Constitution 2007
| Name | Objectives | Membership | Representation | Voting |
| Management | General Council | Special Meetings GC | Officers | Finances |
| Constitutional Amendments | Language | Dissolution |
1. NAME
The organisation shall be called The
World Budgerigar Organisation (The Organisation). Founded
2.
OBJECTIVES
(i) To bring together representatives of member countries.
(ii) To serve as a unified international advisory organisation in promoting common standards for the budgerigar fancy throughout the world.
(iii) To support and encourage the free movement of budgerigar breeders and budgerigars across international borders in order to improve the breeding, exhibiting and judging of budgerigars.
(iv) To assist in the protection of the interests of members of the organisation.
(v) To assist in the progress of scientific knowledge by the accumulation of data and literature and the distribution thereof amongst members of the organisation.
(vi) To reward any work of outstanding merit with prizes or other marks of recognition.
3.
MEMBERSHIP
(i) Membership of The Organisation is open to any National Budgerigar Society which applies in writing for membership to the Secretary/Treasurer signifying its' acceptance of the constitution and paying the stipulated annual membership fee as amended from time to time.
(ii) Where a country does not have a single National Budgerigar Society but more than one similar controlling society, such societies may apply for membership.
(iii) Annual membership fees are payable by 31st May of each year. Societies not paying the membership fee by 31st May shall lose the right to send delegates to meetings and other benefits of membership until such fees have been paid.
(iv) Annual membership fees shall be based on the total membership of the society at the end of its financial year preceding the date on which the Organisation fees are payable.
(v) Membership fees must be paid in the currency of the country of residence of the Secretary/Treasurer.
(i) Each society joining the Organisation will be eligible to send one delegate to meetings of the General Council.
(ii) Where a country is represented by only one society that society will be eligible to send two delegates.
(iii) Delegates must reside in the country which they represent.
5.
VOTING
(i) Votes shall be allocated to member countries on the following basis:
Number of members in largest society Number of votes
5000 or more 10
3000 to 4999 8
1000 to 2999 6
500 to 999 4
Less than 500 2
(ii) Where a country is represented by more than one society it will receive total voting rights equivalent to the membership of the largest society representing that country. Such votes to be divided equally between the societies except where the division will provide decimal points when the largest society representing the country will receive the balance of the votes (e.g. 10 ÷ 3 = 3+3+4).
(iii) Proxy voting can be accepted by the Secretary on any item considered under 6(iv) below. Such votes to be received by the Secretary at least 7 days before the meeting.
6.
MANAGEMENT
(i) The management of the Organisation shall be vested in the General Council which shall be entitled to delegate management to sub committees and individuals.
(ii) Sub committees and individuals must regularly report progress in writing to the General Council.
(iii) The General Council shall appoint the Chairman of sub committees and the Secretary/Treasurer shall provide secretarial and administrative services.
(iv) The Secretary/Treasurer shall give in writing to all member societies at least two months notice of each meeting and any matter on which a vote is to be taken that may affect member societies.
(v) The general management of the Organisation, in between Council meetings, shall be vested, in the Executive Committee consisting of the Chairman, Secretary/Treasurer, Vice Chairman and immediate past Chairman.
(vi)
All official communications shall be conducted
through the office of the Secretary.
7.
THE GENERAL COUNCIL
(i) The General Council shall consist of representatives listed under Rules 4(i) and 4(ii) plus the Chairman, Secretary/Treasurer and immediate past Chairman.
(ii) The General Council shall meet at least once in every two years and shall be responsible for arranging the date and the location of meetings.
(iii) The General Council shall ensure that minutes of all its meetings are fully recorded.
(iv) The General Council shall be responsible for the Constitution of the Organisation which may be amended from time to time by a 65% majority of all votes cast.
(v) The General Council shall determine the annual membership fees of the Organisation which may be amended from time to time by a 65% majority of all votes cast.
(vi) The General Council shall appoint the Chairman and the Secretary/Treasurer who will be independent.
