Constitution

THIS DECLARATION OF TRUST is made the FIFTH day of APRIL 1981 (...)

WHEREAS

(1) There is a general desire on the part of various persons residing within the area of Cambridge to create a traditional Jewish Religious Congregation in Cambridge

(2) The Settlor has transferred to the Trustees the sum of 10 pounds to be held by them upon the trusts hereinafter appearing

NOW THIS DEED WITNESSETH AND IT IS HEREBY AGREED AND DECLARED as follows:-

1. The Charity hereby founded shall be called "The Cambridge Traditional Jewish Congregation Trust"

2. The object of the Trust is to advance the practices and teachings of the traditional Jewish religion. In furtherance of the above object but not further or otherwise the Trust shall have the following powers:

(a) To provide religious services in accordance with orthodox practice

(b) To provide religious education classes

(c) To relieve poverty among members of the Congregation as the Trustees may in their absolute discretion think fit

(d) To support such registered charities as the Trustees in their absolute discretion may think fit having due regard to the expressed wishes of the members of the Congregation

(e) To co-operate with other bodies engaged in the advancement of the Jewish faith in making known publicly the view of the Jewish faith on moral and social issues

(f) ALWAYS PROVIDED that the Trustees shall conduct all aspects of the congregation deemed by the Trustees to be of a religious nature in such a manner as would be acceptable to the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Commonwealth of Nations                                                                  

(g) To accept donations grants and subscriptions and generally to raise money for the purposes of the Trust by such lawful means as the Trustees think fit provided that no form of permanent trading is undertaken

(h) To issue appeals for donations and periodical reports on the work of the Trustees

(i) To accept donations on any special trust in connection with the Congregation so that every donation so accepted should be held subject to the terms and conditions of the gift

3. In furtherance of the said objects and subject as hereinafter provided the Trustees will hold the said sum of £10 and such other funds as are given to them under the terms of this Trust for the purpose of furthering the objects hereinbefore set out

4. Within three months of the date of this Deed the Trustees shall summon a meeting of all those persons in the Cambridge area expressing themselves to be interested in the Congregation and shall submit to them for approval the bye-laws of the Congregation as set out in the Schedule hereto.  Forthwith upon the adoption of such bye-laws (with such amendments if any as may appear to the meeting to be suitable provided that no such amendment shall be inconsistent with the provisions of this deed) a General Meeting of the Congregation shall be deemed to have been summoned under the terms of Bye-Law VI whereupon elections shall be held and the officers then elected shall hold office until the following June

5. The Trustees shall stand possessed of any cash investments and chattels from time to time paid or transferred to them upon with and subject to the trusts powers and provisions of this Deed (hereinafter called "the Endowment Fund") upon trust to apply the same and the income thereof as the Trustees shall in their absolute discretion think fit for the furtherance of its objects

6. The Trustees of this Deed shall be not less than two and not more than five

7. The power of appointing new Trustees hereof shall be vested in the surviving or continuing Trustee or Trustees for the time being (excluding any retiring Trustee)

8. Without prejudice to any other power of appointing new trustees whether contained elsewhere in this Deed or conferred by stature or otherwise a new Trustee may be appointed by resolution of a meeting of the Trustees and whenever a Trustee is so appointed a memorandum of his appointment shall be prepared and signed and sealed by the person presiding at such meeting. Every new Trustee shall before acting in the Trusts of this Deed sign in the Minute Book for which provision is hereinafter made a Declaration of Acceptance and willingness to act in the Trusts hereof

9. The following regulations shall govern the procedure of the Trustees:

(a) The Trustees shall hold meetings at least once in every year and at such other times and in such place as they shall from time to time decide and any trustee may at any time convene a special meeting of the Trustees upon at least four days' notice being given to the other Trustees of the matters to be discussed

(b) There shall be a quorum when two of the Trustees are present at any meeting

(c) The Trustees shall at each of their meetings appoint one of their number to be Chairman and as such he shall have a casting vote

