OXFORD UKRAINIAN SOCIETY
Constitution
RULE 1 NAME
RULE 2 OBJECTIVES
RULE 3 MEMBERSHIP
RULE 4 RESIGNATION
RULE 5 SANCTIONS
RULE 6 THE STRUCTURE OF THE SOCIETY
RULE 7 ROLE OF ADMINISTRATIVE BODIES
RULE 8 THE TERMLY GENERAL MEETING
RULE 9 FINANCE
RULE 10 AFFILIATION
RULE 11 SENIOR MEMBER
RULE 12 RETURNING OFFICER
RULE 13 RULES OF THE SOCIETY
RULE 14 STANDING ORDERS
RULE 15 GENERAL
RULE 16 THE PRESIDENT
RULE 17 THE TREASURER
RULE 18 THE SECRETARY
RULE 19 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
RULE 20 ELECTIONS
RULE 21 INDEMNITY
RULE 22 DISSOLUTION
RULE 23 NTERPRETATION
The name of the society shall be Oxford Ukrainian Society, henceforth referred to as the Society.
The Society shall have the following objectives:
• To provide locus and social milieu for Ukrainian students and other students interested in Ukraine.
• To advance knowledge of Ukraine within Oxford University.
• To cooperate with various societies of Oxford University.
• To interact with political, cultural and academic institutions in Ukraine and abroad by inviting speakers to participate in discussions and to deliver talks.
• To engage in such events which may serve to entertain the members while promoting Ukrainian culture, history, language and traditions.
• To commemorate the official festivities with appropriate celebrations.
• Membership of the Society will be open to any matriculated member of Oxford University.
• The Committee may also, at its discretion, admit to membership:
• Members of Ruskin College, Plater College, Ripon College, Cuddlesdon and St Stephen’s House.
ii) Members of the Westminster Institute of Oxford Brookes University who are registered to read for degrees or other qualifications validated by the University of Oxford.
• Any resident member of any other educational establishment in the UK whose members the President and the Committee have considered it desirable to admit as members may also become members of the Society.
• Non-university members must not amount to more than 20% of the total memberships.
• The President and the Committee shall determine the membership fee at First Week Committee Meeting.
• The members shall be eligible to maintain their membership only if they have paid the relevant Society subscription.
• The Committee may remove a person from membership for a good cause.
• Those expelled cannot rejoin.
• The duration of membership can be for one year or for life.
o Any member may withdraw their name from the list of members by giving notice in writing to the Secretary.
o The Secretary shall announce the resignations in the next Committee meeting with accompanying notice.
o A member who has resigned from the Society in accordance with this Rule who wishes to be readmitted may do so if the Committee agrees by a two-thirds majority.
o Under no circumstances will any refund of the membership fee be permitted.
• Any member who feels that another member has brought the Society into disrepute or undermined its objectives may convey this in writing to the President.
• The President, if he/she feels that the complaint is well grounded, shall convene the Complaints Committee within forty-eight hours.
• The Complaints Committee shall be composed of the President, Secretary and two Committee members.
i)The Complaints Committee shall be in quorum when four members are present.
• If two members cannot be found to sit on the Complaints Committee then the President shall approach the ex-officials in order of precedence until quorum is reached.
• If the complaint is against one of those entitled to be a member of the Complaints Committee then that person shall not have the right to attend or vote.
d) i) The Complaints Committee shall meet in camera. Minutes shall be taken by one of the members of the Committee.
ii) The minutes of the Complaints Committee may be published unless half or more of the voting members object.
iii) If half or more persons members of the Complaints Committee disagree with the complaint then the complaint is deemed to have been defeated.
• Any member whom the Complaints Committee deems to have behaved in a manner that has brought the Society into disrepute or undermined the Society’s objectives as defined in Rule 2 may be subject to sanctions imposed by the Complaints Committee.
• If a member is found guilty of a disciplinary offence then one of the following, but no more, may be imposed. The Complaints Committee shall take into account the gravity of the offence, the gravity of the effect on the reputation of the society and the past record of the member with the Society:
The removal of an elected official form their position.
To rule a member ineligible to run for any official position.
Impose a fine of no more than the membership fee.
Suspension from the Society for no longer than eight weeks of full term.
