Model Constitution for Clubs & Societies 1 Name The club / society shall be called the Birkbeck College

London:

Objects The objects of the Clubs / Society are:

Membership Membership shall be open to all members of the Students Union of Birkbeck. Officers shall verify union membership when registering new society members. Membership of non-students/non-Union members shall be no higher than 15% or 3 persons of the total membership, whichever is the higher, Where a fee for membership is charged, this fee shall be higher for non-Union members.

Officers The officers of the club/society shall be members of the club/society at the time of election, and shall consist of President, Treasurer and Secretary and such other officers as the club/society deems necessary. They shall hold officer for one year and shall be elected by separate vote from among the members of the club/society at the Annual General Meeting of the club/society. All officers of the society shall be current students and current student union members. An officer shall be eligible for re-election provided that they are still a bona fide member of the club/society and a current student and current Students Union member.

Records Shall be kept by the secretary and made available for inspection by any member of the club/society or by the Union Council if so required. These records will include minutes of any meetings, minutes of the AGM, and the Annual Report. The club/society shall provide details of their officers and current membership, to the clubs & societies officer. Full details of all Officers will be recorded on Officers Sheets provided by the Union Office, and current membership lists shall be maintained, including details of membership fees paid (if any) and union membership.

Government The club/society shall be governed by a committee consisting of the officers of the club/society as defined above and not less than two members of the club/society who shall be elected annually under such rules of procedure as the AGM shall direct. The committee shall have powers to co-opt not more than two members. The committee shall hold office for on year and shall meet not less than once in every term.

Vacation of Office Any officer shall vacate her officer upon resignation or upon dismissal from her office by resolution of a general meeting of the club

Casual Vacancies Whether of officers or of members of the committee, shall be filed by election from among the members of the club/ society under such rules of procedure as the committee shall direct. All those elected to such casual vacancies shall be current students and current student union members.

Annual General Meeting This meeting shall be held in the first four weeks of the third term of session. Not less than fourteen clear days notice of the AGM shall be given by being displayed throughout the period on the relevant notice boards in College. The Union Executive shall be given equal notification. Society members who are not current Union members do not have voting rights.

General Meetings These shall be called at the discretion of the committee or at the written request of not less than six members of the club/society or at the direction of the Union Council. Notice of not less than three clear days of term, excluding weekends and bank holidays shall be given. Society members who are not current Union members do not have voting rights.

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Finance Applications by the club/society to the students Union for grants of money shall be made at the discretion of the committee by the treasurer of the club/society. A budget for the following session shall be submitted to the Students Union by the start of the financial year (31 August). Failure to present the budget may make the club/society liable to lose its affiliation to the Students Union, unless an extension shall have been obtained from the Club & Societies officer of the Students Union. On vacating office the treasurer of the club/society shall hand over the books of account to her duly elected successor and report the handing over to the Union. In the even of the club/society not electing any officers for the following session the treasurer shall hand over the books to the Students Union.

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Right of Appeal The committee shall have the right of appeal the Union Council as laid out in Schedule VII of the Union Constitution.

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Students Union Constitution The club/society shall be governed by the appropriate clauses of the Union Constitution with regard to any matter not covered by this Constitution.

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Amendment of the Constitution This constitution may be amended or altered only by a resolution supported by twothirds of the members present and voting at a general meeting, provided that no alteration shall contravene any part of the Students Union Constitution, or be valid unless and until it is allowed by the Union Council.

This constitution shall be made available to all members of the society on request.