1. Name
The name of the Association shall be The University of the Third Age South Australia (Port Adelaide Branch) Inc otherwise known as U3APA and hereinafter called the Association.
2. Aims. Objectives and Principles
A University of the Third Age is a learning community organised by and for people who can best be described as being in active retirement – the “Third Age of their lives”.
Its overall aim is to provide them with both the stimulus of mental activity and the satisfaction of a continuing contribution to society. It will enable them to take up new interests and to extend old ones. It will offer the joy of learning for learning’s sake, unrestricted by the requirements of vocation or the desire for qualifications; and it will do so, principally by drawing upon the extensive experience, skills and energies of its own members- It is a mutual-aid movement, a modern community of scholars, but one catering primarily for Third-Age people.
The objectives of the U3APA are-
(a) To provide programmes of learning activities which offer stimulation and development to that increasing number of people who are in the third stage of life.
(b) To create an organisation wherein co-operative investigation of a topic or area of mutual interest is a major focus of activities and experience and expertise are freely shared.
(c) To operate this organisation in such ways that learning is pursued without any reference to entry criteria, qualifications, assessment or awards and to create a climate free from discrimination according to colour, race, creed or sex.
(d) To realise the potentialities of older adults and to increase awareness of the fact that older people generally retain the capacity to acquire, absorb and use new information and knowledge until much later in life than is commonly realised.
(e) To act with others to improve the status and position of the elderly in our community.
(f) To exchange ideas and resources with other Universities of the Third Age, both in Australia and overseas, and to encourage the extension of similar organisations in other parts of South Australia and Australia.
G) To do all such things as may be incidental to the attainment of the above objectives.
Guiding Principles for the operation of U3APA are –
(a) Those who join as members will be encouraged to learn, to teach, or in other ways to assist in the operation of the organisation.
(b) Except in exceptional circumstances no salary or emolument will be paid to members in recognition of their contributions as tutors, discussion leaders, convenors or organisers.
(c) People of any age may join U3APA but the emphasis will be on the needs and interests of Third Age people.
(d) There will be no pre-requisites for participation and no assessment.
(e) U3APA will be financed principally by annual membership fees at a level designed to meet non-salaried operational costs. Any other support, financial or in kind, will be accepted only on condition that U3APA remains independent.
(F) The programme of activities will be as wide as the human resources of the members permit, subject to overall guidelines. It will normally be the intention to avoid duplicating courses and arrangements already accessible from existing educational bodies.
(g) It is expected that the form each activity takes and the standard at which it is conducted will be set by mutual agreement between those participating in it.
3. Membership.
(a) Individual members shall be persons who have agreed to the above aims, objectives and principles and paid the membership fee – set from time to time by the General Committee.
(b) Individual members shall cease on (i) resignation in writing delivered to the office of the Association, or (ii) failure to renew membership within three months of expiry.
(c) Corporate membership may be granted by the General Committee to community bodies which support or assist the Association financially or in kind.
4. Management.
(a) Management shall be vested in the General Committee – consisting of the Officers of the Association – as listed in 4(b), and up to 4 individual members of the general membership as the Annual General Meeting shall determine.
(b) The office-bearers of the Association shall be the Chairperson, the Secretary and the Treasurer, who shall be elected by the members at the Annual General Meeting.
(c) The General Committee shall meet as often as may be required to conduct the business of the Association. The period covered by annual reports and financial reports to the annual meeting shall be the calendar year.
(d) The quorum for meetings of the General Committee shall be one more than half the number of members.
(e) An office-bearer or member of the General Committee shall cease to hold such office upon (I) resignation in writing, (ii) absence from three successive committee meetings without explanation or apology.
(f) Vacancies unfilled, or arising in the office-bearers or other General Committee members may be filled by the General Committee co-opting members for the unexpired portion of the term.
(g) The General Committee may appoint sub-committees as it is found necessary.
(h) While recognising the force of clause (b) of the Guiding principles the General Committee shall have the power to employ persons on such terms and conditions and for such periods as it deems necessary, if in the Committee’s view the Association has need of services which cannot be adequately provided by volunteer workers.
5. Patron
An Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting may appoint a patron of the Association for such term as the meeting shall decide.
6. General Meetings.
(a) The Annual General Meeting shall be held in February or March of each year. The business of the meeting shall include consideration of the annual report and financial statement, and the election of officers, as listed in 4(b), an honorary auditor, up to 3 representatives of corporate members and up to 3 individual members of the Association as members of the General Committee
(b) Written notice, of not less than 7 days of the Annual General Meeting shall be distributed to all members and displayed at any premises occupied by the Association.
(c) A quorum at any General Meeting shall be 25,or one-fifth of the members, whichever is less.
(d) A Special General Meeting shall be called by the secretary within 28 days of receipt of a
directive of the General Committee or a written request of 20 members, specifying the business to be conducted at the meeting.
7. Voting.
(a) Voting shall be by show of hands except that:
(i) any contested election at an annual general meeting or otherwise shall be by secret ballot ‘ (ii)any meeting of the Association may by show of hands require any other vote to be by ballot.
(b) The person chairing committee meetings and general meetings of the Association shall have both a deliberative and a casting vote.
8. Treasurer
(a) The Treasurer shall pay money received into a bank account authorised by the General Committee in the name of the Association. Payments shall be made by cheque, signed by any two of four signatories appointed by the General committee.
(b) The Treasurer shall keep records of all receipts and payments and other financial transactions, which records shall be available for inspection by any member.
(c) The Treasurer shall prepare annual financial statements for consideration at the Annual General Meeting and shall make interim financial reports, as necessary, to the General Committee.
9. Secretary
(a) The Secretary shall call meetings in accordance with the provisions of this constitution.
(b) The Secretary shall keep records of the business of the Association including the constitution and policies, records of members, a register of minutes of meetings and a file of correspondence.
(c) Another member shall be elected as minute secretary if deemed necessary by the General Committee.
10. Amendment of the Constitution
This Constitution may be repealed, altered or amended by resolution of two-thirds of members present and- voting at a general meeting of which not less than seven days written notice (including notice of the proposed repeal, alteration or amendment) has been distributed to all members.
11. Common Seal
If and when the Association is incorporated it shall have a Common Seal which shall be used by resolution of a General Meeting or the General Committee in the presence of two of the office bearers.
12. Dissolution
(a) The Association shall not be dissolved except by approval of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting at a general meeting called for the purpose of which not less than 28 days written notice, including notice of the proposed dissolution, has been given to all members.
(b) on dissolution all property of the Association, whether real or personal, remaining ‘ after payment of all debts and legal liabilities shall be transferred to such other body with similar objects as shall be approved by the Association, provided that if the Association shall have been approved pursuant to Section 78(1) of the Income Tax Act then the recipient body shall also have been so approved.