I am asking here where the Guild/Association is not a registered charity. Aside from any financial matters, is there any legislation that underpins the operation of guilds and societies? What are the implications of rules not being followed? This could range from matters such as mandated meetings and practices not being held, to rules for procedures for meetings not being followed, or perhaps no checks being made to see if members voting are fully paid up, AGMs not being held, inquorate meetings, key posts remaining vacant for extended periods and so on.
And to ask a narrower question what causes a guild or association to be defunct? Of course I can understand how a guild or association could be formally wound up but what stops it limping on for ever?
It's an interesting question. How many territorial associations have actually disappeared? The highest profile must be the London County Associaiton which was formally wound up after its relevance diminished. Others have been 'disintermediated' a little bit by new associations being formed, usually on the periphery of large territorial associations.
I think that things have been relatively static for many decades. It would be interesting to hear from Guilds and Associations that have undergone significant restructuring and modifications to the way they operate to accommodate the changes that continue to take place around them. I know of a couple of high-profile and much quoted examples. There must be more.
Some years ago the CC Biographies Committee compiled a list of ringing societies including when they were formed, merged, divided or wound up. It's almost certainly incomplete although I've added some since then. See: http://jaharrison.me.uk/Temp/RingingSocs.html
Thank you for compiling the list. Just a couple of oddments: The "St Martin's Guild" is now just that, the rest of the title has been removed (to the best of my knowledge and belief).
I thought that The Martley Guild had been formally wound up some time ago but the Martley village web site seems to think it is still running, so not sure.