3 March 2006

Statutes

THE CONSTITUTION
AND STANDING ORDERS
OF OXFORD UNIVERSITY NEWMAN SOCIETY

THE CONSTITUTION
1 Name
2 Object
3 Membership
4 Executive Committee
5 Role of Officers
6 Elections
7 Meetings
8 Expulsion of Members
9 Visitors
10 The Constitution

STANDING ORDERS
Section A: General Measures
A.1 Subscription charges
A.2 Entrance fee to be paid by non-Members
A.3 The Society's movable property
A.4 Officers’ responsibilities
A.5 Past-Presidents
A.6 Declaration of Officers
A.7 Financial liability
A.8 Disciplinary measures
A.9 Executive Committee minutes
A.10 Attendance of Officers
Appendix: The grace

Section B:
The Newman Foundation
Seaction C:
The Newman Society Association

THE CONSTITUTION OF OXFORD UNIVERSITY NEWMAN SOCIETY
Approved at the Ordinary General Meeting, Trinity Term, 1998
Name
1. The name of the Society shall be the “Oxford University Newman Society” in memory of the Venerable John Henry Cardinal Newman of Trinity College. The Society shall be affiliated to the Oxford University Catholic Society.
Object
2. The object of the Society shall be to promote the Faith and life of the Roman Catholic Church by way of spiritual, social and intellectual activities within the University of Oxford.
Membership
3.a - The Society shall admit to full membership matriculated members of the University and members of other affiliated institutions mentioned in the Proctors’ Regulations, and Registered Visiting Students who are members of Colleges but not matriculated.
b - The Society may also admit to full membership other persons not being matriculated nor being members of other affiliated institutions provided that they shall not form more than one-fifth of the total membership.
c - There shall be three types of membership: Annual, University and Life membership. Any person qualifying for membership of the Society shall be eligible for Annual membership or for Life membership. Only persons reading for a Degree of the University of Oxford shall be eligible for University membership; this may be converted into Life membership without further payment at any time after graduation if the member so requests.
d - The rates of Annual, University and Life subscriptions shall be determined by Standing Order. The Executive Committee may refuse membership to any applicant.
Executive Committee
4.a - The government of the Society shall be committed to the Executive Committee, which shall consist of the Senior Member and the following elected Officers: President, President-elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Social Secretary, and Publicity Officer.
b - The Executive Committee shall have the right to co-opt other members onto the Committee with full voting rights thereon.
c - The Senior Member of the Society shall, wherever possible, be the Senior Roman Catholic Chaplain to the University. If this shall not be possible, the Senior Chaplain shall be asked to nominate an appropriate member of Congregation as Senior Member.
Role of Officers
5. Office shall be deemed to commence from the end of Full Term immediately following election. All Officers shall serve for one term except for the Secretary and the Treasurer who shall serve for three.
a) The President -
(i) shall be a practising Roman Catholic.
(ii) shall chair all meetings of the Society, including General Meetings and Executive Committee meetings.
(iii) shall be responsible for all the activities of the Society and for representing the Society externally, including liaison with the University Catholic Society.
(iv) shall be responsible for calling meetings of the Executive Committee subject to Rule 7.a, the Ordinary General Meeting subject to Rule 7.b, and any Extraordinary General Meetings subject to Rule 7.d.
(v) shall approach a suitable person to be Returning Officer with the approval of the Senior Member before the end of Third Week
b - The President-Elect -
(i) shall be a practising Roman Catholic
(ii) shall be responsible for the organization of the Society’s programme of events for the following term
(iii) shall act as Vice-President, deputizing for the President in his absence, unless he shall direct otherwise
(iv) Shall during Trinity Term be responsible for preparing for Freshers’ Fair
c - The Secretary -
(i) shall fulfil the duties required of him in the Proctors’ Memorandum
(ii) shall take the minutes of all meetings of the Society and shall be responsible for ensuring that the archives of the Society are kept in the best order possible
(iii) shall keep the Society’s Membership List, on which shall be entered the names of all members, their Colleges or other addresses, and the date to which their subscriptions have been paid, and any other information the President may deem suitable
d - The Treasurer -
(i) shall fulfil the duties required of him in the Proctors’ Memorandum
(ii) shall present to the termly Ordinary General Meeting a statement of the Society’s accounts, audited by two independent persons.
e - The Social Secretary -
(i) shall be responsible for organizing at least one social event in his term for office with the approval of the President
(ii) shall be responsible for providing any nutritious need after any meeting according to the President’s direction.
f - The Publicity Officer shall be responsible for effecting publicity for the Society during his term of office, including the sending of a term card to ‘Daily Information’ and the production and distribution of posters according to the President’s direction.
Elections
6.a - The Society’s elections shall be held during the Seventh Week of Full Term.
b - The Committee must approve the appointment of the Returning Officer chosen by the President. Before the Sunday of Sixth Week, the Returning Officer must display on the Society Noticeboard a notice of his appointment and a Notice of Election, stating the offices to be contested.
c - The office of President shall not be contested in an election. The President-elect in any term shall be President in the term following.
d - Only members who are resident members of the University in statu pupillari may be nominated for, or hold, office in the Society.
e - Nominations must be signed by the candidate and by two other members of the Society as his proposer and seconder. Nominations must either be submitted in writing directly to the Returning Officer or written upon the Notice of Election on the Society Noticeboard, in both cases before 1 p.m. on Friday of Sixth Week.
