Our Constitution

Current Constitution as of 21/02/2024

1. Name

Our name is Galway Community Pride, or, in the Irish Language, Bród Pobail na Gaillimhe

2. Vision Statement

The Galway Community Pride Committee aims to equally reflect the diversity within the LGBT+ community by encouraging positive participation from the community in the Galway Community Pride committee and events.


3. Aims

  • To ensure the committee reflects the LGBT+ community, works in an effective manner and is both transparent and accountable.

  • To organise an accessible and safe Galway Community Pride.

  • To source funding for the future development of Galway Community Pride through grant applications and fundraising events.

  • To highlight issues relevant to the LGBT+ community through the Galway Community Pride committee.


4. Committee Membership

The membership is open to LGBT+ people or those working with the LGBT+ community and who are interested in organising Pride.

  • The committee shall consist of a minimum of seven members and a maximum of seventeen.

Upon missing three consecutive meetings without apologies offered, the committee member may be eligible for removal from the committee by means of a vote. 

Members will be required to sign up to the voluntary agreement and abide by the ground rules and policies and procedures of the committee and be committed to promoting its aims and values.

In order to be eligible to serve on the committee for Galway Community Pride a potential candidate must a) be ordinarily resident in, or b) have significant ties to Galway city/county.

Committee members who do not adhere to this constitution may be removed from the committee following disciplinary measures.


5. Officers

The committee currently holds the following officer positions:

Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Social Media Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator, Fundraising Officer, Oifigeach na Gaeilge, Pride Week Coordinator, Public Relations Officer, Parade Coordinator, Accessibility Officer with the remaining positions to be filled with Ordinary Committee Members. A named officer role cannot be replaced with an Ordinary Committee Member.

Additional officers may be elected as required by the committee.

Where a named officer** leaves the committee, another committee member will assume the responsibilities of the vacant officer temporarily, until a new officer is elected to fulfil that role.

If the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, or Treasurer no longer serve on the committee, an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) will be scheduled at the committee's earliest opportunity, with a minimum of 14 days' notice provided to the community.


6. Meetings

No decision can be made at committee meetings where a quorum is not present. A quorum is made up of 50% of the committee plus one.

A minimum of six committee meetings will be held each year, including an Annual General Meeting.

The committee aims to hold at least one general meeting each year with the wider LGBT+ community.


7. Decision Making

The committee will endeavour to reach a consensus on decisions. In the event of this not happening, decisions will be taken by a majority vote.

Voting will be open.

Each committee member, bar the chairperson, is entitled to one vote. The member must be present to vote.

In the event of a tied vote, the chairperson will have the casting vote.


8. Annual General Meeting – AGM

The committee will hold an AGM each year.

Notice will be given to the wider LGBT+ community at least 21 days in advance in writing which will include the time, date, and venue of the AGM. When practical, the AGM so should take place for the following pride in the previous calendar year - ie, the AGM for the 2020 Pride committee would take place late 2019.

All of the committee members will step down at each AGM but will be eligible for re-election, subject to a maximum of five years consecutive service.

All officers who have served for three consecutive years may not be re-elected into the same office but may be re-elected into another office, subject to the maximum of five years in consecutive service.

If required, constitutional changes can be proposed by outgoing committee members, incoming committee members or attendees, and adopted at the AGM.


9. Extraordinary General Meeting - EGM

An Extraordinary General Meeting will be called in cases where changes are to be made to the constitution, where there is misconduct on the part of a member or officer, or in any relevant circumstances deemed by the committee.

An EGM may be called by submitting the reason for the EGM to the chairperson and/or the Secretary in a letter signed by not fewer than three members of the committee.

If the Committee falls below the minimum required committee members then the remaining committee shall remain in place in order to organise an EGM, AGM or until such a time that the minimum committee member requirement is met. This situation cannot persist longer than 2 months.

In such an event the committee will be obligated to organise and announce an EGM, to be held within 21 days. This task may be designated to the chairperson or secretary.

10. Amendment to Constitution

A proposal to amend the constitution may be made by the committee, or any individual of the community with a seconder.

The proposal will be placed in the AGM or EGM Agenda of the Organisation. The amendment will be deemed effective if passed by a two-thirds majority of the meeting.


11. Sub-Groups

Sub-groups such as a finance sub-group, a PRO sub-group will be set up by the committee. These sub-groups will operate or be guided by a Terms of Reference ratified by the committee.

Sub-groups can consist of members from outside the committee. The sub-groups will always be chaired by a member of the committee.

Each sub-group will be required to keep minutes of the meetings and provide a written report to the committee after each sub-group meeting.


12. Links to regional/national structures

The committee may participate in relevant national and regional structures.


13. Financial Accountability

The committee will cause proper books of accounts to be kept according to the financial policy of the Galway Community Pride Committee.


14. Intellectual Property

If any member of the Galway Community Pride Committee should have reason to invent either a new Galway Community Pride specific event, product, or extension* then they recognise that this event or extension is the intellectual property of Galway Community Pride. This ownership can be returned to the individual committee member by way of committee vote after a request for same from the committee member in question.


15. Bilingualism

All material produced by Galway Community Pride must be provided, wherein possible, in both English and Irish. If it should arise that there is a conflict between the information in the two versions of the Constitution the English version that take precedence.


16. Dissolution of the Committee

The Galway Community Pride committee may only be dissolved by a special meeting called for that purpose. Such a meeting shall come about following a proposal in writing signed by a simple majority of those remaining on the committee being submitted to the secretary.

All members shall be informed, in writing, of such a meeting at least 21 days before the date of the meeting. 

Dissolution of the committee shall only take effect if agreed by two-thirds of the members present and voting at that meeting.

Any assets remaining, after meeting liabilities, must be distributed among the local LGBT+ community groups with similar aims of the Galway Community Pride Festival committee. These groups will be nominated during the meeting

Any money received via funding bodies should be returned to the funders in relation to the funding criteria.
On dissolution, any documents belonging to the committee shall be disposed of in a manner agreed by that meeting.

17. Disciplinary Procedures

A proposal to expel a member of the committee may be made in the event of:

  • The committee member acting in a manner contrary to the vision and values, aims and obligations of the Galway Community Pride Festival committee.

  • Persistent non-attendance at committee meetings or sub-group meetings

  • Misuse of funds

  • Misconduct including breaching rules of the constitution, offensive and abusive behaviour.

In the event of a member being removed from the committee due to misconduct, that person will not be entitled to stand in an election of officers for a minimum of two years.


18. Agreement

Each member of the committee or subgroup, whether elected at an AGM, EGM, or committee meeting, will be expected to sign a copy of this constitution and agree to abide by, uphold and act in accordance with the constitution of the Galway Community Pride Festival committee.


Notes and Clarifications

Article 14: 

*Asterisks: “event, product, or extension” is not inclusive of everything covered in this section. Logos, artwork, music, t-shirts, merch etc. can be included on this list and more to the discretion of the committee.

**Asterisks: The requirement to have an EGM does not arise in the resignation of anyone other than the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, or Treasurer.