The RFCA was created to help the cadet and reserve forces as well as the wider military family to thrive across Yorkshire and the Humber.
We are a membership organisation and our members play a central role in helping us build relationships and forge understanding between the military and local communities.
Our members come from a broad range of backgrounds and include former service people from all three services and the cadets, as well as representatives from local authorities, business, trade unions and industry.
Each of them contributes specialist knowledge and networks that strengthen and guide our work within the region.
Each Association comprises a body of volunteer members drawn from all strata of society with a professional (salaried) executive that is responsible for the wellbeing of the region’s reserve forces and cadets, promoting the interests of the Armed Forces and building relationships with the local community and employees. The salaried staff employed by the RFCAs are Crown Servants.
Regulations
The forthcoming dates of ordinary meetings of the Association and its Committees will normally be published in September/October.
The President, Vice-Presidents, or the Chair of the Association in the case of Association meetings, and the Chair of the committee concerned in the case of committee meetings, shall have the power in special circumstances to cancel any ordinary meeting or to fix some other date for an ordinary meeting, and to convene additional meetings.
Three members of a Committee shall form a quorum for a Committee meeting.
Association Meetings
- The President shall take the chair at Association meetings, which will normally occur twice a year in April and November. In the absence of the President, the Chair shall take the Chair. In the absence of both the President and the Chair, a Vice-Chair shall take the Chair. In the absence of all the foregoing, the members of the Association present at the meeting shall choose a person to preside at the meeting from the members present and the person chosen shall preside.
- Any Member who wishes to propose a motion at an Association meeting shall submit the motion in writing, signed by the proposer and seconder, to the Chief Executive, to reach him at least seven clear working days before the Association meeting.
- A motion put from the Chair shall require neither seconder nor previous notice.
- The minutes of all Association Board meetings will be confirmed formally at Association meetings.
- Any member of the Association may, with or without notice, address to the Chair any question bearing on the business of the Association Board or its sub-committees; but no discussion shall be permitted thereon.
- The Association Chair shall answer questions, if any.
- Any member of the Association may move any amendment to the minutes.
- If no amendment to the minutes is moved, the Chair shall put the adoption of the minutes to the meeting and, if this is carried by a show of hands of the majority, shall declare the minutes adopted.
- In the event of an amendment being moved, this and subsequent motions shall be disposed of before the adoption of the minutes.
- All questions shall be determined by a show of hands, unless immediately afterwards the result is challenged and five members of the Association demand a record of the votes by rising in their places, in which case the votes shall be recorded by the names for and against being taken down by the Chief Executive and the number declared and entered on the minutes.
- Honorary officers of Reserve units and Deputy Lieutenants with an interest in Reserves and Cadets will normally be invited to attend Association meetings as non-voting guests.
- If any matter is to be decided, or discussed, at an Association meeting which must not be made public, then the Association shall resolve itself into committee on a motion from the Chair, and any resolutions in committee shall be resolutions of the Association.
- At each Association meeting, the Chair will normally be asked to make a report. Usually an outside speaker, covering a topical, relevant subject, will address the Association.
Committee Meetings
- The minutes of all committee meetings held up to seven days before the Association Board meeting, shall be sent to all members of the committee and the same shall, at the next meeting of the committee be taken as read and be submitted to the committee for approval or otherwise.
- The foregoing rules of procedure for Association meetings shall apply to committee meetings and to sub-committee meetings.
- No minutes or other statement of the proceedings of any committee meeting shall be communicated to the Press except by the Chief Executive, with the sanction of the Chair of the meeting.
Code of Conduct for Board Members
Introduction
As a public office holder, your behaviour and actions must be governed by the principles set out in this Code of Conduct. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are familiar with, and comply with, all the relevant provisions of the Code.
Key principles of public life
The key principles upon which this Code of Conduct is based are the Seven Principles of Public Life. These are:
- Selflessness. Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.
- Integrity. Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.
- Objectivity. Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.
- Accountability. Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.
- Openness. Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.
- Honesty. Holders of public office should be truthful.
- Leadership. Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and be willing to challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.
These principles should inform your actions and decisions as a board member.
Our chief executive is responsible for delivering our routine organisational outputs with the support of the heads of the Cadets and Youth, estates and engagements teams.
The RFCA’s board and its sub-committees provide oversight, with the finance sub-committee briefed monthly by the executive team, playing a key decision-making role.
Conflict of Interest
Under the code of good practice for corporate governance in central government departments, Board members should proactively declare any personal, business or related party interests that may, or may be perceived by a reasonable member of the public to, influence their judgments in performing their obligations to the organisation or the department (existing or potential).
Any identified conflicts of interest should be discussed with the Chair.