The MethSoc Constitution

Preamble

The Society shall be called "The Cambridge Student Methodist Society"', hereinafter called "the Society". For the purposes of accounting the Society shall be called "Cambridge MethSoc". Membership of the Society shall be open, at the Committee's discretion, to members of the University of Cambridge, members of other institutions of Higher Education in Cambridge and to any others who are interested. The aims of the Society shall be:

1. to unite in worship and fellowship all those who wish to follow the Methodist tradition within the Christian Church;

2. to provide opportunities for Christian witness;

3. to encourage ecumenical activities in the University of Cambridge and other institutions of Higher Education in Cambridge.

Definitions

1. The terms used in this Constitution shall bear their common meaning except where a term has acquired an accepted special meaning within the University of Cambridge.

2. For the purposes of the Constitution the male shall embrace the female.

3. For the purposes of the Constitution the term Member does not include Honorary Member.

4. The Society's financial year shall run from one Easter Term to the Easter Term in the following year, at dates fixed by the Treasurer.

5. A 'matter' shall be either a motion or a proposed amendment to the Constitution.

6. A simple majority shall be a majority of those voting excluding abstentions.

Clauses

A. Membership

1. Members of the Society shall be those who have paid the subscription for the current academic year together with ex-officio Members. Regular attenders at meetings of the Society will normally be expected to pay the subscription.

2. Membership shall normally become Honorary Membership when a Member ceases to pay his subscription to the Society.

3. The Chaplain or Chaplains, the society's Church Pastoral Worker(s), the Chaplaincy Assistant(s) and the Senior Treasurer shall be ex-officio Members of the Society.

4. The Committee may, with the consent of the Society at a Business Meeting, appoint Honorary Members.

5. Only Members of the Society may:

  1. vote in any election or on any other matters presented to the Society.

6. Only paying Members of the Society may:

  1. stand for election for membership of the Committee or

  2. nominate or second a person to stand for election for membership of the Committee.

B. Committee

1. The normal business of the Society shall be conducted by a Committee whose membership shall consist of the President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Social Secretary and Members elected to the Committee when the Committee meets between the Business Meeting at which they are elected and the date of taking office.

2. Any Member of the Society may be present at Committee Meetings except that the Committee reserves the right to hold a closed meeting.

3. While all persons present at a Committee Meeting (that is, Members and observers) may address the Meeting, only Committee Members may vote. Each Committee Member shall have one vote save that in the event of a tie the President shall have the casting vote. A simple majority shall suffice for a decision. If a Committee Member holds two positions on the Committee he shall still have only one vote.

4. The quorum for the Committee shall be three quarters of the persons who are full Committee Members.

5. At Committee Meetings the ex-officio Members of the Society shall have the status of observers.

6. The Committee shall normally meet once each Term, at the beginning of the Term. The Secretary shall publicise details of Committee Meetings not less than seven days in advance of the Meeting.

7. Committee meetings shall normally be chaired by the President.

8. The Committee shall have the power to interpret the Constitution provided that they do so within the terms laid down in the Preamble, the Definitions, and Clause F of the Constitution.

9. The Committee shall have the power to appoint officials of the Society.

10. Named persons shall be nominated as responsible for specific points of action resulting from the decisions of the Committee.

C. Elections

1.

  1. For each candidate for election to the Committee the President or Secretary shall receive a written nomination containing the candidate's own signature and those of his nominator and seconder. Nominations shall be received by the midnight at the end of the day a week before the elections. The names of the candidates standing for each post shall be published on the sixth day before the elections occur, normally by the Secretary.

  2. The President shall not hold any other Committee post. If a person is a candidate for more than one of the posts of Member of Committee at one election, election to the Presidency nullifies his other candidature. Other Committee Members may hold concurrent Committee posts.

  3. The period of office of the successful candidate shall run from the beginning of the vacation following the Term in which he is elected.

  4. The President shall be the returning officer at all elections.

  5. The President shall neither nominate nor second any candidate. No person who nominates or seconds a candidate for a post may nominate or second any other person for the same post.