(vii) The General Council shall appoint a Vice Chairman from within the membership of the General Council.
(viii) The General Council shall decide the annual budget.
(ix) The General Council shall appoint an Auditor.
(x) The General Council shall consider the annual balance sheet.
(xi)
A quorum of the General Council shall be a minimum of six fully paid up
member countries.
8. SPECIAL MEETING OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL
(i) A Special Meeting of the General Council.
(a) May be called by either the Chairman or the Secretary for any special purpose.
(b) Shall be called by either the Chairman or the Secretary upon receipt of a written requisition from all delegates of at least five member countries. Such requisition to commence with a proposer and seconder, state the purpose of the meeting and be individually signed by all of the delegates of the countries making the requisition, who must be fully paid up members of the W.B.O. at both the time of making the requisition and at the time of the meeting.
(ii) The date, time, place and resolutions placed before the Special Meeting shall be circulated to all member countries at least six weeks before the meeting.
(iii) The date, time and place of the Special Meeting shall be determined by either the Chairman or the Secretary depending on who is calling the meeting.
(iv) A quorum shall be 50% plus one of the members= countries.
9.
OFFICERS
The Officers of the Organisation shall be;
(i) The Chairman who will be elected for a period of two years and shall only have a casting vote.
(ii) The Secretary/Treasurer who will be elected for a period of two years and shall not receive a vote.
(iii)
The Vice Chairman who will be
elected for a period of two years and shall be eligible to vote as a delegate during
General Council meetings. In the absence of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman will be
Chairman.
(iv) The immediate past Chairman who shall have one vote and shall be replaced when there is a new Chairman.
(v) Nominations for the positions of Chairman and Secretary/Treasurer must be received in writing by the Secretary/Treasurer before 31st December prior to the election. Such nominations must be acceptable to the country in which the nominee resides.
(vi) Nominations for the position of Vice Chairman will be accepted at each General Council meeting. Such candidates to be proposed and seconded in accordance with Rule 9(vii) but without the need to accept in writing.
(vii) New candidates must be nominated and seconded by separate member countries and must indicate in writing their acceptance of the nomination.
(viii) The existing Chairman, Vice Chairman and Secretary/Treasurer will automatically be placed on the election form unless they have indicated that they do not wish their names to be considered.
(ix) If, when an election is due, no meeting of the General Council is scheduled then a postal ballot of delegates will be carried out by an independent body, agreed by the Executive Committee.
10.
FINANCES
(i) All funds of the Organisation shall be kept in an account, registered in the name of the World Budgerigar Organisation, with a national bank in the country of residence of the Secretary/Treasurer.
(ii) Withdrawals shall require the signature of the Secretary/Treasurer and one of two other persons nominated by the General Council.
(iii) The financial year shall commence on 1st January and terminate on 31st December.
(iv) The Secretary/Treasurer shall maintain financial records of the Organisation. Such records to be annually audited and submitted to the General Council.
(v) Each member of the Organisation will be responsible for the expenses of its delegates.
(vi) The Organisation will be responsible for the cost of meeting rooms, light refreshments, administrative and, secretarial expenses including essential interpreting costs.
(vii) The Organisation will pay the travel and accommodation costs incurred by the Chairman and the Secretary/Treasurer in the execution of their duties.
(viii) The Organisation will pay
the accommodation cost incurred by the Vice Chairman and immediate past Chairman in
attending General Council meetings.
11.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Proposed amendments to the constitution must be submitted in writing by member societies to the Secretary/Treasurer at least three months prior to a meeting of the General Council.
12.
LANGUAGE
The official language of the Organisation shall be English and all correspondence to the Secretary/Treasurer shall be in that language. The German speaking countries will translate papers into German and send them to the Secretary/Treasurer for distribution as appropriate.
13.
DISSOLUTION OF
THE ORGANISATION
In the event of the Organisation being dissolved, its funds shall be distributed to member countries in proportion to their last contribution.
Revised 24th August 2007 in Karlsruhe, Germany