UC FemSoc Constitution
1. NAME
The name of the society shall be UC FemSoc; “The Feminist Society of the University of
Canterbury” may be used as alternate for formal documents such as petitions circulating
outside campus.
2. OBJECTIVES
÷ To enrich the University of Canterbury student culture by providing a space for the
dissemination, discussion, education and application of various feminist ideas and
theories.
÷ To advocate equal gender practices campus wide and in other clubs and
organisations.
÷ To deconstruct the pervasive and erroneous stereotyping of feminism, as a
movement pertinent only to the interests of women, through stressing the
intersectionality of oppression that renders the feminist movement relevant to the
emancipation of all oppressed and marginalised groups.
÷ To display an unbiased approach to obliterating negative gender based stereotypes
for men, women and transgender peoples.
÷ To disrupt and defamiliarize the internalization of ideologies that serve to naturalise
patriarchal constructions of women as passive, sexualized objects.
÷ To empower women to undertake the construction of counter-narratives, expressed
in authentic Écriture féminine, which oppose both the oppressive ideologies
sustaining the metanarratives of patriarchy, and the violence of the language in
which these ideologies are often rendered.
÷ To liberate the repressed creative energies of women through the creation of a
publication which will aim to explore issues affecting women from a predominantly
female perspective. The publication will also seek to raise consciousness of the
creative activities of various female artists, writers, poets etc. in order to support the
process of female creativity of which it itself will be an embodiment.
÷ To keep members and the student body informed of gender issues, at the local,
national and international level.
-To embody egalitarian democratic political principles and processes.
3. MEMBERSHIP
a. The following persons shall be eligible for membership:
i. Any member of the University of Canterbury Students’ Association Inc.
ii. Any graduate member of the University of Canterbury Students’ Association Inc.
iii. Any staff member or student of the University of Canterbury.
iv. Any person who is willing to comply with and pursue the objectives listed in the previous
section.
b. Membership will be granted on reception of one’s full name and email address.
c. A member may be expelled from the club subject to two thirds committee member
agreement.
4. SUBSCRIPTION
a. The annual subscription fee to be paid by each member will be determined by collective
democratic processes at either the Annual General Meeting (AGM) or a Special General
Meeting (SGM).
5. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
a. All the members together will form a collective.
b. The committee in principal charge of organising events and conducting correspondence
shall be elected by a two thirds majority of the collective at the Annual General Meeting
(AGM) to hold office until the next AGM unless they:
i. Resign, or
ii. Lose by a vote of no confidence at a General Meeting
c. The committee will consist of a President, Secretary, Treasurer and Publicity Officer and
as many untitled members as wish to join (with the maximum of 10 members in all).
d. All elections for the committee shall be conducted by a show of hands or by ballot.
6. MANAGEMENT
a. The Committee of UC FemSoc, as provided for in Clause 5, shall manage the internal
affairs of the Club and fulfil its clerical functions;
i. Maintaining the list of members.
ii. Liaising with the University of Canterbury Student’s Association and other organisations
within the wider Christchurch and New Zealand communities.
iii. Organising events and meetings and keeping accurate minutes of the proceedings.
iv. Conducting all correspondence with persons outside of the society.
v. Filing all communications and papers.
vi. Issuing notice of meetings by email and on any social media affiliated with UCFemSoc at
least one week before they take place.
vii. Liasing with any speakers, attendees or guests at UC FemSoc functions.
viii. Collecting and accounting for all subscriptions, disposing of them as approved by the
collective, keeping proper books and preparing a financial report on income and
expenditure of the financial year as well as a statement of assets and liabilities for the
Annual General Meeting.
ix. Organising advertising for UC FemSoc events.
x. Organising the locations for UC FemSoc events.
xi. Maintaining all equipment necessary and obtaining items for UCFemSoc events, keeping
a record of equipment or property purchased.
xii. Organising and being responsible for the operation of the Magazine “That’s What She
Said” and ensuring its regular publication.
xiii. Ensuring there is an active online presence of the club, especially through its Facebook
page.
xiv. Attending generally to all clerical duties in connection with UCFemSoc.
b. The committee shall exercise supervision over properties; shall purchase all materials
required by the Club and pass accounts for payment.
c. The committee shall have power to carry out and enforce the constitution, and from time
to time, make, amend or rescind by-laws as is agreed upon by the majority in a general
meeting.
d. All votes will be equal across club membership and no member of the committee has a
more valuable vote than a non-committee member.