2.

  1. At the election of Members of Committee, the Chairman shall appoint two tellers and announce the nominations for the posts.

  2. Voting shall be by a blind show of hands.

  3. The tellers shall count the votes in secret and in the event of a tie shall decide the winner by the toss of a coin.

  4. The tellers shall indicate the result by giving the returning officer (the President) the name of the successful candidate.

  5. The tellers shall not reveal the number of votes cast or the order of the candidates.

D. Committee Posts

1. The Members holding these committee roles are responsible for ensuring all responsibilities of their role are fulfilled but may designate other Members of the Society to assist them where appropriate.

2. The President shall be elected at the Termly Business Meeting during Easter Term to take office on the last day of that university term.

  1. The duration of office of the President shall be three vacations and three Terms.

  2. As a responsibility shared with all Members, the President shall encourage the on-going spiritual growth of the Society and its Members.

  3. The President shall be responsible for co-ordinating the contents of Main Meetings, a weekly social meeting and a Society Service and for producing a Term Card. He shall also have a supervisory responsibility for the activities of the Society as a whole.

  4. The President will be in charge of chairing all the meetings.

  5. The President shall ensure all relevant meetings and speakers are advertised by any appropriate medium around the colleges and other selected institutions in Cambridge.

  6. The President will organise retreats that occur at the end of both Michealmas and Lent terms.

  7. He shall have oversight for the pastoral care of Members within the Society and amongst new students at Wesley.

  8. The President or his delegate shall be responsible for the publicising of the Society, including organising the Society stall at the freshers' fair, maintaining the website, managing email lists, co-operating with other churches and chapels, maintaining the Society notice board, and producing occasional publicity material as required.

  9. The President will be the interdenominational and interfaith contact for the Society.

  10. The President will represent the Society at the Wesley Methodist Church Council.

3. The Secretary shall be elected annually normally during the Michaelmas Termly Business Meeting and shall hold office for one year.

  1. The Secretary shall take minutes of Committee and Business Meetings and prepare agendas for such Meetings as may be necessary.

  2. He shall procure the typing of minutes of such Meetings which shall then be made generally available to all Members.

  3. The Secretary shall conduct such correspondence on behalf of the Society as may be necessary.

  4. During the Christmas Vacation immediately following his retirement he shall be responsible for invitations to the Reunion.

  5. The Secretary shall co-ordinate the list of names of those who wish to be on any of the coffee, reading, door stewarding and communion stewarding rotas at Wesley Methodist Church.

  6. The Secretary shall co-ordinate the catering for the Society.

  7. The Secretary shall during every Michaelmas Term, produce an Address List of Members (with the consent of all those concerned) and provide a copy for every Member.

  8. The Secretary shall manage email lists for use by the society, consisting of, but not limited to, email lists for the following purposes:

    1. Committee

    2. Announce - for events and reminders

    3. General - for general discussions by members

    4. Alumni - mainly for the purpose of organising reunion by the ex-secretary

4. The Treasurer shall be elected annually normally during the Lent Termly Business Meeting and shall hold office for one year, beginning in Michaelmas.

  1. The Treasurer shall recommend the annual subscription to the Committee and shall collect it subject to the Committee's approval.

  2. The Treasurer shall present a statement of the Society's accounts to the Society at each Termly Business Meeting.

  3. The Treasurer shall ensure that there occurs an Annual Audit of Society accounts, normally at the end of the Easter Term.

  4. The Treasurer shall present accounts to the Senior Treasurer when required to do so.

  5. The Treasurer and two others -- the President and the Secretary holding the post in Michaelmas term of that year (unless the Committee direct otherwise) -- shall be empowered to sign cheques on behalf of the Society, two of the three signatures being sufficient.

  6. All financial business conducted for, or on behalf of the Society must have the prior consent of the Treasurer.

  7. The Treasurer shall keep a list of Members of the Society.

  8. After a new Treasurer has been elected, it will be the responsibility of the current Treasurer to arrange the change of signatories before the year end.

