Countryside Management Association News

NOTICE IS HEREBY given that an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of
the Countryside Management Association (CMA) will be held at the
Christopher Cadbury Room, Waseley Hills Country Park, Gannow Green
Lane, Rubery, Birmingham B45 9AT on Friday 30th November at 2.00pm for
the following purposes:

Special business

1. To receive the Report of the Council and adopt the combined
accounts for the two years ending 31 Mar 2007;

2. To dissolve the Countryside Management Association as soon as
possible and transfer all assets and liabilities to the newly
incorporated Countryside Management Association

Your vote counts

Your vote is important to us and I would urge that you complete, sign
and return your proxy form if you are not able to come to the EGM in
person. All proxy forms must be returned by 2.00pm on Wednesday 28th
November.

If you are attending and voting at the EGM please contact Heather at CMA
administration by phone or email to help us arrange appropriate
refreshments etc. Also don't forget to sign and date the enclosed
EGM Attendance Card and present it to the Secretary on your arrival at
the EGM.

Recommendation

Your National Executive are unanimous in the opinion that all
resolutions to be proposed at the EGM are in the best interests of the
Association and accordingly recommend you to vote in favour of all the
resolutions set out in the Notice of EGM.

Yours sincerely

Mike Anderson

Secretary

Apologies should be submitted in writing to Mike Anderson, CMA Secretary
at 63 Farndish Road, Irchester, Northamptonshire. NN29 7BD, by email to
head.ranger@yahoo.com

Explanatory Notes

Audit of Accounts
Under the Articles of Association of the CMA (Article 56), the
Association's accounts must be examined for their correctness by a
properly qualified Auditor every year. The Council must then lay before
members the audited income and expenditure account and balance sheet
along with reports of the Council and Auditor (Articles of Association
article 55).

Last year's accounts were not audited, and neither were we quorate
at the AGM, so we were unable to adopt the accounts presented at that
meeting. The accounts for the last two years have now been independently
assessed and we are seeking member approval to adopt them as a true
reflection of our financial position.

Dissolution of the CMA and transfer of Assets and Liabilities
At the 2006 AGM the National Executive were tasked by those present to examine the Association's Constitution as it was recognised that these documents - which govern how the CMA must conduct its business - were not in-line with a modern, forward-looking organisation.

Following independent advice, your National Executive agreed to incorporate under the Companies Act, with a new constitution (known as the Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association), as a company limited by guarantee. By doing this it will protect the assets of the existing Countryside Management Association and minimise the personal liabilities of its members. The newly incorporated Countryside Management Association is registered with the Registrar of Companies in England and Wales and we are now seeking member approval:

* To disband the existing, unincorporated Countryside Management Association;

* To transfer everything from the existing CMA e.g. memberships, CPD structure, website, Ranger magazine, etc into the new Countryside Management Association.

This will all be carried out in accordance with the existing Association's constitution. The new Countryside management Association also intends to seek full charity status with the Charity Commission and collect future subscriptions under Gift Aid, both for the benefit of the new Association and its members.