CPG Constitution
(as agreed by the NEC and ratified at the AGM on 1.12.25)
Awaiting final ratification by The Bishops Conference
Title:
The organisation shall be known as The Catholic Police Guild of England & Wales (CPG).
Membership:
Full membership shall be open to any Roman Catholic working or retired in the Police Service in England & Wales.
Associate/Affiliate membership shall be open to any Roman Catholic citing a valid reason for wishing to be so recognised.
Membership may be refused or terminated by the NEC.
Duties of Members:
Attend the annual Requiem, if possible.
Encourage and support new members.
Support Guild events.
Pay any annual subscription.
Purpose
The main purposes of the Guild are :
To provide a focal point for members to come together and celebrate their Faith.
To present opportunities for members to meet up socially.
The Guild Prayer:
Most Merciful God, giver of all authority, by the merits of Thy Divine Son and through the intercession of His Holy Mother and our glorious patron St. Michael, grant that we may this day and every day, overcome all temptations, especially to injustice and disloyalty, and with our minds inflamed by Thy Holy Spirit perform all our duties in such a manner as may be pleasing to Thy Divine Will, so that when called to report for the last time we may not be found wanting, and may be allowed to remain for ever in Thy Presence. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord, Amen.
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National Executive Committee:
The NEC shall be the operational body of the Guild and shall meet at least four times each year either face to face or virtually.
A NEC meeting can only be held if a quorum of members is present. A quorum shall comprise four members of the NEC, one of whom shall be an Officer of the Guild.
The NEC shall consist of the following:
Chair
Secretary
National Chaplain
Membership Secretary
Events Director
Media Officer
Retirees Coordinator
Guild Historian
Regional Representatives
The Chair, Secretary and Treasurer shall be the designated Officers of the Guild.
Roles & Responsibilities within the National Executive Committee:
Chair:
A member of the Guild who has held membership for a minimum of two years.
Selected from and by the NEC.
Serve for three years and may be re-elected.
Act as the operational head of the Guild
Coordinate the strategic plans of the Guild.
Represent the Guild and act in The Guilds name at external meetings.
Oversee, encourage, and support Guild activity.
May co-opt to the NEC any Guild member for a specific purpose.
Prepare an annual report for the AGM.
Secretary:
Liaise with the Chair
Prepare agendas for meetings.
Deal with Guild correspondence.
Advise and notify NEC members of relevant events.
Record and circulate minutes of any NEC meeting, SGM and AGM.
Ensure that the Guild website is relevant and up to date.
Prepare an annual report for the AGM.
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Treasurer:
Deal with all monies of the Guild as determined by the NEC.
Ensure all finances of the Guild are properly recorded.
Oversee the collection of annual subscriptions.
Present the accounts at each NEC meeting.
Advise the NEC of the financial state of the Guild.
Maintain an income & expenditure account.
Prepare Guild accounts each year for submission to auditors pre AGM.
Prepare an annual report for the AGM.
Explore funding and sponsorship opportunities.
Ensure a balance sheet is produced for each Guild funded event.
Chair meetings if Chair is not in attendance.
The Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting.
National Chaplain:
A Roman Catholic Priest serving in England or Wales.
Appointed by the NEC for a period of five years, renewable ad infinitum.
A member of the NEC
A focal point for Police Chaplains.
Advise the NEC on any relevant matters.
Be available to all members of the Guild.
Two additional, non-NEC Chaplains may be appointed for the North & South.
Other NEC Posts:
Shall be determined by the NEC with no time limit for service on the NEC.
Membership Secretary:
Maintain a membership database.
Process all applications for membership.
Advise NEC of relevant changes (i.e., deaths, joining, etc.)
Ensure direct contact is made with new members on joining the Guild.
Events Director
Liaise and work with Requiem Team
Oversee and support Guild events.
Media Officer
Liaise with the Chair and Secretary
Maintain social media accounts and website.
Coordinate CPG press releases.
Explore opportunities for publicity.
Establish and maintain liaison with Police and Catholic Press.
Update the NEC of all related matters.
Retired Members Representative:
Represent the interests of retired members.
Guild Historian:
Gather and record Guild history.
Produce regular articles, links on website and social media posts.
Ensure future access to research.
Regional Representatives:
If a need is identified a region of the Guild may be set up with the consent of the NEC.
Regional Representative should Chair any regional meetings but not be “The Chair” of a Region.
Attend NEC meetings as a NEC member representing the Region.
Report to the NEC all substantive matters discussed.
Report details of any planned event direct to the Events Director.
Ensure and oversee growth of membership within the region.
Guild Subscription.
The NEC may introduce a subscription for members subject to approval at the AGM.
Guild Year:
The Guild Year shall run from 1st January to 31st December.
Annual General Meeting:
An Annual General Meeting will be held, either face to face, online or face to face with online provision, if possible.
A Special General Meeting may be called by the NEC or by a minimum of fifteen members provided that 21 days’ notice is given to members and the reason for calling such a meeting is declared.
Auditors
Shall examine all accounts of the Guild as prepared by the Treasurer and certify correctness or otherwise.
An independent auditor will be appointed to audit the accounts annually.
All accounts presented to the AGM must be signed by the auditors.
Voting:
All votes taken at any meeting of the Guild shall be determined by a simple majority. In the event of a tied vote the Chair shall have a casting vote.
The Constitution
The Constitution is a living document and may be changed by the NEC.
No permanent change shall be made except at the AGM or a SGM with a two thirds majority in favour of the change. Only full members in attendance will have a vote and the Chair of the AGM or SGM will have a casting vote.
A change to the Constitution must be forwarded to the Bishop’s Conference for ratification.
Fellowship of the Guild.
The NEC may appoint any member to ‘The Fellowship of the Guild’ if the NEC determines that the member has provided long and meritorious service or in some special way has enhanced the standing of the Guild. A Fellow of the Guild receives a medal and is exempt any membership fee.
Events:
Annual Requiem Mass:
A Requiem Mass will be held in Westminster Cathedral in November for all deceased Guild Members and any Police Officers and Police Staff who have died in the previous year. A team of members, formed annually, will organise the Requiem guided by an “Operational Order”.
The Feast of St Michael the Archangel:
Members will be encouraged to celebrate the feast of the Guilds Patron Saint, St. Michael the Archangel, with a Mass on or near the feast day itself (29 September) followed by a social event.
Formation of the Guild:
The Guild was formed on what was Corpus Christi which the Church now celebrates on a designated Sunday (the Sunday after Trinity Sunday). Members are encouraged to contact their local Parish to request the Guild is mentioned in Bidding Prayers or similar.
Closure of the Catholic Police Guild:
The NEC shall call a SGM for the purpose of terminating the existence of the Guild.
The Executive Committee may recommend the termination of the Guild if membership falls below 25 full members.
If the Guild should be terminated, any monies remaining are to be donated to a Catholic charity determined by the NEC. No member shall benefit financially from the closure of the Guild.
Death of member:
A Mass should be celebrated (locally if possible) for a deceased member of the Guild and a representative of the CPG should attend if possible.