WORLD PLOUGHING ORGANIZATION CONSTITUTION

1. Name.

(a) The Organization shall be called the World Ploughing Organization. Where appropriate the title may be shortened to the initials W.P.O.

2. Objects.

The Organization is established on a voluntary basis with the following objects:

(a) To foster and preserve the art and improve the skill of ploughing the land.

(b) To promote World Championship Ploughing Contests.

(c) To provide for demonstration work and trade displays.

(d) To urge the development and adoption of improved techniques and aids to man in all branches of agriculture.

(e) To foster a vigorous spirit of co-operation and enterprise in producing food for an increasing world population.

(f) By these means to encourage fellowship and understanding amongst the peoples of all races, nationalities and of different affiliations.

(g) To support and co-operate with other charitable bodies or associations in the furtherance of these objects.

(h) To have no religious or political preferences.

3. Membership.

(a) Affiliation with, or membership of, the World Ploughing Organization shall be open to bona fide nationwide ploughing associations which apply for, and having satisfied the requirements of membership, are elected by the Governing Board and agree to further the objects of the World Ploughing Organization and abide by its Constitution and Rules.

(b) The Governing Board may honour such persons as it thinks fit by inviting them to be honorary life members of the Organization, or to accept special office, without voting power and without payment.

Nominations for such an office may come from an Affiliate, or Executive Committee, in their own capacity.  Nominations must be in the hands of the General Secretary no later than six (6) months prior to the next Annual General Meeting.

(c) The Governing Board shall be empowered solely at its discretion to co-opt any past Board Member as a non-voting member of the Governing Board at any time the Board may choose after a period of one year has passed since the retirement of the past Board Member from actual membership of the Board.

(d) A register of affiliates and a register of members of the Governing Board shall be kept

by the Secretary and be available for inspection at all General Meetings of the Organization.

(e) A register of all trophies and other assets shall be kept by the Secretary and be available for inspection at all General Meetings of the Organization.

(f) Individual persons desiring to be more closely connected with the Organization and wishing to give support in a material way may be enrolled as associate members upon payment of a fee which shall be determined by the Governing Board.

(g) Associate Members shall have no voting powers nor any special authority in W.P.O. but shall receive copies of the W.P.O. News Bulletins and enjoy other privileges at the discretion of the Governing Board.

4. Affiliation Fees and Subscriptions.

(a) The amount of Affiliation Fees payable by affiliates shall be decided by the Governing Board annually.

(b) Each affiliate hosting a World Contest shall contribute a Contest fee to the World Ploughing Organization by paying such sum as the Board may decide.  The amount payable shall be determined prior to signing a contract between the W.P.O. and the host organization.

(c) Each new affiliate Organization on being elected a constituent member of W.P.O. shall pay an entrance fee determined by the Governing Board from time to time.

5. General Meetings.

(a) A General Meeting of the Organization shall be held once in every calendar year and shall be convened by the Secretary on giving one month’s notice.

(b) General Meetings shall, so far as possible, be held at the time and place of World Championship Ploughing Contests.

(c) Following a request from members representing at least one third of affiliates, Extraordinary General Meetings shall be convened by the Secretary on giving one month’s notice.

(d) An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be held at the Executive Committees request.  Such a meeting shall be convened by the General Secretary.

(e) No business shall be transacted at any General Meeting unless a quorum is present when the Meeting proceeds to business. Two-thirds of the total number of members of the Governing Board personally, or by deputy, shall represent a quorum.

(f) Voting at General Meetings shall be by show of hands unless two members request a paper vote.

(g) The Chairman shall have a casting vote when required.

6. Management.

(a) All concerns of the Organization and arrangements for its management shall be conducted by the Governing Board.

(b) The authority for management of the World Ploughing Organization between General Meetings shall be the responsibility of an Executive Committee.

(c) The Governing Board may consider necessary to appoint additional sub-committees as set out under clause No. 10.1 (i) of this Constitution.

(d) The official language of the W.P.O. shall be English.

7.1 Officers of the Organization.

(a) The Officers of the Organization, who are 

Members of the Governing Board shall be as follows: 

Chairman

Vice-Chairman

Deputy-Vice-Chairman

Treasurer (ex-officio)

General Secretary (ex-officio) with such others as may be deemed necessary by the Governing Board.

(b) All elected officers shall be subject to annual election or re-election and may serve for a maximum consecutive term of three (3) years except that the Governing Board shall have the power to lengthen their terms of office by one (1) year at a time, at its discretion.

