Rules of the Royal Signals Association Patron HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCESS ROYAL President THE MASTER OF SIGNALS Headquarters REGIMENTAL HEADQUARTERS ROYAL SIGNALS BLANDFORD CAMP BLANDFORD FORUM DORSET DT11 8RH Telephone BLANDFORD MILITARY Ext 2090/2081/2082 or DDI 01258 48 2090/2081/2082 Last revised: April 2001     RULES (All Previous Rules Rescinded) INDEX Rule No 1. Name. 2. Headquarters. 3. Interpretation - Definition of various terms used in the Rules 4. Objects of the Association. 5. Central Organisation - The Welfare Section The Branches and Membership Section The Accounts Section 6. Membership - Qualification for Membership Classes of Membership Honour Membership Free Life Membership Associate Life Membership 7. Subscriptions 8. Branches Local Branches Unit Branches Branch Rules Subscription Income Returns to be made by Branches Remittance to Headquarters Branch Officials Branch Standards 9. Central Committee - Meetings Composition Quorum Executive Committee Filling of Vacancies 10. The General Secretary - Appointment and Duties 11. The Treasurer 12. The Trustee 13. Investment - Scope of Investments and Powers of the Trustee 14. Execution of Other Trusts 15. Application of Funds 16. Administration of Welfare Section - Adjudicating Sub-committee Requests for Assistance Powers of Branch Committees 17. General Meetings - Annual General Meeting Special General Meetings 18. Branch Representatives' Meeting 19. Audit 20. Accounts 21. Inspection of Books 22. Disputes 23. Voluntary Dissolution 24. Notices 25. Copies of Rules 26. Amendment of Rules 27. Professional Advisers and Bankers     1 - NAME 1. The name of the Association is The Royal Signals Association.   Top     2 - HEADQUARTERS 2. The Headquarters of the Association is located at Regimental Headquarters. Top     3 - INTERPRETATION 3. In the Rules the following expressions shall have the following meanings: "The Corps" means the Royal Corps of Signals. "The Association" means The Royal Signals Association. "Signallers" means past and present members of: a. The Corps b. The Signal Service of The Corps of Royal Engineers c. The Indian Signals Corps before the partition of India in 1947; whether Regular, Supplementary Reserve, Army Emergency Reserve, Territorial Army, Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve, National Service or Home Service Units. 4. "The Trust Deed" is The Royal Corps of Signals Benevolent Fund Trust Deed. 5. "The Central Committee" means the Central Committee of the Association constituted in accordance with Rule 9. 6. "The Trustees" are the members of "The Corps Committee" in accordance with Rule 12. 7. The Royal Corps of Signals Trustee Limited "The Trustee Company" is authorised to have powers in relation to money investments and property in accordance with Rule 13. Top     4 - OBJECTS 8. The objects of the Association are: a. To provide comfort and relief either generally or individually to past and present Signallers and their dependants who are in conditions of need, hardship or distress. b. To help maintain and improve the efficiency and morale of the Corps by providing for contact between past and present Signallers and arranging for social gatherings for them. Top     5 - CENTRAL ORGANISATION 9. The Chairman of the Central Committee acts as the Chief Executive of the Association. He will normally be a current or past Colonel Commandant of the Corps. The Chairman of the Central Committee is nominated by The Master of Signals but his nomination is subject to acceptance by vote at a General Meeting of the Association. 10. Association Headquarters is organised into 3 Sections under the Secretary and Assistant Secretary who are normally the Regimental Secretary and Assistant Regimental Secretary. The Welfare Section. The Branches and Membership Section. The Accounts Section. 11. The Welfare Section is responsible for the control of expenditure of the Royal Signals Association Fund for the following charitable purposes set out in the Trust Deed: a. To assist Signallers by way of grants of money or providing or paying for items, services or facilities calculated to reduce need, hardship and distress for the benefit of: (1) Signallers, their families and dependants, and (2) The families and dependants of deceased Signallers. b. To make grants to other institutions having exclusively charitable objects or to other institutions for charitable purposes and to pay for said items, services or facilities by way of donation or subscription to charitable institutions or organisations which provide such items, services and facilities for Signallers. The Branches and Membership Section maintains records of all Branches and Members and is designed to keep members in touch with the Corps and each other for mutual good fellowship and assistance. The Accounts Section maintains the accounts of the Royal Signals Association Fund. It also maintains the accounts of any other Trusts which may be handed over to the Association. Top     6 - MEMBERSHIP 12. There are 4 types of Membership: a. Life membership. b. Associate membership. c. Honour membership. d. Associate Life Membership. 