Lymington and District Naturalists’ Society
Rules of the Society
1. The Society shall be known as the “Lymington and District Naturalists’ Society”. 2. The aim of the Society is to promote the knowledge and understanding of natural history and allied matters through a programme of lectures and field meetings and should be conducted in a friendly and informal manner. 3. The Society does not encourage the collecting spirit, rather the observing, recording and photographing of nature causing as little disturbance as possible. 4. Membership is open to all on payment of an annual subscription fee. Visitors may attend on payment of a visitor fee. Fees are to be set by the committee. 5. The Society is governed by an Annual General Meeting (A.G.M.) of members, for which the quorum shall be one fifth of the membership, which receives reports on activities of the past year, approves the independently audited accounts and elects the Officers and other Committee members. The Auditor must not be a Committee member.
6. The business of the Society is managed by a Committee consisting of Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and up to ten other members with more than half present to form a quorum. The Chair of the Society shall serve for a period of up to five years and not be eligible for re-election for three years.
7. The Committee will ensure that suitable public indemnity insurance is purchased to cover liabilities of members and the Committee.
8. The Committee will ensure, through a GDPR policy, the protection of members’ personal data and that access to it will be for essential Society business only. 9. The Committee accept a duty of care for members during Society activities. 10.If any member, in the opinion of the Committee, shall be deemed to be guilty of conduct contrary to the interests of the Society or individual members or harmful of its reputation, that person shall be liable to expulsion from the Society upon a two thirds majority vote by the Committee. On receiving at least fourteen days notice in writing, the member will have the opportunity to respond orally accompanied by one other person, or in writing in their defence. 11.The Society may be dissolved by a resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting at an A.G.M. or Extraordinary General Meeting convened for the purpose for which 21 days' notice shall have been given to the members including a request for responses on possible actions. Such resolution may give instructions to the Committee for the disposal of any assets held by or in the name of the Society, provided that all debts and liabilities are satisfied. Remaining monies shall be dispersed by the Committee to such other institutions having aims similar to some or all of the Society, not to members of the Society.
Lymington & District Naturalists’ Society
Data Protection Statement
Data are never shared with anyone outside the Society without the member’s explicit consent.
Names and telephone numbers of walk leaders and some committee members are printed in the programmes that are distributed to members.
Reviewed September 2019
Lymington & District Naturalists’ Society
Safeguarding Policy v.3
The aim of the Society is to promote the
knowledge and enjoyment of natural history through a programme of lectures and
field meetings. The Society also has a
duty to keep members and visitors safe when engaged in Society activities and
to protect them from physical and emotional harm. This duty is, in part, exercised through the
development of respectful relationships between members. We expect our members and visitors to behave
with tolerance and courtesy towards each other, to value diversity and
individuality and to take the knowledge, views, opinions and feelings of others
seriously.
Members should be alert to any disclosures of
apparent abuse or to inappropriate behaviours during meetings which might cause
concern and must be prepared to pass on their concerns or suspicions to the Society’s
designated Safeguarding Lead (SL) or to the Chairman. Concerns can be raised in person or by
requesting contact with the Safeguarding Lead via the Society’s email account.
· Work together with the Chair if any incidents
or concerns are reported
· Take swift and appropriate action in the event
of incidents or concerns
· Support the individual who discloses the
concern
· Share information with appropriate agencies
when necessary
· Keep safeguarding training needs under review and keep records of any carried out
· Stay aware of changes to legislation as well as current affairs, trends and themes which could influence policies and practices
Responsibilities of the Committee:
· To value all members equally and model
appropriate behaviours at all times
· To engage with safeguarding issues and have a
clear understanding of how safeguarding and protecting people from harm is
managed within the society
· To take steps to ensure members are aware of the
safeguarding policy
· To review the policy annually or sooner if
there is any significant change in circumstances or in the event of a serious
incident and to ensure the policy follows statutory requirements and Charity
Commission guidance and remains an effective, up-to-date and fit-for-purpose tool
· To keep safeguarding as a standing item on meeting
agendas
· To decide when a DBS check is appropriate and
to ensure it is carried out
· To provide a safe environment on field
meetings and at lectures with due regard to Health and Safety measures
· To provide adequate Public Liability insurance
· To protect members’ personal data (see separate
GDPR policy)
· To provide a safe environment for members on
the Society’s social media platform
· To review past concerns raised to identify any
lessons to be learnt and to make sure they were handled appropriately,
Revised September 2024
Named Safeguarding Lead (SL): Claire Kidger