(c) Election of each Chairman shall be by paper vote.

(d) Each Chairman is duly elected by a majority vote.

(e) In the event of death, resignation, or other reason for leaving the Organization, the Governing Board may elect to fill the vacancy with such person as they may think fit to hold office until the next General Meeting of the Organization.

(f) The General Secretary will be appointed by the Governing Board for a term of five (5) years.

(g) The Treasurer will be appointed annually by the Governing Board.

7.2 Officers of the Executive Committee

(a) The Officers of the W.P.O.’s Executive Committee are as follows:-

Chairman (Automatic appointment)

Vice Chairman (Automatic appointment)

Deputy Vice Chairman(Automatic appointment)

Two elected members of

Governing Board(elected annually by separate paper votes)

General Secretary(Ex-Officio)

8. Governing Board.

(a) The Governing Board shall consist of one representative of each affiliate Organization,  who shall be the representative of the Organization in his/her homeland and elsewhere. Each member shall have one vote.

Ex-officio members of the W.P.O., do not have voting power.

(b) Each affiliate shall be entitled to nominate one representative to serve as a Board Member on the Governing Board. When a Board Member cannot attend the Governing Board Meeting, the affiliate may appoint another person to act as his/her deputy, written notification must be made to the General Secretary 30 days prior to the next meeting.

(It is desirable that each Governing Board Member shall be appointed to serve a term of at least five (5) years in order to maintain continuity of W.P.O. and to contribute the benefit of experience).

(c) The Governing Board shall have power to co-opt any person who, in their opinion, may be able to render useful service.

9.1 Duties of Governing Board.

(a) To arrange World Championship Ploughing Contests.

(b) To secure the convening of General Meetings of the W.P.O.

(c) To manage the finances of the W.P.O.

(d) To take such other steps as may be necessary to carry into effect the objects of the Organization.

(e) To draw up and revise from time to time the Rules for the World Ploughing Contest for confirmation by the General Meeting of the Organization held prior to the preceding World Ploughing Contest.

9.2 Duties of the Executive Committee.

(a) To take control of W.P.O.’s duties between the W.P.Os Annual General Meeting, as follows: –

Communicate with Affiliates

Communicate with Host Affiliates

Any other duties throughout the year

10.1 Proceedings of Governing Board.

(a) Meetings of the Governing Board shall be convened by the Secretary on giving notice.

(b) The quorum at a meeting shall comprise two-thirds of the members of the Governing Board, or their approved deputies.

(c) Voting shall be by show of hands unless two members request a confidential paper vote. The Chairman shall have a casting vote.

(d) All items covered under the constitution must receive a two-third majority before being considered effective unless otherwise specified.

(e) Any item not covered by the constitution shall be by majority vote.

(f) If desired by the Governing Board, any matter may also be settled by a two-third majority.

(g) The minutes of the proceedings shall be recorded in a book or books kept for the purpose and the minutes of the preceding meeting shall be presented at the next meeting for approval and confirmation by vote.

(h) Expenses may be allowed to officials and members of the Governing Board. The amounts are to be decided by the Governing Board. The Governing Board may also make payment to officials or others for services rendered to the W.P.O..

(i) The Governing Board may appoint such subcommittees as may be considered necessary for the efficient working of the W.P.O. and shall define the duties of such sub-committees.

(j) Proposals to the Governing Board will be discussed if Two (2) Governing Board Members support such a proposal.

(k) The next affiliate organization to stage the World Contest shall be elected at a meeting of the Board at least twelve months prior to the Contest, the affiliate organization concerned, shall furnish the General Secretary of the Governing Board, details of its plans and intentions.

(l) The Governing Board shall withdraw approval to host a World Contest at any time if passed by a two-thirds majority of the Governing Board Members.

10.2 Proceedings of the Executive Committee.

(a) The proceedings of the Executive Committee shall operate under the Executive Committee, “Rules of Procedure” currently operating at this time.

(b) The Executive Committee, Rules of Procedure, shall be altered from time to time by a two-thirds majority of the Governing Board.

(c) Following each Executive Committee meeting, a report of proceedings will be supplied to Board Members.

11. Conduct.

(a) If the conduct of any member of the Governing Board, or of any affiliate Organization of the W.P.O. shall, in the opinion of the Governing Board, be injurious or likely to be injurious to the character or interests of the World Ploughing Organization or any of the affiliates, the Governing Board may resolve to give notice of motion for the next General Meeting of the Governing Board to terminate the membership of such Board Member or, as the case may be, to suspend the affiliation of such affiliate for a period of not less than two years.