13. Life Membership shall be open to personnel of the Regular Army, Supplementary Reserve, Army Emergency Reserve, Territorial Army, Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve, National Service or Home Service Units as follows: a. All Officers who have been Gazetted to the Corps. b. All present and past Warrant Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Men and Women of the Corps who are, or have been, borne on the books of the Officer in Charge Royal Signals Manning and Records or his predecessor appointment. c. All past members of the Signal Service Royal Engineers. d. All past members of the Indian Signals Corps who served in the Indian Unattached List before the partition of India in 1947. e. All past members of the ATS, WAC(I) and WRAC who served in communications appointments with Royal Signals. 14. Life Members shall be: a. Those eligible Officers and Soldiers who, while serving in the Regular or Territorial Army, have contributed to the Association through Corps Funds under the Day's Pay Scheme. OR b. Those eligible who pay a Membership Registration Fee (para 21) because they have not previously paid, or been able to pay into the Day's Pay Scheme, or paid any other form of Annual Membership fee to the Association. 15. Life Membership, without registration fee, may be granted by the Central Committee to Royal Signals In-Pensioners of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea and to other deserving members at its discretion. 16. Associate Membership is open to anyone NOT eligible to become a Life Member, who declares an interest in promoting the Aims of the Association and becomes an active member of a Branch. Associate Membership provides principally for Widows and Wives to become Members, but is open to others at the discretion of a Branch Committee and agreed by the Branch President. Associate members do not have voting rights. 17. Honour Membership. Life members who give outstanding service to the Association, which merits special recognition, may have their names put forward by Branches or Association HQ to the Central Committee for consideration for the award of Honour Membership. Those approved shall be entitled to wear a special Association lapel badge and are given a certificate to commemorate their achievement. 18. Associate Life Membership. Associate Members who give outstanding service to the Association, which merits special recognition, may have their names put forward by Branches or Association HQ to the Central Committee for consideration for the award of Associate Life Membership. Those approved shall be entitled to wear a special lapel badge and are given a certificate to commemorate their achievement, plus an Associate Life Membership Card. 19. 50 Year Badge. The Association 50 Year Badge is a formal recognition of special contributions made by members of the Corps and Association over a period of 50 years. Qualification is a combination of service as defined in para 13 of this rule, together with active membership of the Association (active in Association and/or Branch affairs) of not less than 50 years. Gaps of inactivity between periods of service will NOT be included towards the total of 50 years. Application forms, signed by Branch President and Chairman, will be forwarded to Association HQ for consideration by the Central Committee. Those approved shall be entitled to wear a special Association lapel badge and are given a certificate to commemorate their achievement. 20. Membership of Other Ex-Service Organisations. Membership of the Royal Signals Association is not inconsistent with membership of other Ex-Service organisation such as The Royal British Legion or the Burma Star Association. Top     7 - REGISTRATION FEES 21. Life Membership Registration Fee is £10.00. This is only applicable to those eligible under Rule 6, para 13 who have not paid into the Day's Pay Scheme (see also para 14b and 15). The Registration Fee does not apply to members of the REGULAR Serving Corps who are expected to contribute to the Day's Pay Scheme. This does apply to serving TA soldiers, who may pay the £10 Registration Fee to achieve Life Membership. If a TA soldier does pay his proportionate One Day's pay subscription through his unit and can produce proof of this to his/her Branch Secretary, he/she shall be exempt payment of the £10 Registration Fee in the same way as his Regular counterpart at para 14a above. 22. Life Membership cards are issued, by Association HQ, upon receipt of a completed enrolment card and upon receipt of the £10.00 Registration Fee (if applicable), less the sum which branches are authorised to retain under Rule 8. Blank cards are available from Association HQ or Branches. Top     8 - BRANCHES 23. Local Branches are formed in various localities at home and overseas. 24. Affiliated Branches are those formed on a Regimental or other historic grouping basis. 25. All Branches are governed by these Rules; subject thereto they have the power in their own local administration to make their own Branch Rules, eg they may form a "Ladies' Section". They may levy a Branch subscription from Members of the Association who belong to the Branch. 26. Branch Committees may, for Branch organisation and development, retain revenue derived from branch membership subscriptions and half the Life Subscription paid to the Branch. 27. The remaining portion of the Life subscription will be remitted to Association HQ who will issue Life Membership Cards and Serial numbers on receipt of Life Subscriptions. 