7. FUNDS
a. The funds of UC FemSoc shall only be applied towards the promotion and fulfilment of
the aims and objectives of UCFemSoc.
b. No portion of any funds shall be transferred for private use with the exception of
equitable reimbursement to a member for legitimate expenditure on behalf of the society,
as authorised by the committee.
c. All monies shall be deposited in an account of UC FemSoc with the President and
Treasurer as signatories and with records kept of any withdrawals which may be done by
any committee member.
d. The society is solely responsible for all debts incurred in its name. The society will not
pass on financial liability and responsibility for these debts to the University of Canterbury
Students Association.
8. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS AND SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING
a. Notice of Annual General and Special General Meetings shall be posted on the Club
Facebook page and provided in emails sent to members no less than seven days prior to
their taking place.
b. An Annual General Meeting of UC FemSoc shall be held each year, at a date determined
by the committee. The regular business of the meeting shall be:
• To receive the Annual Report (President).
• To receive the Financial Report, and the Statement of Assets and Liabilities for the
preceding year (Treasurer).
• To elect Committee members for the forthcoming year.
• To transact any other general business of the Club.
c. The mode of voting at all meetings shall be by a show of hands or a secret ballot.
d. At all General Meetings of the Club, all members shall be entitled to vote.
e. Quorum of an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting (which may be called
by members of the committee with democratic approval of the collective at any time of the
year) of UC FemSoc shall be ten per cent of the total number of members, or 10 members,
whichever is smaller.
9. FINANCIAL YEAR
a. The financial year of the Club shall begin on the first day of January, and terminate on the
last day of December in each year.
10. CONSTITUTION
a. The Secretary and Treasurer shall keep copies of this Constitution, which shall be available
to members on request. The Constitution shall also be accessible on the University of
Canterbury Students’ Association website and the UC FemSoc Facebook page.
11. ALTERATIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION
a. No part of this Constitution shall be altered, rescinded or added to except at a General
Meeting of the Club called for that purpose and every proposed alteration must be handed
to the Secretary at least eight clear days prior to the date of such a meeting.
b. No motion to alter or rescind or add to this constitution shall be deemed to be carried at
a General Meeting unless two-thirds majority vote in favour of the changes to be received
from the members present.
c. The UCSA Clubs Development Officer, UCSA Clubs Committee, and University of
Canterbury Students’ Association Inc will be notified in writing of any alterations made to
the constitution.
d. No motion to alter or rescind or add to this Constitution shall be deemed to be carried if
the University of Canterbury Students’ Association Inc Executive deems the change to be
contrary to the interests, aims or objectives of the University of Canterbury Students’
Association Inc.
12. STANDING ORDERS
a. The Standing Orders of UC FemSoc shall be those of the University of Canterbury
Students’ Association Inc.
13. AFFILIATION
a. UC FemSoc shall apply for affiliation to the University of Canterbury Students’ Association
Inc on an annual basis, and will abide by the decisions and rulings of its Executive. The
conduct of the affairs of UC FemSoc shall be in accordance with the Constitution of the
University of Canterbury Students’ Association Inc.
14. WINDING UP
a. The Club shall be wound up if:
• A motion to that effect is passed by a two-thirds majority at a Special General Meeting or
Annual General Meeting.
b. In the event of the dissolution of FemSoc, all property and assets (including any monies
held in the club bank account), shall be held in trust by the University of Canterbury
Students’ Association Inc for not less than four years, and will be given to a University of
Canterbury Students’ Association Inc Club with the same objectives when such a Club is
formed. If, after four years, no similar University of Canterbury Students’ Association Inc
Club is formed, the University of Canterbury Students’ Association Inc shall have the power
to dispose of assets and properties as it sees fit. All profits from such disposal will go
towards the University of Canterbury Students’ Association Inc Club Funds.