General
The V8 Register is a branch of the MG Car Club (the "Club").
The Club has existed in a number of forms since its foundation in
1930, but since 1969 has been a company limited by guarantee. It is
managed by an Executive Committee with the support of a Club
Office team. The Executive Committee members are elected at an
Annual General Meeting of the Club and report to a Council
which meets twice a year and comprises Club representatives.
Club structure
The Club is structured in three parts - Centres covering regional
areas in the UK and overseas, Registers covering individual
MG models, and Branches covering particular activities, principally
motorsport and the track day operation through MGs on Track or MGoT.
These three parts are often referred to collectively as the CRBs
and are run by volunteer Club members. Each CRB has a representative
at the Club's Council meetings.
A Club member
will always be in a local Centre, and may be in a number of Registers
and Branches, depending on cars owned and the Club activities they
wish to enjoy.
Company limited by guarantee
The Club, as a corporate body established as the MG Car Club Limited,
is a company limited by guarantee. This type of company differs from
the more usual form of limited company with shareholders. Instead
of holding shares, the members each undertake, as a condition of membership,
to contribute the sum of £1.00 towards any liabilities of the
company in the event of the company being wound up whilst they are
members, or within a year after ceasing to be members.
Club's Memorandum and Articles of Association
These are the key documents covering the objects of the Club and its
relations with the outside world (the Memorandum) and its internal
governance (the Articles). The requirements and procedures covering
general meetings of the Club, the election of officers and directors,
and all matters relating to the proper governance of the Club are
set out in the Articles of Association. A new set of Articles of Association
was approved by a Council meeting and later adopted by special resolution
at the AGM held on Saturday, 14th October 2006.
Memorandum
of Association (PDF file)
New
Articles of Association (PDF file)
Club Rules
Club rules summarise the Memorandum and Articles of Association
and cover their detailed application. A set of Club Rules is issued
to new members.
Existing
Club Rules
Club's
council meetings and AGM
Members can obtain copies of the minutes of the six monthly Council
meetings and the Annual General Meeting through a new Club Office
service. More
Club's annual report and accounts
The Club produces annual accounts as a statutory requirement. These
are consolidated accounts which include the activities of both the
Main Club (those trading and administrative activities managed by
Club Office) and the activities of all the CRBs. The Club's year end
is 31st December. Members can obtain a copy of the latest annual
report and accounts through a new Club Office service. More
Douglas Mickel Trust
The Douglas Mickel Trust ("DMT") owns the freehold interest
of the Kimber House property in Abingdon and has granted a long leasehold
to the Club for its use as the Club Office. The DMT was formed with
the generous financial support of the late Douglas Mickel, a longstanding
and enthusiastic member of the Club in Scotland. The DMT is administered
by its trustees and is independent of the Club, but applies most of
its income in support of Club activities. The DMT does not have charitable
status. |
How
is the Club organised and run?
The
Club has four areas of governance which are reflected in its organisation:
General meetings of the Company
These are the formal meetings - the Annual General Meeting and any
Extraordinary General Meetings - held in accordance with the Companies
Acts and the Memorandum and Articles of Association. At the AGM,
the accounts are received and officers, directors and president
and vice-presidents are elected. The officers, president and vice-presidents
are elected annually, and so are one-third of the other directors.
Non-routine matters can be dealt with at the AGM as special business
or at a specially convened EGM. There is a formal appointment of
a company secretary to ensure all corporate governance and company
reporting matters are carried out in compliance with both the Club's
Memorandum and Articles of Association and the Companies Acts.
Executive Committee
This committee comprises ten elected Club members who are also
directors of the MG Car Club Limited. The posts held are Chairman,
Vice Chairman and Treasurer (the officers) together with seven other
Directors. They meet regularly as a committee (which are Board meetings),
usually monthly, to manage the operational and financial affairs
of the Club together with any special business or projects. Copies
of the minutes of those meetings are made available to the committees
of the CRBs. Current directors
Club Council
The Club's Council comprises the nominated representative of
each Centre, Register and Branch or CRB (known as the Council Member)
together with a second nominee (who has no vote but who may attend
Council meetings as an observer, taking over as the representative
if the Council Member is unable to attend). The Council Members
each have a vote at both Council meetings and at general meetings
of the Company. There are presently just over 30 CRBs eligible to
have their nominated representatives attend Council meetings. Council
usually meets twice a year in March/April and in October. The role
of Council, set out in the Articles of Association, is to supervise
and monitor the performance of the Executive Committee and to represent
the views and concerns of Club members. For this purpose Council
receives reports from the Executive Committee, subcommittees and
the General Manager and considers motions submitted by the CRBs.
Centre, Register and Branch committees
Each CRB holds an annual general meeting of its members to consider
reports from its officers, to elect its officers and committee members
and to receive and approve its accounts. Each CRB committee then
nominates two of their number to be the Council Member and second
nominee to attend Council meetings as the representatives of the
CRB. Note that they are representatives and not delegates
- an important distinction. For further information on the Club's
voting arrangements, see our note. More
President and Vice-Presidents
These offices are honorary, and carry considerable influence but
have no executive powers or authorities. The posts are subject to
annual re-election at the AGM.
Day to day operations and management of the Club's affairs
This is provided by the staff team at Club Office within the strategies,
policies, guidelines and requirements of the Executive Committee.
The Club Office role includes editing the Club's monthly magazine,
membership records and new member applications, bookkeeping and
financial matters, budgeting and financial planning, motorsport
events organisation, regalia trading, technical advice and support,
events planning and organisation, CRB liaison, overseas affiliates
liaison, building maintenance, and other administrative duties.
Club
Office contacts
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