RULES FOR THE SELECTION OF RECIPIENTS OF LOUISE SMALLEY WALK FUNDS

1.      Recipients of the Louise Smalley Walk Association Funds are selected via a nomination process.

2.      Only members can nominate a recipient of the funds.

3.      Only members can vote for a recipient of the funds.

4.      Recipients are nominated by the following procedure.

·        Applications to be made, in writing, to the Chair by 31st July of the previous year (example - so for 2007, you apply by 31st July 2006).

·        State whether you are a walker, support, or bonus ball member and the group you are nominating.

5.      If there are NO nominations then the committee will meet to discuss the situation and will provide an answer.

6.      If there is only 1 group nominated then the committee will meet to discuss the nomination and, in most cases, will ratify the nomination.

7.      Obviously false groups (e.g. Joe Mason Wednesday Skint Fund) will be rejected. This will be at the discretion of the Committee.

8.      If there are between 1 and 4 nominations then the committee will set up an election process. This will be a meeting at the Whitwell Community Centre on the 3rd FRIDAY IN SEPTEMBER. Notification of meeting will be posted on local notice boards.

9.      If there are over 4 nominations the committee will meet to discuss all nominations and reduce the list down to 4. The decision of the Committee will be final. The Committee will set up an election process. This will be a meeting at the Whitwell Community Centre at a date set in September. Notification of meeting will be posted on local notice boards 14 days in advance of the meeting.

10. Each nominator will be invited to attend the meeting with 1 representative of the group nominated.

11. Each nomination will be invited to write a short description of their organisation and the project. This should be no more than one side of an A4 sheet and presented as a word document, submitted to the Chair by the 14th August. This information will be made available to the membership via the web site. Each nomination will then have the opportunity of a 5 minute presentation slot to “put across their case” to the assembled audience. This will not be in any particular order.

12. At the end of the presentations the members will be issued with a ballot slip to select their preference. Only valid members, as stipulated in clause E, will be issued with ballot slip.

13. Voting will also be allowed by proxy by the following procedure.

  • Request for proxy voting form must be made in writing to the Chair (address of Chair can be found on website (louisesmalleywalk,co,uk)) by NO LATER THAN LAST FRIDAY IN AUGUST.
  • A reason for non-attendance must be stated on the application.
  • It is at the discretion of the committee to judge that the reason is valid and, therefore, accepted or rejected.
  • A proxy voting form or a letter explaining reason for declining the application will be sent to the applicant.
  • Completed form to be returned to the Chair by NO LATER THAN 2nd FRIDAY IN SEPTEMBER.
  • Spoilt forms will be rejected.
  • A record of proxy votes will be kept by the Chair.
  • Completed, valid forms will be taken to the Nomination meeting for inclusion in the “count”.
  • A member cannot vote by proxy then attend the meeting and vote again.

14. When voting is complete, the Chair plus 2 independent people drawn from the audience will count the votes (not nominees, nominators or committee).

15. The nomination with the most votes becomes the following year’s recipient.

16. In the case of any kind of tie, then the result will be decided by the Chair’s casting vote.

17. A meeting will only be called in the case of multiple nominations.

18. The meeting will commence at 8.15pm.

19. It is an “Open” meeting. Late arrivals are welcome.

20. Only in extreme circumstances will the recipient be rescinded.

21. Only the Committee can rescind a recipient. In this case the recipient and nominator shall receive written communication as to the reasons for the decision.