1. Name
The Society shall be called the “Channel Islands Specialists’ Society”, hereafter referred to as “The Society.”
2. Objectives
The objectives of the Society shall be to promote the study of stamps, postal history, ephemera and post cards of the Channel Islands.
The Society is a non-profit organisation. Any surplus funds are applied to the benefit of the Membership through the publication of Journals, monographs and books covering the studies of stamps, postal history, ephemera and postcards of the Channel Islands.
3. Membership
Membership shall be open to all persons interested in the stamps, postal history, ephemera and postcards of the Channel Islands and shall be of the following classes:
a. Adult Electronic membership: those Members worldwide who opt to receive electronic versions of the Society’s Journal and are aged 18 years or over.
b. Adult UK and Channel Islands paper membership: those Members within the UK or Channel Islands who opt to receive a paper version of the Society’s Journal.
c. Adult Rest of World paper membership: those Members outside the UK and Channel Islands who opt to receive a paper version of the Society’s Journal.
d. Junior membership: those Members who are under 18 years of age.
A record of Members names, addresses, subscription status, and interests shall be held and maintained by the Secretary and Treasurer, and such information may be stored electronically for the sole purpose of Society business and will not be used for commercial purposes.
Honorary Life Membership may be awarded to any member who is deemed by the Executive Committee to have made an outstanding contribution over a long period to the development and well-being of the Society. Any nomination must be submitted to the Secretary for consideration by the Executive Committee and must be made in writing and signed by the proposer.
4. Application for Membership
Applications for membership may be received via the submission of a completed online application form along with their annual subscription payment, or a request in writing to the Treasurer or Secretary requesting an application form and returning same along with their annual subscription.
5. Termination of membership
The Executive Committee shall in its absolute discretion have the power to terminate the membership of any Member and such decision shall take effect from the date of dispatch of a notice of this, by written notification, to the Member at their last known address. A Member whose membership has been terminated under this Rule shall be refunded a due proportion of their subscription, at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
6. Subscriptions
The annual subscription shall be subject to amendment by the Executive Committee as and when conditions require. Subscriptions shall, as provided in Clause 3, be paid in full on first election to membership and subsequently on 1 January each year. When Members join the Society, they will receive copies of all Journals published during the current year unless they have opted for electronic copies of the Journal, whereby they can access current and past copies of the Journal via the Society’s website. Subscriptions shall be paid to the Treasurer. Members joining after 1 November of any year will automatically receive free membership for the following year. However, such Members will only receive the December Journal after joining together with all the Journals for the following year. All Members who receive the Journal by post can also access back copies of the Journal via the Society’s website.
Honorary Life Members of the Society shall be exempt from subscription payments but shall be entitled to receive the Society journal.
7. The Society’s Year
The Society′s year shall be a period of twelve months ending on 31st December.
8. Management
8(a) The day-to day management of the Society shall be vested in an Executive Committee which shall consist of the Officers who are: The Chairman, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Journal Editor and the Auction Secretary, who shall meet as required at a time and date determined by said Executive Committee.
8(b) There will be a Full Committee consisting of those Officers of the Executive Committee, the Packet Secretary, Competitions Secretary and the Advertising and Press Officer, who will meet once a year at a time and date agreed prior to the date of the Channel Islands Specialists’ Society Annual General Meeting and, in addition, as required at a time and date determined by the Executive Committee.
8(c) All Officers of the Full Committee, as stated in Clause8(b) above, will retire each year, and those members to fill these places shall be elected at the time of the Annual General Meeting. All members of the Full Committee shall be eligible for re-election.
8(d) The President of the Society shall hold a non- executive role within the Society and shall be entitled to attend any of the Executive or Full Committee meetings as a voting member. The President shall serve for a maximum of five years before re-election.
8(e) The Chairman shall chair meetings and be responsible for the working of the Executive and Full Committees. In the absence of the Chairman the said Committee will appoint one of their Officers as temporary Chairman. In the event of a tied vote at an Executive or Full Committee meeting the Chairman, will have the casting vote. In the event of a tied vote at an Annual General Meeting the President will have the casting vote.
8(f) The Secretary shall convene all meetings of the Society and shall keep minutes of all business sessions of General meetings, Special General Meetings, Executive and Full Committee meetings; and if from time to time Sub-Committees or Regional Committees are formed, they shall appoint Committee Secretaries who shall keep such minutes and provide copies to the Society Secretary.
8(g) The Treasurer shall, under the Authority of the Executive Committee, manage the financial affairs of the Society and, at the Annual General Meeting each year shall submit a statement of Income and Expenditure for the previous financial year, upon which there is a report of an independent accountant.
8(h) The Treasurer shall collect the annual subscriptions which may be owing to the Society and, on receiving the same, shall be responsible for the proper disposal of the money as approved by the Executive Committee.
8(i) The Executive and Full Committees shall each have a quorum of three.
8(j) The Executive Committee shall have the power to arrange such services (including the holding of auctions, the circulation of packets and the publication of books and monographs) as may seem beneficial to the Membership. It shall further have the power to make the rules and regulations for the operation of these services and appoint Members to run them. The financial arrangement for these services shall be under the control of the Treasurer.
8(k) The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the proper custody of the property of the Society.
8(l) The subscriptions shall be fixed by the Executive Committee subject to approval by those Members present at the next Annual General Meeting (see Clause 9).
8(m) The Executive Committee may permit at each meeting of the Society the operation of a bourse, the number of vendors being set by the Executive Committee at its discretion. Any such bourse may not be in operation during the presentation of displays by Members or Guests of the Society
9. Annual General Meeting
An Annual General Meeting shall be held once in every year and, included in the business of any such meeting, a financial statement should be presented by the Treasurer, followed by the election of Honorary Officers for the Executive and Full Committees of the Society. The Secretary shall give 14 days notice, either in writing, via email and/or through a notice in the Society′s Journal to each Member of The Society of the intention to hold an Annual General Meeting. The quorum necessary for the transaction of business at an Annual General Meeting shall be ten, including Committee Members and non-committee members present, and any member attending via Zoom or other conferencing medium.
Any resolution shall not be passed unless it is carried by at least two thirds of the members present and voting.
10. Extraordinary General Meeting
An Extraordinary General Meeting may be requested by a minimum of five Members who must state clearly the business to be transacted at the meeting. The Secretary will then convene a meeting giving at least fourteen daysnotice, either in writing, via email and/or the Journal.
11. Interpretation
The Executive Committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of this Constitution and the decision of the Executive Committee upon any question of interpretation or upon any matter affecting the Society and not provided for by this constitution shall be final and binding upon the Members.
12. Dissolution
If the Full Committee by a simple majority decides at any time that it is necessary and desirable to dissolve the Society, it shall call an Extraordinary General Meeting to consider a proposed resolution that the Society be dissolved. If such motion is carried by a majority of at least two thirds of members present and voting, the Executive Committee shall then make arrangements for the discharge of all debts and liabilities of the Society and for the transfer of all assets of the Society, to such acknowledged United Kingdom Philatelic or Postal History body or bodies as the Executive Committee shall deem consistent with the aims of the Society. Upon completion of such transfer the Society shall be dissolved.
Ratified 18 July 2026
