FWIW
Here is a
model constitution for an Amateur Radio Club. Bear that in mind and adapt it accordingly. Mostly it's just a minor change of wording, but there may be other items that you need to add that are perhaps unique to beekeeping and the way the club wishes to operate.
Have al meeting of all your prospective members and have someone take minutes/notes of who is present, what is discussed and more importantly what is agreed. You need to turn up with a draft constitution to discuss what should be included, excluded or changed to make it acceptable to the members of your new club.
Having decided on the rules, it would be good for inaugural members to stump up a token amount of cash, so that you all know who is becoming a member and who is just talking about wishing to form a club, after which the uncommitted can be thanked for their interest and invited to leave. Members will need to decide on a Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer as an absolute minimum. Other officer posts and committee members can be defined later and elected as needs dictate. This constitution is the legal contract that governs the formation, working and ultimately the winding up of the club.
At this point, you have formed a club.
Armed with the minutes/notes from this first meeting, some cash and the agreed constitution, take it along to a sensible bank and see an advisor, stating that you wish to open a bank current account for your new club. I suggest that you need three unrelated signatories to the account, with any two of three signatures required on cheques. This keeps things honest and as long as two people don't die on the same day gives you a bit of resilience.
There is no need to open a savings account until the club has a sufficient surplus. and without funds you will find it difficult to do. Lodging the master copy of the constitution with the bank is more than sufficient to make the arrangement as formal as you like. Ideally this should be signed by the elected officers, but why not have the name of everyone at the inaugural meeting sign it, the same way that opening a business bank account normally requires a copy of your letterhead, for reference is a good idea although not required. It will give you and possibly the bank a fuzzy feeling.
Do make sure that legal documents are not riddled with spelling errors.
Making a club into a limited company would be a disaster, requiring reports and accounts and a lot of complications that you will never need and could cause you real grief.
Why do you need a constitution?
The Partnership Act 1890 defines a partnership as two or more individuals 'carrying on a business in common with a view to profit'.
= = The example that I can cite is related to the music industry and can be a bit of an eye opener.
"Protecting the Club's name". Hmmmmm can you really see that this is likely to be a problem. Earn a good reputation, that's the best way to make a club's name of any interest, never mind value?
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