f - Members may not be nominated so that they might hold two or more elected offices concurrently, except that the offices of Social Secretary and Publicity Officer may be held concurrently with other offices. In the event of no nominations being received for the offices of Social Secretary or Publicity Officer, it shall fall to the President to dispose of the office(s) in question as he shall think fit throughout his term of office.
g - After the close of nominations, candidates may display manifestos on the Society Noticeboard until the result of the election has been declared. Any manifestos shall consist of a single side of A4 paper, and may include a passport-sized photograph of the candidate.
h - The Returning Officer shall display a Notice of Poll on the Society Noticeboard before Sunday of Seventh Week, declaring the nominations received and giving the time and place of the Poll should one be necessary. If this be the case, the Poll should be open for not less than two hours, and should take place in the University Catholic Chaplaincy under the supervision of the Returning Officer. The Returning Officer shall follow any stipulation of the Senior Member in respect of the Poll.
i - The method of election shall be a secret ballot using a system of single transferable vote. All members paid up before the end of Fourth Week shall be eligible to vote. In the event of a tie, the Senior Member shall have a casting vote.
j - Any allegations of electoral malpractice shall be reported to the Returning Officer within twenty-four hours of the close of Poll, who shall refer them to the Senior Member. The fact of the allegation and the Senior Member’s decision shall be published on the Society Noticeboard. The Senior Member shall have the power to suspend or expel a member, to ban a member from participating in any future election, and to order a re-election. Any re-election must take place within seven days of the previous election.
k - If any Officer other than the President or President-elect shall resign before the end of Sixth Week, the Executive Committee shall have the power to fill the vacancy until the end of term. If such a resignation shall occur after the end of Sixth Week, the office shall remain vacant until the result of the election has been declared, when the incoming Officer shall enter upon his office immediately.
l - If the President shall resign, the President-elect shall become President, and shall retain the office of President-elect. If the President-elect shall resign before the end of Fourth Week, there shall be an election to fill the vacancy. The President shall appoint a Returning Officer, if the Committee has not already done so, who shall display the appropriate notices as in Rule 6.b, and nominations shall be accepted until 1pm on the seventh day after the display of these notices. The Returning Officer shall display a Notice of Poll as soon as possible after this time, and if a Poll shall be necessary it shall take place within fourteen days of the display of the Notice of Election. If the President-elect shall resign after the end of Fourth Week, the Executive Committee shall have the power to fill the vacancy.
Meetings
7.a - The President shall call at least three meetings of the Executive Committee during Full Term, of which the Secretary must give two days notice to all members of the Committee. Failure to give such notice shall render the meeting invalid unless all the Officers shall be in attendance. The quorum for each Executive Committee shall be five.
b - The President shall call an Ordinary General Meeting during each term. The Secretary shall post a notice of this fourteen days in advance.
c - The agenda of the Ordinary General Meeting shall consist of the presentation of the audited accounts for the previous term by the Treasurer and any other such business as shall have been communicated to the President and he shall have directed the Secretary to have published on the Society Noticeboard by the Sunday before the Meeting.
d - If any ten members of the Society or a majority of the Executive Committee shall present a petition to the President for an Extraordinary General Meeting, he shall call such a Meeting within twenty-one days. The Secretary shall be given two days to post a notice of the Meeting, stating its business, at least fourteen days in advance. Only this business may be conducted during the Meeting. Notice shall be given to any person in whom a motion of no confidence shall have been proposed.
e - The quorum for a General Meeting shall be fifteen, at least five of whom shall not be members of the Committee. The necessary majority for the removal of an Officer or Executive Committee member shall be two-thirds of those present. If the removal of the President is to be discussed, the Senior Member shall preside.
Expulsion of Members
8.a - The Executive Committee shall have the power to expel any member who shall, in its opinion, offend against the rules of the Society, or whose conduct it shall judge to bring the Society into disrepute. Such a member shall be given seven days’ written notice by the Secretary to appear before a meeting of the Executive Committee informing him of the complaint against him.
b - No member may be expelled without the opportunity of being heard and answering the complaint made against him. Any expulsion must be made by a two-thirds majority of the full Executive Committee. If an expelled person wishes to make a reapplication for membership, the consent of the Executive Committee must be obtained.
Visitors
9.a - Visitors shall be entitled to attend all meetings of the Society except Executive Committee and General Meetings. Visitors shall pay an entrance fee to be determined by Standing Order.
b - No person who has been expelled from the Society may attend any meeting without the express permission of the Executive Committee.
The Constitution
10.a - The Society shall at all times be administered in accordance with such regulations as the Proctors may impose on University Societies.
b - The Executive Committee shall have power to interpret the Constitution subject to the approval of the Senior Member. The Constitution may only be amended by a two-thirds majority of those voting at a General Meeting. All amendments must be stated in full in the meeting’s agenda, and must be approved by the Proctors.
c - The Executive Committee may regulate any matter by Standing Order. Valid Standing Orders may not contradict the Constitution, and shall be passed by a two-thirds majority of those voting.
Gregory Flash Coll. S. Hugonis
Secretary die 6 Novembris, 1998

