2.1 The purpose of the Club is to bring together former students and staff who wish to maintain a high level of philanthropic, benevolent and intellectual interest in the ongoing welfare of the MHSOBA Inc. and the Melbourne High School.

2.2 The Club will provide an opportunity for former students and staff of this inclination to meet, fraternise and socialise, on an irregular basis, in the best interests of the Association and the School.

The mission of the MHSOBA GM&B Patrons’ Club is to contribute to the sustainable development of Melbourne High School so that it is nationally and internationally competitive and recognised as such through the excellence and quality of its educational and experiential programs, its facilities and the
achievements of its students and their pride in the School.

4.1 The Club will always be affiliated with the Melbourne High School Old Boys’ Association Incorporated, subsequently referred to as the MHSOBA Inc., whose registered number is A001 544P and which was incorporated on 27
January 1988.

4.2 The Articles of Association of the MHSOBA Inc. shall apply in any circumstance not covered by the Rules, including voting at meetings.

4.3 The rate of affiliation fee will be determined from time to time by the MHSOBA Inc. Council.

5.1 The Executive will invite prospective members of the Club to join on the basis of

• recommendation for membership by an existing member;
• their demonstrated loyalty to the School and the MHSOBA Inc. over the years
  past;
• their genuine interest in the well being of the School and the Association; and
• their understanding and acceptance of the membership and joining fees

5.2 If the prospective member advises the Secretary in writing of his/her intention to accept membership he/she will be admitted to membership as from the date of receipt by the Secretary of the notification subject to ratification at the next Executive meeting.

5.3 Providing the conditions in clauses 5.1 and 5.2 are met, or deemed to have been met by the MHSOBA Inc. Council, all former students, teachers and former teachers of the Melbourne High School are eligible to become members of the Club.

5.4 The President of the MHSOBA Inc shall be an ex officio member of the Club.

5.5 The Club may at any General meeting by a two-thirds majority vote of those present offer memberships in the Club to any person who is not included within clauses 5.1, 5.2 or 5.3.

5.6 The Club may at any Annual General Meeting by a two-thirds majority vote of those present confer Honorary Life membership on any member.

Subject to the above there shall be three categories of membership:

6.1 Founding Members, those who were invited to join prior to the end of April 1995 by the MHSOBA Inc. Council

6.2 Joining Members, those who join by invitation or recommendation after 1 May 1995.

6.3 Honorary Life Members.

The Secretary of the MHSOBA Inc. shall keep and maintain a register of members in which shall be entered the full name, address and date of entry of the name of each member.

This register will be kept at the MHSOBA Inc. Office, Scoreboard Pavilion, Melbourne High School, Forrest Hill, South Yarra, 3141.

8.1 A member of the Club who has paid all moneys due and payable by him to the Club may resign from the Club by first giving one months notice in writing to the Secretary of his intention to resign and upon the expiration of that period of notice, the member shall cease to be a member.

8.2 Upon the expiration of a notice given under clause 8.1 the Secretary shall make in the register of members an entry recording the date on which the member whom the notice was given, ceased to be a member.

9.1 Under exceptional circumstances, if the ideals and high standards of the Club were under threat by a member, the Executive may request that member to make personal representation to the Executive to justify why he/she should remain a member of the Club.

9.2 In this event the Executive would report to a General meeting of the Club which would then decide by a majority vote of those present what action should be taken, including suspension or expulsion.

10.1 The Secretary shall call an Annual General Meeting of the members of the Club in each calendar year.

10.2 Twelve members personally present constitute a quorum for the transaction of the business of an Annual General Meeting of the Club.

10.3 The business conducted at this meeting shall be:

10.3.1 The election of a:
• Patron-in-Chief;
• Deputy Patron-in-Chief;
• Secretary;
• Treasurer.

Nominations for these positions must be received by the Secretary prior to the
Executive Meeting immediately preceding the scheduled AGM, with the date of the Executive Meeting being advised with at least 7 days notice to members. It is usual for the Deputy Patron-in-Chief to take over the role of Patron-in-Chief once his term of office is completed in compliance with clause 12.2.

