Model Constitution for Clubs & Societies
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Name
The club / society shall be called the Birkbeck:
Objects
The objects of the Club / Society are:
Membership
Full Membership shall be open to all Ordinary Members of the Students’ Union.
Officers (defined below) shall verify union membership status when registering new
society members.
Associate Membership of the society shall be open to those who are not Ordinary
Members of the Students’ Union but fall into one of the other categories of
membership of the Students’ Union.
The rules of membership of the society shall be further detailed in the Clubs &
Societies Regulations, made from time to time by the Students’ Union.
Officers
The officers of the club/society shall be members of the club/society at the time of
election, and shall consist of three individuals – one of the officers shall be assigned
as the chairperson/president and another individual as the officer responsible for the
financial affairs.
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.
The officers are eligible for re-election once (either consecutive or non consecutive)
into the same position.
Further rules governing the officerships are set down in the Clubs & Societies
Regulations.
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Shall be kept by a duly appointed Officer of the club/society and made available for
inspection by any member of the club/society or by the Students’ Union
Trustees/General Manager 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 Students’ Union Executive
Committee member responsible for Clubs & Societies and to the staff member
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Records
appointed to administer Clubs & Societies by the General Manager. 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.
Further rules on records and reporting are set down in the Clubs & Societies
Regulations.
Government
The club/society shall be governed by a committee consisting of the officers of the
club/society as defined above and any further members of the club/society who shall
be elected annually under such rules of procedure as the AGM of the club/society
shall direct. The committee may not co-opt voting members, but may fill vacancies by
co-option of non-voting members, provided they are paid-up members of the
club/society.
The committee shall hold office for on year and shall meet not less than once in every
term.
Any Trustee of the Students’ Union, the General Manager (or a duly appointed
representative), or the Returning Officer can attend, without notice, and speak at any
meeting of the club/society (without voting rights).
Vacation of Office
Any officer or committee member shall vacate her office upon resignation or upon
dismissal from her office by resolution of a general meeting of the club, provided that
such a resolution is made in accordance with the basic provisions of the Clubs &
Societies Regulations.
Annual General Meeting
The AGM of the club/society shall be notified to all members of the club/society and to
the Trustees of the Students’ Union in writing. At least four weeks’ notice shall be
served.
The AGM may be held at any time, provided that not more than 15 months pass since
the last AGM, nor fewer than six months have passed.
The AGM shall be governed by the Clubs & Societies Regulations.
Additional general meetings or extraordinary meetings may be held in accordance
with the Clubs & Societies Regulations and also at the discretion of the committee or
the club/society.
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.
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Standing Orders
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A budget for the following session shall be submitted to the Students’ Union in line
with the Clubs & Societies Regulations. The officer responsible for the finances shall
be responsible to the committee for ensuring that a suitable budget is proposed,
including proposals for membership fees, raising funds and grant applications.
The committee, acting by a two-thirds majority may make Standing Orders for the
general governance and regulation of the work and activities of the club/society.
Standing Orders, which may include procedures for the conduct of meetings
(including the AGM and general meetings) of the club/society.
Any Standing Orders made (or amended) shall be appended to this Constitution and
filed with the Students’ Union Trustees.
Students’ Union Rules
The Students’ Union is a Registered Charity (Number 1142614) and incorporated in
England & Wales as a company limited by guarantee. The club/society, upon
recognition by the Students’ Union, shall become an integral part of the Students’
Union, formally being constituted as a Sub-Committee of the Representatives’
Council.
Any policy resolution made by the Representatives’ Council binds the club/society.
The club/society shall be regulated by the Clubs & Societies Regulations.
Amendment of the Constitution
This constitution can be added to by a resolution of a general meeting of the
club/society supporting the motion by a two-thirds majority. No amendment is valid if
the proposed amendment alters the basic pro-forma of this constitution as it is
formally part of the Clubs & Societies Regulations. A motion proposing to amend the
basic pro-forma shall be, in the first instance, sent to the Representatives’ Council (or
its nominated committee) for consideration.
Any motion to add to the constitution must be circulated in advance of the meeting,
with the secretary of the club/society giving at least seven days’ notice of the motion.
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This constitution shall be made available to all members of the society and shall be published
online at www.birkbeckunion.org, along with AGM minutes and the club/society Annual Report.