The Constitution of the Havering Astronomical Society
1) The Name of the Society
The Society shall be named the Havering Astronomical Society, hereafter called the HAS.
2) Objectives
The objectives of the HAS shall be to promote an interest in astronomy and its allied sciences by holding meetings for lectures; holding observing meetings; promoting public interest in astronomy and holding meetings for our junior members.
3) Membership
Membership of the HAS is open to all.
Those under 16 will be considered as Young Astronomers and will attend a separate meeting of their own.
The HAS, by way of approval at an AGM, can confer Honorary Membership on a member who has given conspicuous and exceptional service to the Society.
4) Management Committee
The management of the HAS shall be vested in a Management Committee consisting of a Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Website Manager, Outreach Officer, and Meetings Secretary. Where possible, each role shall be supported by a deputy or co-post holder.
The Committee shall be elected by the members at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
The Committee shall have the power to ask for the engagement of members to help in the discharge of management duties.
5) Admission to Membership
Membership of HAS is open to all at the discretion of the Management Committee.
The Secretary shall be responsible for the maintenance of a register of members, setting out for each member their name, address, telephone number, mobile numbers and, where appropriate, email addresses.
The Committee reserves the right to withdraw, suspend or cancel the membership of any person whom it has determined by a majority decision of the Committee to have:
The Committee will investigate the contravention in question, listen to all members involved and examine relevant evidence. (If the complaint is against a Committee member, that member will not be part of conducting the investigation). The Committee will suspend or expel a member upon proper cause being shown that such action is in the best interests of the Society. Any person aggrieved by the decision of the Committee shall have the right to appeal. The member concerned will be advised of the Committee’s decision in writing. The person or persons concerned may appeal in writing against the decision within 28 days. Such an appeal shall be heard at an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Society to be held as soon as reasonably practical following the notice of appeal.
The Committee shall present a statement of the reasons leading to their original decision, and the appellant given opportunity to reply. The appeal will be adjudged by those Society members present, to reach a majority decision as indicated by a show of hands.
6) Membership Subscriptions
All members shall pay an annual subscription fee, which shall be determined and proposed by the Committee but decided by a majority decision of members. The purpose of the subscription fee is to cover the costs of the meeting venue hire, FAS membership and associated Public Liability Insurance cover, the expenses of speakers and other necessary equipment and services.
Subscription fees shall become due at the January meeting and last for one year.
Full Member subscriptions will be £40.00 from January 2023
‘Online Only’ Member subscriptions will be £20.00 from January 2023
Young Astronomers subscriptions will be £20.00 from January 2023
Honorary members do not pay Annual Subscriptions.
All subscriptions will be subject to annual review.
7) Arrears of Subscriptions
Anyone who has not paid their subscription by 1st March will be deemed to have resigned membership of the HAS.
8) Society Meetings
Meetings are normally held monthly to promote the HAS objectives. All members may attend and may bring up to 3 non-members as guests at a meeting.
Guests will not be charged for attending their first meeting.
9) Young Astronomers Meetings
Young Astronomers meetings are held monthly.
The HAS shall follow the procedures issued by the Federation of Astronomical Societies in their handbook (section 5.1) where a child is defined as being below the age of 16.
The HAS shall require, without exception, that parents/legal guardians must accompany children at junior astronomical meetings and must remain at the meetings for their entire length.
The HAS has a separate Child Protection Policy which is fully reviewed by the HAS Committee on a regular basis.
10) Annual General Meetings
The HAS shall hold an Annual General Meeting by 31st October each year.
Members must be advised one meeting before an AGM is to take place. The meeting agenda must include a presentation of accounts by the Treasurer (note that the financial year runs from 1st August to 31st July).
All Committee Members have the opportunity to speak or provide a report of their activities during the year.
The AGM is open to all, but only paid-up members shall have the right to propose candidates for election to the Committee, to vote at meetings, to serve as officers of HAS, to propose changes or raise questions.
At General Meetings of HAS, a quorum shall consist of at least one-quarter of all paid-up members and three Committee Members.
