Constitution of Aurora

 

1. Aurora

Aurora is a consultation group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues in policing in the London Borough of Croydon.

2. Aims

The Aims of Aurora are to work together with Croydon police to increase confidence in the police among Croydon’s LGBT people, and take positive action to address local issues of concern, by:

  1. seeking to reduce hate crime against LGBT people, and the attitudes that support it (sometimes called “homophobia” and “transphobia”)
  2. providing a forum to consult and agree action on local matters of concern with Croydon police
  3. exchanging information and advice with Croydon police
  4. providing support to police officers dealing with LGBT policing issues
  5. providing a safe environment for members of the LGBT community to meet for the reporting of crime and other relevant local LGBT issues
  6. identifying and adopting best practice
  7. assisting police with community impact assessments.

3. Values

The Values of Aurora are:

  1. to be respectful of all people, to be listening, and to be caring
  2. to maintain confidentiality
  3. to involve local LGBT people, representative in respect of age, gender, ethnicity, faith or belief, disability, and all other relevant criteria
  4. to be independent of political and religious affiliation.

4. Community Members

  1. LGBT people who have an interest in Croydon are invited to become Community Members. They become Community Members by taking part in Aurora, for instance by attending Aurora Main Meetings or by being a member of an Aurora internal e-group or mailing list.
  2. Community Members cease to be Members by resigning; additionally the Community Representative, having consulted with the other Officers, shall be entitled to terminate any person’s membership between meetings, provided that the person affected is told of the reasons for termination and has the right of appeal to the next Main Meeting.

5. Police Representatives

The Borough Commander appoints the Police Representative and Deputy Police Representative, who (with other police officers by invitation) shall be entitled to attend and speak at all Aurora main Meetings, but shall not be entitled to vote and shall not be held responsible for Aurora’s actions.

6. Invited Guests

Aurora may, exceptionally, invite others to attend meetings as guests. Guests shall not be entitled to vote and shall not be held responsible for Aurora’s actions.

7. Officers

The Officers of Aurora shall comprise:

  1. Community Representative
  2. Deputy Community Representative
  3. Administrator
  4. Treasurer
  5. Webmaster.

8. Main Meetings

  1. Aurora’s Main Meetings shall be held every two months, and shall take all decisions relevant to Aurora business, except for any urgent matter decided in accordance with Paragraph 10 and decisions that a Main Meeting has delegated to specific Officers, Members or Working Parties. All Members may attend and may raise issues.
  2. Where a vote is taken (other than for elections of Officers or votes requiring a two-thirds majority) the person chairing the meeting shall not vote except to resolve a tie. In the case of elections, or votes requiring a two-thirds majority, Community Members shall not be entitled to vote at the first Main Meeting they attend.
  3. All Members, and all those attending Aurora Main Meetings in any capacity, must accept the Aims and Values of Aurora.
  4. Members shall refrain from voting, or taking the chair, in cases where this would constitute a conflict of interest.
  5. The Community Representative shall approve the agenda for each Main Meeting, having consulted with the Police Representative.
  6. The Community Representative shall normally chair all Main Meetings. If the Community Representative is unable or unwilling to do so, the meeting shall be chaired by the Deputy Community Representative, or failing that by a person elected by the meeting.
  7. The person chairing a Main Meeting shall be entitled to suspend a Member whom they consider not to be acting in accordance with the Aims and Values of Aurora and require that person to withdraw from the meeting, subject to confirmation by a vote of the Members present.

9. Annual General Meeting

The Main Meeting that falls on or after 1st November each year shall be the AGM, and shall:

  1. receive reports from Officers and Working Parties, and any reports that the police may wish to make
  2. elect Officers
  3. approve the statement of accounts
  4. if appropriate, appoint an Auditor or Financial Examiner.

10. Urgent matters

The Community Representative shall decide what action to take in the event of an urgent matter arising between Main Meetings, having consulted as far as practicable with the other Officers, other Members, and the Police Representative, and shall report the decision to Members promptly.

11. Deputy Representatives

The Deputy Police Representative and Deputy Community Representative shall take the role of the respective Representatives in all respects when the respective Representative is unavailable, and shall have no role at other times, except as provided for under Paragraph 8.6.

12. Conduct of elections

Nominations for elections shall be invited two Main Meetings before the AGM, and shall close at the end of the Main Meeting preceding the AGM. The names of all candidates shall be circulated to Members not less than 28 days before the AGM. If only one person is nominated for a post they shall become elected and shall take up their post at the AGM. If two or more persons are nominated for a post there shall be a secret ballot. If an election results in a tie, the issue shall be resolved by drawing lots.

13. Vacancies

If any of the elected posts falls vacant, the remaining Officers shall agree how to handle the post, having consulted with Members, subject to confirmation by Members at the next Main Meeting.

14. Amending the Constitution

An amendment to the Constitution shall take effect if it is circulated to Members at least 28 days before two successive Main Meetings and debated and passed in the same wording by both Main Meetings, by not less than two-thirds of those Members present and entitled to vote.

15. Dissolution

Aurora may dissolve itself if the same motion for dissolution is published and circulated to Members at least 28 days before two successive Main Meetings and is debated and passed by both Main Meetings by not less than two-thirds of those Members present and entitled to vote. The motion shall specify how any funds are to be disbursed (having settled any outstanding liabilities) which shall be for aims similar to those of Aurora.

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