6th Gurkha Rifles Regimental Association

Rules

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1. NAME
The name of the Association is “The 6th Queen Elizabeth’s Own Gurkha Rifles Regimental Association” (“the Association”).

2. ADMINISTRATION
The Association and its property shall be administered and managed in accordance with these Rules by the Committee of the Association (“the Committee”), and/or the Trustees of the Regimental Trust (the Trustees), as appropriate to the property or funds to be so managed or administered. For the purposes hereof the term “the Regimental Trust” shall mean the 6th Queen Elizabeth’s Own Gurkha Rifles Regimental Trust, Registered Charity Number 259969 under the Charity Commission Scheme sealed on 20th June 1997 pursuant to which all pre-existing Charities for the benefit of 6th Queen Elizabeth’s Own Gurkha Rifles (“the Regiment”) are thenceforth to be administered and managed together as one Charity.

3. OBJECTS
3.1 The Association is a non-political organisation; any form of political activity, or any activity associated with the lobbying of politicians or of members of the public by any Member for any purpose on behalf of the Association whatsoever is expressly forbidden. The President, the Chairman, the Regimental Secretary and/or such other person as shall have been expressly nominated by the President or the Chairman shall be the sole persons who may speak for the Association in contact with the media; in the event that any Member is contacted by a media representative the Member shall refer such representative to the President or the Chairman.
3.2 The Objects of the Association (“the Objects”), which shall be achieved in such ways as the Committee from time to time shall, subject to these Rules, think fit, are:
Principal Object
To foster esprit de corps and comradeship, and to preserve the traditions and history of the 6th Queen Elizabeth’s Own Gurkha Rifles (“the Regiment”), for all former members of the Regiment and members of the Association.
Further Objects

  1. To maintain contact between members of the Association, fostering mutual friendship among them.
  2. To maintain liaison between the Association and the Regimental Association of The Royal Gurkha Rifles, and with the serving members of that regiment.
  3. To provide for members of the Association to play a full part in the charitable activities carried out by The Gurkha Brigade Association and The Gurkha Welfare Trust in the relief of individual former members of the Regiment and their dependants who are in conditions of need, hardship or distress, and further to act as a channel of communication between members of the Association in need and the many sources of welfare support and benevolence that may from time to time be available.

 
4. MEMBERSHIP
4.1 There shall be three classes of membership of the Association, namely:

  1. Full members
  2. Associate members; and
  3. Honorary members

each severally and collectively hereinafter referred to in these Rules as “Members”.
4.2 Full Membership
All persons who have served on the posted strength of the Regiment at any time shall be eligible for election to Full membership.
4.3 Associate Membership
All persons who, at any time, consider that they have ties by kinship or by association with the Regiment shall be eligible to apply for Associate membership.
All applications for Associate membership must be submitted to the Committee for approval.
4.4 Honorary Membership

  1. All widows/widowers of deceased Full members will automatically be invited to become Honorary members.
  2. Distinguished persons may be invited to become Honorary members if so approved by the President of the Association (“the President”) and the Committee.

4.5 Continuity of Membership
Subject to the continued payment, as and when required, of subscriptions in accordance with the provisions of Rule 11 hereof, membership shall normally continue for the life of a Member; notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that the Committee, at its reasonable and proper discretion, shall determine that a Member has in any way brought the name of the Regiment or the Association into disrepute, or has acted in a manner inconsistent with the Objects of the Association set out in Rule 3, such Member shall cease to be a member of the Association with effect from a date notified to the Member in writing by the Chairman.
4.6 Branches of the Association
There shall be a Branch of the Association established in Nepal (“the Nepal Branch”) and may be further branches established in such other places in or outside the United Kingdom as may be required by persons who have at any time worn the Regiment’s cap badge and are permanently resident in such other places PROVIDED THAT

  1. the objectives of the Nepal Branch and of such further branches shall be the same as those of the Association set forth in Rule 3 hereof,
  2. subject to (a) above and (c) below, the constitution and rules of the Nepal Branch and of such further branches shall be determined by their respective members, and
  3. membership of the Nepal Branch and of such further branches shall be open to all persons who have served on the posted strength of the Regiment.
  4. any further branches established and properly constituted must have been recognised by the Association at an AGM.