STANDING ORDERS
Standing Orders are formed under the Constitution of Oxford University Newman Society, Rules 3.d [membership subscription], 9.a [entrance fee], and 10.c [regulation of any matter].

SECTION A:
GENERAL MEASURES
Subscription charges
A.1. The rates of subscription to the Society shall be £6.00 for Annual membership, £12.00 for University membership and £20.00 for Life membership, save that the subscription rate for University membership shall be £10.00 during the first two weeks of Michaelmas full term.
Entrance fee to be paid by non-Members
A.2. Should the Executive Committee believe it to further the objects of the Society it
shall be empowered to charge non-members of the Society to attend any event it may hold. The amount shall be at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
The Society's movable property
A.3.-(1)It shall be the President’s prerogative to determine which individuals shall be entrusted with the Society’s moveable property, and to reallocate items at any time.
(2) At the President’s behest, the Treasurer shall oversee the transfer of such items from one individual to another.
(3) The Treasurer shall maintain an inventory recording the condition of the Society’s property and the persons to whom it has been entrusted. At the transfer of an item, the new custodian shall sign the inventory acknowledging responsibility for the item.
(4) At the beginning of each Michaelmas term, the Treasurer shall arrange to inspect each item of the Society’s property, to photograph the item and to update the record of its condition in the inventory. The custodian of the item shall sign the inventory to acknowledge his continuing responsibility for its care. A copy of the inventory shall be lodged with the University Insurance Officer.
(5) The Executive Committee may enable the Treasurer to sign the inventory in place of a member, provided he shall have first inspected the item.
(6) The Bodleian Library shall not be required to sign the inventory acknowledging its custody of the Society’s archive. However, the Treasurer must still make an annual inspection.
(7) The Treasurer shall, at the behest of the President or Executive Committee, take all appropriate action to recover the Society’s property that is not in its possession.
Officers' responsibilities
A.4 (1) It shall be the duty of officers to do those things required of them by:
a) The Constitution
b) Standing Orders
c) University regulations, in so far as they apply to the Society
d) in the case of Executive Officers, action designated under Standing Order or agreed in a meeting of the Executive Committee
(2) Further to the duties delineated in the Constitution, the Officers of the Society shall have further personal responsibilities, as are herein described.
(3) Each Officer shall maintain a file containing a copy of the constitution and standing orders and such further papers as relate to his office. He shall pass this file on to his successor upon completion of his term of office. Should his successor be not elected, he shall pass the file to the Secretary, who shall pass it to the successor upon his election.
(4) The President shall -
(a) be responsible for entertaining the Society’s speakers (including the provision of
drinks before dinner and/or after the meeting, as may be appropriate)
(b) write to thank each speaker
(c) be responsible for organising the termly Mass and dinner
(d) make announcements after the Solemn Mass at the Chaplaincy on Sundays (should he be absent for a good reason, he shall delegate another Officer to fulfil this duty)
(e) should the position of Social Secretary remain vacant, fulfil the duties of the Social Secretary
(f) should the position of Publicity Officer remain vacant, fulfil the duties of the Publicity Officer
(5) The Senior Member shall say the Society’s grace at formal dinners [see Appendix].
(6) The President-Elect shall -
(a) subject to the veto of the Executive Committee, invite speakers to address the Society in the forthcoming term
(b) dependant on the Society having sufficient funds, offer to pay speakers’ travel
expenses, and arrange accommodation if needed;
(c) consult the Catholic Chaplain over the production and distribution of the Society’s
term card
(d) after his election, call on the Senior Member to discuss his term as President
(e) after his election, call on the Chaplain to discuss his term as President
(7) The Treasurer shall -
(a) make arrangements for the reimbursement and payment of speakers’ travel and
accommodation expenses;
(b) submit the accounts to the Executive Committee in order that it might query them, and also pass them to the Secretary in order to be audited by the Senior Member and submitted with the proctorial registration form;
(8) The Secretary shall -
(a) maintain the minute book for Meetings of the Society (recording therein the date and place of meetings, the names of the speakers, the titles of talks and debates, the name of the chairman of meetings, and the names and colleges of the members in attendance)
(b) maintain the minute book for meetings of the Executive Committee (recording
therein the full minutes of each meeting)
(c) return the proctorial registration form to the Clubs Committee by the requisite date at the beginning of each new term
(9) The Social Secretary shall -
(a) in advance of each Meeting, arrange for Officers to assist with the preparation
and clearing of dinner and with the provision of drinks after the Meeting
(b) at the direction of the President, arrange the termly drinks party
(10) The Publicity Officer shall -
(a) subject to the President, send out regular (preferably weekly) e-mails to members,
informing them of forthcoming events
(b) at the direction of the President, send out formal invitations to the termly dinner
(c) display posters for Meetings on the notice board and in such other places as may be deemed appropriate
(11) The Returning Officer shall:
(a) be responsible for maintaining discipline in the Society;
(b) be responsible for the running of elections in accordance with the Constitution,
Standing Orders, custom, and stipulations of the Senior Member;
(c) inform the Executive Committee of any disciplinary measures taken;
(d) at the request of Officers, inform them of their duties according to the Constitution, Standing Orders, and custom.
