CAP Constitution

CHRISTIANS IN ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING

CONSTITUTION

Clause 1 Name and Function.

The full name of the Association shall be "Christians in Architecture and Planning" (herein referred to as "the Association”). For advertising purposes the Committee may use an alternative which communicates the endeavours of the Association. The Association shall operate as a Charity.

Clause 2 Vision Statement.

As members of the Association we seek to glorify God:

· By encouraging and helping all Christians engaged professionally in Architecture and Planning to examine their profession from a Christian standpoint,

· By presenting Jesus Christ as Saviour to those in the professions,

· By encouraging closer fellowship and deepening faith between Christians in these Professions,

· By ensuring a Christian voice on the Professional matters of the day, and

· By supporting those preparing to enter the Professions.

Clause 3 Doctrinal Basis.

The doctrinal basis of the Association shall be the fundamental truths of Christianity, as revealed in Holy Scripture, including:

(a) There is one God in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

(b) God is sovereign in creation, revelation, redemption, and final judgement,

(c) The Bible, as originally given, is the inspired and infallible Word of God; It is the supreme authority in all matters of belief and behaviour,

(d) Since the fall, the whole of humankind is sinful and guilty, so that everyone is subject to God’s wrath and condemnation,

(e) The Lord Jesus Christ, God’s incarnate Son, is fully God; He was born of a virgin; His humanity is real and sinless; He died on the cross, was raised bodily from death and is now reigning over heaven and earth,

(f) Sinful human beings are redeemed from the guilt, penalty, and power of sin only through the sacrificial death once and for all time of their representative and substitute, Jesus Christ, the only mediator between them and God,

(g) Those who believe in Christ are pardoned all their sins and accepted in God’s sight only because of the righteousness of Christ credited to them; this justification is God’s act of undeserved mercy, received solely by trust in him and not by their own efforts,

(h) The Holy Spirit alone makes the work of Christ effective to individual sinners, enabling them to turn to God from their sin and to trust in Jesus Christ,

(i) The Holy Spirit lives in all those He has regenerated; He makes them increasingly Christlike in character and behaviour and gives them power for their witness in the world,

(j) The one holy universal church is the Body of Christ, to which all true believers belong, and

(k) The Lord Jesus Christ will return in person, to judge everyone, to execute God’s just condemnation on those who have not repented, and to receive the redeemed to eternal glory.

Clause 4 Affiliation.

(a) The Association may affiliate to the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF) and the London Institute of Contemporay Christianity (LICC), and to other Christian Organisations which hold a similar doctrinal position, in order to facilitate its operation.

(b) The Association may also form relationships with other organisations of a Professional nature if the Committee thinks that such a relationship will assist the achievement of the Vision Statement.

Clause 5 Membership.

(a) Membership shall be open to anyone who is or has been studying or working in Architecture or Planning.

(b) Full Members – Those wishing to become Full Members are expected to sign the following Declaration of Membership:-

“I wish to become a Full Member of ‘Christians in Architecture and Planning’.

I am in agreement with its aims as arising from the Vision Statement.

In joining,

(i) I declare my faith in Jesus Christ as my Saviour, my Lord and my God; and whose atoning sacrifice is the only and all-sufficient ground for my salvation; and

(ii) I will seek both in life and thought to be ruled by the clear teaching of the Holy Bible, believing it to be the inspired Word of God.”

Honarary Full Members - By decision of the Committee, persons of distinction having a special interest in or connected with Architecture and/or Planning may be invited to become honorary Full Members of the Association provided that such persons are in sympathy with the Vision Statement of the Association and would otherwise be able and willing to sign the Declaration of Membership. Such persons shall be eligible to vote at any Meeting of the Association and to serve on the Committees and shall not be expected to contribute an annual subscription.

(c) Associate Members - Persons who are broadly in sympathy with the Vision Statement of the Association but who do not wish to sign the Declaration of Membership to become a Full Member shall be eligible to become Associate Members. Associate Members shall not have the right to vote at any Meeting of the Association nor to serve on the Committee of the Association.

(d) Good Standing and Resignation - For Full and Associate Members to be in good standing, they shall not be acting in a way which would bring the Association into disrepute and they shall have paid and continue to pay such subscription as shall be determined from time to time at the Annual Consultation. Should any Member be more than two years overdue in paying a subscription, their membership shall be reviewed by the Committee. A Member may resign by writing to the Secretary.

Clause 6 The Executive Committee.

The affairs of the Association shall be managed by an Executive Committee (referred to here as "the Committee").