 
5. PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENTS
5.1 The President shall be such person, normally a serving or retired senior commissioned officer of the Regiment, or such other person of equivalent standing, as the outgoing President, in consultation with the Chairman, shall propose to the Committee. If supported, the nomination shall be put to Members and if approved the nominee shall be appointed. The term of office of a President shall normally be five years. If the Committee so propose, the Members so decide and the person concerned is willing, the term of office of a President may be extended for further periods each of not more than five years.
5.2 Such persons as the Members consider have given valuable service to the Association may be nominated by the Members for consideration by the Committee for appointment as Vice-Presidents of the Association (“the Vice-Presidents”). Such proposed appointments shall be subject to the approval of the President and the Committee, and all offers of such appointments shall be made to such persons by the Chairman of the Association (“the Chairman”). Appointments as Vice-President shall be Honorary and shall, unless otherwise determined by the President, be for the life of the appointee, although the appointee may relinquish the appointment at a time of their choosing. Should either the President or Chairman be temporarily unable to fulfil their duties, a Vice President may be asked to stand in for them.

6. OFFICERS
6.1 The Members shall elect from among themselves the following Officers (“the Officers”):

  1. a Chairman, who shall be a person nominated by the President.
  2. a Regimental Secretary (“the Secretary”), who shall be a person nominated by the Chairman, and approved by the President.
  3. an Editor of the Association Journal.
  4. an Editor of the Journal Family News.
  5. a Website Officer.

The President is Chairman of the Regimental Trust. The Chairman and the Secretary shall be ex-officio Trustees of the Regimental Trust.
6.2 The Officers shall hold office from the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting of the Association (“the AGM”) at which they were respectively elected into office and shall continue in office for such periods as are hereinafter in this Rule 6 provided. All Officers shall be eligible for re-election following completion of a period of office or at any time thereafter.
6.3 The following Officers shall be elected/re-elected to hold office for five years and shall retire or offer themselves for re-election at the last AGM to be held within their period of office. The Chairman and Secretary shall not change in the same year:

  1. The Chairman
  2. The Secretary
  3. The Editor of the Association Journal
  4. The Editor of the Journal Family News
  5. The Website Officer

6.4 In the event of the death of any Officer during his or her period of office the Committee shall appoint such other person as it considers appropriate to fulfil the functions of the deceased Officer until the AGM next following the date of the death of the deceased Officer, at which meeting the Members shall confirm such person in office or elect such other person from among those standing for election at the time.
6.5 The provisions of Rule 8 shall apply to the Officers both in their capacity as Officers and as members of the Committee.

7. THE COMMITTEE
7.1 The Committee shall consist of:

  1. the Officers
  2. a maximum of five other Members of the Association, one of whom should be a retired Gurkha Other Rank (“the committee members”/ “a committee member”)
    The Officers and the committee members are referred to in these Rules collectively as “the members of the Committee”.

7.2 The Officers shall hold office on the Committee and shall be subject to election, re-election and retirement in accordance with the provisions of Rule 6 hereof; the five committee members shall retire from office at the AGM 4 years after  that at which they were elected into office, but may be re-elected into office if the Members so decide at any AGM in question.
7.3 The proceedings of the Committee shall not be invalidated by any vacancy among its number, or by any failure to appoint, or by any defect in the appointment or qualification, of a committee member.
7.4 Nobody shall be nominated for appointment as a committee member who would, if appointed, be disqualified under the provisions of Rules 3.1 and/or 8.
7.5 The Officers shall be entitled to be reimbursed out of the funds of the Association in respect of any reasonable expenses incurred by them in carrying out their duties. This must be agreed in advance by the Chairman and be within the agreed budget.

8. TERMINATION OF OFFICE OF OFFICERS AND OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS
An Officer or committee member shall cease to hold office if:

  1. he or she notifies in writing to the Committee a wish to resign (but such resignation shall only be accepted if not less than three persons shall remain in office on the Committee after the notice of resignation takes effect); or
  2. the Committee resolves that an Officer or committee member in question is no longer a fit person to hold office by reason of sickness, bankruptcy or other good cause.

9. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS NOT TO BE PERSONALLY INTERESTED
9.1 Subject to the provisions of Rule 9.2 hereof, no Officer or committee member shall receive remuneration, or be interested (otherwise than as an Officer or committee member) in any contract entered into by the Committee on behalf of the Association.
9.2 Any Officer or committee member for the time being who is a Solicitor, Accountant or other person engaged in a profession may charge and be paid all the usual fees and charges for business done by him or her, or by his or her firm, when instructed by the Committee and with the agreement of the Trustees to act in a professional capacity on behalf of the Association: PROVIDED THAT at no time shall a majority of the Committee benefit under this Rule and that an Officer or committee member shall withdraw from any meeting at which his or her own instructions or remuneration, or that of his or her firm, are under discussion.

10. MEETINGS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE
10.1 The Committee shall hold not less than one meeting in each year. Meetings may be called at any time by the Chairman, or by any two members of the Committee, upon not less than twenty-one days’ notice being given to the other members of the Committee specifying the date, time and location of the meeting and the matters to be discussed thereat. Meetings may be in person or by live visual electronic internet connection or a mixture of both.
10.2 The Chairman, failing whom the Secretary, shall act as chairman at meetings of the Committee. If both the Chairman and the Secretary are absent from any meeting, the members of the Committee present shall, before any other business is transacted, choose one of their number to act as chairman of the meeting.
10.3 There shall be a quorum when not less than one third of the number of members of the Committee for the time being, or three members of the Committee, whichever is the greater, are present at a meeting in question, including by live visual electronic internet connection. Provided however, that at any meeting at which matters contemplated by Rule 9 hereof are to be discussed the quorum shall be such number as will, following the withdrawal of an Officer or committee member in accordance with Rule 9.2, result in there remaining not less than three members of the Committee eligible to participate in the discussion and vote on the matter in question.
10.4 Every matter shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members of the Committee present, in person or by live visual electronic internet connection and voting on the matter in question; in the case of an equality of votes the chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.
10.5 The Committee shall keep minutes in hard copy, in books kept for the purpose, of the proceedings at meetings of the Committee and of any Sub-committee appointed under the provisions of Rule 10.7 hereof.
10.6 The Committee may from time to time make and alter regulations for the conduct of its meetings and the custody of documents. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such regulation may be made which is inconsistent with these Rules.
10.7 The Committee may appoint one or more Sub-committees for the performance of any function or duty which in the opinion of the Committee would be more effectively or conveniently performed or carried out by a Sub-committee: PROVIDED THAT all acts and proceedings of any such Sub-committee shall be fully reported to and receive approval from the Committee. The Committee may co-opt Members for appointment to any Sub-committee.

11. SUBSCRIPTIONS
11.1 Full and Associate members shall pay an annual subscription in accordance with Rule 11.3 hereof at a rate for their respective class of membership to be from to time decided by the Committee and approved by the Members at an AGM.
11.2 Honorary members shall not be required to pay a subscription but may choose to do so if he or she so wishes.
11.3 Payment of subscriptions shall be made by Standing Order annually on or after 1st July each year or such other date as the Committee shall from time to time decide and notify to Members.

12. MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
12.1 Full members are entitled to the benefits of members of the Gurkha Brigade Association such as, for example, attendance at that association’s functions.
12.2 All Members are entitled to attend AGMs, but only Full members shall be entitled to vote thereat.
12.3 Each Member is entitled to receive a copy of the Association Journal and any Newsletters and Directories of the Association published from time to time.
12.4 All Full members are, by virtue of the Association’s annual subscription thereto and for so long as such subscription continues to be paid, Associate members of The Royal Gurkha Rifles Regimental Association and shall be entitled to attend the annual general meeting of that association, but shall not be entitled to vote thereat.

13. RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE
13.1 For financial and accounting purposes the Association is an integral part of the Regimental Trust. The funds of the Association, including all donations, subscriptions, contributions and bequests, shall be paid into the Regimental Trust Number 2 Account at such bank or building society as the Trustees shall from time to time decide. This account also includes all investment assets of the Association. The Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the Regimental Trust shall be designated authorised signatories for the purpose of operating the account or accounts with limits set by the Trustees.
13.2 The Association Committee shall submit a proposed annual budget of expenses to the Trustees for their approval at least 21days before the Trustees’ annual meeting. Once agreed this budget shall form the basis of Association expenditure during the following accounting year.
13.3 The funds of the Association shall be applied only in furthering the Objects. The Regimental Trust deals with all charitable activity whilst other activity, which may be charitable, is covered by the Association, generally on a self-funding basis.

