Constitution
The Bermuda Rose Society
CONSTITUTION AND BYE-LAWS
Previously amended in 1963, 1968, 1971, 1988.
Amended, 2006
1. NAME The name of the Association shall be The Bermuda Rose Society.
2. AIMS (a) To encourage the Cultivation of Old Garden Roses;
(b) To preserve the Old Garden Roses that have stood the test of time in these Islands and to increase their number.
(c) To name correctly the Old Garden Roses growing in Bermuda and to identify the Mystery Roses;
(d) To continue to grow the other classes of roses that do well in Bermuda’s climate and soil.
3. MEMBERSHIP shall consist of:
(a) Active Members– elected by the Executive Committee after the candidate has attended two meeting during the previous 12 months and has been proposed and seconded according to the application form. Active members can hold office and vote at General Meetings.
(b) Honorary Members-elected by the Executive Committee. Such members are entitled to all the privileges of the Society except voting and holding office.
4. OFFICERS: The officers of the Society shall be:
President;
First Vice-President;
Past President, who shall serves as Second Vice-President;
Honorary Secretary;
Honorary Treasurer.
The President, Vice President and the Honourary Treasurer shall be the authorized signatories for all accounts. Any one of the signatories in accord with the mandate of the banking institute may sign.
5. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. The business and affairs of the Society shall be in the hands of a Committee consisting of the Officers and Active Members appointed by the Officers. The President, Vice-President, and Past President shall not hold the same office for more than two consecutive years, except in an emergency. In this event their term may be extended to three years but only with the approval of the Executive Committee.
6. AMENDMENTS. Amendments to the Constitution and Bye-laws must be considered first by the Executive Committee and then presented for approval to the members present at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting called for the purpose. Notice of proposed amendments and date of meeting must be sent to the members at least fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting.
BYE-LAWS
DUTIES of the PRESIDENT. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Rose Society and of the Executive Committee, and shall be a member of every Committee of the Society. The President shall present a report at the Annual General Meeting.
The President shall appoint such committees as he/she considers necessary to carry out the work of the Society. Except under special circumstances, the committees shall be composed of members of the Society, but for special purposes the President shall have the power to co-opt interested non-members.
DUTIES of the VICE-PRESIDENT. The Vice-President shall in the absence of the President, perform the duties of the President; and shall agree, in taking office, to become President in due course. The Vice-President shall arrange the programme for the year, introduce the speaker at each meeting and find someone to thank the speaker. The Vice-President shall prepare the slate of officers for the coming year and arrange to present it to the members at the April meeting and to the Annual General Meeting for confirmation and approval.
DUTIES of the PAST PRESIDENT The Past President shall be the representative of the Executive Committee at the Annual Exhibition and make all arrangements necessary for this event including organizing the Rose Bench.
DUTIES of the HONORARY SECRETARY The Honorary Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings at all Executive and General meetings and be the custodian of the records and papers belonging to the Society (except those of the Honorary Treasurer); notify all members of The Annual General and Special General meetings and perform such other duties as usually appertain to the office of the Honorary Secretary as required by the Executive Committee.
DUTIES of the HONORARY TREASURER The Honorary Treasurer shall
(a) Keep accurate accounts of the finances of the Society; Present a brief financial report at each meeting of the Executive Committee; and submit an annual statement to the 31st March of each year to the members at the Annual General Meeting.
(b) Collect dues and notify members whose dues are three years in arrears that their membership has been discontinued.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. The Executive Committee shall have the power to appoint Officers and Active members to fill temporary vacancies on the Committee with the persons so appointed holding office until the return of the absent Officer or Active member or to the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting. At the discretion of the Executive Committee payments and or donations may be made for sums not in excess of $2500.00 (two thousand five hundred dollars, Bermudian currency). The approval of the general membership must be obtained for sums in excess of this amount.
PAST PRESIDENTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. A Committee of the Past Presidents of the Society. can be called upon by the President and/or the Executive Committee and/or the general membership for advice whenever a situation requires their knowledge/expertise.
SUBSCRIPTIONS. The annual dues of the Society shall be set by the Executive Committee and approved at the Annual General Meeting. Dues are considered overdue if unpaid by the end of the calendar year, 31st December. Members whose dues are in arrears for three consecutive years will be notified by letter from the Honorary Treasurer that their membership has been discontinued.
LIFE MEMBERSHIP subscriptions, fixed by the Executive Committee and confirmed at the Annual General Meeting, may be paid by members after ten (10) years as a member.
MEETINGS. General Meetings are held monthly from October to May. The Annual General Meeting shall be held in the month of May for the election/approval of officers. The financial year shall end on the 31st March. Special General Meetings may be called as necessary. The Executive Committee shall have a meeting prior to each General Meeting. Additional meetings may be called at the discretion of the President
ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The Vice President shall prepare the slate of new officers every two years, accepting nominations from the general membership either at the March meeting or by notice in writing to the Honorary Secretary fourteen (14) days before the March General meeting. Persons nominated shall have been approached and agreed to serve before the slate is presented at the April meeting. If only one candidate is proposed for any office that candidate will be deemed to be elected. If there is more than one candidate, election by ballot will be at the Annual General Meeting. The Honorary Sec will notify the General Membership of the AGM with the proposed slate which should be received by the membership14 days prior. .
QUORUM. A quorum for the meetings of the Executive Committee and of the Past Presidents’ Advisory Committee shall be no less than five (5) members. A quorum for the Annual General Meeting or for a Special General Meeting shall be twenty-five (25) Active members of which two must be officers.
PRESIDENTS OF THE BERMUDA ROSE SOCIETY
Mrs. Pierre Pattisson 1954 1956
Mrs. W. R. Horsfield 1956 1958
Mrs. Conrad Frith 1958 1960
Mr. Peter Dowle 1960 1962
Mrs. Robert Hunter 1962 1964
Mrs. Ford Baxter 1964 1966
Mrs. Cyril Smith 1966 1969
Mrs. Ambrose Gosling 1969 1971
Mrs. C. Winton Kempe 1971 1973
Mrs. Janet MM Watlington 1973 1975
Mrs. Reginald Tucker 1975 1977
Mrs. Thomas S Murdoch 1977 1979
Mrs. A. R. Mercer 1979 1981
Mrs. John C. Nicoll 1981 1983
Mrs. W. D. Carswell 1983 1985
Mrs. D. O. (Neil) Cooper 1985 1986
Mrs. William D. Carswell 1986 1987
Mrs. William King 1987 1989
Mrs. Lawrence Dill 1989 1990
Mrs. Robert Steele 1990 1992
Mrs. Rosemary Collier 1992 1994
Mrs. George Peterich 1994 1996
Mrs. John Watlington 1996 1998
Mrs. William Roger Davidson 1998 2000
Mrs. Anthony Watson 2000 2001
Mrs. William Roger Davidson 2001 2003
Mrs. Judith Montgomery-Moore 2003 2005
Mrs. John Madden 2005 2007
Mrs. Molly White 2007 2009
Mrs. Essie Hans 2009 2011
Mr. Eugene Rayner 2011