Past-Presidents
A.5. The Past-Presidents who remain in residence and make them selves known to the Executive Committee shall hold co-opted office on the said Executive Committee.
Declaration of Officers
A.6. Except the Senior Member, each Officer shall sign the following declaration in the presence of the Executive Committee before he shall exercise office -
“As an Officer of the Oxford University Newman Society I shall uphold the faith of the Holy Catholic Church. I have read the Constitution and Standing Orders Secation A of the said Society and I promise that I shall abide by them.”
Financial liability
A.7. The President shall have financial responsibility for all events (unless the Executive Committee shall have explicitly made another Officer responsible in a particular instance). Should he have engaged in expenditure without the authorisation of the Executive Committee, the President shall be liable for any loss. It shall be the Treasurer’s duty to recover such a loss from the President. Should the President fail to make payment, it shall be the duty of the Treasurer shall bring charges against him.
Disciplinary measures
A.8 (1) The following shall be offences within the Society:
(a) breach of the Constitution or Standing Orders
b) non payment of monies owed to the Society
c) misappropriation of Society assets
d) electoral malpractice
e) neglect of duty
f) malicious complaint
g) conduct bringing the Society into disrepute
(2) Any member of the Society believing another member to be guilty of an offence may make a written complaint to the Returning Officer.
(3) Upon receipt of a written complaint or upon his own initiative the Returning Officer shall consider the nature and circumstances of any alleged offence and should he find the accused member to be guilty shall either:
a) issue a Disciplinary Notice and impose a fine, which shall not exceed £10.00 or
b) in more serious cases, convene the Disciplinary Tribunal
(4) The Disciplinary Tribunal shall be comprised of the President, Past-Presidents, and Returning Officer.
(5) Should the Disciplinary Tribunal be convened to hear a case against the President, a Past-President, or the Returning Officer then that officer shall not sit on the tribunal during the proceedings against himself.
(6) An accused member who's case is to be heard by the Disciplinary Tribunal shall have the right to appear before the tribunal and defend himself. The Returning Officer shall provide him with three days written notice stating the date, time, and place of the hearing and the nature and circumstances of the alleged offence.
(7) Should the Disciplinary Tribunal find a member to be guilty of an offence it shall issue a Disciplinary Notice and impose a fine, which shall not exceed £50.00.
(8) Disciplinary Notices shall be copied to the Senior Member and the Treasurer and shall state the date of the notice, the nature and circumstances of the offence, the amount of the fine, the date by which the fine must be paid to the Treasurer (which shall be more than seven days from the date of the notice), and the procedure for appeal outlined in Standing Order A.8 (9).
(9) A member in receipt of a Disciplinary Notice shall have seven days from the date of the notice to lodge a written appeal with the Senior Member. The lodging an appeal shall automatically suspend the date by which a fine must be paid.
(10) The Senior Member shall consider any appeal made to him and shall have the power to sustain or overturn any decision of the Returning Officer or Disciplinary Tribunal and to sustain or decrease any fine.
(11) Having considered an appeal the Senior Member shall provide the appellant with a dated notification of his decision, which shall be copied to the Treasurer. Should he sustain or decrease a fine the Senior Member shall inform the appellant that he has seven days from the date of the notification to pay it to the Treasurer.
(12) Should the position of Returning Officer be vacant, or should the Returning Officer be accused of an offence, the most junior Past-President shall fulfil the Returning Officer's duties described in this Standing Order.
(13) The forgoing disciplinary provisions shall not relate to cases of electoral malpractice, which shall be dealt with in accordance with article 6 of the Constitution.
(14) The forgoing disciplinary provisions shall not prejudice the right of the Executive Committee to expel members in accordance with article 8 of the Constitution.
(15) According to the same conditions and procedure as that given in article 8 of the Constitution for expulsion of members the Executive Committee shall have the power to remove a member from office or to suspend an officer for a specified period of time.
(16) The Executive Committee shall have the power to censure a member for a just reason.
Executive Committee minutes
A.9.-(1) All minutes of the Committee Meetings of the Society are private, and are not to be given to none members of the Committee; not withstanding the following exceptions.
(2) The Committee, through the process of a motion passed by simple majority, shall be empowered to provide these minutes to people who are not members of the committee, and in exceptional circumstances those who are not members of the Society. Unless specified in the enabling motion itself, the person shall be entitled to receive a copy of the approved minutes of all Committee meetings subsequent to the one in which the motion was passed. This motion requires the assent of the Senior Member to be valid and binding.
(3) It should be noted that any person to whom the minutes are given under section (2) of this standing order is still bound by section A of the same order; if the person receiving the minutes shall provide them to anyone who is not a member of the Committee he shall have this privilege automatically revoked.
(4) Minutes shall not be provided to more than five persons who are not members of the Committee, at the same time.
Attendance of Officers
A.10. Except the Senior Member resident Officers of the Society are expected to attend the majority of events the Society holds. To this end any Officer who misses more than a majority of events in any one term without informing, and gaining the permission of, the Executive Committee or President beforehand shall deemed to have resigned from Office.