28. The treasurer or other official administering each Branch will forward to the General Secretary of the Association not later than 15th March each year a certified copy of the Audited Accounts of the Branch for the past year. 29. A fully completed copy enrolment card must be forwarded to Headquarters for each new Life Member at the time of joining and a complete list of all Life and Associate Members is to be sent annually to be received not later than 15th March each year. 30. Branch Officials. It is normal for the following branch officials to be elected as appropriate by each Branch. The President A serving or retired Life Member of the Branch, elected by the members. The Chairman Elected or re-elected annually. The Secretary Elected or re-elected annually. The Treasurer Elected or re-elected annually. 31. Branch Standards. Branches are entitled to and are encouraged to carry a Standard on ceremonial and other appropriate occasions such as Reunion or Remembrance parades. The Branch Standard consists of the Corps Colours flown horizontally. In the centre is the Corps badge in gold which will face the hoist on both sides. Above the crown of the Corps badge the words "Royal Signals Association" and below the scroll, the Branch name. Lettering will be yellow, special style hand painted and outlined in blue to read correctly on both sides. Trimmed gold worsted fringe and cords and tassels to match, with leather securing tabs on self coloured heading. 32. Branches may apply for a loan from Association Funds for the purchase of Standards. Applications should be made to the General Secretary at Association HQ, who have details of the sealed pattern and the approved manufacturer. Top     9 - CENTRAL COMMITTEE 33. The Central Committee of the Association will meet twice a year in the Spring and Autumn and on such other occasions as the Committee themselves may decide. It will consist of the following: The President The Chairman The Treasurer (normally combined with the duties of the General Secretary) Two Vice Chairmen see Note (i) The Representative Colonel Commandant see Note (ii) Regimental Colonel see Note (iii) An Officer Representing the TA see Note (iii) RSM 11 Sig Regt see Note (ii) Corps RSM see Note (ii) Five Representatives of Branches of the Association see Note (iv) Notes: (i) Elected and chosen from a maximum of 8 Area Vice Chairmen, who may be appointed at any one time. There are 5 in England and one each in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. An Area Vice Chairman elected to the Central Committee will normally serve for 3 years. (ii) Ex officio. (iii) Nominated by The Signal Officer in Chief (Army). (iv) The UK will be divided into 5 Areas and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A representative of each Area will be nominated for election to the Central Committee from the Branches in that Area by a ballot organised by the General Secretary. This ballot will be organised as required, and the nomination will be approved at the Annual General Meeting. Area Representatives will normally hold office on the Central Committee for 3 years, but exceptionally this period may be extended by the Chairman in the event of difficulty in finding a replacement. No Branch may be represented, or individual serve, on the Central Committee for 2 consecutive periods of 3 years, except in exceptional circumstances when approved by the Chairman. 34. Elections will take place at the Annual General Meeting. 35. Four of the above will form a quorum except at a meeting held to consider proposals for the alteration or amendment of these Rules (see Rule 26) in which case 6 members of the Central Committee shall be necessary to form a quorum, and will include the Chairman of any Sub Committee concerned in the proposed alteration or amendment. 36. When votes are equal, the Chairman will have a casting vote. 37. In cases of emergency, where the decision of the Central Committee cannot be obtained in time, its powers are delegated to an Executive Committee consisting of: The Chairman, A Vice Chairman, The Regimental Colonel, Any one other member of the Central Committee. 38. Three of the above will form a quorum. This Committee will report action taken to the Central Committee, for information. 39. In case any officer shall die, resign, be removed, or become unfit or incapable to act, the Central Committee may at any time appoint a person to fill the vacancy until the next General Meeting. 40. The Central Committee with the approval of the Corps Committee may from time to time as they see fit, appoint Staff to work under the direction of the General Secretary. Top     10 - THE GENERAL SECRETARY 41. The General Secretary, will attend all meetings of the Central Committee and will keep the Minutes. He has no vote on that Committee. Top     11 - THE TREASURER 42. The office of Treasurer will normally be combined with that of the General Secretary. He will be responsible for seeing that the accounts of the Association are kept in a proper manner and will satisfy himself that all Trust or other Deeds are kept in a safe repository. He is limited to the expenditure of £600 in any one transaction. Top     12 - THE TRUSTEE 43. The Royal Signals Association funds are held as part of The Royal Signals Benevolent Fund, a registered Charity under the terms of the Trust Deed. 44. The members of The Corps Committee are Trustees of the Trust Deed so long as they shall remain members of The Corps Committee and are willing to act in accordance with the terms of the Trust Deed. They shall each cease to be a Trustee on ceasing to be a member of The Corps Committee. 