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Constitution

BSR Constitution (1971)

Name
1.  The Society (formerly known as The British Rheologists Club) shall be
    called The British Society of Rheology

Objects
2.  (a)  The objects of the Society shall be the promotion of scientific
	 inquiry and the diffusion to the public of knowledge connected
	 with the advancement of pure and applied rheology defined as
	 the science of the deformation and flow of matter.
    (b)  in furtherance of the objects herein before defined the Society may
         (i)     purchase or otherwise acquire or procure to be written
	     and print copies, issue and circulate gratuitously or
	     otherwise any reports of periodicals books pamphlets or
	     other documents provided that any sums received from sales
	     under this sub-section shall be applied solely for the
	     charitable purposes of the Society.
         (ii)    arrange and provide for or join in arranging and providing
             for the holding of exhibitions meetings lectures and classes.
         (iii)   assess promote encourage undertake or organise research.
         (iv)    affiliate or become affiliated to any body having similar
             objects to those here before defined and acquire and undertake
             all or any part of the assets liabilities and engagements of
             any such body which the Society may lawfully acquire.

Membership
3.  (a)  Any person interested in rheology shall be eligible to apply for
         membership of the Society but no application for group membership
         will be entertained.
    (b)  Application for membership of the Society shall be made in writing
         and supported in writing by a member of the Society in a manner to
         be approved from time to time by Council (see 5 (a)). The Entrance
         Fee (see below) shall be sent with the application for membership.
         Council shall consider any such application and if a majority of
         Council members present at a meeting approve the application then
         notice shall be given to the applicant of his election and he shall
         be requested to pay his first subscription. Having paid his first
         subscription he shall be enrolled as a member and be entitled to all
         the benefits and privileges of membership and be bound by these rules.
    (c)  If an applicant elected as aforesaid shall not have paid his
         subscription within one month of being notified of his election then
         Council may at its absolute discretion declare the election of such
         applicant to be void.
    (d)  Council shall have power to elect to honorary membership any person
         who has attained distinction through scientific attainment or by
         reason of service to the Society. A member retiring from normal
         employment after more than 20 years membership is eligible to become
         an honorary member.
    (e)  Any member may resign his membership by giving to the Membership
         Secretary notice in writing to that effect. Every such notice shall,
         unless otherwise expressed, be deemed to take effect as from 1st
         October next following receipt thereof and the member shall cease
         to be a member from that date.
    (f)  Council may if at any time it shall be of the opinion that the
         interests of the Society so require by letter invite any member to
         resign from the Society within a time specified in such letter.
         Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding sub-clauses hereof
         the resignation of a member so resigning shall be deemed to take
         effect immediately it is received. If the member does not resign
         within the time specified then Council shall consider his expulsion.
         The member shall be given an opportunity to offer an explanation of
         his conduct verbally or in writing and if thereupon Council shall by
         a two-thirds majority of those present and voting decide to expel him
         he shall thereupon cease to be a member of the Society.
    (g)  Any person shall upon ceasing to be a member of the Society forfeit
         all right to and claim upon the Society and its property and funds.

Subscription
4.  (a)  An Entrance Fee of £1 shall be paid by anyone applying for membership.
    (b)  An annual subscription of such amount as the Annual General Meeting
         may decide shall be paid by each member.
    (c)  All subscriptions (except the first subscription of a new member as
         provided by rule 3) shall be payable on October 1st in each year.
    (d)  If the subscription of any member shall be three months in arrear,
	 notice shall be sent to him calling his attention thereto and
	 if he does not pay the amount within 21 days of such notice
	 the Society may forthwith cease to send him any of the Society's
	 publications. If the annual subscription of a member shall
	 still be unpaid at the expiration of 12 months from the date
	 it was due, then a further notice shall be sent calling his
	 attention thereto and if the subscription be not paid within
	 one month of the posting of such further notice then he shall
	 be removed from the list of members. Any person who ceases to
	 be a member under this rule may be re-elected to membership,
	 but only after re-application and payment of a further
	 Entrance Fee.

