Statute

SLIEMA RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION - GHAQDA RESIDENTI SLIEMA

 (updated November 2010)

 

SECTION l - NAME

 

1.         The official name of the association in the two official languages, Maltese and English, is "GHAQDA RESIDENTI SLIEMA" and "SLIEMA RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION" respectively, known as "SRA" for short.

 

2.         The Sliema Residents Association has no fixed premises and hence no fixed premises address.  Communication with the SRA can be done via the e-mail address info@sra.org.mt or by post to SRA, P.O.Box 66, Sliema.  Information will also be provided in the association's web portal www.sra.org.mt.

 

3.         The logo of the Sliema Residents Association is the following

 

Logo for statute


4.         The Sliema Residents Association is referred to in this statute as the "Association".

 

5          The Association is strictly a non-political organisation and therefore is not allowed to affiliate itself to any political party. Nor is it allowed that any statutory official and/or committee member of the Association, to hold a statutory position with any political party and/or that of a councillor/mayor within any Local Council.

 

6.         The Sliema Residents Association is a voluntary, non-profit making organisation.

 

SECTION II - OBJECTIVES

 

1.         The mission statement of the SRA is 'to safeguard, conserve and improve the quality of life of all Sliema residents'. Therefore it is committed to represent, and promote the communal interests of the residents of Sliema, to live in a safe, healthy, peaceful and decent environment.

 

2.         The Association will act in the name of its members and will use its resources to achieve this aim particularly through the following:

 

  • (a) To act as a pressure group at both local and national level to safeguard and promote the legitimate interests of the Sliema residents in line with the Association's aims for the common interests.
  • (b) Safeguard and improve the well being of all Sliema residents.
  • (c) Research, co-ordinate and disseminate information on development throughout Sliema and evaluate its repercussions thereof.
  • (d) Tackle the problems of Sliema's unsustainable development namely; pollution (air, sea, light & noise ), lack of green/open spaces, impact of high rise buildings and high density developments.
  • (e) Tackle the lack of sporting facilities.
  • (f) Work towards an affordable communal residence for the elderly.
  • (g) To protect and enhance the remaining architectural characteristics of Sliema.
  • (h) Disseminate and inform the Sliema residents vis-à-vis the Sliema cultural heritage.
  • (i) Propose projects which would preserve Sliema's assets.
  • (j) Support the Sliema Local Council on issues consistent with our objectives.
  • (k) Contribute towards Sliema's sustainable tourist and business potential by promoting the unique characteristics of the town.
  • (l) Where possible to help and cooperate with other towns/localities' residents or residents' associations to work on common issues to the mutual benefit.

 

SECTION III - MEMBERSHIP

 

  • 1. All adult Sliema residents, both Maltese and foreign, are eligible to join the Association as 'Resident Members', however, the Association reserves the right to bar membership to any individual/s who, according to the committee, is/are likely to damage the standing of the SRA. The Association is not obliged to justify itself for such action.

 

  • 2. Non Sliema residents are also eligible to join the Association as 'Non-Resident Members' without having the right to vote, however, the Association reserves the right to bar membership to any individual/s who, according to the committee, is/are likely to damage the standing of the SRA. The Association is not obliged to justify itself for such action.

 

  • 3. All non-government, non-political voluntary organisations (duly registered with the commissioner of Voluntary Organisations) may apply as corporate members. Each such corporate member (organisation) will be entitled to one vote. However the association reserves the right to bar membership to any organisation and is not obliged to justify itself for such action.

 

SECTION IV - MEMBERSHIP FEE

 

Membership fee is being waived.  The SRA however reserves the right to re-introduce and modify membership fees if it deems necessary following the appropriate motion in the Annual General Meeting (AGM) or Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM).

 

SECTION V - THE GENERAL MEETING

 

1.  The General Meeting (GM) is the highest authority of the association.  All Resident Members are eligible to attend and vote - one vote per member.

 

2.  The General Meeting shall meet annually and, in any case, not later than three months after the financial year ends.

 

3.  The quorum shall be 30% plus another member of those eligible to vote. If by the time at which the Meeting should have started there is no quorum, the Meeting should convene within 30 minutes with the members then present

 

4.  The Agenda of the General Meeting shall be as follows:

  • (a) Chairperson's address
  • (b) Minutes
  • (c) Administrative Report
  • (d) Financial Report
  • (e) Election of the new Committee
  • (f) Appointment of Auditors
  • (g) Any other matters

 

5.  Committee may convene an EGM whenever the committee members feel it necessary to do so to better deal with a particular issue/s. An EGM may also be called at the request of at least 10% of its members.  Such a call must be signed by the members requesting an EGM and should be accompanied by such details: 

  • (a) Full name of the member and address,
  • (b) ID number
  • (c) The reason for calling such a meeting should be stated in the petition.

 

6.   The members should be notified of the agenda of a General Meeting or an EGM at least two weeks before the date of the Meeting, although, in exceptional circumstances, both the GM and an EGM can be called by the committee at shorter notice.  Notification shall be made preferably by e-mail to all members with e-mail addresses and by post to those without access to an e-mail address unless otherwise requested.  The event will also be publicised on the Association Website and Facebook if practical.