45. The Royal Corps of Signals Trustee Limited, "The Trustee Company", is authorised to have powers in relation to money investments and property in accordance with Rule 13. 46. The Directors of the Trustee Company shall from time to time be appointed and removed by the Corps Committee, except that the Chairman of the Royal Signals Association shall be the Chairman of the Trustee Company and the Chairman of the Corps Finance Committee and the Signal Officer in Chief's representative shall always be ex officio Directors. 47. The Directors of the Trustee Company have delegated power to buy and sell investments for the Trust Deed, advised by a company or individual of repute with experience of investment or financial management authorised within the meaning of the Financial Services Act, 1986, (The 1986 Act), in accordance with the investment policy laid down by the Trustees. Top     13 - INVESTMENT 48. The Trustee Company is authorised to exercise at its discretion the following powers in relation to all the money investments and property from time to time received or held by the Trustee on behalf of the Association or the Corps whether as capital or income, namely: a. Power to allow any such money, investments and property to remain in their actual estate of investment so long as the Trustee thinks fit. b. Power at any time to sell, call in or convert into money any investments or property held by the Trustee. c. Power at any time to place any money on deposit at interest with any registered building society or any joint stock company or mutual or other society or organisation which carries on the business of banking, bill discounting or hire purchase finance and to withdraw the same. d. Power at any time to invest or apply any money held by the Trustee (except so much as may from time to time be needed for immediate use or to meet liabilities) in the purchase or otherwise in the acquisition of or on loan at interest upon the security of any investments or property of whatsoever nature situate in any part of the world and whether involving liability or not or on loan at interest upon such personal credit with or without security as the Trustee shall think fit with power at any time to change any investments for others of a nature authorised by this Rule to the intent that the Trustee shall have the same full and unrestricted powers of buying and selling property and investing money and transposing investments in all respects as if the Trustee were absolutely entitled thereto beneficially. 49. The Chairman of the Trustee Company shall submit a report on the status of investments to the Corps Committee at their meetings in the Spring and the Autumn. Top     14 - EXECUTION OF OTHER TRUSTS 50. In the event of sums of money or property being handed over to the Association in trust for the performance of any specific aim, and accepted by the Central Committee, the powers of the Trustee will be limited to the exact terms of such trust. Additionally, in the event of the Roy Signals Association being appointed as the executor of a Will the General Secretary is authorised to apply and take out grants of representation on behalf of, or in the name of, the Royal Signals Association in cases where the Association might be entitled to make applications in its own right. Top     15 - APPLICATION OF FUNDS 51. All monies received on account of subscriptions, contributions, donations and legacies, sale of publications and income from investments, will be applied in carrying out the aims of the Association according to its Rules from time to time in force. Top     16 - ADMINISTRATION OF WELFARE SECTION 52. The administration of the Welfare Section is under the control of the Chairman of the Central Committee, exercised through the General Secretary. An adjudicating sub-committee meets as directed by the Chairman to investigate requests for assistance. The sub-committee is presided over by the Chairman or Vice Chairman of the Central Committee or by members of a panel of Senior Serving or Retired Officers and has as members a serving Officer and a serving Soldier of the Corps. Requests for assistance from members of the serving Corps are always dealt with personally by the Chairman Royal Signals Association. Note: Membership of the aforesaid panel of Senior Officers is initially by nomination of the Chairman of the Central Committee with subsequent review and approval at each meeting of the Central Committee. 53. All requests for assistance from the Welfare Section will be addressed to the General Secretary, The Royal Signals Association. Each request will be judged on its merits. 54. All Local Branch Committees will communicate with Association HQ before dispensing monies to applicants for financial assistance, except in urgent necessitous cases, when emergency relief not exceeding £50 may be granted immediately and the matter subsequently reported to Association HQ. 55. Branch officials are, however, strongly advised not to grant monetary assistance to applicants who are unknown to them, whether membership of the Association is claimed or not, without prior reference to Headquarters. Membership of the Association does not carry the right to demand assistance, financial or otherwise. 