Appendix
The grace mentioned in Standing Order 4.(5):
Ante Cenam
V. Repleti sumus misericordia Tua
R. Et delectasti sumus omnibus diebus nostris
DOMINE DEUS, qui amorem divinum hoc in pulvere primum sollicitasti et circumvolantes per umbras alma nos ducis luce, benedicas et nobis et his donis Tuis, et, per intercessionem famuli Tui Johannis Henrici et beatorum hujus Universitatis martyrum, facere digneris ut ante radium Tuum omnia providentem genua nostra flectere prediscamus et cor loquatur ad cor. Per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum. R. Amen.
SECTION B:
OXFORD UNIVERSITY NEWMAN SOCIETY FOUNDATION
Name and patronage
B.1 - (a) There shall be a body of Oxford University Newman Society (hereafter 'the Society') called 'Oxford University Newman Society Foundation' or simply the 'Newman Society Foundation' or the 'Newman Foundation' (hereafter 'the Foundation')(b) The Foundation shall exist as a memorial to the Venerable Servant of God John Henry Cardinal Newman.
Objects B.2 - The objects of the Foundation shall be the promotion of the Catholic faith according to the objects of Oxford University Newman Society and particularly through:(i) the propagation of the Catholic faith among the members of Oxford University(ii) the provision of financial and other support for the Society(iii) the provision of public lectures called 'The Newman Society Lectures'(iv) the awarding of Newman Society Scholarships and such further bursaries, awards, prizes, or grants as may from time to time be determined(v) fostering the objects of the Society among old-members (meaning Life Members not being in statu pupillari and former members) and friends of the Society(vi) such further religious, educational, or charitable activities as may from time to time be determinedMembership of the Foundation
B.3 - The governing members of the Foundation shall be:(i) The President(ii) The Senior Member(iii) Up to three senior members of Oxford University nominated by the Newman Society Academic Board(iv) Up to three alumni of Oxford University nominated by the Newman Society Association(v) Up to three members of the Society nominated by the Executive Committee(vi) Up to three further persons nominated by the Foundation
B.4 - (a) The other members of the Foundation shall be:(i) Newman Society Scholars during the tenure of their scholarships(ii) members of the Academic Board during the period of their service on the Academic Board(iii) such further persons to whom the Foundation may award membership to for the purpose of their carrying out particular offices or positions or otherwise
B.5 - Membership of the Foundation shall confer Life Membership of the Society. A person acquiring Life Membership in this manner shall be exempt from payment of any membership subscription.
B.6 - A person nominated as a governing member shall have tenure as a governing member for a period of time determined by by-law or otherwise for one year.
B.7 - A member of the Foundation shall loose his membership if he shall:(i) be expelled from the Society(ii) become incapable by reason of mental disorder, illness, or injury of managing and administering his affairs(iii) resign his membership of the Society or Foundation by notice in writing(iv) in the case of governing members, be absent from three consecutive meetings of the Committee and/or for good and sufficient reason three quarters of the governing members shall pass a resolution that such a governing member shall be removed from service provided that a governing member faced with removal shall have the right to be heard by the Committee before a vote shall be taken.
The Newman Foundation Committee
B.8 - There shall be a committee called the 'Foundation Committee' (hereafter 'the Committee') which shall be comprised of the governing members of the Foundation.
B.9 - Each governing member shall have the right to attend and bring business before the Committee and to exercise a vote.The powers of the Committee
