Name

  1. The name of the Club shall be “The Plymouth Inter-Varsity Club”, hereinafter referred to as “the Club”.

Objects

  1. The objects are:
  • to provide opportunities for social, cultural and other activities among past students and others of like interests resident in Devon and Cornwall.
  • to provide facilities for Members of the Club visiting or temporarily resident in other places in line with the current reciprocal arrangements of the Association of IVCs.
  • to provide facilities for Members of other IVCs visiting or temporarily resident in the City or the surrounding region in line with the current reciprocal arrangements of the Association of IVCs.
  1. The Club shall not hold or express any political, religious or racial opinions, nor shall it be associated with any organisation which holds such opinions.

Ordinary Membership

  1. The following persons shall be eligible for ordinary Membership of the Club:
  • graduates and past students of universities, colleges or institutions of similar standing.
  • persons otherwise qualified to a level corresponding to corporate Membership of the professional institutions.
  • other persons considered by the Committee to have similar tastes and interests.
  1. All applications for Membership are subject to the approval of the Committee, who may take such steps as they see fit to determine the suitability of the applicant for Membership.
  2. Any person applying for Membership, may be allowed to continue to attend events pending consideration of their application by the Committee.  The Committee may, at its absolute discretion and without assigning any reason, refuse any application for Membership.
  3. Every Member of the Club shall keep the Secretary informed of their current contact details.
  4. All Members shall be bound by the Constitution, Standing Orders and other rules of the Club.
  5. All Members shall be entitled to all the facilities offered by the Club.
  6. Any member may resign their membership at any time by giving notice in writing to the Secretary. Any partial refund of the Subscription will be at the discretion of the Committee
  7. The Committee reserves the right to terminate any Membership at its own discretion.
  8. When a person ceases to be a Member of the Club, they shall forfeit all rights of claim upon the Club and its property and funds, except for any claim notified to the Secretary within one month of the termination of Membership.   Monies paid in anticipation of future events shall be refunded, unless they have been forwarded to a third party from whom reclaim would be impractical.

Honorary Membership

  1. The Committee may propose any person of standing to become an Honorary Member.  Such a proposition shall normally be endorsed by an Annual General Meeting.   Honorary Members shall be entitled to all benefits and privileges of ordinary Membership.

Subscriptions

  1. Membership of the Club is subject to payment of the appropriate annual Subscription.
  2. The annual Subscriptions for each grade of Membership shall be fixed by a resolution of the Annual General Meeting prior to the Subscription year.
  3. Subscriptions are due on the first day of January of the Subscription year.
  4. Failure to renew Membership within one calendar month of the renewal date will be taken as resignation.

Accounts and audit

  1. The financial year of the Club shall end on 31 October.
  2. The audit of the accounts shall take place between the end of the financial year and the Annual General Meeting. Should this prove impractical for whatever reason, the audit may be undertaken by:
  • any newly elected Treasurer in advance of taking over responsibility, or
  • where the previous Treasurer continues in Office, the Annual General Meeting may select auditors.
  1. Any Member of the Club may inspect the accounts on request, subject to one month’s notice of a wish to do so.
  2. No Member shall receive any salary, emoluments or profit from the funds or transactions of the Club on any pretence or in any manner, except for services rendered at the specific request of the Committee.

General Meetings

  1. The quorum for any General Meeting shall be 10 voting Members in addition to a quorum of the committee.   In the event that the paid–up membership is fewer than 40 persons, the quorum for any General Meeting shall be a quarter of the membership (rounded down) including sufficient members of the committee for a quorate committee meeting.
  2. The Chairman shall have ultimate control of any General Meeting, except where the Committee has approved other alternative arrangements.
  3. Minutes of all General Meetings shall be taken, and such Minutes shall be open to inspection by any Member of the Club.   The right to withhold individual Minutes which relate to the personal circumstances of any individual is reserved.
  4. Each Member of the Club present at a General Meeting shall be entitled to one vote on each motion, except that the Chairman shall only vote when a casting vote is required.
  5. Voting shall be by a show of hands unless at least ten Members demand a secret ballot.