(d) Every matter shall be determined by the majority of the votes of the Trustees present and voting on the question

(e) Any resolution of the Trustees may be rescinded or varied from time to time by the Trustees

(f) The Trustees shall provide and keep a Minute Book in which shall be entered the proceedings of the Trustees and which shall be signed by the Chairman at the conclusion of each meeting or at some future meeting if the Minutes shall have been duly confirmed

(g) The Trustees shall provide books of account in which shall be kept all proper accounts of all money received and paid respectively by or on behalf of the Trustees for the purpose of this Deed

(h) The Trustees shall arrange for the accounts to be audited yearly by a Chartered Accountant

10. The Trustees may from time to time open and maintain in the name of the Trust a bank account or bank accounts at such bank or banks as they shall from time to time decide and may at any time pay any monies forming part of the endowment fund to the credit of any such account or accounts or place the same on deposit with any bank or banker and all cheques and orders for the payment of money shall be signed by at least two of the Trustees

11. The Trustees may delegate the day-to-day running of the Trust to the Committee of the Cambridge Traditional Jewish Congregation appointed under the terms of Bye-Law IX and constituted under the terms of Bye-Law XII as set out in the Schedule hereto ALWAYS PROVIDED that such Committee shall report back its acts and proceedings in full to the Trustees as soon as possible

IN WITNESS WHEREOF these presents have been executed the day and year first before written

THE SCHEDULE hereinbefore referred to

Bye-Laws of the Cambridge Traditional Jewish Congregation

Name and Objects of the Cambridge Traditional Jewish Congregation

I. The name of the Congregation shall be the Cambridge Traditional Jewish Congregation

Aims

II.

1. To provide religious services in accordance with orthodox practice

2. To provide religious education classes

3. To relieve poverty among members of the Congregation as the Trustees may in their absolute discretion think fit

4. To support such registered charities as the Trustees in their absolute discretion may think fit having due regard to the express wishes of the members of the Congregation

5. To co-operate with other bodies engaged in the advancement of the Jewish faith in making known publicly the view of the Jewish faith on moral and social issues

6. ALWAYS PROVIDED that the Trustees shall conduct all aspects of the Congregation deemed by the Trustees to be of a religious nature in such a manner as would be acceptable to the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Commonwealth

Membership

III. Membership shall be open to all Jews living in or near Cambridge. For this purpose "Jews" are those that would normally be accepted as such by the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Commonwealth of Nations

Membership Subscriptions

IV.  Members' subscriptions shall be due annually on the 1st September, the amount of the subscription shall be as determined from time to time by a General meeting. All members over the age of 18 shall be obliged to pay a subscription. General meetings shall determine any requirements for various types of members and the rates of subscriptions applicable. In cases of need the committee may remit part or all of the subscription

Membership rights

V.    All fully paid-up members shall be entitled to: 

i) attend religious services, education classes and any other activity provided by the Congregation

ii) vote at all meetings of the Congregation if over the age of 18

iii) stand for office in the Congregation if over the age of 18

General Meetings

VI.   [A General meeting of the Congregation shall be held annually in June] for the election of the Officers specified in Bye-Law XII below and the appointment of an Auditor. Not less than two weeks' notice of such a meeting shall be given to the members of the Congregation. Notice shall be deemed to have been received when such notice would have been delivered in the normal course of post

Amended 5 June 1994:

A General Meeting of the Congregation shall be held annually between 1 May and 30 June

Amended 5 July 2009:

 A General Meeting of the Congregation shall be held annually between 1 May and 31 July

VII.  By request of the Committee or at the written request of at least five members of the Congregation the Chairman shall within seven working days of receiving such a request, call an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Congregation. Notice of such a meeting shall be given to the members of the Congregation in Bye-Law VI above and shall state the object of the meeting, and no other business shall be discussed

