The Clan Urquhart Association is a worldwide organization founded for the purpose of cultivating a spirit of kinship among Urquharts and descendants of Urquharts; and in order to serve as the agency through which Urquharts maintain contact with their Clan. The Association is dedicated to preserving the heritage and promoting the interests of Clan Urquhart. National branches have been organized in Great Britain and in the United States and other branches may be established, as needed with the approval of the Chief of Clan Urquhart. Each branch is self supporting in finances and organization; and has a President as officer. The Chief of the Clan is a Patron of all branches; and he maintains contact with the branches through the Clan Commissioners who are appointed by him.
Membership in the Association is open to Urquharts and all other persons descended from the Scottish Clan Urquhart and their spouses. Persons not related to the Clan who wish to identify with it may join the Association as Associate Members. Applicants for membership are required to pay a nominal registration fee for which they receive an official Clan Urquhart Association membership card and semiannual Clan Urquhart Association Newsletters.
I. The NAME of the Association shall be "The Clan Urquhart Association. "
II. The OBJECTIVES of the Association are:
1. To cultivate a spirit of kinship and pride among all who bear the name Urquhart and all who are descended from Urquharts.
2. To provide accurate information on the history of Clan Urquhart, its activities, and its members.
3. To collect and preserve historical, biographical, and genealogical records of Clan Urquhart.
4. To encourage the preservation of historical documents, artifacts, and places of importance in the history of the Clan.
5. To encourage Urquharts and descendants of Urquharts to have their names and those of all members of their families entered in the official registers of the Clan maintained by the Chief of the Clan.
6. To encourage Urquharts to render aid and hospitality to other members of the Clan whenever possible.
7. To promote and foster among members of Clan Urquhart knowledge of and affection for Scotland and the Scottish people.
III. MEMBERSHIP
l. Regular membership in the Association is open only to persons
who are descended from the Scottish Clan Urquhart and their spouses.
2. Associate membership in the Association is open to persons not related to the Clan who are interested in identifying with Clan Urquhart and in supporting its work.
3. On payment of the membership fee, members shall have the right to attend meetings of the Association; to receive the notices of the Association; and to purchase publications of the Association at a special discount available only to members of the Association.
4. No name shall be entered on the list of members until the membership fee is paid.
IV. ADMINISTRATION
l. The affairs of the Association shall be administered by a Council consisting of the Hereditary Chief of Clan Urquhart, who shall be the President of the Association and Chairman of the Council, Vice-President(s), Presidents of National Branches of the Association, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.
2. Urquhart of Urquhart, Hereditary Chief of Clan Urquhart, shall be President of the Association; and the Heir to the Chiefship and the National Commissioners of Clan Urquhart shall be VicePresidents of the Association.
3. The Secretary and the Treasurer of the Association shall be appointed annually by the Chief of the Clan.
4. Committees may be appointed by the Chief or the Council for any purpose and the Conveners of committees shall have the power to call such meetings of their committees as are needed to accomplish the purpose of said committees.
5. The Council shall have power to enact Bylaws for the Association but such Bylaws must be in accord with the Charter of the Association and must receive the written assent of the Chief of Clan Urquhart. The Chief, if present, shall preside at all meetings of the Association. In his absence, a Vice-President designated by him shall preside.
6. The Council shall hold such meetings as the business of the Association may require. Three shall constitute A , quorum. Members of the Council may be represented at Council meetings by written proxies, duly signed and dated.
7. The Chief, or in his absence, the senior Vice-President shall, call a special meeting of the Council on the requisition in writing of ten members of the Association. The requisition shall state the object of the meeting.
8. Whenever possible, the Secretary shall.attend all meetings of the Council, shall take the minutes of the proceedings, shall issue the notices of the meetings, and shall conduct the necessary correspondence. In the event of the Secretary being absent from a meeting, the duties of the Secretary shall be carried out temporarily by any member of the Association who shall be designated for this purpose by the presiding officer.
9. A Triennial General Meeting of the Association, beginning in 1985, shall be held to receive the report of the Chief and the Council, the statement of accounts of the Association, and to transact general business. The time and place of the General Meeting shall be determined by the Council. Members of the Association shall receive notice of all General and Special Meetings of the Association at least thirty days before they take place.
10. At all meetings of the Association ten (10) regular members, present in person or by written proxy, shall form a quorum. All actions taken by the Association must be recorded in the official minutes of the Association.
V. FINANCE
I. The Treasurer shall receive all monies due the Association and shall make all necessary payments connected therewith, shall take vouchers for all ordinary disbursements and shall regularly enter receipts and payments in an account book, which shall at all times be open to the inspection of the Council.
2. The Treasurer shall pay such sums as he may receive from time to time into a bank selected by the Council. The bank account shall be operated on by check drawn by the Treasurer or by the Chief of the Clan.
3. The schedule of membership fees and other fees of the Association shall be established by the Council.
4. An Auditor shall be appointed by the Council. He shall audit and submit a written report on the accounts of the Association at the General Meeting of the Association.
VI. BRANCHES
Five (5) members of the Association may apply to the Chief and his Council in writing for permission to form a branch of the Association. National Branches of the Association may be formed with the approval of the Chief and his Council. Their Charter and Bylaws must be approved by the Chief and the Council. National Branches of the Association will be self-supporting in finances and organization, with a President as presiding officer ana such subordinate officers as are deemed necessary;. The Hereditary Chief of Clan Urquhart shall be the Patron of all Nation4l Branches of the Clan Urquhart Association. Alterations or amendments of the Charter and Bylaws of National Branches of the Clan Urquhart Association must be approved in the same manner as their original Charter and Bylaws.
VII. ALTERATION OF THE CHARTER
The foregoing Charter may be recalled, altered, and amended at the General Meeting of the Association with the concurrence of two-thirds of the members present in person or by written proxy and the written assent of the Hereditary Chief of Clan Urquhart, provided that all proposed alterations and amendments have been made known by the Secretary to the general membership at least thirty days before the date fixed for the General Meeting.
Copyright © 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000. All rights reserved.
Revised:
Saturday, March 13, 2004 06:13:46 PM -0000