B.10 - In furthering the objects of the Foundation the Committee shall have the power to:(i) act as the governing body of the Foundation with the mandate of advancing the objects of the Foundation(ii) form by-laws for the regulation of the Foundation (iii) act using the name and achievements of the Society(iv) hold and administer assets(v) establish and operate both current accounts and deposit accounts provided that cheques drawn on such accounts shall not be signed by less than two authorised signatories and to make other investments(vi) raise funds and invite and receive contributions from any person or persons whatsoever by way of subscription, donation, and otherwise(vii) employ and pay any person or persons to supervise, organise, and carry on the work of the Foundation(viii) promote and carry out or assist in the promotion and carrying out of research, surveys, and investigations and publish the useful results thereof for the benefit of the public(ix) appoint Patrons of the Society and award such further honorific offices as it may determine(x) do those things proper to the Foundation as mandated by Standing Order or resolution of the Executive Committee(xi) do all lawful things as are necessary for the attainment of the said objects.
The officers of the Foundation
B.11 - The Committee shall from time to time appoint a Chairman, Treasurer, and Secretary.
B.12 - The Committee may establish further positions by by-law and may from time to time appoint to such positions.
B.13 - The tenure of officers of the Foundation shall be determined by by-law or otherwise shall be a default period of one year.
Proceedings of the Committee
B.14 - (a) The Chairman shall call meetings of the Committee upon the instruction of the Committee or upon his own initiative by giving notice.(b) Should the position of Chairman be vacant the Senior Member shall have the power to call a meeting of the Committee by giving notice. (c) Any three Committee members jointly may also call a meeting of the Committee by giving notice to which their names shall be subscribed.(d) Notice shall state the date, time, and place of the meeting and shall be communicated by electronic mail to all members of the Committee.(e) Unless by-law shall determine otherwise notice shall be given seven clear days before the date of any meeting.
B.15 - A number of Officers being greater than four determined by by-law or otherwise four Committee members shall form a quorum and a meeting of Committee at which a quorum is present shall be competent to exercise all or any of its powers.
B.16 - If at any meeting of the Committee the Chairman is not present within ten minutes after the time appointed for the same the members of the Committee may choose one of their number present to be chairman of that meeting.
B.17 - (a) The powers of the Committee shall be exercised through a motion being carried by the Committee. (b) A majority of votes (each Committee member present having one vote) shall carry a motion.(c) The majority shall be a simple majority except in cases where Standing Orders or by-law provide otherwise.(d) In case of an equality of votes the chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote.
Records and accounts
B.18 - (a) The Committee shall cause minutes to be kept of all its resolutions and proceedings and any such minutes purporting to be passed by the Committee and signed by the chairman of the meeting or the next succeeding meeting shall be conclusive evidence of the matters stated in such minutes.(b) The taking of minutes shall ordinarily be the duty of the Secretary. In his absence another officer shall be deputised to take them.
B.19 - (a) Each Committee member shall commence his position upon signing and dating the Register kept by the Secretary in the presence of the Committee.(b) The Secretary shall record against the appropriate entry in the Register the date upon which any Committee member shall have ceased to serve.
B.20 - The Committee shall ensure that accounts are kept and that they shall contain:(i) entries showing day to day all sums of money received and expended by the Committee, and the matters in respect of which the receipt and expenditure shall take place; and(ii) a record of the assets and liabilities of the Committee.
B.21 - (a) At the end of each University term the Treasurer shall present accounts for audit and approval by the Senior Member. The Senior Member shall cause these accounts to be submitted together with the Society's general accounts when registering or re-registering the Society with the Proctors.(b) At the end of each academic year the Treasurer shall collate the audited termy accounts and place them before the Committee for approval as the Foundation's annual accounts.
The Academic Board