The Committee shall consist of:

(i) up to 6 Elected Members,

(ii) The Secretary and Treasurer, or Administrator, as set out in Clause 8,

(iii) Observers may also be present at the Committee at its discretion. Observers may include persons nominated by UCCF and LICC, and

(iv) Co-opted members as set out in Clause 7.

Clause 7 Election of Committee Members.

(a) Committee Members shall be elected for a period of 3 years and thereafter may stand for re-election. Two Members shall be elected each year. Those standing for election must be ready to assent to the Vision Statement and the Doctrinal Basis of the Association as set out in this Constitution. Those standing for election must be nominated by at least four Full Members. The election shall take place at the Annual Consultation. Where there are insufficient nominees for the vacancies, present incumbents may continue.

(b) In the event that an Elected Member is appointed to the office of Secretary or Treasurer, the Committee may co-opt a Full Member to complete the term of office outstanding as an Elected Member.

(c) In the event of a Committee Member being unable to continue as such, the Committee may co-opt a Full Member to complete the term of office outstanding.

Clause 8 The Appointment and Duties of the Officers of the Association.

(a) The Officers of the Association shall be the Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer (or Administrator as set out in subclause (d))

(b) The Chair of the Committee shall be elected from among and by the Committee and shall hold office for three years and may be re-elected.

(i) lead or ensure the supervision of all meetings of the Association and of the Committee,

(ii) be responsible for the presentation of business on behalf of the Committee at the Annual Consultation and, where this is held as a General Meeting, in the absence of the President shall take the Chair or arrange for the Meeting to be Chaired,

(iii) be responsible for co-ordinating the policies and activities of the Association,

(iv) in the event of a vacancy on the Committee or among the other Officers, ensure that the duties which would otherwise be left unfulfilled owing to the vacancy are carried out until a substitute is appointed, and

(v) act on behalf of the Committee for duties and tasks delegated to the Chair.

(d) The Secretary and Treasurer shall also each be appointed by the Committee and shall normally hold office for three years (but may continue if the Committee so desires.) The Secretary and Treasurer may be co-opted onto the Committee from among the Full Members of the Association. The Committee may decide if it so wishes to combine the role of Secretary and Treasurer into that of Administrator depending on the arrangements made for the administration of the affairs of the Association. Any of these posts can be filled by staff employed by or for the Association.

(e) The duties of the Secretary are to:-

(i) carry on all correspondence with outside bodies required by the activities of the Association,

(ii) supervise the day-to-day business of the Association and generally manage the administration and any contracts or staff,

(iii) be responsible for the distribution of Publications and newsletters of the Association,

(iv) keep members informed of the affairs and activities of the Association,

(v) act for the Chair if they are unable to be present at the Committee or the post is vacant,

(vi) ensure that Minutes are kept of every meeting of the Committee and that such Minutes shall be signed by the Chair at the next Committee meeting,

(vii) liaise with Bodies to which the Association may be affiliated or linked, and

(viii) undertake any.duty not specifically delegated in this constitution.

(f) The duties of the Treasurer are to:-

(i) ensure that suitable books of account are kept and that the Association's income and expenditure are correctly entered therein,

(ii) arrange for the Association's books and accounts to be audited by a qualified Accountant if the Committee so decide,

(iii) have power to give receipts for all monies paid in for the Association,

(iv) administer the funds of the Association in accordance with the instructions of the Committee,

(v) be responsible for all monies and other properties belonging to the Association and make arrangements for their handling, and

(vi) present an annual statement of accounts at the Annual Consultation.

Clause 9 Proceedings at Meetings of the Committee.

(a) The Committee shall meet at least twice a year and at other times as it may itself determine.

(b) Notice of every Committee Meeting stating the general particulars of the business to be considered shall be sent to each Member of the Committee at least 14 days before such meeting unless urgent circumstances make this impossible or unless such notice shall be dispensed with at the previous meeting or otherwise. The proceedings of any meeting shall not be invalidated by any irregularity in respect of such notice or by reason of any business being considered which is not comprised in any such particulars. The Secretary shall normally convene any meeting of the Committee and it may also be convened by the Chair together with any two Members of the Committee or by a simple majority of the Members of the Committee.

(c) The Committee shall be chaired by the Chair or if absent, by any other member of the Committee appointed by the meeting. The Chair of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.

Clause 10 Powers and Duties of the Committee.

