Constitution

At the Annual General Meeting of the Chemical Crystallography Group in 1999 the Constitution described below was accepted:

THE BRITISH CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC ASSOCIATION CONSTITUTION AND RULES OF THE CHEMICAL CRYSTALLOGRAPHY GROUP

1. NAME
2. DEFINITIONS
3. SCOPE
4. OBJECTS
5. MEMBERSHIP
6. CESSATION OF MEMBERSHIP
7. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
8. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
9. QUORUM FOR GENERAL MEETINGS
10. OFFICERS
11. COMMITTEE
12. PERIOD OF OFFICE FOR OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE
13. CO-OPTION TO THE COMMITTEE
14. QUORUM FOR COMMITTEE MEETINGS
15. ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE
16. GROUP REPRESENTATIVE ON ASSOCIATION COUNCIL
17. FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS OF THE GROUP
18. GROUP REPORTS TO COUNCIL
19. SUSPENSION AND DISSOLUTION
20. ADOPTION OF RULES
21. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

1. NAME

The Group shall be known as the “Chemical Crystallography Group of the British Crystallographic Association”.

2. DEFINITIONS

In these Rules:

1. “The Group” means the Chemical Crystallography Group of the British Crystallographic Association.
2. “The Association” means the British Crystallographic Association.
3. “The Council” means the Council of the Association.
4. “Members” means Members of the Association.
5. “The Committee” means the Committee of the Group.

3. SCOPE

The Group may interest itself in any matter relating to the theory and practice of crystallography and its cognate subjects, with particular emphasis on the chemical and structural aspects.

4. OBJECTS

The objects of the Group shall be:

1. Generally, to promote the subjects within the scope of the Group consistent with the purposes of the Association.
2. To organise conferences, meetings and workshops on subjects within the scope of the Group.
3. To promote liaison and interaction with other crystallographers and structural scientists.
4. To include in its field of interest all techniques and materials relevant to the scope of the Group.

5. MEMBERSHIP

Membership of the Group is open to all Members of the Association, who maybe enrolled as members of the Group upon written application to the Association, subject to payment of such fees as may from time to time be imposed by the Council.

6. CESSATION OF MEMBERSHIP

Any person ceasing to be a Member of the Association shall, ipso facto, cease to be a Member of the Group.

7. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

An Annual General Meeting of the Group shall be held in each calendar year.

The Agenda for the Annual General Meeting shall be sent to all members of the Group before the Meeting. [It may be distributed with the Association’s newsletter, Crystallography News; otherwise it should be sent by post or electronic mail at least four weeks before the meeting.]

8. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

An Extraordinary General Meeting of the Group shall be called by the Secretary/Treasurer of the Group upon receipt of instructions from the Committee or of a written request signed by not less than twenty members of the Group, and shall take place within eight weeks of the receipt by him or her or such instructions or request if these so specify. The Agenda for any Extraordinary General Meeting shall be sent to all Members of the Group at least four weeks before the Meeting, and shall not contain the item “any other business”.

9. QUORUM FOR GENERAL MEETINGS

Ten members of the Group present in person shall constitute a quorum at a General Meeting.

10. OFFICERS

The Officers of the Group shall be a Chairman, a Deputy Chairman and a Secretary/Treasurer, elected by the Group as in Rule 15. Only members of the Group shall be eligible to be Officers of the Group.

11. COMMITTEE

The affairs of the Group shall be managed by a Committee consisting of the Officers of the Group together with no less than three and no more than six Ordinary Members of Committee, elected by the Group as in Rule 15. Additional members may be co-opted from time to time under Rule 13. The Committee shall be broadly based, with no one field or discipline unduly favoured. Only Members of the Group shall be eligible for Membership of the Committee.

12. PERIOD OF OFFICE FOR OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE

The Chairman and Deputy-Chairman shall retire after a maximum of two years service and the Secretary/Treasurer after a maximum of four years service. Ordinary Members shall retire after a maximum of three years service. No Officer or Ordinary Member of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election to the same office until one year has elapsed since his or her retirement. The word year shall be interpreted as the period between one Annual General Meeting and the next.

13. CO-OPTION TO THE COMMITTEE

The Committee shall have the power to co-opt to fill casual vacancies incompliance with Rule 11. In addition it may co-opt such other members not exceeding two as may be required from time to time, without the restrictions contained in Rules 11 and 12.

14. QUORUM FOR COMMITTEE MEETINGS

At Committee Meetings, five members of the Committee present in person shall constitute a quorum, except that if the total number of members of the Committee is only six (as is allowed by Rule 11) then four members of the Committee present in person shall constitute a quorum.

15. ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE

Vacancies for Officers and Ordinary members of the Committee shall be filled by election at the Annual General Meeting of the Group. Nominations, which shall be supported by not less than two members of the Group and shall be accompanied by the written consent of the nominee, shall be sent to reach the Secretary/Treasurer of the Group not later than seven days before the Annual General Meeting.

16. GROUP REPRESENTATIVE ON ASSOCIATION COUNCIL

The Group representative on the Council of the Association shall be chosen annually by the Committee from amongst its members.

17. FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS OF THE GROUP

1. The expenses of the Group shall be defrayed out of any annual payments from the Association, out of meeting fees, out of any special grant from the Association and out of any donations or sponsorship given to the Group.
2. The amount of any annual payment from the Council shall be determined by the Council after consultation with the Group Committee.
3. The Group shall not incur any expenses in excess of a sum available under 17(a) without previous authorisation by the Council.
4. No member of the Group shall collect or appeal for funds on behalf ofthe Group for any purpose whatsoever from any individual, institution or industrial firm, except with the prior authority of the Committee, or two (or more) of the Officers.
5. The Secretary/Treasurer shall have custody of all monies received on behalf of the Group and such monies shall be paid into a banking account in the name of the “Chemical Crystallography Group”.
6. All disbursements shall be made by the Secretary/Treasurer with thegeneral authority of the Committee. All cheques issued by the Group shall bear the signature of an Officer of the Group.
7. The annual accounts of the Group shall be presented to its members at each Annual General Meeting and included in the Group’s report to The Council.

18. GROUP REPORTS TO COUNCIL

Copies of the unconfirmed minutes of the Group Committee Meetings shall be sent to the Secretary of the Association as soon as is practicable. The Secretary/Treasurer of the Group shall also prepare an annual report of the Group’s scientific and financial activities for submission to the Council.

19. SUSPENSION AND DISSOLUTION

The Association shall have the power to suspend or dissolve the Group after consultation with the Committee of the Group. All books, papers and other records of the suspended or dissolved Group shall be delivered to the Secretary of the Association. Any unexpended balance of funds shall be delivered to the Treasurer of the Association.

20. ADOPTION OF RULES

These rules have received the approval of the Council of the Association. Any amendments to these rules shall not operate unless and until they have been adopted by a General Meeting of the Group and have received the approval of the Council of the Association. Motions to amend these rules at an Annual General or Extraordinary General Meeting shall be in order only if the nature of the proposed amendments is stated explicitly on the Agenda paper.

The Group shall be subject in all things to the Statutes and By Laws of the Association.

21. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

These are not part of the Constitution, but serve as a historical record of changes.

1. At the Annual General Meeting of the Group held at the University of York on 16th April 2003, A unanimous vote of those present allowed item 17(f) of the Constitution to be altered to allow a single officer of the group to sign cheques drawn from the Group’s bank accounts. The previous wording was as follows (the italicized text indicates the location of the change);17 (f) All disbursements shall be made by the Secretary/Treasurer with the general authority of the Committee. All cheques issued by the Group shall bear the signatures of two Officers of the Group.

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