Constitution of the GSN

Passed at the AGM in April 2012

1. NAME.

The Society shall be called the Geological Society of Norfolk, hereinafter referred to as the Society.

2. OBJECTS.

The objects of the Society shall be to advance public knowledge of geology and to promote geological research, particularly that relevant to East Anglia.

3. POWERS.

In furtherance of the above objects the Society may:

a) organise lectures, exhibitions and field excursions;

b) produce regular publications containing geological information and original papers;

c) sell these publications where appropriate;

d) promote the conservation and presentation of geological sites, including RIGS and geological trails; and

e) offer an annual research award or awards (see section 7).

4. ORGANISATION.

a) The Society’s business shall be administered by a committee comprising of the following officers and ordinary members:
1 x Honorary President (appointed annually)
1 x General Secretary and Newsletter Editor (administered by two individuals if necessary)
1 x Treasurer and Membership Secretary (administered by two individuals if necessary)
1 x Bulletin Editor
1 x Field Secretary
1 x Web Officer (administered by two individuals if necessary)
4 x Ordinary committee members

b) Four members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum.

c) The Committee shall have the power to co opt additional or replacement members to fill vacant committee posts or to establish sub committees for specific purposes. Any such changes to be ratified by the membership at the next AGM.

d) The Honorary President is appointed annually and is traditionally invited to give a presidential lecture during their year in office.

5. PROCEDURES.

5.1 Records.

A record of all Annual General and Committee meetings shall be taken. These minutes to be made available at the next meeting of the same kind.

5.2 Meetings.

An Annual General Meeting shall normally be held in March of each year. An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called at the request of no fewer than seven members of the Society. Notice of the business to be transacted shall be given to members not less than fourteen days prior to the meeting. Ten paid up members shall constitute a quorum. Other meetings shall be held as appropriate.

5.3 Election of officers and committee members.

Candidates shall be proposed and seconded at the Annual General Meeting, and elected for a period of twelve months on a simple majority.

5.4 Finance.

An auditor, not being a member of the Committee, shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting to serve for the ensuing year.

6. MEMBERSHIP.

6.1 Membership entitlement.

a) Membership shall be open to all persons over the age of sixteen having an interest in the objects of the Society.

b) A copy of this Constitution shall be made available to members either directly on request, or via the Society's web site.

c) Fully paid-up members shall be entitled to receive copies of the Bulletin for the years in which they are members, together with newsletters and other such Society publications that are appropriate.

6.2 Ordinary Membership.

An Ordinary member is defined as an individual paying the full Ordinary subscription.

6.3 Student Membership.

Students, here defined as persons in full-time higher education, shall pay a subscription equal to half that of the Ordinary rate.

6.4 Institutional Membership.

a) Institutional members are those whose copies of the Bulletin are routinely made accessible to more than one person. An institutional member may purchase additional copies of the Bulletin at the same price as their full subscription.

b) Institutional members shall be entitled to one copy of each newsletter, meeting notice or other Society publications, whose contents it may publicise and distribute as it sees fit, subject to copyright (and to the provisions of 6.7 below).

c) Each Institutional member may exercise one vote, (through a nominee), in the business of the Society.

6.5 Honorary Life Membership.

a) Honorary Life Membership may be conferred on any member who has, over an extended period of time, made outstanding contributions to the Society's success. Such Members shall be entitled to receive the benefits of an ordinary member, but need no longer pay an annual subscription.

b) Nominations may be made by any member of the Society, who should forward names and reason(s) to the Committee for consideration.

c) If the Committee endorses the nomination and the nominee accepts, then a motion shall be put to the membership at the AGM, advocating them for election as an Honorary Life Member.

d) The number of Honorary Life Members shall be limited to five at any one time.

6.6 Subscription Payment.

a) Members shall pay an annual subscription at the rate set at the last constitutionally convened AGM where a recommendation from the Treasurer to set the relevant subscription rate was approved.

b) With the exception of Institutional members, (6.4 a) the subscription is payable on joining, and subsequently each year on the 1st February.

c) No member in arrears with their subscriptions shall be entitled to the privileges of the Society. Any member failing to pay their subscription for two consecutive years shall be removed from the list of members.

d) The treasurer and secretary together, and in confidence, are free to waive the membership fees in cases of hardship , provided such action is endorsed by the Committee, and the member concerned is judged to have contributed significantly to the activities of the Society. Any such waivers to be made known to the auditor.

e) Institutional members shall pay their annual subscription on receipt of an invoice or (where appropriate) a statement from the Treasurer in respect of the Bulletin or Bulletins they have ordered relating to the year in question.

f) Commercial organisations are deemed not to be members but may purchase copies of the Bulletin at the same price as institutional members.

6.7 Discipline.

Individual members or institutions found to have acted in a manner detrimental to the interests of the Society, or to have used the Society's name inappropriately, may be expelled by the committee and excluded from participating in any of its future activities.

6.8 Non-members.

a) Non-members are generally welcome to attend all lectures and some field meetings of the Society. (However see 6.8 b)

b) Access to field meetings may be denied to non-members or to minors at the request of landowners, site operators, field meeting leaders, or for legal considerations.

c) Non-members shall have no voting or speaking rights in the Society's business.

7. RESEARCH AWARD.

a) The Society extends to all students undertaking research on any aspect of East Anglian Earth Science, an invitation to apply for the "Brian Funnell Award". The successful applicant, who need not be a member of the Society, shall receive a one-off payment towards the direct or indirect costs of their research.

b) The quality or significance of the research project will determine whether it qualifies for consideration. This will be judged by the Committee, who will seek independent external advice as appropriate.

c) An applicant's research supervisor(s) would normally be expected to support their student's application.

d) The successful applicant is expected to lead a field trip on behalf of the Society within a year of receiving the Award.

e) Normally no more that one Award shall be made each year. However, the committee reserves the discretion to exceed this number if it considers the quality of the projects submitted warrants this. The committee also reserves the discretion not to accept any submission(s).

f) The maximum amount of any individual Award shall be set by the committee. The availability of the Award shall be as widely publicised throughout the research and student community as is reasonably practicable.

8. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION.

This constitution may not be amended or replaced except by a two thirds majority of members voting at an Annual General Meeting, or Extraordinary General Meeting called for that purpose. Not less than a clear fourteen days written notice of any proposed amendments must be given to all members.