Council and Executive Officers

5.  (a)  The affairs of the Society shall be managed by a Council of 12
	 members which shall include the President and five executive
	 officers of the Society, namely a Secretary, a Treasurer, a
	 Membership Secretary, an Editor (Abstracts), an Editor (Bulletin).
    (b)  A President shall be elected at an Annual General Meeting to serve
	 in that office for two years and all other members of Council
	 shall be elected at each Annual General Meeting to serve for
	 one year.  Candidates for the Presidency or for any executive
	 office or as ordinary membership of Council may be proposed
	 and seconded (i) by two members of the Society giving the
	 Secretary written notice at least three days before the Annual
	 General Meeting or (ii) by two members verbally at the Annual
	 General Meeting before the election takes place.  Any member
	 of the Society shall be eligible to be elected as President or
	 as an officer or as an ordinary member of Council, and any
	 officer or Council member shall be eligible for re-election
	 except that (i) a member shall not be eligible to fill the
	 office of President for more than two years successively (ii)
	 a member shall not be eligible to fill the same office for
	 more than four years successively and (iii) a member shall not
	 be eligible to serve on Council for more than four years
	 successively without filling an executive office. The election
	 of the President, the executive officers and the other members
	 of Council shall be by those present at the Annual General
	 Meeting and in the event of a contested election shall be by
	 each member of the Society present having one vote for each
	 position to be filled. The candidate who receives the most
	 votes for a particular office shall be declared elected to
	 that office. The vacancies on Council shall be filled by the
	 candidates up to the number of vacancies who shall receive
	 most votes and they shall be declared elected. If two or more
	 candidates receive an equal number of votes either for an
	 office or for a vacancy on Council the election to such office
	 or vacancy shall be decided by drawing lots.
    (c)  Council shall have power to appoint any member of the Society to fill
	 any casual vacancy among the executive or on the Council until
	 the next Annual General Meeting. Any member so appointed shall
	 retire at the next Annual General Meeting but shall be
	 eligible for election at that meeting.

Auditors
6.  The accounts of the Society shall be audited by professional
    accountants. The appointment of auditors and the fixing of their
    remuneration shall be made at the Annual General Meeting.

Meetings
7.  (a)  Council shall meet at least four times during the year. Four
	 members of Council shall form a quorum except that a quorum of
	 eight members of Council shall be required when Council is
	 considering the expulsion of a member who has not resigned at
	 Council's request. Council shall elect each year a Chairman
	 from among its own members (excluding the President) who may
	 take the chair if the President is absent or does not wish to
	 do so. In the event of an equality of votes the Chairman of
	 the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.
    (b)  The Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held in the
	 month of September or thereabouts in each year upon a date and
	 at a time to be fixed by Council. The business at such meeting
	 shall include the following:
         (i)   The election of officers and other members of Council.
         (ii)  To receive a report and audited accounts from Council.
         (iii) To deal with any resolution or special matter which Council
               desire to bring before the members or any member wishes to
               raise and receive suggestions from the members for
               consideration by Council.
         Notice convening the annual General Meeting shall be sent to the
         members not less than three weeks before the meeting. The notice shall
         specify any proposed change in the rules and where possible it shall
         also specify the other matters to be dealt with provided that nothing
         in this rule shall prevent matters (other than a change in the rules
         the winding up of Society or the severance of the Society's connection
         with a Branch) from being considered by the Annual General Meeting
         solely because notice of such matters has not been circulated to the
         members.
    (c)  At the request of four members of Council or of twenty members of the
         Society the Secretary shall call an Extraordinary General Meeting
         within two months of receiving such request. Such an Extraordinary
         General Meeting shall have the full authority of an Annual General
         Meeting to consider only the business for which the meeting was called.
         Notice convening an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be sent to all
         the members not less than ten days before the meeting and shall specify
         the matters to be dealt with.
    (d)  The quorum at all General Meetings shall be 20 or 8% of the total
         membership of the Society whichever shall be the less. All decisions at
         General Meetings shall be made by a simple majority of the members
         voting except that a change in the rules shall require a two-thirds
         majority of the members present and voting provided that the members
         voting in favour of such a change must number at least 20 or 8% of the
         total membership of the Society whichever shall be the less.
    (e)  The President shall take the Chair at Annual and Extraordinary General
         Meetings of the Society and at meetings of Council. If the President is
         absent or does not wish to take the Chair at any of these meetings then
         the Chairman of Council or failing him another member elected at any
         such meeting shall take the chair.

Powers and Duties of Executive Officers and Council
8.  (a)  Council shall manage the funds and affairs of the Society and shall do
         all such acts as may appear to them necessary or desirable for carrying
         into effect the objects and views of the Society.
    (b)  Council may engage remunerate and dismiss any servants as may be deemed
         necessary or expedient.
    (c)  Council may appoint any sub-Committee which it may think necessary or
         expedient for carrying out its business. Any number not exceeding
         one-third of the members of any sub-Committee may be persons who are
         not members of Council. Council may delegate any of its powers to a
         sub-Committee and may give general or particular directions as to the
         exercise of such powers to which directions the sub-Committee shall
         conform. Council may at any time add any member to or remove any member
         from any sub-Committee but need not in any such case assign a reason
         for such action.
    (d)  Subject to the provisions of this constitution Council may
         regulate its own procedure.
    (e)  The Secretary shall be responsible for the general conduct of the
	 Society's correspondence and other day to day business. He
	 shall prepare the Agenda for each meeting of the Society and
	 of Council and shall give notice of meetings and invite
	 nominations for any elections on the Agenda. He shall take the
	 minutes at all meetings of the Society and at meetings of
	 Council and enter them in a Minute Book.
    (f)  The Membership Secretary shall be responsible for all matters relating
         to membership of the Society, other than the receipt of subscriptions.
    (g)  The Treasurer shall receive all sums of money due to the Society
         transact all its pecuniary affairs and keep a proper account of
         receipts and payments. The financial year of the Society shall end on
         June 30th.
    (h)  The Editor (Abstracts) shall be responsible for the Society's
         publication of Rheology Abstracts and the Editor (Bulletin) shall be
         responsible for the Society Bulletin for private circulation to the
         members.
    (i)  Council shall present to each Annual General Meeting a written report
         and audited accounts of the Society for the preceding year.

