The Constitution of The White Lion Society

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1) NAME & STATUS

The Society is an unincorporated association called “The White Lion Society”. ^1*

2) PURPOSE

Support of the College of Arms — any activity of the Society directly affecting the College subject to the Chapter of the College’s approval; fostering its members’ interest in heraldry’s protocols, practices, hinterland.

3) MEMBERSHIP

1. The Society shall consist of those supporting its purpose, whether individuals, societies or institutions.
2. Membership of the Society shall be at the discretion of the Council.
3. The Council of the Society may invite whomsoever it chooses to accept honorary membership of the Society.

An individual member of the Society having been such for five consecutive years may petition the Council for Life Membership of the Society, granting thereof depending upon: the Council’s approval; a contribution to the Society of twenty times the annual subscription.

4) PRESIDENT & VICE-PRESIDENTS

The Society shall have a President, elected at a General Meeting, serving until the Society at a General Meeting decides otherwise, or until she or he resigns, dies or becomes incapacitated. Kings of Arms are to be invited, during their kingship, to serve as Vice-Presidents.

5) COUNCIL & OFFICERS

1. Offices of the Society are held in an honorary capacity.
2. The affairs of the Society, other than reserved for a General Meeting, are to be managed by a Council of up to eleven members of the Society including, as officers: Chairman Vice-Chairman Treasurer Secretary
3. One person shall: be nominated to Council by the Chapter of the College of Arms; thereby be a member of the Society; serve at the pleasure of the Chapter.
4. Members of the Council, other than the Chapter nominee, shall: be elected, or confirmed in office, at the Annual General Meeting of the Society by members of the Society: serve for one year; be eligible for re-election.
5. From its members the Council shall appoint officers as mentioned in 5b.
   A member may hold more than one office but shall have a single vote at a Council or General Meeting.
6. Officers appointed by the Council remain in office until resigning or ceasing to be a member of Council.
7. Officers ceasing to be members of Council by non-election at an AGM shall continue in office until the Council’s next meeting.
8. The Council may co-opt members of the Society to Council until the next Annual General Meeting.

6) COUNCIL MEETINGS

1. A quorum of Council is a majority of all council members, including at least two Officers.
2. The Council shall hold four meetings per calendar year.
3. The Council shall keep a record of those attending council meetings.
4. The minutes of the previous meeting shall be confirmed at Council Meetings.

7) FINANCE & SUBSCRIPTIONS

1. The Society’s financial year ends on 31st December when the accounts of the Society shall be balanced.
2. The Treasurer shall be responsible for preparing the Society’s accounts;
   presenting them at the Society’s Annual General Meeting.
3. Each member or organisation is to pay an initial subscription upon joining the Society and thereafter an annual subscription due on 1st January of an amount decided by the Council; members including life members from January 2023, receiving printed Newsletters, shall additionally subscribe an annual sum, decided by Council, covering the full cost of printing, stationary, postage and so on.
4. The Society considers that the membership of a member whose annual subscription remains unpaid by 1 July has ceased on 1 January of that year.

8) GENERAL MEETINGS

1. The Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held on a date of the Council’s choosing, by the end of March.
2. b Members present at the Annual General Meeting shall
   1. elect the Council;
   2. receive the annual accounts;
   3. consider such matters having been properly notified to the Secretary no fewer than twenty one days before the date of the Meeting.
3. The Secretary shall convene a Special General Meeting upon a written request containing the text of any resolution to be proposed thereat, from the President, the Council or any ten members of the Society.
4. The Secretary shall notify all members at least twenty eight days before the Annual General Meeting, and fourteen days before a Special General Meeting, of such meetings.
5. At a General Meeting each member of the Society present has one vote, by a show of hands or by ballot. In case of equality the Chairman of the Meeting has a second or casting vote. A resolution put to a General Meeting shall be decided by a show of hands unless a ballot is ordered by the Chairman or by demand of at least five members present.
6. A quorum for an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting shall be ten of the Society’ members.
7. Annual General Meetings shall normally be by personal attendance but, at the discretion of Council, may be held electronically.

9) ALTERATION OF CONSTITUTION

The Constitution of the Society may be altered at a General Meeting, provided that the proposed alteration(s) be accurately presented in the notice convening the Meeting and adopted by at least two thirds of the Society’s members present.

10) WINDING-UP

If the Society is wound-up, assets after the satisfaction of any proper debts and liabilities shall be give or transferred to such other institution having objects similar to those of the Society as the members of the Society may determine, or, if that cannot be done, shall be applied for some similar purpose.

Adopted at the 34th Annual General Meeting of the Society held on 23rd March 2023

1* An ‘unincorporated association’ is an organisation set up through an agreement between a group of people who come together for a reason other than to make 1 a profit (for example, a voluntary group or a sports club). You don’t need to register an unincorporated association, and it doesn’t cost anything to set one up. Individual members are personally responsible for any debts and contractual obligations.
cf www.gov.uk/unincorporated-associations