2. OBJECTS:
To encourage appreciation of Art; to give mutual help and encouragement to its Members in the practice of fine craftsmanship; to arrange Exhibitions of members’ work at suitable addresses to enable Members to show their work to the public.

3. MEMBERSHIP:
Any interested person may become or remain an Associate Member of the Society at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

Intending Members shall complete an application form obtainable from the Secretary, and such applications shall be formally received at the next Committee meeting, and the result notified to the applicant by the Secretary.

4. EXHIBITOR MEMBERSHIP:
New applicants wishing to join as Exhibitor Members and Associate Members wishing to become Exhibitor Members must submit six recent examples of their work, together with the appropriate form obtainable from the Secretary, for adjudication by the Committee. The works will be judged on artistic merit in relation to the general standard of the Society’s Annual Exhibition. At least three of the works must be framed to exhibition standard. To be elected five of the six works must be accepted by a majority of the Exhibitor Members present voting in a secret ballot. The results of the adjudication will be notified to the member in writing by the Secretary. Showing at Society Exhibitions will in general be restricted to Exhibitor Members.

5. INVITED MEMBERS:
The Executive Committee shall have power to invite any artist of repute to become and Exhibitor Member.

6. HOLDING TRUSTEES:
At each Annual General Meeting the Society shall appoint two Members (not necessarily members of the Executive Committee) who are locally resident, as Holding Trustees to act as its representatives in holding property on the Society’s behalf, though with no personal liability.

7. HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS:
Members who have rendered outstanding service to the Society may be nominated for election as Honorary Life Members. Such nominations shall be put in writing to the Committee prior to the 31st January for consideration at the following Annual General Meeting.

8. SUBSCRIPTIONS:
The amount of the subscription for the various grades of members shall be decided at the Annual General Meeting on the recommendation of the Executive Committee.

Subscriptions shall be payable in advance and shall fall due on 1st January each year. Applicants shall pay the annual subscription for their grade on being elected to the Society. Applicants joining after 31st August in any one year shall not have to pay a further subscription in the following January. As Associate Member who becomes an Exhibitor Member shall pay the appropriate subscription as from the 1st January following election.

Any member whose subscription is six months in arrears shall be deemed to have resigned, but the Committee shall have power to reinstate the member on such terms as they might decide. Any member who has not paid their subscription shall not be allowed to exhibit at any exhibition sponsored or organised by the Society.

9. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING:
The Annual General Meeting of the Society shall take place during the months of March/April each year. At least two weeks notice of this meeting shall be given by the Secretary to all members. The notice shall include the Agenda, one item of which shall be the presentation of the audited accounts by the Treasurer. A quorum shall consist of 10% of the membership.

10. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING:
A Special General Meeting may be called by the President or by any five Members of the Society. On receiving their request the Secretary shall give notice similar to that provided by Rule 9. Such a meeting shall deal only with the business mentioned in the Agenda for which the meeting has been called. A quorum at a Special General Meeting shall be 10% of the Membership.

11. OFFICERS:
The Officers of the Society shall be:- a President, two Vice-Presidents (one of whom will be the President –elect and the other will be the retiring President), a Secretary, a Treasurer and two Assistant Secretaries.

12. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:
The management of the Society shall be vested in the Executive Committee consisting of the Officers together with six elected Members and such additional Members as the Committee decide to co-opt for special reasons.

The Committee shall have power to fill any casual vacancy during its term of office except the offices of President or Vice-President.

A quorum at a meeting of the Committee shall be six persons.

13. ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE:
The Officers and elective Members of the Committee shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. The retiring Officers shall be eligible for re-election to their respective offices, provided that the President and Vice-Presidents do not hold the same office for more than two consecutive years and that the elective members of the Committee shall serve as such for not more than three consecutive years.

14. NOMINATIONS:
Nominations for Vice-President which will occur bi-annually shall be sent to the Secretary in writing before the relative AGM.

For other Officers and Committee Members nominations may be made in writing to the Secretary or made verbally at the AGM. The consent of all nominees must be obtained. Where an election is necessary it shall be by secret ballot.

15. POWERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:
To transact the general business of the Society in all matters, subject the Rules. They shall have power out of the funds of the Society to incur any expenses they may decide are necessary but without the power to borrow money.

16. SOCIETY EXHIBITION SELECTION COMMITTEE:
Selection for Society’s exhibitions shall be by they majority vote of a committee comprising the current President and five other persons appointed by the President (in consultation with the Executive Committee) who must all be present. The five persons must consist of at least four Exhibitor Members of the Society and a fifth person who must be actively involved in the visual arts. The President will not normally have a vote but in the case of a temporary absence of a selector the President may give a casting vote if there is no clear majority among the remaining members of the Selection Committee.

17. HANGING COMMITTEE:
The Hanging Committee shall comprise Members of the Society and additional Members nominated by the Executive Committee to assist in the proper display and presentation of the Society’s Exhibition.

18. POINTS NOT COVERED:
Points not covered in these Rules shall be decided by the Executive Committee.

19. REVISION OF THE RULES:
Any alteration of these rules must be by majority vote at an Annual General Meeting or at a Special General Meeting of the Society and notices of such intended alteration must be in the Secretary’s hands not less than twenty-eight days before it is required to call the meeting and must appear on the Agenda for the meeting.