Any change or queries must be lodged with the Chairperson one week before the AGM.
11) Observing Meetings
Observing meetings are only for HAS members and their guests (including Young Astronomers and their responsible adults). We do not provide for the general public to attend our observing meetings.
HAS members who may bring their own children to observing evenings do so at their own risk and must remain with their children at all times.
HAS does not accept any liability for any damage or loss to equipment brought to observing evenings by members.
12) Management Committee Meetings
Management Committee Meetings will be held monthly.
Minutes shall be kept of all meetings involving the Committee, and the review of minutes will be the first item of business of the next ensuing meeting. Copies of these minutes will be made available to any member of the Society on request.
At meetings of the Committee, a quorum shall consist of either the Chairperson, the Secretary, or the Treasurer plus 3 other Committee Members.
13) Accounts
The Treasurer shall manage the HAS finances using an account held with a recognised bank/building society (currently Barclays Bank). The Treasurer and appointed deputy must sign all withdrawals from the account, (includes payments to Federation of Astronomical Societies (FAS), Thames Chase Forest Centre (TCFC), speakers’ expenses, purchases of equipment). The accounts of the HAS shall be made up annually to the 31 July prior to the AGM. The Society’s Income and Expenditure accounts are not formally audited, but may be viewed at any time by any member.
14) Third Party Agreements
No member of the HAS shall act as an agent or enter into any contract on behalf of the HAS without the prior consent of the Chairperson and the Treasurer.
No member of the HAS shall receive any financial benefit from any agreement or contract except for reasonable expenses incurred in conducting the business of the HAS.
Any HAS members who visit any astronomical event outside the control of the HAS do so as private individuals and not as representatives of, or on behalf of the HAS, unless approved by the Committee.
Any risks associated with events not organised by the HAS Committee are borne only by those individuals. The HAS Committee and members do not accept any liability for loss, damage, or injury to individuals and/or equipment, howsoever caused.
15) Property of HAS
The Committee or members may, from time to time, purchase books, equipment and articles for use by the HAS members or may direct the same to be sold if not required.
16) HAS Website
A website is maintained by the HAS for public access. All content must be submitted for approval by the Website Manager. In any dispute on content, then the HAS Committee will have the final say.
There will be a password-protected area for access by members only. Personal data may be held on the website if it has the consent of individual members and adheres to UK General Data Protection Register (UKGDPR) rules.
17) HAS Social Media Presence
The Society’s social media interaction will have a number of Administrators and Moderators who will monitor membership requests and content posted by members. Content deemed unsuitable will be deleted and members responsible will be removed from the group.
The Committee will be the final arbitrator of any issue.
18) Alteration to HAS rules
The Committee shall review the HAS constitution and any formal policy statements of the HAS on an annual basis before the AGM and make any changes required. The text of the revised constitution will be circulated to members by the Secretary a month before an AGM (or EGM) of the HAS.
Any individual member who wishes to propose a change to an existing rule or to add a new rule to the Constitution shall send a resolution to that effect, which shall be endorsed by at least two other members, to the Secretary (at least one month before the next AGM) for circulation to members of the HAS before the next AGM of the HAS.
No rule shall be altered, or a new rule incorporated, in the Constitution, except by a two-thirds majority of votes of members present at an AGM (or EGM) of HAS.
19) Copies of rules
A copy of the Constitution and all policies adopted by the HAS shall be posted on the HAS website for access by all.
It is the responsibility of Members to read and observe the HAS Constitution and all policies adopted by them.
20) Dissolution of the Society
The Society may be dissolved by a resolution passed at the Annual General Meeting or any Extraordinary General Meeting called for the purpose provided that:
(i) at least one month’s notice in writing of the proposal to dissolve the Society has been given by the Secretary to every member, and
(ii) at least two-thirds of the members vote in favour of the proposal for which proxy and postal votes would be accepted.
After discharging all liabilities, the means and method of the disposal of the remaining assets of the Society will be decided by the Society’s membership present at the relevant General Meeting.
End of Constitution
Leslie Jones
Chairperson
February 2023