B.22 - There shall be a body called 'Oxford University Newman Society Academic Board' or simply the 'Newman Society Academic Board' (hereafter 'the Board').
B.23 - The purpose of the Board shall be to:(i) advise the Committee on the choice of themes and lecturers for the Newman Society Lectures(ii) award or cause to be awarded such scholarships, bursaries, awards, and prizes as may be brought into being(iii) give academic and other advice to the Society and the Foundation (iv) undertake such activities as may be agreed between itself and the Committee.
B.24 - (a) The members of the Board shall be senior members of Oxford University or other suitably qualified persons.(b) The members of the Board shall be the Senior Member and such further persons as shall be nominated by the Committee acting on its own initiative or on the recommendation of the Board.
B.25 - (a) The Senior Member shall be ex-officio chairman of the Board.(b) The Senior Member shall from time to time call meetings of the Board, which shall not meet less than once in each academic year.
Revision and abrogation of Standing Orders Section B
B.26 - (a) Any motion abrogating or revising Standing Orders Section B shall come into effect either:(i) upon being proposed by the Committee and passed by the Executive Committee and in the case of a motion of abrogation Standing Order B.27 being complied with, or(ii) upon being passed by the Executive Committee, communicated in writing to the Chairman, and one hundred clear days having elapsed from the date of the said communication.
B.27 - Upon coming into effect a motion abrogating Standing Orders Section B shall dissolve the Foundation. Before the Foundation shall be dissolved any assets administered by the Committee remaining after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities shall be given for any such purpose or purposes described as objects of the Foundation as the Committee shall in its absolute discretion decide.B.28 - Should the Society be dissolved or cease to function:(i) the Foundation shall become an independent body called the 'Newman Society Foundation' and shall be constituted by Standing Orders Section B, in so far as they apply(ii) the Committee shall have the power to form a new Constitution and thereby abrogate Standing Orders Section B(iii) persons having governing membership at the time of the Society being dissolved or ceasing to function shall continue to serve as governing members of the Foundation until such time as any newly formed Constitution shall provide otherwise.
Disputes and nullification of improper actions
B.29 - (a) In the case of a dispute the Senior Member shall be competent to rule on whether the provisions of Standing Orders Section B have been properly applied. He shall have the power to declare null and void any action by which a provision has been improperly applied.(b) - Should the office of Senior Member be vacant the Committee shall have the power to appoint an Adjudicator who shall have the power to do those things mentioned in Standing Order B.29 (a) until such time as a new Senior Member shall be appointed.
SECTION C:
OXFORD UNIVERSITY NEWMAN SOCIETY ASSOCIATION
The Association
C.1 - (1) ‘Oxford University Newman Society Association’ (hereafter ‘the Association’) shall be a body of Oxford University Newman Society (hereafter ‘the Society’).(2) The Association may be known simply as the ‘Newman Society Association’.
Objects
C.2 - The Association shall exist to advance the objects of the Society among old members (meaning Life members not being in statu pupillari and former members), members, and friends of the Society.The Committee and Officers
C.3 - There shall be a ‘Newman Society Association Committee’ (hereafter ‘the Committee’) which shall have the power to govern the Association subject to the Executive Committee.
C.4 - The Committee shall have the power to form by-laws for the regulation of the Association’s business provided that such by-laws shall for the time being be approved by the Executive Committee.
C.5 - The Committee shall from time to time appoint a Chairman, Treasurer, and Secretary of the Association. Tenure and duties of these officers shall be determined by by-law.
C.6 - Until such time as by-law shall provide another method for appointment to the Committee the members of the Committee shall be appointed by the Executive Committee. The tenure of such members shall be stated in the motion of appointment.