(b) Notices of such meeting shall be sent to the Governing Board Member concerned, advising place, date and hour, so that the Board Member may be present or represented, to offer an explanation. In the case of an affiliate Organization, both the Board Member and the affiliate Organization shall be sent such notice, so that the affiliate Organization may be represented to offer an explanation.

(c) If, at a General Meeting of the Governing Board, a resolution to terminate the membership of the Board Member, or to suspend the affiliate Organization, is passed by a two-thirds majority of the Governing Board Members present, excepting that the Board Member in question (or representing the affiliate in question) shall not vote, then, in the case of a Board Member, the Board Member shall forthwith cease to be a Member of the Governing Board and his/her name shall be erased from the list of the Governing Board Members, and/or, in the case of an affiliate organization, the affiliation shall forthwith be suspended for a period of not less than two years or, in the extreme, terminated.

12. Protection Against Exploitation.

(a) It is mandatory upon every competitor whose entry in the World Ploughing Contest has been accepted, including the affiliate Organization from which the entry has been made, not to discriminate against any other person  in the Contest for political or other reasons.

(b) Any competitor withdrawing from the Contest on political grounds, or for any other discriminative motive may be disqualified from the Contest, and subsequently the affiliate Organization from which he has been entered to participate in the Contest may be suspended from membership of the W.P.O. for a period of not less than two years.

13. Limitations Upon the Uses of the W.P.O. Emblem.

(a) The Governing Board of the W.P.O. shall not tolerate the use of the term “Golden Plough” or of the W.P.O. emblem without the specific authority and permission of the World Ploughing Organization Governing Board nor shall the Governing Board tolerate  any project purporting to be to aid the W.P.O. which does not have the formal approval and support of the W.P.O. Governing Board.

(b) The Governing Board of the W.P.O. may give permission for the official emblem of the W.P.O. to be used as an illustration in headline titles and included in photo captions in newspaper and magazine stories about the World Ploughing Contest. The Governing Board may also permit use of the emblem by businesses exhibiting, or in other ways co-operating, at the World Ploughing Contest for inclusion in their press advertisements and publicity literature which makes reference to the World Ploughing Contest.

(c) The W.P.O. emblem may not be used in any form for commercial sale without the special sanction of the Governing Board of the W.P.O.. This means that it is forbidden to use the emblem in any form on any article whatsoever, including spoons, ornaments, any form of clothing or wearing apparel, cigarette lighters, on candy, chocolate or sweets, biscuit wrappers or any other wrapping materials or containers of any kind or on, or as part of, any article whatsoever, unless a special authorisation permitting a specified use of the emblem has been granted by the Governing Board of the W.P.O..

(d) The Governing Board shall charge such fees, or none, as may be considered appropriate.

14. Reports and Accounts.

(a) The end of the financial year shall be the 28th February in each year or such other date as the Governing Board may decide.

(b) A report including a statement of accounts which have previously been reviewed by an independent person as per Rule 14 (c) shall be submitted to the next Annual General Meeting following the end of the financial year.

(c) A person to Review the financial statements shall be appointed annually by the Governing Board.

15. Headquarters.

(a) The Headquarters of the W.P.O. shall be the Secretary’s Office.

16. Provision for Amendment of Constitution.

The Constitution may be amended at a General Meeting of the Organization, a quorum being present on a two-thirds majority, but notice of all amendments shall be submitted to the General Secretary and be circularised to members by the General Secretary six (6) clear months before the next General Meeting.

17. Finance.

(a) The Funds of the W.P.O. shall be operated by the Governing Board and applied to the objects for which the W.P.O. is established and shall be used in payment of all current and incidental expenses and generally in carrying out the powers and duties of the Governing Board.

(b) All monies belonging to the W.P.O. shall be placed in such bank or banks as the Governing Board may decide in the name of the W.P.O..

(c) All cheques, drafts and electronic banking shall be approved in such a manner as may be determined from time to time by the Governing Board.

18. Dissolution.

(a) In the event of a decision being taken for dissolution of the World Ploughing Organization, the assets being the property of the Organization shall be placed in the hands of a Trustee Corporation for safe custody with a direction that they be held for ten years, and if at the end of that time the Organization has not been renewed then they are to be realised and used for the benefit of Agriculture in any way the Trustee thinks best.

(b) Trophies to be returned to the donors or their assigns if they desire, otherwise to follow the foregoing procedure.