Expulsion from the Societ
• No sanctions save as listed in Rule 5d may be imposed on the members of the Society.
a) The affairs of the society shall be administered by a Committee consisting of not more than 7 persons, which shall determine the subscriptions payable by the members of the Society, and have the ultimate responsibility for the activities of the Society.
b) Members of the University shall at all times make up the majority of the members of the Committee.
c) The Committee shall have control of the funds and property of the Society, and of its administration.
d) The quorum for a Committee meeting shall be 3 members present in person and there must be present the President and the Secretary.
e) The Committee shall be made up of the President, the Secretary, the Treasurer (together, the “Office Holders” and their officers are referred to as “the Offices”), the Senior Member and 3 other persons.
f) The President, the Secretary and the Treasurer shall each be a member of the Society whose eligibility stems from paragraphs 3a and 3b above or (with the approval of the Proctors) a member of Congregation.
g) If his or her eligibility stems from paragraphs 3a or 3b above, on election to office he or she must sign and undertaking to abide by the Proctors’ Memorandum, and to accept the authority of the Proctors on Society matters.
Committee
a) The Sub-Committees shall be created at President’s discretion.
b) The Sub-Committee shall consist of any number of other persons, as appointed by the President.
c) i) Members of the University shall at all times make up the majority of the members of each sub-Committee.
ii) The Committees shall have control of the funds and property of the Society, and its administration.
iii) Each sub-Committee must present a monthly report of the sub-Committee activities to the President.
d) i) The President shall have the right to preside at all meetings of the members of the sub-Committee.
ii) Should the President be absent, or decline to take the chair, the Secretary shall chair the meeting.
• There shall be a Termly General Meeting in seventh week of each term.
• All elected and appointed officials are obliged to attend and present the following:
i) A written report including that information as set out under these Rules.
• A verbal report relating to their duties and activities carried out on behalf of the Society during this term.
• Any question, regarding the discharge of their duties within the Society, may be asked of elected or appointed members without notice being given by any member of the Society.
• The funds of the Society shall be placed into an account controlled by the President and the Treasurer.
• The President and the Treasurer shall be joint signatories to the account.
• All expenditure of the Society must be authorized in advance by the President or simple majority at a previous meeting of the Committee.
• i) Should the President be in a position where expenditure is necessary before the procedure in Rule 9c can be followed he/she may authorize it with consent of either the Treasurer or the Secretary.
• Such unforeseen expenditure must be announced at the next Committee meeting.
• No other account should be opened in the name of the Society, except with a specific permission of the President.
• The Society is not liable for the any expenditure that has not been authorized by the procedure outlined under this Rule.
• i) Any dispute shall be settled by a motion passed at Committee meeting.
• Appeal regarding the dispute can be made to the Senior Member by any member of the Committee.
h) i) All members must make prompt payment of any outstanding debts to the Society when being notified of these debts by the Treasurer, unless there are exceptional circumstances. These circumstances will only be valid if a unanimous consent of the President and the Treasurer has been granted.
• If after the expiry of three weeks of full term from date of notification no payment has been received, the Treasurer shall issue a formal written reminder that no payment has been received to the member concerned.
• If after the expiry of two weeks of full term from the date of the official reminder no payment has been received, the Treasurer shall issue a final written notice to the member concerned, stating that failure to pay the outstanding amount within seven days of full term will result in the member being deemed to have resigned from the Society.
• If after the expiry of seven days from the date of the final written notice no payment has been received the member will be deemed to have resigned from the Society.
• Appeal may be made to the Senior Member by the members concerned.
The Society will affiliate in appropriate manner with official governing bodies of Ukraine and other Ukrainian student societies.
• The Senior Member of the Society shall be a member of the Congregation of the University with an interest in Ukraine.
• i)The Senior Member shall be appointed for the term of five years.
• The Senior Member may serve any number of such terms.
• The Senior Member must be a member ex officio of the Society’s governing body, the Committee.
• The President will be responsible for approaching a suitable candidate, after consultation with Committee.
d) In the event of resignation of the Senior Member during his/her term of office the procedure under Rule 11c shall be followed.
e) At the same time the Senior Ex-President in residence shall carry out any Duties, but not the Office, required of the Senior Member. Should he/she be unable or unwilling to perform these duties the President shall approach Ex-Presidents in residence in order of seniority until the vacancy is filled, and in default shall him/herself carry out the duties of the Senior Member, but not the Office.
f) The appointment of a temporary stand-in for the Senior Member under Rule 11e would be subject in each case to the Proctors’ approval.
a)
i) Nominations for the position of Returning Officer shall be opened in FirstWeekMeeting.
ii) The nominations for the position of Returning Officer shall remain in camera.
iii) No member may serve as the Returning Officer if he has been convicted of electoral malpractice.
iv) A Returning Officer may serve more than once.
v) The Committee shall convene no later than the First Week to appoint a Returning Officer.
