Shrewsbury Drapers Guild

The Drapers' Hall
10 St. Mary's Place,
Shrewsbury
SY1 1DZ
Charity No's: 213372 233903

Ordinances

The number of Feemen of the Company shall be limited to 80, exclusive of any Honorary Freemen. Such Freemen may be of either sex. Any replacement Freemen shall be elected by the Court in accordance with the rules laid down in Standing Orders.

The Court shall consist of the Master, Senior Warden, Junior Warden, Past Masters eligible under paragraph 39, the Clerk and no fewer than ten nor more than thirty other duly elected Assistants. The Court shall conduct its business in accordance with the procedures set out in Standing Orders, which shall be circulated to all members of the Company.
The Court shall meet at least twice in each calendar year and one of the meetings, to be known as the Election Court, shall be held in the month of January. The Master may summon a meeting of the Court at his discretion; in his absence any two of the Senior Warden, Junior Warden and Clerk may also summon the Court. A period of fourteen days notice shall be given prior to each meeting of the Court.
The Master, or in his absence the senior available Warden, shall preside over the Court. Six duly elected members of the Court shall constitute a . Quorum but no meeting shall take place unless either the Master or the '" Senior Warden is present or one of them has authorised the Junior Warden to conduct the meeting in their absence.
The decision of the Master, or the Warden sitting as his substitute, shall be conclusive on all points of order.
Election to the Court shall take place in accordance with the rules laid down in Standing Orders. Every candidate for membership of the Court shall satisfy the Court that, if elected, he or she is prepared to serve in the offices , . of Warden and Master in due course.

The Court shall elect from its own number, annually at its Election Court, the Master, Senior Warden and Junior Warden for the year, in accordance with the rules set out in Standing Orders. These appointments shall be effective from the Charter Night Dinner to be held each March until the Charter Night the following year.
The Court shall elect, annually at its Election Court, a Freeman or Honorary Freeman of the Company to be its Clerk and, if it shall think proper, one person to be its Assistant Clerk or Secretary.
The Court may suspend or remove any of the Officers by passing a formal motion to that effect. A copy of the wording of the motion shall be included with the notice of the meeting at which the motion is to be put.
If a Casual Vacancy should arise through the death, retirement, suspension or removal of a Master during his term of office, the Court shall have the power to appoint the most recent past Master available and willing to serve for the remainder of the term of office. In the event of a Casual Vacancy following the death, retirement, suspension or removal of a Warden or other Officer, the Court shall have the power to make a temporary appointment for the remainder of the term of office

The Court shall elect, annually at its Election Court, a Freeman or Honorary Freeman to be its Treasurer and may appoint a Freeman or Honorary Freeman to be its Assistant Treasurer.
The Court shall appoint annually a suitably qualified or experienced person or persons to audit or examine, and report on, the accounts of the Company and of all charities managed by it, in accordance with the current Charity Law and other relevant regulations.

The Honorary Chaplain shall be appointed annually at the discretion of the It: Master of the day ';

The Company, as a Body Corporate, is Trustee of the charities it manages, and every member of the Company thus has the responsibility of a Trustee. The Charity Commission has agreed that the Company may exercise this trusteeship by delegation to appropriately constituted committees, which shall report regularly to the Court and to the Company in General Meeting. The Court shall accordingly establish standing committees to manages its affairs on a day-to-day basis and to carry out the duties of Trusteeship, as set out in Standing Orders.

Notices of Motions to recommend any change to the Objects or to amend, repeal or add to the Ordinances shall be sent to the Clerk in writing not less than twenty-one days before a meeting of the Court and must be included in the notice of that Court Meeting. Such Motion shall only be declared carried when supported by the votes of three quarters of Freemen present and voting who shall number not less than three quarters of the membership of the Court.