appointed at the annual general meeting but if the meeting so resolves, he shall be a Registered Auditor who is not a Member of the Association.
   5. All moneys received by the Association shall be paid into an account in the name of the Association at a bank or building society appointed by the Committee. Cheques and other instruments drawn on and directions to the bank shall be signed by not fewer than two officers.
   6. No action involving expenditure in the name or on behalf of the Association shall be taken and no undertakings which would commit the Association to expenditure or other liability shall be made without the prior authority of a resolution of the Committee.
2. Branch
   1. The Financial Year of every Branch shall end on 31st December, to which day the Branch Accounts shall be balanced and drawn.
   2. As soon as practicable, after the end of each financial year, there shall be prepared a statement of the assets and liabilities of the Branch at the end of the financial year and a statement of its income and expenditure during the year. Those statements shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting of the Branch for adoption.
   3. A copy of those statements shall be sent to the Association Treasurer within 14 days after the Annual General Meeting at which those statements have been adopted.
   4. All moneys received by the Branch shall be paid into an account in the name of the Branch at a bank or building society appointed by the Branch in general meeting. Cheques and other instruments drawn on and directions to the bank shall be signed by not fewer than two members of the Branch.