  9. The treasurer shall be responsible for the co-ordination of hospitality and pigeon hole fairies.

5. The Senior Treasurer (if necessary) shall be appointed by the Committee with the consent of the Society at a Business Meeting. He shall be a resident Member of the University of Cambridge. He shall present audited accounts to the Junior Proctor as required by University of Cambridge Ordinance.

6. The Social Secretary shall be elected annually, normally at the Lent Business Meeting and shall hold office for one year.

  1. The Social Secretary shall organise the Taking of the Annual Society Photograph (in the Easter Term.)

  2. The Social Secretary shall oversee all the social events of the Society not limited to but particularly:

    1. Termly Charity events

    2. The Society revue in Lent Term

    3. The Garden Party, Punting and College Walk in Easter Term, usually in May Week.

    4. The fresher's party during Michaelmas Term.

  3. The Social Secretary shall provide retirement gifts for outgoing Committee Members (the cost of which will be refunded by the treasurer).

7. If a Member of the Committee is absent due to illness or conditions of his course, or a post is vacant through no candidate willingly standing, his duties shall be the responsibility of the remaining Members of the Committee.

8. If a Member of the Committee resigns, there shall normally be a bye-election to elect a new Member within two weeks and one day of the vacancy occurring. If this should prove to be impracticable, the Committee may alter the date of the election. When a Member of the Committee resigns, his duties shall be the responsibility of the remaining Members of the Committee.

E. Business Meetings

The Society shall hold a Business Meeting at least once a Term, within Full Term.

1. The Committee shall have the power to summon an Extraordinary Business Meeting. An Extraordinary Business Meeting shall also be summoned if a petition requiring one is given to the President. Such a petition shall contain the signatures of at least one third of the Members of the Society.

2. The Secretary shall give notice of a Business Meeting not less than two weeks before the Meeting occurs. An Extraordinary Business Meeting shall occur within three weeks and one day of being summoned unless this would result in the Meeting being held outside Full Term. In that case, the Meeting shall be held in the first week of the next Full Term.

3. Members and, at the discretion of the President, any other person, may be present at a Business Meeting. All persons present may address the Meeting through the Chairman.

4. A quorum shall be one half of the Membership of the Society. All Business Meetings shall be quorate.

5. Business Meetings shall normally be chaired by the President.

6. Any matter to be debated by the Society must have a proposer and a seconder. The matter shall be recorded in writing along with the names of both the proposer and seconder. Amendments to matters may be proposed at a Business Meeting by any Member of the Society. Amendments shall have a proposer and a seconder. The Chairman shall decide whether the amendment falls within the subject of the original matter and shall have the power to exclude it if it does not.

7. Voting on matters presented to the Society shall be by show of hands except at the discretion of the Chairman, when a secret ballot shall be held following the procedures set out in Clause C(2) as far as possible.

8. A simple majority shall be sufficient to pass a motion or an amendment to a motion.

9. Elections to the Committee shall only take place at Business Meetings.

10. A Business Meeting may demand the resignation of any Member of the Committee. A majority of at least two thirds (excluding abstentions) shall be required. Voting shall be by secret ballot.

11. Proposed amendments to the Constitution shall be published at least one week before they are to be voted upon.

12. If a Member who, for good and sufficient reason, cannot attend a Business Meeting wishes to vote at an election or on a matter to be presented, he may approach the President or Secretary for a postal vote. A postal vote shall be granted provided that the reason is satisfactory. The vote shall be received in an envelope sealed with that Member's signature, before the Business Meeting and the sealed envelope shall be handed to the tellers at the Business Meeting.

13. Matters to be discussed at Business Meetings shall be published, by the Secretary, as soon as possible after they become available to him.

14. Named persons shall be nominated as responsible for specific points of action resulting from the decisions of any Business Meeting. They shall then report back to the Society in future Business Meetings, as deemed necessary.

F. Sovereignty

1. The Business Meeting shall be the sovereign body of the Society.

2. Members of the Committee shall be responsible both individually and collectively to the Business Meeting.

Constitution (last edited 2014-06-10 13:01:00 by fms43)