14. ACCOUNTS
14.1 The Secretary of the Regimental Trust shall keep proper accounts of the finances of the Association. The financial year of the Association shall commence on 1st October and end on the following 30th September.
14.2 The accounts shall be independently examined by a suitably qualified individual appointed from time to time by the Trustees and then approved by the Trustees.
14.3 An independently examined and approved statement of the accounts for the immediately preceding financial year shall be obtained by the Regimental Secretary from the Secretary of the Regimental Trust and shall be submitted to each AGM in accordance with Rule 15.4 hereof. The Association and Regimental Trust accounts shall be published in the Association Journal.

15. GENERAL MEETINGS AND ANNUAL REUNIONS
15.1 There shall be an AGM and a Reunion of the Association each year. The AGM and Reunion shall normally be held in November to coincide with the Association Act of Remembrance at the Book of Remembrance in Winchester Cathedral. Notwithstanding the foregoing the AGM and/or the Annual Reunion may each, in special circumstances, be held on such other day in such other month as the Committee shall decide.
15.2 Every AGM shall be called by the Secretary on the instructions of the Committee. The Secretary shall give not less than twenty-one days’ notice of an AGM to all Members; contemporaneously the Secretary shall advise Members of the arrangements for the Annual Reunion in the event that the AGM and the Reunion shall be held on the same day.
15.3 The Chairman shall be chairman of the AGM, but if he or she shall not be present at the time set for the AGM then, before any other business is transacted, the Members present shall appoint a chairman of the AGM.
15.4 The business of an AGM shall be:

  1. to receive reports from the Chairman and other Officers;
  2. to receive the independently examined accounts presented by the Regimental Secretary pursuant to Rule 14.3 hereof.
  3. when appropriate, to appoint a President and/or Vice President(s)
  4. to elect and/or re-elect Officers and committee members; and
  5. to consider any matter or proposal, whether required to be considered pursuant to these Rules or otherwise, of which due notice has been given in writing to the Chairman or to the Secretary not less than ten days before the date set for the AGM in question. No matter or proposal, to which the provisions of Rule 18 or Rule 19 apply, shall be considered at an AGM unless all the provisions of Rule 16.3, Rule18 and/or Rule 19 have been complied with.

15.5 The Committee may call a Special General Meeting of the Association at any time. Further, if not less than ten Members request a Special General Meeting by writing to the Secretary stating the business to be considered thereat, the Secretary shall call such a meeting on giving not less than twenty-one days’ notice to all Members. Such notice shall specify the date, time and location of the meeting and the business to be discussed. No matter shall be discussed at a Special General Meeting of which prior notice has not been given to all Members.
15.6 Subject to Rule 18.3; for any resolution at a General Meeting or proposal which may require a vote, whether initiated by the Committee or by Members, the Secretary shall give notice to all Full members in writing by Email or Surface or Air Mail at least 21 days before the date of a Meeting. The notice shall set out the terms of the proposed resolution and shall include any information that the Committee considers relevant for the Full members to make a decision. The notice shall include a date and time by which votes must be cast. For any votes cast it will be deemed that the voter was present at the Meeting for the purposes of determining the presence of a quorum.

16. PROCEDURES AT GENERAL MEETINGS
16.1 The Secretary or other person specially appointed by the Committee shall keep a full record in hard copy of proceedings at every General Meeting. The minutes, less Annexes shall be published annually, with the statement of independently examined accounts, in the Association Journal.
16.2 Subject to Rule 16.3 hereof, there shall be a quorum when not less than one tenth of the total number of Members for the time being, or ten Members, whichever is the greater, are present at a General Meeting in question and entitled to vote pursuant to the Rules, or are represented by proxy given to a Full member, the Chairman or Secretary, or by virtue of having voted on a resolution in accordance with Rule 15.6, or are present by live visual electronic internet connection. The presence of members of the Committee shall not count towards the establishment of the existence or otherwise of a quorum at a General Meeting.
16.3 For the purposes of deciding any matter raised pursuant to Rules 18 and/or 19 hereof, the quorum at the General Meeting called to consider such matter shall be not less than one third of the total number of the Members for the time being, being present and entitled to vote pursuant to the Rules, or not being present but deemed to be present having cast a valid vote pursuant to Rule 18.5.

