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Rule 5.16 The Constitution of the Scout County
a. The following represents an ideal constitution for a Scout County where the circumstances and the support allow.
b. There may be situations where it is impractical to implement the constitution in full, such as a County comprising large areas of especially difficult terrain and a small population.
c. All elected and constitutional bodies of The Scout Association at Headquarters, County, and District should have, as full voting members, at least two young people between the age of 18 and 25 years old.
d. This policy as a matter of good practice, should also be applied to any ad hoc, short or long term working groups or committees.
e. The County Scout Council
i. The County Scout Council is the electoral body which supports Scouting in the County. It is the body to which the County Executive Committee is accountable.
ii. Membership of the County Scout Council is open to:
Ex officio Members
- County President;
- County Vice-Presidents;
- Regional Commissioner;
- County Chairman;
- County Commissioner;
- County Secretary;
- County Treasurer;
- Deputy County Commissioners;
- County Scout Network Commissioner;
- County Training Manager;
- Assistant County Commissioners;
- County Scouters;
- County Skills Instructors;
- County Advisers;
- County Administrators;
- Chairmen, County Scout Fellowship(s);
- Local Training Managers;
- District Commissioners;
- District Chairmen;
- District Secretaries;
- District Treasurers;
- District Scout Fellowship Chairmen;
- Chairmen of each District Troop Leadership Forum;
- Chairmen of each District Explorer Scout Committee;
- Chairman of the County Scout Network Committee.
- Chairmen of any other Scout Network operating within the County. Nominated Members
- the number of persons to be elected annually by the County Scout Council from each of the following categories is decided by the County Scout Council.
- persons recommended by the County Commissioner in consultation with the County Chairman.
- County Scout Network Members nominated by the County Scout Network Conference.
- County Scout Fellowship Members nominated by the County Scout Fellowship(s).
- Scouters nominated by District Scout Councils.
- Explorer Scout Members nominated by District Explorer Scout Meetings.
- the County Scout Council may co-opt members annually. Such co-opted members may include representatives of organisations with whom it is desired to maintain co-operation eg Girlguiding UK, religious bodies, other youth organisations and Local Education Authorities.
- Members are nominated by the County Commissioner.
- the number of members co-opted must not exceed the total of Ex officio and Nominated Members.
- the Regional Development Manager.
- the resignation of the member;
- the dissolution of the Council:
- the termination of membership by Headquarters following a recommendation by the County Executive Committee.
- receive and consider the Annual Report of the County Executive Committee, including the annual statement of accounts;
- approve the County Commissioner’s nomination of the County Chairman and nominated members of the County Executive Committee;
- elect a County Secretary unless the County Secretary is employed by the County Executive Committee;
- elect a County Treasurer;
- elect certain members of the County Executive Committee;
- elect a representative(s) of the County Scout Council to serve as Nominated Members of the Council of The Scout Association;
- elect a representative of the County Scout Council to serve as Nominated Youth Member on the Council of The Scout Association;
- appoint an auditor or independent examiner or scrutineer as required.
i. The County Executive Committee exists to support the County Commissioner in meeting the responsibilities of the appointment and to provide support for Scout Districts and the Scout Network in the County.
ii. The County Executive Committee consists of:
Ex officio members
- County Chairman;
- County Commissioner;
- County Scout Network Commissioner;
- County Secretary;
- County Treasurer.
- persons nominated by the County Commissioner in consultation with the County Chairman,
- the nominations must be approved at the County Annual General Meeting,
- persons nominated need not be members of the County Scout Council and their number must not exceed that of the elected members.
- members of the County Scout Council elected at the County Annual General Meeting,
- these should normally be four to six in number,
- the actual number must be the subject of a resolution by the County Scout Council.
- persons co-opted annually by the County Executive Committee,
- the number of co-opted members must not exceed the number of members who may be elected.
- the Regional Commissioner has the right of attendance at meetings of the County Executive Committee.
- the County’s Nominated Member(s) on the Council of The Scout Association*,
- the County’s Nominated Youth Representative on the Council of The Scout Association*,
- Regional Development Manager. (* if not already a member of the Executive Committee)
iv. The County Commissioner and the County Chairman will be ex officio members of any sub-Committee of the County Executive Committee.
v. Any fund raising committee must include at least two members of the County Executive Committee, in addition to the ex officio members. No County Scouter should serve on such a fund raising sub-Committee.
vi. A Scout County is an educational charity. Members of the County Executive Committee are the charity trustees of the Scout County.
vii. Only persons aged 18 and over may be full voting members of the County Executive Committee because of their status as charity trustees.
viii. Certain people are disqualified from being charity trustees by virtue of the Charities Acts.
ix. Charity trustees are responsible for complying with all the legislation applicable to charities.
x. Some Counties may need to register as a charity. Scout Counties registered as a charity in England and Wales will be required to make an annual return to the Charity Commission (see Rule 13.3).
xi. The County Executive Committee is responsible for:
- promoting the development of Scouting in the County;
- arranging for harmonious co-operation between Districts and between units of the Association and with other organisations;
- the raising of funds and the administration of the County’s finance and property, including the Scout Network;
- appointing a County Appointments Advisory Committee, Appointments Chair and Appointments Secretary as per POR: The Appointment Process;
- appointing other sub-Committees and their Chairmen as the Committee may require;
- attending to County administration, particularly:
- - matters relating to Leader, Manager and Supporter appointments;
- - the appointment of Skills Instructors, Administrators and Advisers;
- - registrations, membership of the Movement;
- - the presentation of an Annual Report and annual statement of accounts to the Annual General Meeting of the County Scout Council.
h. Conduct of Meetings in the Scout County
i. In meetings of the County Scout Council and the County Executive Committee only the members specified may vote.
ii. Decisions are made by a majority of votes of those present at the meeting. In the event of an equal number of votes being cast on either side in any issue the chairman does not have a casting vote and the matter is taken not to have been carried.
iii. The County Scout Council must make a resolution defining a quorum for meetings of the Council and the County Executive Committee and its sub-Committees.