Subscription rates and Chaplaincy assistance

Life Membership - £20.00
University Membership - £12.00*
Annual Membership - £6.00 per year

* £10 during the first two weeks of Michaelmas Term

Click here for a membership application form


Non-members' entrance fee for Ordinary Meetings - £2.00

---

The following is from the minutes of the Executive Committee Meeting held on 1 December 2004:

8. Membership and finance
It was noted that membership subscriptions were divisive within the Catholic community, in creating an idea of Catholics either “belonging” or “not belonging” to the society. A hope was expressed that a way might be found to allow for all members of the Catholic community to be given membership and it was noted that the Oxford University Catholic Society gave all Catholic students membership. There was then discussion of how the loss of income from subscription might be remedied. Fr. Fairhead said that the Catholic Chaplaincy would be prepared to fund speaker meetings and advertising. He advised that the Catholic Chaplaincy would not, however, be prepared to fund social events and suggested that these should be made self-supporting.

The following addition to Standing Order 1 was enacted in accordance with the Committee’s ability to determine subscription rates:

For so long as the Catholic Chaplaincy shall fund speaker meetings University Membership shall be offered free of charge to all matriculated Catholics within the University whose names appear on the Chaplaincy mailing list.

Passed unanimously.

Miss Shaw then noted that Visiting Students were not matriculated within the University and the following emendation was moved:

That the words “and Catholic Visiting Students” be added after the words “within the University.”

Passed unanimously.

[The emended Standing Order 1 thereby to read: The rates of subscription to the Society shall be £6 for Annual membership, £12 for University membership and £20 for Life membership, save that the subscription rate for University membership shall be £10 during the first two weeks of Michaelmas Full Term.

For so long as the Catholic Chaplaincy shall fund speaker meetings University Membership shall be offered free of charge to all matriculated Catholics within the University and Catholic Visiting Students whose names appear on the Chaplaincy mailing list].

It was noted that in other cases the usual subscription rates would remain in force.