17. NOTICES
Any notice required to be served on any Member shall be in writing and shall be served by the Secretary either personally or by email or by sending it through the post in a prepaid letter addressed to such Member at his or her last known address, and any letter so sent shall be deemed to have been received within ten days following the date of posting. Email receipt by the Member shall be recorded by the Secretary.

18. ALTERATIONS TO THE RULES
18.1 There shall be no deletion of or amendment made to Rules 3, 4.5, 4.6(a), 9.1, 16.3, 18.1 and 19 of these Rules.
18.2 Subject to the provisions of Rule 16.3 and to the following provisions of this Rule, those Rules not referred to in Rule 18.1 hereof may be altered by a resolution passed by not less than two thirds of the Members entitled to vote at an AGM or at a Special General Meeting.
18.3 A resolution for the alteration of the Rules must be received by the Secretary not less than ninety days before the date on which it is proposed that the meeting be called at which the resolution is to be brought forward. Such resolution shall be accompanied;

  1. by a note explaining the reasons for the alteration, and
  2. by a draft text of the proposed amended or additional rule.

18.4 The notice of the meeting in question shall be given in accordance with Rules 15.5 and 15.6 hereof and shall include notice of the resolution proposed, a copy of the proposed additional or amended rule, a copy of the proposer’s reasons for the addition or alteration and a Voting Form (in the case of a notice to Members entitled to vote).
18.5 Voting on the proposed resolution shall be, as far as possible, by secret ballot; the Secretary shall distribute by surface or air mail or Email together with the notice of the meeting, to all Members entitled to vote a Voting Form on which will be printed the text of the resolution and provision for a Member to express:

  1. a vote for the resolution,
  2. a vote against the resolution or
  3. an abstention.

18.6 The voting Member’s identity shall be known only to the Secretary and the Scrutineers (see Rule 18.7). Voting forms shall be returned to the Secretary in a sealed envelope marked “Vote” to be received not later than two days prior to the date set for the Meeting at which the resolution is to be brought forward. Full Members may vote by Email to the Secretary, making it clear whether they vote for or against the resolution or abstain. The Secretary is to ensure that Members do not vote twice.
18.7 For the purposes of verifying that the provisions of this Rule 18 and/or of Rule 19, as appropriate, have been observed, a panel comprising two Full Members (not being Officers) shall be appointed by the Committee; such panel is herein referred to as “the Scrutineers”. The Secretary shall, on the date of and prior to the commencement of the Meeting in question, in the presence of the Scrutineers, open any sealed envelopes received pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Rule and show the votes by email in printed copy. The votes so cast for, against and abstaining shall be counted by the Secretary and verified by the Scrutineers; the result so determined shall not be divulged by the Secretary or the Scrutineers to any other person until after the resolution or resolutions have been discussed in the Meeting and the vote thereon taken.
18.8 The Secretary shall record the result of the ballot, listing the total votes cast for, against and abstaining, and together with the report of the Scrutineers verifying compliance with the procedures set down in these Rules, the result shall be published in the Minutes of the Meeting. In the event that the Scrutineers report to the Meeting that they are not satisfied that the procedures have at any stage complied with the provisions of these Rules, then the matter raised shall not have been resolved at the Meeting in question, and any vote thereon taken shall be declared null and void.

19. DISSOLUTION
19.1 The Association may be dissolved by a resolution passed by a two thirds majority of Members present and entitled to vote, and those Members entitled to vote deemed to be present having cast a vote, at a Special General Meeting convened for the purpose in accordance with the provisions of Rule 15.5 hereof.
19.2 A resolution for the dissolution of the Association may provide for the disposal of any assets held by or in the care of the Association, provided that if any property remains after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities of the Association such property shall not be paid or distributed to or among the Members, but shall be given or transferred to such charitable institution or institutions as the Committee may determine and the Members approve, and if in so far as effect cannot be given to this provision then to some other charitable purpose.

List of Amendments:
Adopted by The Association at the AGM of 18th September 2010
Amended by The Association at the AGM of 7th September 2013
Amended by The Association at the AGM of 6th June 2015
Amended by The Association at the AGM of 19 November 2022

Definitive as at 19/11/22

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