Annual General Meeting (AGM)

  1. The Annual General Meeting shall be held in November of each year, with the date fixed by the Committee and declared to the Membership in the Events bulletin at least one calendar month in advance.
  2. The Agenda for the Annual General Meeting shall be available to the Membership at least three days before the meeting.
  3. The Annual General Meeting will include the following business:
  • to receive a review report of the activities in the past year (Chairman).
  • to receive a report of the financial standing of the Club (Treasurer).
  • to receive other reports requested by the Committee.
  • to elect Officers and Committee Members for the forthcoming year.
  • to fix the Subscription rate(s) for the forthcoming year.
  • to consider any item of business notified to the Secretary at least 10 days in advance of the meeting.
  1. Further business may be discussed by the Annual General Meeting at the discretion of the Chairman.

Extraordinary General Meetings (EGM)

  1. The Committee may call an EGM at any time
  2. The Committee must convene an EGM within one calendar month of a written request signed by at least one quarter of the Ordinary and Honorary Members of the Club.   The written request must include the motion which shall be considered the principal business of the EGM.
  3. The principal business of an EGM shall be stated in the notice of the meeting, which shall be posted to all Members such that it might reasonably be received fourteen days before the meeting.
  4. Any other business to be considered at the EGM shall be submitted to the Secretary at least seven days before the meeting.
  5. Further business may be considered by an EGM at the discretion of the Chairman of the meeting.

The Committee

  1. The Quorum for a Committee Meeting shall be four persons.
  2. The Club shall be managed by an elected Committee chosen by the Annual General Meeting.
  3. The Officers of the Club shall be Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Publicity Officer, Events Co-ordinator, Webmaster and AIVC Liaison Officer.  Posts may be combined as required.
  4. The Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting may elect additional Committee posts.
  5. The Committee may co-opt additional Committee posts.
  6. The Committee shall meet at least once every two months.  Committee Members should receive a minimum of three days’ notice of a Meeting.
  7. Minutes of all Committee Meetings shall be taken, and such Minutes shall be open to inspection by any Member of the Club.   The right to withhold individual Minutes which relate to the personal circumstances of any individual is reserved.
  8. Each member of the Committee shall have one vote on each motion, except that the Chairman shall only vote when a casting vote is required.   A resolution can only be carried if it attains a simple majority.
  9. The Committee may appoint such sub-committees as are considered necessary. Such sub-committees may include persons who are not members of the main Committee. The sub-committee shall be required to report to every meeting of the main Committee.
  10. The Committee may make Standing Orders to facilitate the current operation of the Club.

Elections

  1. Candidates for election must be ordinary Members of the Club and must be nominated by two ordinary Members of the Club. The consent of the candidate must be obtained.
  2. Any Member retiring as an Officer or as a member of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election to any post.
  3. In the event of a contested post, a secret ballot shall be held of all Members present.
  4. Any posts unfilled at the General Meeting, or occurring during the year, shall be filled by a resolution of the Committee.
  5. All persons elected to Office shall take over responsibility at midnight on the date of the General Meeting, or at the end of the Meeting if business continues beyond midnight.

Dissolution

  1. Dissolution of the Club shall require that at least two-thirds of the Members present at a General Meeting agree to conduct a poll of all Members on the issue.   Such a poll shall confirm the resolution by two-thirds of the Members voting casting their vote in favour of the motion.
  2. Notice of any motion to dissolve the Club must be received fourteen days in advance of the General Meeting, and must be included on an Agenda sent to all Members in advance of the meeting.
  3. The poll for dissolution of the Club shall take place not less than one calendar month after the General Meeting and not more than three calendar months after the General Meeting.
  4. If the motion for dissolution of the Club is confirmed, the Committee shall proceed to realise the property of the Club.   After discharge of all liabilities, the Committee shall divide the residue of any assets equally among those Ordinary Members of the Club who are not in default in respect of Subscriptions.

Interpretation and Amendment of the Constitution

  1. The Committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of these Articles of Constitution, and of any regulations made thereunder.
  2. The decision of the Committee upon any question of interpretation or upon any matter affecting the Club and not specifically provided for by these Articles or by any regulations made thereunder shall be final and binding upon the Members.
  3. These Articles of Constitution may be added to, repealed or amended by resolution of a General Meeting provided the resolution has appeared on the formal Agenda published in advance of the Meeting.
  4. Any motion to add to, repeal or amend the Articles of Constitution must gain at least two-thirds of the votes cast to be carried.

Liability

  1. No Member shall have a greater right to compensation for any injury, loss or damage arising from the activities of the Club by virtue of being a Member of the Club than if they were a person outside the Membership of the Club.

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