This version contains updates to the constitution that was approved at the AGM on Friday 10th January 2020

• Changes to the constitution at the AGM approved at the AGM on Friday 14th January 2022
• In clause 8 (dealing with membership fees for Full members), change ‘by each member’ to ‘by each Full member’.
• In clause 11 (now deleted) (dealing with membership fees for Friends), change ‘by each member’ to ‘by each Friend’.
• In clause 12 (now deleted) (listing categories of people who might become Friends), delete ‘and committee members’.
• In clause 12, delete ‘do not’ so that Life Members do have voting rights at general meetings.
• Changes to the constitution approved at the AGM on Friday 30th January 2026
• Removal of the friends category.

Name

1. The society shall be known as Wells Amateur Bellringing Society (WABS).

Mission Statement

2. We are a group of individuals who volunteer as church bell ringers to Wells Cathedral and to the Parish Church of St Cuthbert, Wells. We ring for services and other occasions as requested, striving to provide the best quality of ringing. We shall do all we can to provide a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment in which members, visitors and those wishing to learn can pursue their own ringing aims.

Membership

3. Membership can be revoked, committee roles revoked and a member expelled for conduct which, in the opinion of the committee, is contrary to the aims of the Society or likely to bring the Society into disrepute.

Full membership

4. Full members shall be elected at an AGM
5. To be eligible for full membership, a ringer must be able reliably to ring rounds and call changes without assistance.
6. A full member has voting rights at general meetings.
7. A full member is expected to ring regularly and frequently for services or on practice night. 
8. A membership fee, defined annually at the AGM, shall be paid by each full member.
9. Full membership can be revoked by an AGM if a membership fee has remained unpaid for a year, or if a member has failed to ring regularly and frequently for service in Wells. 
10. A full member is expected to follow advice, guidance and regulations issued by the church(es) at which they ring, including (but not limited to) matters of safeguarding.

Honorary Life membership

11. The election of Honorary Life members is at the discretion of the AGM. 
12. Honorary Life members have voting rights at general meetings.
13. No membership fee is payable by honorary life members. 

Meetings

14. An Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held in January to consider the accounts and conduct other business.
15. An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) may be called by the Committee with 14 days’ notice to members. An EGM must be called by the committee on receipt of a written request for an EGM from full members who would constitute a quorum at a meeting. 
16. A quorum at an AGM or EGM shall be at least full 5 members, or 50% of the full membership, whichever is the least.
17. Any change to the constitution must be approved by an AGM. The change is passed if two thirds of full members present and voting agree.
18. Minutes of meetings shall be made available to full members. 

Finances

19. The Society shall hold one or more bank accounts.
20. Any payment from the Society’s accounts should be authorised by two signatories from the committee. 
21. The accounting period shall be from January 1st to December 31st.

Officers and Committee

22. The Officers shall be elected annually at the annual meeting.
23. The committee shall meet at least twice each year, with minutes made available to full members. 
24. Additional duties of Officers may be defined by the membership at the AGM.

President

25. One president shall be elected, and this will normally be the Vicar of Wells. 
26. The president is not a member of the committee.
27. The president’s responsibility, if present, shall be to chair general meetings. 

Vice President

28. Any number of vice presidents may be elected. 
29. A Vice President is not a member of the committee.
30. It is the duty of one of the vice presidents to chair general meetings if the President is absent.

Leader / Ringing Master

31. One Ringing Master shall be elected from the full membership list.
32. The Ringing Master is a member of the committee. 
33. The Ringing Master shall chair committee meetings, and is responsible to the committee for managing ringing sessions, and represent the society in other matters.

Deputy Leader / Ringing Master

34. One Deputy Leader / Ringing Master shall be elected from the full membership list.
35. The Deputy Ringing Master is a member of the committee.
36. The Deputy Ringing Master is responsible to the committee for managing ringing sessions in the absence of the Ringing Master.

Treasurer

37. One Treasurer shall be elected from the full membership list.
38. The Treasurer is a member of the committee.
39. The Treasurer is responsible to the committee for advising on the management of the society’s financial resources.
40. The Treasurer is responsible for presenting the accounts to the AGM. 

Secretary

41. A Secretary shall be elected from the full membership list.
42. The Secretary is a member of the committee.
43. The Secretary is responsible to the committee for maintaining a list of current members, for minuting of General meetings.

Co-opted Committee members

44. A general or committee meeting may co-opt any number of full members onto the committee for specific functions and for defined terms.
45. The duties of each officer shall be defined by the meeting at when they are co-opted.

Disbanding the society

46. The society may be disbanded at an AGM or EGM if at least two thirds of the full members agree.
47. Any assets shall be divided equally between St Cuthberts PCC and the Chapter of Wells Cathedral.