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A rulebook or constitution helps establish the structure, objectives and governance of a group or organisation.

These are your starting points to form a rulebook: 

• name of your group, where you clearly state the name of your group or organisation
• aim of your group, where you define the main purpose or aim of the group, explaining what you hope to achieve
• objectives of your group, where you list specific goals or actions that will help achieve your aim. These should be clear and measurable.

Once you have outlined the basics, you should then move on to the specific roles within your group:

Membership

• outline who can join the group and any requirements for membership
• define the rights of members which should include voting rights, and explain the process for registration and termination of membership.

Management committee

• specify the number of people in the management committee and the positions within it, for example, Chairperson, Treasurer and Secretary
• define the committee’s responsibilities and how often they should meet
• include details on how decisions are made and how new members are elected.

Finance

• explain how money will be managed, including who can sign cheques and how funds will be spent
• outline the process for budgeting and keeping financial records.

Committee and general meetings

• state how often committee meetings and public meetings should be held
• include details on the minimum number of attendees needed to make decisions and the procedure for taking minutes.

Annual General Meeting (AGM)

• detail how and when the AGM should be held, what business will be covered and the minimum number of attendees required.

Alteration of the rulebook

• describe how your rulebook can be amended and the process for proposing changes.

Dissolution

• explain how the group can be dissolved and what should happen to the group’s assets if it disbands.

Adoption of the rulebook

• include a section for signing the rulebook, including the date of adoption and signatures of key members.