BLUG: Constitution 2000

 Login / Register
  1. Name of Society
    1. The name of the society shall be the Belfast Linux Users Group (BLUG).

  2. Aims and Objectives
    1. To increase and promote awareness of the GNU/Linux operating system within both the home and corporate sectors of the Computing industry in Northern Ireland.
    2. To provide a forum to discuss and gain experience of the GNU/Linux operating system.
    3. To help educate people in the usage of GNU/Linux and related software.

  3. Members
    1. Full membership of the society shall be open to anyone who agrees to support the aims of the Society.
    2. Membership shall be obtained by subscribing to the BLUG Mailing List
    3. All members shall be bound by this constitution.

  4. Committee
    1. The society shall have a governing committee.
    2. The committee shall run the society on behalf of the members and in accordance with the aims and objectives.
    3. Committee decisions shall be decided by majority voting.
    4. A quorum shall be four committee members.

  5. The committee shall consist of
    • Chairman
    • Liasons Officer
    • Treasurer
    • Lectures and Talks Organiser
    • Web Page Administrator
    • Librarian
    • Technical Advisor
    • The term of office of these elected officers shall be one year.

  6. Election of Committee.
    1. The committee members shall be democratically elected at an Annual General Meeting.
    2. To seek election to the committee each candidate can either nominated by any other member, or may volunteer.
    3. Members are only eligible to vote if they have been full members of the society for more than one month at the date of the election. This shall be proved by checking with the mailing list subscription logs.

  7. Duties of Committee
    1. The Chairperson shall be the chief officer of the society whose functions include chairing all meetings of the committee and officiating at meetings of the society. They shall preserve order and decorum, and shall construe and enforce the Constitution. They shall also be responsible for maintaining an up to date list of society members.
    2. The Liasons Officer's function shall be to deal with all correspondence and records of the society and to endevour to contact various businesses and organisations in Northern Ireland with a view to creating bonds with them.
    3. The Treasurer's function shall be to administer the funds of the society and to maintain accounts and budgets.
    4. The Committee member in charge of lectures and talks will be responsible for ensuring that speakers be invited to speak to the group about matters relating to Linux use, and in particular Linux use in Northern Ireland.
    5. The Web Page Administrator is responsible for the upkeep and regular maintenance of the web site.
    6. The Librarian will keep a record of any books or other printed material which members of the group will allow other members to lend. They will ensure that borrowed items be returned to the rightful owner by a time agreed by the parties.
      Software CDs which are at the groups disposal will also be kept by the Librarian.
    7. No remuneration shall be offered to cover the cost of attending meetings.

  8. Dismissal & Resignation of Committee Members
    1. No member of the committee shall be dismissed from office unless:
      1. Written notice of a resolution to seek such dismissal, signed by at least 10% of the members of the society, or 20 members (whichever is the lower amount), is received ten working days prior to a meeting at which such resolution shall be debated.
      2. The resolution is passed by at least a two thirds voting majority at the meeting.
    2. A committee member wishing to resign must submit a letter in writing declaring that intention to the secretary, who will immediately inform the committee as a whole. The committee member must remain in office for a minimum time period of two weeks thereafter, so that an EGM can be held to elect a replacement.
      In cases where an EGM cannot be held by said date, the committee may co-opt a member to fill the vacant role.

  9. Meetings
    1. There shall be an Annual General Meeting (AGM) held each year.
    2. A quorum of a meeting shall be three committee members and the lower of 5% of the Full Membership or 40 people.
    3. The business of the AGM shall also include an annual report given by the outgoing chairperson and treasurer.
    4. An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) shall be convened if:
      1. 5% of the ordinary membership of the society request one.
      2. A quorum of the committee request one.
      3. A vacancy on the current committee occurs and there is a need to elect a replacement.
    5. Elections for the offices of the committee shall take place at the AGM, and at an EGM under Article 8.4.3, except in cases where there are no eligible candidates.
    6. The committee shall convene a General Meeting when appropriate.
    7. Notice of all meetings shall given to the membership at least ten working days prior to the date of the meeting.
    8. At a meeting any member may propose a resolution relating to the business of the society. The resolution shall be voted on by a show of hands and a declaration of the chairperson that the resolution is carried, unless a secret ballot is demanded by any two members, shall be conclusive evidence that the resolution has passed or failed.

  10. General.
    1. Notice of a proposal to seek an amendment to this constitution shall be given to members at least four working days prior to the meeting at which such proposal shall be considered. Such a proposal must receive the approval of two thirds of the members present at such meeting.
    2. A copy of the constitution shall be placed on the society's website and be available to all members.

By Patrick Moore
Created: Mon, 2 Jul 2001 14:27:16 +0000
Ammended: Sat, 2 Mar 2002 14:27:59 +0000