Rules of the Magdalen Society

RULES OF THE MAGDALEN SOCIETY

(adopted September 2009)

 

1.      Name  

The name of the Association (which is an unincorporated association) is The Magdalen Society (in these Rules called “the Society”).

  1. Objects and powers  

(a)    The Society is established to maintain and foster contacts between and for the mutual benefit of the members of the Society and Magdalen College, Oxford (“the College”).

(b)   In furtherance of these objects the Society may promote such activities as are appropriate and shall have power to do all such lawful things as are necessary or desirable for the attainment of these objects.

  1. Membership  

(a)    Membership of the Society shall comprise all persons who have at any time been members of the College (but including those in statu pupillari) or are or have been on the foundation of the College, and, in the discretion of the Committee of the Society (“the Committee”), all persons who have at any time been donors to the College or the Magdalen College Development Trust (“the Trust”).

(b)   Honorary members of the Society may be elected by a General Meeting on the nomination of the Committee.

  1. General meetings  

(a)    An Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held in each year to receive the annual report of the Committee, to elect officers and members of the Committee in accordance with paragraph 8, and to consider any matters submitted to it by the Committee or requested by any member of the Society who has given reasonable advance notice to the Chairman or the Secretary at the College.

(b)   The Chairman or (failing him or her) the Deputy Chairman shall take the Chair at General Meetings or at Committee meetings. In their absence, a Chairman shall be elected by the meeting.

(c)    The officers may requisition a General Meeting (“an Extraordinary General Meeting”) at any time to deal with any business which requires to be transacted by a General Meeting.  

  1. The Committee  

(a)    The Committee of the Society shall consist of the Society’s three officers, namely the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman and the Secretary, together with the President or his/her deputy, one Fellow nominated by the College’s Development & Alumni Relations Committee (DARC), and twelve elected alumni members from among whom the Chairman and Deputy Chairman shall be chosen; the Committee shall have the option to co-opt other alumni members, each until the next Annual General Meeting.

(b)   Of the ten other elected alumni members, three shall at the date of their election (and whether or not any of them is a graduate) be of less than ten years’ standing from the date of matriculation (“the under tens”). If fewer than three under tens are elected then their places shall be left vacant and the Committee will have power to fill them by co-option.

(c)    Except as provided later in this paragraph, alumni members of the Committee shall be elected as provided in paragraph 8 and shall hold office until the third Annual General Meeting after their election when they shall retire but be eligible for re-election. Any alumni member who held office as a member of the Committee during the year 2008/9 shall hold office only until the second Annual General Meeting after the 2009 Annual General Meeting when they shall retire but remain eligible for re-election.

(d)   The Committee shall be responsible for the management of the Society.

(e)    The quorum for meetings of the Committee shall be not less than four persons, of whom not less than two persons shall be officers of the Society.

  1. Proceedings  

(a)    The proceedings of the Society shall be conducted as informally and economically as possible having regard to the Society’s objects.

(b)   Subject to paragraph 8, where a vote is taken, whether in Committee or in a General Meeting, each person present in person shall have one vote and the Chairman shall have a casting vote.

(c)    No decision shall be taken at a General Meeting if fewer than fifteen persons attend.

(d)   The Rules of the Society may be altered by decisions made by a majority of two thirds of those present at a General Meeting.

  1. Officers of the Society  

(a)    The Chairman and Deputy Chairman shall be elected as provided in paragraph 8. They shall hold office until the third Annual General Meeting after their election and be eligible for re-election.

(b)   The Secretary of the Society shall be elected by the Committee after consultation between the Chairman and the College.

  1. Elections

(a)    Subject to sub-paragraph (c), elections of alumni members of the Committee shall take place at the Annual General Meeting and voting shall be in accordance with paragraph 6(b).

(b)   At the discretion of the Chairman elections shall be conducted as follows:

(i)     the detailed procedure shall be as devised by the Secretary but must comply with the principles in (ii) to (v) which follow;

(ii)   the impending election shall be advertised to all members and candidatures invited;

(iii) details of the candidates shall be advertised and votes invited at least 2 weeks before the Annual General Meeting;

(iv) votes may be cast and communicated to the Secretary by letter or any other means of communication other than orally and shall reach the Secretary by 2:00pm on the day preceding the Annual General Meeting. In the case of any dispute the decision of the Secretary shall be final;

(v)   the members present at the Annual General Meeting may vote for a candidate by show of hands or at the discretion of the Chairman by ballot. These votes shall be counted by the Secretary and added to the votes already cast under (iv). No member may vote more than once for the same candidate.

(c)    Elections of the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman shall be made by the Committee from among their number at the meeting of the Committee following the elections of alumni members. This meeting shall be held at the earliest practicable date and, pending the election of the Chairman, the most senior member of the Committee in date of matriculation shall take the Chair. The Secretary shall be elected by the Committee but need not be or have been a member of the Committee. 

  1. Finance  

(a)    Membership of the Society shall not entail any obligations and in particular shall not oblige members to pay any entrance fee or subscription or to make any other contribution.

(b)   The Society’s activities are funded by agreement between the Committee, the College and the Trust. The Society may take steps to become self-funding if a General Meeting so decides.

(c)    The Society is administered by the Magdalen College Development Office, and the Society’s accounts are kept by the College Accountant, are approved by the Trustees of the Magdalen College Development Trust, and published within the Trust’s Accounts by the College. These accounts are in the public domain.

(d)    Subject to (b) above, all accounts shall be audited by the College’s auditor within the Development Trust Accounts, and will subsequently be reported to the members at the Annual General Meeting.