CONSTITUTION Of THE T v AMENDED & REVISED 1907. 5667. H UINZHUKG PUiSTttT;, 36 LSMAN 8TKKST, ALDGATW, K. T210 CONSTITUTION Of THE EHGLISH ZIONIST FEDEBIIT AMENDED & REVISED. 1907. DS It*! PREFATORY NOTE. * ( % This Constitution was iirst drawn up in 1898, and was the outcome of the Zionist Conference held on March 6th. 1896 at the Clerkenwell Town Hall London. It was accepted by a Conference of the Societies interested in the Zionist Movement held at the Inns of Court Hotel, Lin coins Inn, in September of the same year and was ratified by the first meeting oi Delegates held at the Trocadero Restaurant in January 1899. Bye- laws bringing it into accord with the Constitution adopted by the Zionist Congress held in Basle in 1899. were passed at a Central Committee meeting held in Birmingham in October 1899. The Constitution was next amended at a mee- ting of the Central Committee held in Cardiff in October 1900 and was again amended by a Committee appointed at a Central Committee meeting held in London January 1901. The Constitution was ratified by a Central Committee meeting held in London March 24th. 1901. The Constitution has since been recast and dis- cussed at various Annual Meetings held in Glasgow January 14th. 1906 at the Windsor Hotel. London July 22nd 1906 at the Vestry Room of the New Synagogue, and Birmingham Feb. 3rd. 1907. at the Grand Hotel. Paragraphs 25 and 26 were referred back to the Executive Committee of the E.Z.F. for final wording and settlement. On June 23rd. 1907 the new wording Avas unanimously adopted. London July 1907. / 2095181 CONSTITUTION OF THE ENGLISH ZIONIST FEDERATION. NA.ME. 1 The name of the Federation shall be "The English Zionist Federation". OBJECTS AND CONSTITUTION. 2. The English Zionist Federation, as "Landes Comite" of the United Kingdom, shall carry on its operations in accordance with the constitution adopted by and in sympathy with the decisions arrived at from time to tiine by the Zionist Congress. 3. The Federation shall consist of such Jewish Associations and Bodies in the United Kingdom as desire, subject to the general sanction and direction of the Executive Committee, to promote the acquisition of a publicly recognised legally secured ho ns in Palestine for the Jewish people, or in addition there to, any of the following objects. (A) The fostering of the National idea in Israel. (B) The supporting of a regular International Congress of duly accredited represen- tatives of the Jewish people for the consideration of the condition of the Jews in the different countries of their dis pension, and for taking such measures as may be deemed conducive to their general welfare. (c) The supporting of existing colonies, and the founding of new colonies by placing as many Jews as possible living in Palestine as settlers on the land, and encouraging, guiding, and assisting new settlers anxious to establish colonies, or any handicrafts, industries, or arts in Palestine and neighbouring lands. (D) The study of Hebrew Literature and the use of Hebrew as a living language. 4. The Federation shall be the medium of communication between affiliated Societies and the Executive Council (Actions Comite) and betweea Zionist Associations of other Countries. It shall advise on the steps necessary for the furtherance of i he general movement, and adopt such means as may be approved for carrying into effect the resolutions adopted by Congress held from time to time. It shall also initiate, in connection 'with the various objects of the Federation, propaganda, which shall partake of one common character throughout all the federated bodies. CENTRAL COMMITTEE. 5. The general government of the Federation shall be vested in a Central-Committee, which shall consist ot delegates from aU the Federated Societies, which shall have been federated for at least three months prior to the meating of the Central Committee at which they are represented, to be elected at the annual meetings of the Federated Societies, which shall take place during Chanukah week in each year upon the following basis :- Each organisation numbering at least twenty live registered paying members, shall be entitled to one delegate, and < ach organisation with a larger membership than twenty-five shall be entitled to a further delegate for every fifty additional registered paying- members. Provided that any Society in a provincial town, which is the only Zionist organisation existing in such town, shall be entitled to appoint a delegate irrespective of the number of its members. G. Every delegate to the Central Committee shall serve from the date of the annual meeting ot his society at which he is elected until the next annual meeting thereof, and the secretary of each of the Federated Societies shall give notice to the Secretary of the Federation of the names and addresses of the l)elegates from his Society to the Central Committee within three days of their election. 7. The Central Committee shall meet at least twice in each year (one of the meetings being held in a provincial town), but special meetings may be called by the Executive at any time on their own initiative. So far as practicable, the meetings of the Central Committee shall take place in January and July in each year, and the meeting in January shall be deemed te be the Annual Meeting of the Central Committee. 