Conferences
9.  (a)  Non-members may be admitted to any of the Society's Conferences at
         the discretion of Council. Council shall have the power to charge
         a fee for such admission if it considers this desirable.
    (b)  Representatives of the Society on other bodies or at Conferences of
         other organisations shall be elected from among the members of the
         Society by Council.

Branches
10. (a)  A Branch of the Society may be formed in any area outside the United
         Kingdom subject to the approval of Council. The activities of a Branch
         shall be governed by the rules of the Society and by the rules of the
         Branch.
    (c)  The rules of a Branch shall be approved by Council. Such rules shall
         provide for the election of a Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and
         Committee and when the rules have been approved the officers and the
         Committee shall be elected and the Branch shall commence to function.
    (d)  The Committee of a Branch of the Society shall be subject to any
         directions given to it by council but so that neither Council nor the
         members of the Society (other than members of the Branch) shall be
         responsible for any action taken by the Branch Committee.
    (e)  An application for membership of the Branch shall if approved by the
         Branch Committee in accordance with the rules of the Branch be treated
         also as an application for membership of the Society and shall be sent
         to the Membership Secretary of the Society for consideration in the
         normal way by the Council. If the applicant is elected to membership of
         the Society he shall be given notice of his election and shall be
         requested to pay his first subscription in accordance with the next
         following rule to the Treasurer of the Branch. Upon payment of his
         subscription he shall be enrolled as a member of the Society and of
         the Branch and be entitled to all the privileges of membership of the
         Society and the Branch and shall be bound by these rules and by the
         rules of the Branch.
    (f)  The subscription payable by the Branch Member shall be decided from
         time to time by the Branch Committee and shall be due on the first day
         of October in each year, a Branch Member shall not be called upon to
         pay any subscription in respect of his membership of the Society apart
         from his Branch subscription. Part of the subscription of each Branch
         Member shall be sent with a list of names of paid up Branch Members to
         the Treasurer of the Society before the last day of December of each
         year. This part of the subscription shall be decided from time to time
         by Council.
    (g)  The Council may sever any connection between itself and a Branch if
         such severance is supported by two-thirds majority of the members
         present at a General Meeting of the Society. The Branch shall be
         notified forthwith of any such decision and shall thereupon cease to
         be a Branch of the Society but the members of the Branch may at the
         discretion of Council remain members of the Society.

General
11. (a)  The Society shall not be liable for any damage or loss to the persons
         or the property of members howsoever caused whether the Society has
         been negligent or not. Provided nevertheless that Council may in its
         absolute discretion make an ex gratia payment out of the Society's
         funds in respect of any such damage or loss if it thinks that such a
         payment is appropriate.
    (b)  Every member of the Society shall from time to time communicate to
	 the Membership Secretary his address and all notices posted to
	 such address shall be considered as having been given on the
	 day following the date of posting,

Alteration to Rules
12. These rules may be added to repealed or amended by resolution at any
    annual or Extraordinary General Meeting provided that no such
    resolution shall be deemed to have been passed unless
    (a)  it be carried by a majority of at least two thirds of the members
         voting thereon; and
    (b)  the votes in support of the change number at least 20 or 8% of
         the total membership of the Society, whichever is the less.

Dissolution
13. A resolution for the dissolution of the Society may be proposed at
    any General Meeting where at least four weeks' notice has been
    given to the members of the intention to propose such a resolution.
    If the resolution for the dissolution of the Society shall be
    passed at such a General Meeting by a majority of two thirds of the
    members voting thereon and the members voting in favour of the
    resolution number at least 20 or 8% of the total membership of the
    Society whichever is the less Council shall thereupon or at such
    future date as shall be specified in such resolution, proceed to
    realise the property of the Society and after the discharge of all
    liabilities shall apply the same for charitable purposes approved
    by the Secretary of State for Education and Science and upon the
    completion of such application the Society shall be dissolved.

Interpretation
14. Council shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of these rules
    and the decision of Council upon any question of interpretation or upon
    any matter affecting the Society and not provided for by these rules shall
    be final and binding on the members.

Footnotes:
1 Last amended 1971.
2 The Society was registered as a charity in September 1966.