vi) The Committee shall use the criteria of independence, experience and suitability as a means of selecting the Returning Officer.
vii) Candidates for the position of Returning Officer who have the right to sit on the Committee shall not be present, or vote, on their own or any other person's appointment.
viii) If the Committee deems that no candidate is suitable to serve as the Returning Officer nominations shall be re-opened. The serving Returning Officer shall continue his/her duty of Office until a new Returning Officer is appointed.
b) In the event of the death or resignation of the Returning Officer the President shall convene the Disciplinary Committee and until a new Returning Officer is elected, the President shall perform the duties, but not the Office, of the Returning Officer.
c) The Returning Officer shall be responsible for the conduct of the election.
d) The Returning Officer may call an emergency meeting of the Committee with twenty-four hours notice. He/she must notify all members of all such bodies.
e) The interpretation of all Rules and Standing Orders relating to the election, lies with the Returning Officer. He/she may only be over-ruled by the Senior Member at the request of any member.
f) The Returning Officer shall perform such other duties as are required under the Rules.
a) i) The rules of the Society will bind all members of the Society.
All members by virtue of joining agree to abide by these rules.
b) Any member may propose a constitutional amendment. Notice of such change should be announced at the Committee meeting and full constitutional amendment must be given to the President one week before the meeting at which this motion is to be presented.
c) No request for constitutional amendment may be rejected without Committee’s consideration.
d) Only members of Committees are entitled to vote for any motion proposing constitutional amendment.
e) The Rules of the Society may be amended if two-thirds of a quorate Committe vote in favor of the amendments. Quorum for constitutional amendments shall be five voting members.
f) These Rules may not contradict the Proctors’ Memorandum.
• The Society will have such standing orders as are passed by a two-thirds majority of the Committee.
• Any matter may be regulated by Standing Order, save that no Standing Order may directly or indirectly contradict a Rule.
• Valid Standing Orders have the force of Rules.
• These Standing Orders may not contradict the Proctors’ Memorandum.
• If during the period between the annual election to Offices any vacancies occur amongst the members of a Committee, the President shall have the power of filling the vacancy or vacancies up to the next Annual General Meeting.
• Each Officer must, on relinquishing his or her appointment, promptly hand to his or her successor in Office, or to another member of a Committee nominated by the President, all official documents and records belonging to the Society which may be in his or her possession, and must complete any requirements to transfer authority relating to control of the Society’s bank accounts, building society accounts, or other financial affairs.
• The President shall be chairing all meetings of the Society.
• The President is responsible for creating a termcard.
• The President will be responsible for preparing events for the Society.
• The President must ensure that the rooms for all prospective venues are booked.
• The President is responsible for liaison with other Ukrainian Societies and organisations.
• The President is in charge of all communications with the media.
• i) The President may form Sub-Committees as he/she thinks fit and specify the duties and responsibilities of such sub-Committees within these rules.
• The President, Treasurer and Secretary are, ex officio, members of all Sub-Committees.
• The President will allocate portfolios to members of the Committee.
• The President must prepare a budget for all events that are planned and provide the Treasurer with this preliminary budget a week before the first event.
• The President has a casting as well as deliberative vote.
• The President will perform such duties as are required by the Rules.
• The Treasurer is responsible for all funds of the Society.
• The Treasurer must ensure that accurate written records of the income and expenditure of the Society is maintained. These shall be presented at every Termly General Meeting where they shall be countersigned by the President.
• The Treasurer will be responsible for raising revenue, and shall seek sponsorship to that end.
• The Treasurer will ensure that all debts owed to the Society are promptly paid according to Rule 9h (i), (ii), (iii).
• The Treasurer will ensure that all monies owed by the Society are promptly paid.
• The Treasurer will present all budgets at Committee meetings for all events that will occur before the next Committe meeting.
• The Treasurer is responsible for forwarding the accounts for the previous term by Saturday of the First Week to the Secretary.
• The Treasurer will perform such other duties as are required under the Rules.
• The Secretary shall be responsible for notification of all meetings to all members.
• The Secretary must keep accurate records and minutes of Committee meetings.
• All meetings of the Society shall be minuted.
• The Secretary is responsible for keeping and maintaining a list of members of the Society.
• The Secretary is in charge of all general administration of the Society.
• The Secretary must ensure that the Society is registered with the Proctors by Saturday of First Week of each term.
• In accordance with the Proctors Memorandum the Secretary must deliver to the Proctors a copy of the Society’s Termcard, Constitution and the Treasurer’s accounts not later than Saturday of First Week of each term.