8. Upon a requisition to the President for the time being, signed by at least twenty members of the Central Committee, the President shall forthwith summon a Special Meeting to be held within twenty-one days of the receipt of such requisition. The notice convening all meetings of the Central Committte shall be issued at least fourteen clear days before the holding of such meeting. At any Special Meeting no other business shall be considered except that specified upon the notice convening same. At every meeting of the Central Committee twenty shall constitute a quorum. 9. Four weeks notice shall be given of the holding of the meetings of the Central Committee and notices of resolutions shall be forwarded in writing to the office for submission to the Executive Com- mittee within twenty-one days of the holding of the meeting. 10. A final programme and agenda, to be settled by the Executive Committee, shall be issued to each Delegate prior to the meeting, and no other business shall be considered by the Central Committee save what appears on the Agenda paper. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND OFFICERS. 11. The Central Committee at their Annual Meeting shall elect an Executive Committee from amongst their number, consisting of twenty-members (ten of whom shall be resident in the provinces). (A) The English representatives (as hereinaf- ter provided for) of the Executive Council of the Zionist Organisation (Grosser Actions Comite), shall be consul- tative members of the Executive Commit- tee and shall receive notices to attend all meetings. (B) The President shall be empowered to form an Hon. Officers' Committee of the Executive, consisting of the Hon. Ofiicers of the Executive Committee, and the representatives to the Executive Council of the Zionist Organisation (Grosser Actions Comite), for the consideration of confidential reports, letters or docu- ments received from the Executive Coun- cil of the Organisation (Actions Comite). and for the transaction of sucli other business as he may from time to time deem desirable should be undertaken by it, but no public action shall be taken thereon without submission to the Executive Committee. Reports- shall be submitted to the Executive Committee of the Federation as occassion shall arise, with whom shall remain the power of making such money votes, grants &c. as shall be advised by the Hon. Officers' Committee. 12. The Central Committee shall elect at each Annual Meeting out of the Executive an Hon. President, a President, two Vice-Presidents, and an Hon. Secretary, who shall hold office for one year. The Executive shall at their first meeting in each year elect a Treasurer, who shall hold office for one year. 13. The President, or in his absence, one of the Vice-Presidents of the Executive Committee for the time being shall preside at all meetings of the Executive and Central Committees. 14. The Executive Committee shall meet at least once in every month, but special meetings may be called by the President at any time. 15. Upon a requisition to the President, signed by at least live members of the Executive Committee, the President shall forthwith summon a Special Mee- ting, to be hfld within seven days of the receipt of such requisition. At any Special Meeting no other business shall be considered except that specified upon the notice convening the same. The notice convening all meetings of the Executive shall be issued at least five clear days before the holding of every such meeting, and shall state clearly the business for which such meeting has been convened. At every meeting of the Executive Committee seven members shall constitute a quorum. Any member of the Exe- 6 cutive who shall have absented himself without valid excuse for three ordinary consecutive meetings shall cease to be a member ofthe ExecutiveCommittee, and the Executive Committee shall in this eventu- ality, or in the event ofthe retirement of a mem- ber, select a member to serve in his stead until the next meeting of the Central-Committee. 16. Any member of the Executive Committee living more than twenty miles from London may appoint a person living in London, not being a member ot the Executive Committee, who shall act as his proxy during his term of office, and who shall while acting as proxy but in such case only have all the powers of a member of the Executive Com- mittee. The member ot the Executive Committee exercising his option under this rule shall himself notify to the proxy when he desires that he shall attend the Executive Committee from time to time on his behalf. All proxy members shall be approved by the Execuitive Committee before being appointed SUB-COMMITTEES OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE. 17. The Executive Committee shall at their first meeting in each year, appoint four Sub- Committees, each to consist of live members, at least one of whom shall be a member ofthe Executive Committee, the Hon: Officers of the Federation be ex-officio members, viz, :- (A) Propaganda Sub-committee to organise new societies and encourage propaganda throughout the country. (B) Literature and Language sub-committee, to organise and encourage the study <>t Hebrew literature, with the use ot Hebrew as a living 7 (c) National Fund Committee. (D) A Palestine Committee. 