56. The income of the Welfare Section is derived from an allocation from Corps funds, donations and legacies. Top     17 - GENERAL MEETINGS 57. The rules governing General Meetings are as follows: a. Not less than 3 months' notice shall be sent to each Branch representative of the date of the Annual General meeting. In this notice the Secretary shall give at least one month's notice of the date by which resolutions to be considered at the Annual General Meeting shall be submitted. b. The Agenda for the Annual General Meeting shall be sent out to each Branch representative not less than one month before the date of such meeting. c. A special General Meeting will be held whenever the Central Committee think expedient or whenever a request for one is made by 25 Members in writing to the General Secretary. One month's notice of any such Meeting stating the business to be transacted will be sent to each Branch representative in order that all Members may be able to attend if they wish. d. No resolution not specified in any such Agenda or notice as aforesaid may be moved at any General Meeting without the leave of the Chairman. e. At all General Meetings the Chairman of the Central Committee (or, if he be not present or is unwilling to act, a Vice Chairman) shall preside; in the event of neither being available the members present shall elect one of their number to be Chairman of the Meeting. representatives from not less than 50% of the Branches of the Association will form a quorum. 58. Every member present will have one vote and, when the votes are equal, the Chairman of the Meeting will have an additional or casting vote. Top     18 - BRANCH REPRESENTATIVES' MEETING 59. A meeting of Secretaries or other representatives of Branches of the Association is held, normally on the second Saturday in April of each year, in order to exchange information and discuss recommendations relating to the affairs of the Association. Top     19 - AUDIT 60. The Central Committee will at least once in every year submit the accounts and all vouchers relating thereto up to the 31st December of the preceding year, and all the deeds, documents of title and securities for money, for audit, to the appointed auditors. The auditors will have access to all the books and accounts of the Association, will examine the Balance Sheet and Income and Expenditure Account and verify them with the accounts, vouchers, deeds, documents and securities, and will either sign them as found by them to be correct, duly vouched, and in accordance with the law, or specially report to the Association in what respects they find them incorrect, unvouched, or not in accordance with the law. Top     20 - ACCOUNTS 61. The Central Committee will lay before every Annual General Meeting a full account of the income and expenditure of the Association during the preceding calendar year and a balance sheet of its assets and liabilities at the 31st December of the preceding year, showing each Section separately where appropriate, together with a copy of the auditors' report. 62. The General Secretary will supply free of charge to every member on application a copy of the last audited account and balance sheet as laid or to be laid before the Annual General Meeting. 63. A simplified Balance Sheet and Income and Expenditure Account of the General Fund and The Royal Signal Association Benevolent Fund will be published in The Wire with the Minutes of the Annual General Meeting. Copies will also be sent to all Branches of the Association. Top     21 - INSPECTION OF BOOKS 64. The Central Committee will cause the books to be available for the inspection of any Member or person having a legitimate interest in the funds of the Association, at all reasonable hours, at the Headquarters or at any place where the books are kept. 65. It will be the duty of the General Secretary to produce books accordingly and to keep a copy of the last annual balance sheet, together with any special report of the auditors at the Headquarters. Top     22 - DISPUTES 66. If any dispute shall arise between a Member or person claiming through a Member or under the Rules, or any person aggrieved who has ceased to be a Member, or any person claiming through such person aggrieved, and the Association or any officer of the Association it shall be laid before the Central Committee, whose decision will be final. Top     23 - VOLUNTARY DISSOLUTION 67. The Association may at any time be dissolved by the consent of three-fourths of its members, testified by their signatures to an instrument of dissolution in whatever form may be prescribed by the Central Committee. Top     24 - NOTICES 68. All notices will be deemed to have been duly served if posted as described in Rule 17 and published in The Wire. Top     25 - COPIES OF RULES 69. The Central Committee will provide copies of the Rules of the Association without charge to meet the reasonable requirements of Branch officers. Top     26 - AMENDMENT OF RULES 70. New Rules may only be made, and any Rules herein contained or hereafter to be made, may only be amended or rescinded by a resolution passed by a majority of at least two-thirds of the Members present and entitled to vote at a General Meeting of which notice has been duly given. Top     27 - PROFESSIONAL ADVISERS AND BANKERS 71. The following are the present Professional Advisers and Bankers of the Association: Solicitors Walker Martineau Stringer Saul 64 Queen Street LONDON EC4R 1AD Auditors Messrs Price Waterhouse The Quay 30 Channel Way Ocean Village SOUTHAMPTON SO14 3QG Bankers Lloyds Bank Plc 6 Pall Mall LONDON SW1Y 5NH

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