10.3.2 To receive reports about any special projects undertaken by the Club on behalf of the MHSOBA Inc. or the School;

10.3.3 To receive a financial statement from the Treasurer

10.3.4 To receive other business for which due notice has been received in writing by the Secretary.

10.4 The Annual General Meeting generally will be held in the month of March – April each year, followed by the awarding of GM&B Patrons Certificates at the Annual Club Dinner.

11.1 The Executive shall comprise the:
• Patron-in-Chief
• Deputy Patron-in-Chief
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• President of the MHSOBA Inc (ex officio
appointment)
• Executive Officer (appointed by the
Executive)
• Chairs of the various operational committees and such other member or
members who are co-opted from time to time by the Executive (“the co-opted
member”).

11.2 All ex-officio members of the Executive have the same voting rights as the other elected and appointed officers.

12.1 The members of the Executive shall hold office for a term of 12 months or until the next Annual General Meeting which ever shall later occur.

12.2 The Patron-in-Chief shall be eligible to serve for an initial term and for two successive terms thereafter.

12.3 Any co-opted member shall serve from the date of co-option until the Executive Meeting that is first convened after the next Annual General Meeting.

13.1 The Executive shall appoint the Executive Officer at the first executive meeting convened after the Annual General Meeting.

13.2 The Executive Officer shall hold office until the Executive meeting that is first convened after the Annual General Meeting following his/her appointment.

14.1 All general meetings of members of the Club other than the Annual General Meeting shall be called Special General Meetings.

14.2 The Patron-in-Chief of the Club, or any group of 10 members, may request in writing that the Secretary call a Special General Meeting. The objects of such a request for a meeting must be made clear in the Notice and
in the Agenda for the meeting

14.3 The Secretary shall call a meeting by sending such notice to all Club members, specifying the reasons for the meeting, its location, date and time of commencement.

14 days notice of a Special General Meeting must be given to all members.

14.4 Additional items may be placed on the agenda for transaction provided the member/s notify the Secretary in writing no later than 7 days prior to the Special General Meeting and written notice thereof is given by the Secretary
to the members no later than 24 hours before the meeting.

14.5 No business other than that set on the agenda shall be formally transacted at the meeting

15.1 All business that is transacted at a Special General Meeting and all business that is transacted at the Annual General Meeting with the exception of that specially referred to in this Constitution as being the ordinary business of the Annual Meeting shall be deemed to be special business.

15.2 No item of business shall be transacted at a general meeting unless a quorum of the Club members entitled under these rules to vote is present during the time when the meeting is considering that item.

15.3 Twelve members personally present constitute a quorum for the transaction of the business of a general meeting of the Club.

15.4 The Patron-in-Chief of the Club shall preside at any general meeting of members. In his absence the Deputy Patron-in-Chief shall act as Chair or the meeting shall elect a Chairman for the duration of that meeting.

15.5 Voting shall be by a show of hands save, in respect of the voting for the Patron-in-Chief and for the members of the executive, if it is the will of the meeting, by a secret ballot.

The officers of the Club will be the members of the Executive.

17.1 All members of the Club are eligible to stand for election to this office providing due notice is received by the Secretary at the Executive Meeting prior to the AGM.

17.2 Nominations for this position will have the right to briefly address the members of the Club about their policies at the Annual General Meeting.

17.3 It is usual for the Deputy Patron-in-Chief to take over the role of Patron-in-Chief once his term of office is completed.

18.1 The fees payable by members comprise:
• initial joining fee, and
• annual fee.

The Executive will from time to time determine the fees.

18.2 Securing the fees to be paid by members is the responsibility of the Treasurer. Members who default in their annual payments may be
subject to review of their membership by the Executive upon recommendation of the Treasurer.

18.3 The Treasurer will present the Annual Financial Statements at the Annual General Meeting or, in his absence, by the Patron-inChief or in his absence by the Chair of the meeting.

18.4 Other income may be derived for special purposes of the MHSOBA Inc. and the School as agreed from time to time.

The normal means of communication is through email newsletters to members
together with a printed Annual Report prepared for the Annual General Meeting.

In the event of the winding up or the disbanding of the Club, whatever assets and property are held after payment of all just debts and liabilities shall not be distributed to members but to the MHSOBA Inc., or in the event that the MHSOBA Inc. is disbanded then the assets and property shall revert to the Melbourne High School or to a fund with similar objectives to the Club.

The Constitution may be amended in accordance with the procedure and resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of those present at a Special General Meeting.