18. M embers of these Committees shall be elected to serve for one year, and shall at their first meeting after appointment elect their own chairman and Hon: Secretary. The Executive Committee may vote to any Sub-Committee appointed under this clause such moneys as may be necessary for the furtherance of the special work of any such sub-committee, and shall be entitled to receive voluntary subscriptions and donations for the furtherance of the special objects of such Sub-Committees. Each Sub- Committee shall present once every month an interim report of its work to the Executive Committee, and shall report upon its work to each meeting of the Central Council. 19. The Sub-Committee shall each have power to co-opt with the approval ot the Executive Com- mittee three additional members. FEDERATED SOCIETIES. 20. Every Society desiring to be federated must make application to that effect to the Executive Committee, whose decision in every case shall be final. No application refused by the Executive Committee shall be submitted tor reconsideration by that Committee within six months of such refusal. The application shall be accompanied by a list, alphabetically arranged, of the names of the members of the Society, together with their addresses, as also the names of the President, Treasurer and Secretary. With the application shall be remitted the minimum subscription payable by such Society to the Federation as hereinafter provided for. (Rule 23). 21. Every Society shall with its application to be federated, submit to the Federation the rules and regulations under which it is constituted, and every Federated Society shall, within one week of the same have been passed, transmit to the Secretary of the Federation the terms of any amendment of an existing rule or regulation that may have been agreed to by that Society. 22. The Executive Committee shall have power to remove the name of any Society from the Fe- deration, and thereupon all rights of the Society in the Federation shall forthwith cease and determine. No application for reinstatement shall be submitted for reconsideration by the Executive Committee for six months from the date on which such removal shall have taken place. 23. Each Federated Society shall pay in advance to the Federation the minimum sum of two pence per quarter for everyone of its members, such sums being payable on the first day of each quarter. Each Federated Society shall pay through the Federation the ''Shekel" contribution for every one of its registered paying members, and such further sums for carrying out the objects of the Federation as may be decided upon from time to time by the Central Council of the Federation. (A). The Secretary of each Society shall, not later than the third day of each quarter of every year, furnish the Exe- cutive with a complete list, alphabetically arranged, of the names and addresses of the members of his Society. (B). The Shekel Contribution shall be a first charge on the members' contribution for six months in those Societies where such contribution includes the Shekel payments. 24. Any Federated Body not paying its quar- terly contributions or any further sum decided upon to be paid under Clause 23, or making such returns as required by such Clause, shall cease to have the right of continuing in the Federation, unless upon representation it shall appear to the Executive Committee that such default has been unavoidable. CONGRESS. 25. The President of the E.Z.F. convenes a meeting of the English delegates present at the Congress, at least one day, prior to the opening of Congress for the purpose of establishing the (Englische Landsmannschaft) English delegation. (A) The English delegation nominates 1 T~ its representatives on the Permanence Committee of the Congress. Important questions arising during the meeting of Congress are to be submitted to the Delegates at special meetings called at short notice by the Chairman. (B). The English delegation nominates the English representatives on the Supreme Executive Council, and other International Committees. 2G. The Executive of the Federation shall, prior to each Congress, prepare a general statement on the Zionist Movement in the United Kingdom, and such shall be issued, printed and presented to Congress as an official report of the Federation. BY-LAWS. 27. The Executive Committee shall have power from time to time to make By- Laws for the regulation of the Federation, provided such By- Laws contain nothing contrary to this Constitution, and such By- Laws, when passed, shall have the same authority as these Laws. 10 AMENDMENT OF CONSTITUTION. 28. This Constitution or any By-Laws made by the Executive Committee, under Law 28, may be amended by a majority of not less than three- quarters of the members present and voting at any meeting of the Central Committee, providing that not less than twenty members be present and voting at such meeting, when the question is put. Seven clear days notice shall be given of any proposed amendment, and the terms of such proposed amendment shall appear upon the Agenda attached to the notice convening the meeting.