VIII. A quorum at any General Meeting shall consist of ten members of the Congregation entitled to vote

Amended 12 July 2012:

A quorum at any General Meeting shall consist of eight members of the Congregation entitled to vote

IX.   [Members of the Committee shall be elected annually. Candidates shall be proposed and seconded by members in good standing and such nomination shall be subject to acceptance by the candidate, provided that such acceptance shall be in writing if the candidate be not present at the meeting. Such nomination shall be made at the General Meeting or in advance in writing to the outgoing Chairman or Secretary]

Amended 5 June 1983:

Members of the Committee shall be elected annually. Candidates shall be proposed and seconded in writing by members in good standing and such nomination shall be subject to acceptance by the Candidate provided that such acceptance shall be in writing if the Candidate be not present at the meeting. Nominations shall be submitted seven days before the date of the Annual General Meeting (including the date of the meeting) and shall be addressed to the Chairman for the time being of the Committee or (if there be no such Chairman) to the Secretary. If no written nominations have been received for any post or posts within the time specified above, then such nominations may be made at the Annual General Meeting provided always that acceptance of any such nomination shall be in writing if the Candidate be not present at the meeting

X.    Voting in the election shall be by secret ballot and by the single transferable vote. Voting on a motion at a General Meeting shall be by show of hands, unless any member requests a ballot, in which case such ballot shall immediately be taken among those members present

XI.   In the event of a tied vote, the Chairman shall have a casting vote in addition to his ordinary vote

Committee

XII. [The Committee shall consist of a Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Education Officer, Synagogue Officer and Welfare Officer, who shall all be selected annually at the General meeting. All such offices shall be honorary but the officers shall be entitled to reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses]

Amended 5 June 1983:

The Committee shall consist of a Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Education Officer, Synagogue Officer, Welfare Officer and a Bulletin Officer who shall all be elected annually at the General Meeting. No person shall be capable of being nominated as Chairman of the Committee unless he or she shall have served on the Committee in any capacity for a period of at least one year within the previous three years. The immediate past Chairman of the Committee shall be a member ex-officio for a period of one year after the termination of his Chairmanship. All such Officers shall be honorary but the Officers shall be entitled to reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expense

Further amended 16 June 1988 by the following addition:

No office shall be held by the same person for more than three years consecutively

The last sentence amended 5 July 2009 to read

 No office shall be held by the same person for more than six years consecutively

Further amended on June 7 2016 to read

The Committee shall consist of a Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, and up to six other officers who shall all be elected annually at the General Meeting. Assigment of responsibilities shall be made by the committee at its first meeting after the AGM.

No person shall be capable of being nominated as Chairman of the Committee unless he or she shall have served on the Committee in any capacity for a period of at least one year within the previous three years. The immediate past Chairman of the Committee shall be a member ex-officio for a period of one year after the termination of his Chairmanship. All such Officers shall be honorary but the Officers shall be entitled to reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expense.

No office shall be held by the same person for more than six years consecutively

XIII.    The Committee shall have power to co-opt other members of the Congregation

XIV.     The Committee shall conduct the affairs of the Congregation and shall be responsible to the membership

XV.     A quorum at a meeting of the Committee shall consist of three members present.  At all meetings the chair shall be taken by the most senior officer present, the order of seniority being as listed above in Bye-Law XII

Auditor

XVI.    The Auditor, who shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting, shall audit the income and expenditure account of the Congregation for the previous financial year, which shall have been prepared by the Treasurer

Amendments to the Bye-Laws

XVII.  No amendments shall be made to the Bye-Laws save after at least two weeks' prior written notice to all members.  Such amendments shall be passed by at least two-thirds of those members present and entitled to vote at General Meetings, save that no amendment shall be passed with fewer than ten favourable votes.  Bye-Laws I and II are not subject to amendment

XVIII. The income and property of the Congregation shall be exclusively used for the furtherance of the aims of the Congregation