Russian Society of Nottingham University

1 Society Name — Russian Society

1.1 The name of the Society shall hereby be referred to as — Russ Soc and shall be stated as such in all correspondence (e.g. room bookings)

2 Aims and Objectives

2.1 The Society shall have a written statement of their Aim, which is the intended purpose of the Society, and Objectives, which is how you intend to achieve your Aim. These shall be part of this Constitution and shall be subjected to annual review by the Committee of the Society.
2.2 The Aim of the Society is:
(a) To bring together members of the Students’ Union who have an interest in the language, culture and society of Russia
2.3 The Objectives of the Society are:
(a) To hold events outside of the academic sphere, enabling all members to integrate fully
(b) To raise cultural awareness of Russia through a range of media.
(c) To provide a support network for any students studying Russian and those wishing to travel abroad.
2.4 The Society shall abide by the Students’ Union Equal Opportunities Policy.

3 Membership

3.1 Full Membership of the Society shall be open to all Full Members of the University of Nottingham Students’ Union on payment of the Membership Fee.
3.2 Associate Membership of the Society shall be open to all Associate Members of the University of Nottingham Students’ Union on payment of the Membership Fee.
3.3 The Membership Fee shall be decided at the Annual General Meeting.
3.4 The Membership Fee of the Society shall be £2.

4 Committee

4.1 There shall be a Society Committee.
4.2 The Committee shall be responsible for the day to day running of the Society and may decide upon any matter which has not been decided upon at a General Meeting. The Committee shall be further responsible for:
(a) Ensuring grant money shall be used exclusively to further the Aims and Objectives of the Society.
(b) Ensuring Membership of the Society is open to all Members of the Students’ Union.
(c) Submitting an annual grant bid for funds from ‘Societies’ prior to any specified deadline.
(d) Assisting any review of the Society’s activities and use of funds carried out by a Standing Committee of the Students’ Union.
(e) Upholding the Constitution of the Society and ensuring that the activities of the Society reflect the Aims and Objectives.
(f) Reviewing the Society’s development plan annually and submitting a new development plan where appropriate.
(g) Submitting an annual equipment inventory form and adding additional equipment purchased throughout the year.

4.3 Officers of the Society shall consist of a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer and others officers as deemed necessary.

(a) President — Shall have overall responsibility for the Society; shall be responsible for chairing meetings of the Society or its Committee; shall be present at all meetings of the Societies Council, send a representative from the Society’s Committee or an apology to the Societies Officer; shall be responsible for keeping the Society financially viable; shall prepare a written handover for their successor.

(b) Secretary — shall be responsible for the general administration of the Society, taking minutes of meetings, calling all meetings, Membership records, and shall be the Returning Officer for the Society’s elections; and shall prepare a written handover for their successor.

(c) Treasurer — Shall not be in the final year of their course; shall keep records of all transactions; shall be responsible for keeping the accounts of the Society; shall be responsible for the observance of finance provisions; shall attend the Treasurer training course; shall be responsible for keeping the Society financially viable; and shall prepare a written handover for their successor.
4.4 Officers must be Full Members of the University of Nottingham Students’ Union
4.5 Officers may be removed from their position by a motion of ‘No-Confidence’ by a two-thirds majority of Full Members present at a General Meeting.

5 Finance

5.1 All monies shall be held in accounts at the Students’ Union Treasury.
5.2 All monies shall be used to support the Society’s activities.

6 Elections

6.1 All officers must be elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) or at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM).
6.2 Elections shall be carried out in accordance with the Students’ Union Regulations, Chapter Elections.
6.3 The voting method for all elections shall be the Single Transferable Vote.

7 General Meetings

7.1 There must be an AGM of the Society in the second semester, by the second Friday of the summer term.
7.2 An EGM can be called by 20 Full Members of the Society, or 3 Officers of the Society, who must inform the Secretary. The Secretary shall inform the Students’ Union General Secretary within 2 Students’ Union days of the original notice.
7.3 The quorum for the AGM and EGM shall be 20 Full Members of the Society.

8 Constitution

8.1 The Constitution may be changed by a two-thirds majority of all Full Members present at a General Meeting.
8.2 The Society Constitution shall be subordinate to the Students’ Union Constitution and Regulations.

9 Authority

9.1 The following order of Authority shall be observed in the Society:
(a) A General Meeting,
(b) Society Committee,
(c) Society President,
(d) Other officers of the Society.

Updated 01/10/06