 

SECTION VI - COMMITTEE

 

  • 1. The Committee shall be made up of the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, the Secretary and the Treasurer, who will form the executive of the committee, and three other members. These four executive officials are elected by the Committee itself. A maximum of 2 members may be co-opted at any one time by the Committee as and when required.

 

  • 2. Committee members who do not co-operate and/or are inactive without a valid reason may be dismissed from the committee if the majority of the remaining committee members vote for such a change. Another person should be co-opted to fill any vacancy within the committee.

 

  • 3. The committee shall meet on a monthly basis to discuss routine issues and may hold extra meetings as and when the need arises. All Committee members are to be notified of a meeting at least 3 days before unless an urgent issue arises.

 

  • 4. Matters requiring a vote will be approved by a simple majority.

 

  • 5. The Committee may set up sub-committees and commissions, and engage individuals for specific tasks.

 

  • 6. The Committee is obliged to call the Annual General Meeting and also other Extraordinary Meetings.

 

  • 7. The Committee has the power to delegate to the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Treasurer and the Secretary the authority to enter into a contract on behalf of the Association. In all, there must be a minimum of three officials of the Executive Committee delegated to enter into such a contract, one of which must be either the Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson as delegated by the Chairperson.

 

  • 8. The Committee has the right to establish any contact with other organisations. It is also empowered to affiliate the Association with any other organisation, both local and international, which promotes the legitimate interests of the residents according to the aims of the Association .

 

  • 9. The Quorum for a Committee meeting is four members, one of which must be either the Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson. In the unavoidable absence of both Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson, the Secretary shall chair the meeting if the holding of such a meeting is deemed urgent.

 

  • 10. The Committee has the right to adopt any procedure it deems fit to run its meetings. Any "Conflict of Interests" arising must be declared at the earliest opportunity.

 

  • 11. Only the Committee has the right to organise fund raising. Therefore anybody organising fund raising activities must have the authorisation of the Committee.

 

  • 12. The Committee has the right to authorise expenditure. Signatories with the bank shall be only the Chairperson and the Treasurer, and the Vice Chairperson if the Chairperson is unavailable, any two of whom may sign cheques or authorise bank drafts and / or bank transfers.

 

  • 13. No member of SRA can sit to represent SRA on any board, committee or the like especially if the said board's, committee's or the like's mission statement is in conflict or can be pressured to act or react by the SRA unless the committee is absolutely sure that the influence of the SRA member in the board, committee or the like will have the outcome as specified in the SRA statue.

 

SECTION VII - NOMINATIONS and AMENDMENTS TO THE STATUTE

 

1.   Members shall be notified of the call for nominations for officials and members of the Committee together with the Agenda of the Annual General Meeting at least fifteen days before the General Meeting meets.

 

2.   All nominations and/or amendments to the Statute shall be addressed to the Secretary at least one week before the General Meeting.

 

3.   All nominations, amendments to the Statute and any Motion presented shall be accompanied by the name, surname, address, identity number, the telephone number and the signature of the respective contestant, the proponent and the person seconding as per sub article 2 of this section.

 

SECTION VIII - POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 

1.   The Chairperson shall preside over meetings. The Vice Chairperson shall fill in for the Chairperson.

 

2.   The Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Treasurer and the Secretary together shall be the official and legal representatives of the Association.

 

3.  The Secretary is responsible for the general day to day running of the Association's affairs and ensuring that the Association complies with statutory obligations as appropriate.

 

4. The Secretary has the power to see all correspondence and is his duty to retain it and any other Association documents duly filed and in safe-keeping.

 

 

SECTION IX - FINANCE

 

1.   The financial year of the Association ends on 31st December.

 

2.   The Treasurer is responsible for the running of finances.  The auditors have the right to examine all financial documents.

 

3.   Every Committee member has the right to examine the financial documents as long as the Treasurer is informed three days in advance. 

 

4.   The financial aspect of all activities is the responsibility of the Treasurer.

 

5.   The Treasurer shall keep an inventory of all items belonging to the Association.

 

6.   Any debt incurred by one of the officials or any Association member claimed on behalf of the Association without seeking Committee's approval, is considered a personal debt incurred by the member in question.

 

7.   The Committee is bound to keep all the Association's assets in credit balance at all times.

 

SECTION X - GENERAL PROVISIONS

 

  • 1. The appropriate interpretation of this Statute falls solely within the responsibility of the Committee.

 

  • 2. Changes to the statute can be affected following a proposal/s presented during the AGM or EGM with a vote which achieves a clear majority i.e. over 50% of those present agree.

 

  • 3. The Committee shall decide all other matters that are not dealt with by the statute.

 

SECTION XI - WINDING UP OF THE ASSOCIATION

 

  • 1. The Association can only be deliberately wound up by a decision of an Extra-ordinary General Meeting called solely for this purpose. (Such a decision must be proposed by the Committee and ratified by a 75% majority of the SRA members, taken by secret vote at an Extra-ordinary General Meeting). This Extra-ordinary General Meeting should decide about the Assets and documents of the Association.

 

  • 2. The Extra-ordinary General Meeting should appoint a liquidator.

 

  • 3. The liquidator will transfer any remaining assets of the Association to another voluntary organisation that supports the aims outlined in Section II above.