• The Secretary will collate all changes made to the Rules of the Society since Termly General Meeting of the previous term and present an updated version of the Rules and a comprehensive list of changes at Committee’s request.
• The Termly General Meeting report of the Secretary must include Committee minutes since the First Week of the term.
• The Secretary must present an up-to-date membership list at the Termly General Meeting.
• By the end of Trinity Term the Secretary must give to the Archives in the Bodleian all materials pertinent to that terms activities. It must include all Termly General Meeting Reports, the Termcard and the minutes of all meetings. Failure to do so is a disciplinary offence.
• The Secretary will perform such other duties as are required under the Rules.
• There shall be an Annual General Meeting (AGM) for all the members of the Society in Trinity Term, convened by the Secretary on not less than fourteen days’ notice.
• The AGM will:
i) Receive the annual report of the Committee for the previous year and the accounts of the Society for the previous year, the report and accounts being approved by the Committee.
ii) Elect Members of the Committee in accordance with the Rule 21 below: the Committee’s nominations for various positions shall be contained in the notice of the Meeting.
• Any alternative nominations must be seconded and have the consent of the nominee, and must be received in writing by the Secretary not less than seven days before the date of the Meeting.
• Nominations for the other Committee Members may be taken from the floor of the meeting.
• Consider any motions of which due notice has been given, and any other relevant business.
• An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called in any Full Term by the President, the Secretary or the Treasurer on not less than seven days’ notice, or on a written requisition by seven or more members, stating the reason for which the meeting is to be called, and delivered to the Secretary not less than fourteen days before the date of the Meeting.
• Prior to all General Meetings notice of the agenda shall be sent out with the notice of the Meeting.
• The quorum for a General Meeting shall be 10 members present in person or by proxy, of whom five must be members of the Committee.
• When any financial business is to be transacted there must be present the President or the Treasurer, or a member of the Committee deputed by the Treasurer to represent his or her views to the Meeting (provided that where it is a case of a deputy, the only financial business transacted shall be that which was set out in the agenda accompanying the notice of the Meeting).
• The members of the Committee (other than the Senior Member) shall be elected by the members of the Society termly, and shall be eligible for re-election.
• The members of the Society shall not appoint several individuals jointly to hold any of the Offices, nor allow more than one individual to hold more than one Office at a time.
• If during the period between the election of offices any vacancies occur amongst the members of the Committee the President shall have the power of filling the vacancy or vacancies up to the next Election by co-optation.
• So far as may be permitted by law, every member of a Committee and every Officer of the Society shall be entitled to be indemnified by the Society against all costs, charges, losses, expenses and liabilities incurred by him or her in the execution or discharge of his or her duties or the exercise of his or her powers, or otherwise properly in relation to or in connection with his or her duties. This indemnity extends to any liability incurred by him or her in defending any proceedings, civil or criminal, which relate to anything done, or omitted, or alleged to have been done or omitted by him or her as a member of a Committee or Officer of the Society and in which judgement is given in his or her favour (or the proceedings are otherwise disposed of without any finding or admission of any material breach of duty on his or her part), or in which he or she is acquitted, or in connection with any application under any statute for relief from liability in respect of any such act or omission in which relief is granted to him or her by the Court.
• So far as may be permitted by law, the Society may purchase any maintain for any member of the Committee or Officer of the Society insurance cover against any liability which by virtue of any rule of law may attach to him or her in respect of any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust of which he or she may be guilty in relation to the Society and against all costs, charges, losses and expenses and liabilities incurred by him or her and for which he or she is entitled to be indemnified by the Society by virtue of Rule 22 a).
• The Society may be dissolved at any time by the approving votes of two-thirds of those present in person of by proxy at a General Meeting. The Society may also be dissolved (without the need for any resolution of the members) by means of no less than thirty days notice from the Proctors to the Secretary of the Society if at any time the Society ceases to be registered with the Proctors.
• In the event of the Society being dissolved, its assets shall not be distributed amongst the members, but shall be paid to or at the direction of University.
Any question about the interpretation of this Constitution shall be settled by the Proctors.
Ukrainian TV-channel 1+1, in cooperation with the OUUS, filmed a news episode on the life of Margaret Thatcher in Oxford. It was broadcasted on 14 April 2013 in the news program TSN. The text and video are available online at the TSN website (Ukr).
Baroness Thatcher, one of the most prominent prime-ministers in UK history, studied chemistry at Somerville college in Oxford in 1943−1947.
We are delighted to annouce that photos from the talk by Lord Risby are available online:
http://ukrainianoxford.org/index.php?page=talk-by-lord-risby