The Committee shall have the following powers and duties:-

(i) Staff - power to appoint and remove honorary or paid officers staff or other employees to carry out the objects of the Association and assist in the administration thereof upon such terms as the Committee shall decide (including power to employ part time staff or to contribute towards the salary and expenses of persons employed by another body who supply services to the Association),

(ii) Banking – power to open any bank account for the Association and in its name; and cheques and other orders for payment on or in respect of such accounts may be drawn signed endorsed accepted or made and all transactions on or in respect of such accounts may be operated by any two members of the Committee for the time being who are authorised by the Committee for such purpose (unless otherwise determined by the Committee),

(iii) Grants and Donations - power to receive grants donations and subscriptions including subscriptions payable under Deeds of Covenant or Gift Aid donations,

(iv) Contracts - power to enter into contracts of any kind for the furtherance of the objects of the Association,

(v) Publications – power to appoint an Editor, to run a Newsletter or Journal, and to initiate any other publications in furtherance of its activities, and

(vi) Meetings and conferences etc – power to arrange for meetings, conferences, and site visits on issues relevant to the Vision Statement.

Provided that:-

No joint activities shall be arranged in the name of the Association with any religious body and no speaker shall be asked to take part in any activity of the Association, which or who does not substantially uphold the truths as stated in the Doctrinal Basis of the Association, except in circumstances where it is clear no acceptance is being given by the Association to beliefs not in accordance with that Basis.

Clause 11 Working Parties.

The Committee may set up Working Parties as sub-committees to assist it in its work and shall determine their Terms of Reference and for this purpose the following conditions shall apply:-

(i) The majority of members of such sub-committee shall be Full Members of the Association and shall be appointed by the Committee who may appoint the Chair,

(ii) Each member of a sub-committee shall assent to the Vision Statement and Doctrinal Basis of the Association, and

(iii) Every sub-committee shall report their proceedings to the Committee.

Clause 12 Annual Consultation and General Meetings.

(a) Annual Consultation - The Annual Consultation shall be held for the purpose of considering and if thought fit passing the annual audited (or unaudited) balance sheet and accounts and receiving and considering the Committee’s Report of the activities of the Association for the previous year. The rates and types of subscriptions shall be fixed at the Annual Consultation considering the recommendations of the Committee. The Annual Consultation shall be the occasion on which Full Members elect Members of the Committee. The Membership shall have the right at the Annual Consultation to make recommendations to the Committee with regard thereto and any other matters of which proper notice has been given. The Secretary shall call for nominations and resolutions 3 months before the time of the Annual Consultation, to be returned by two months before the due date. Resolutions must be supported by ten Full Members. Urgent Motions without due notice may be submitted for consideration to the Annual General Meeting if the Meeting approves.

(b) Annual General Meeting - An Annual General Meeting of the Association shall normally be held once in each calendar year to provide the vehicle for the Annual Consultation with the Full Members of the Association. Not more than fifteen months shall elapse between Annual Consultations unless otherwise resolved by the Committee who shall notify the Members.

(c) Alternative Method of Consultation - Should the Committee so decide, the Annual Consultation may be carried out, rather than by an Annual Meeting, by circulating the Full Members, who may respond by post, email, or fax.

(d) Extraordinary General Meetings - Any other General Meeting shall be called an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Association and shall be convened by the Secretary on the request of the Committee or at least 10 Full Members of the Association specifying the business that they wish to put to the meeting. No business other than that specified in the notice convening the meeting shall be transacted.

(e) Notice of General Meetings - 21 days’ written notice shall be given to all Full Members in respect of any General Meeting stating the business to be transacted and one month’s written notice together with a detailed agenda, names of candidates for election, and resolutions to be put shall be given to all Full Members in respect of the Annual General Meeting where such is held. Non-receipt of these papers by any individual members shall not constitute a reason for declaring the Annual Consultation or General Meeting invalid.

(f) Resolutions - a Resolution put to a General Meeting shall be decided on a show of hands and shall be

duly passed if approved by a majority of those present entitled to vote and voting. The Committee may allow proxy voting on certain resolutions in which case such resolutions shall be set out verbatim in the Notice of Meeting.

(g) Chairing General Meetings - the Chair of a General Meeting shall be the President of the Association at such time and if they are not present, the Chair of the Committee, or the Secretary of the Association or other Officer or Member of the Association chosen by the General Meeting and in that order of priority. The Chair shall not have a second or casting vote at a General Meeting.

Clause 13 President and Vice-Presidents.

(a) The President

(i) A President of the Association may be elected at the Annual Consultation from among prominent Christians in the Architecture and Planning world. They must assent to the Vision Statement and Doctrinal Basis of the Association as set out in this Constitution. They may be invited to stand by the Committee.

(ii) The President may be elected annually by secret ballot and may serve as many terms of office as the Committee may decide.

(iii) The President shall normally take the chair at the Annual General Meeting of the Association when this is held, and at any other conferences and meetings as the Committee shall recommend.

(iv) The President is not a member of the Committee.

(b) Vice-Presidents