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Resources
A printable pdf version of the rules can be downloaded HERE
As amended 29th November 2010.
1 Title
The Society shall be called the Oxford University Society of Change Ringers.2 Objects
The objects of the Society shall include:the promotion of the art of change ringing in the University; ringing for Sunday Services in Oxford during Full Term. The activities of the Society will at all times be conducted in accordance with the following University policies and codes of practice in force from time to time: Integrated Equality Policy; Code of Practice on Harassment and Bullying; and Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech. 3 Membership
Membership shall be of four kinds: Ordinary, Life, Unofficial and Honorary.a) Ordinary membership shall be limited to members of the University.
Ordinary membership shall be by payment of a termly subscription of such amount as the Society shall determine, and shall expire, if no further subscription is paid, at the end of the first week of the Full Term following that in which the subscription was paid.b) Life members shall be: i) persons who are or were qualified for ordinary membership who have paid nine termly subscriptions; ii) non-resident members of the University who have paid three termly subscriptions or an amount equal thereto in the twelve months immediately before going down or ceasing to be resident. iii) other non-resident members of the University on payment of an amount equal to three termly subscriptions. The Society may waive the requirement of payment or reduce the amount to be paid. c) Unofficial members shall be persons not qualified for ordinary or life membership of the Society who are elected to unofficial membership at a General Meeting of the Society. The number of unofficial members shall not exceed eight at any one time. Candidates shall be proposed and seconded by ordinary or life members of the Society. Unofficial members shall pay a termly subscription of such amount, being less than the amount of the termly subscription for ordinary members, as the Society shall determine. Unofficial membership shall expire in the same way as ordinary membership. d) Honorary members shall be members of the Cambridge University Guild of Change Ringers and such others as the Society shall see fit to elect. e) Notwithstanding rules 3(a) and (b), a person’s eligibility for ordinary or life membership of the Society shall be determined in accordance with the rules in force at the date on which that person became eligible for membership. f) An Officer shall keep a list of known members of the Society who are not members only by virtue of their membership of the Cambridge University Guild of Change Ringers with their addresses. g) The names of members who have become life members in the previous academic year shall be read out at the Annual General Meeting and entered in the Society's Minute Book. 4 Officers
a) The Officers of the Society shall be a President, Vice-Presidents, a Senior Member, a General Secretary, a Master, a Resident Secretary, a Librarian, a Treasurer, a Webmaster, and two Steeplekeepers. b) Officers shall be ordinary or life members of the Society. c) Officers shall be elected at a General Meeting of the Society and shall retire at the Annual General Meeting next after their election. d) A retiring Officer may be re-elected except that no-one who has served for a total of ten years as president shall be eligible for re-election to that office. For the purposes of this rule, a year shall be deemed to be the period between one annual general meeting and the next. e) An Officer may be removed from office by the vote of not less than three-quarters of the ordinary and life members present at a General Meeting. 5 Central Council Representatives
So long as the Society is affiliated to the Central Council of Church Bellringers, representatives, who shall be ordinary or life members of the Society, shall be elected at a General Meeting of the Society in accordance with the rules of the Council. The Society may require its representatives to report to the Society on the proceedings of the Council.6 Committee
The committee shall consist of the Master, Resident Secretary, Librarian, Treasurer, Webmaster, Steeplekeepers and the Senior Member. It shall meet at least once a term. Members of the Committee shall be notified of its meetings at least forty-eight hours in advance.7 Meetings
a) There shall be an Annual General Meeting which shall normally be held on the last Monday of Michaelmas Full Term. b) A General Meeting shall be held each term, normally on the first Monday of Full Term. c) The Committee shall arrange Extraordinary General Meetings at any time, if it deem it expedient, or within fourteen days of the receipt by a member of the Committee of a requisition signed by five ordinary or life members. Notice of such meetings shall be given at a practice of the Society or at the Society's Sunday Service ringing at least seven days before the meeting and, if possible, at all subsequent such practices and Sunday Service ringing before the meeting. d) A quorum at General meetings shall be ten ordinary or life members. e) If a General Meeting held under (a) or (b) above is not held at the normal time, notice shall be submitted for publication in an issue of 'The Ringing World' which appears at least three days before the meeting. 8 Procedure at General Meetings
a) The President, or in his absence some ordinary or life member elected by the meeting for the purpose, shall take the chair. The Chairman's decision on all matters affecting the interpretation of the rules shall be final. b) The business shall include the reading of the minutes of the previous meeting, which shall be subject to confirmation by the meeting. At termly meetings, an account of the Society's finances shall be given. c) Except as provided in (d) below, voting shall be by a show of hands, unless a majority of members present and voting wishes otherwise. d) Election of Officers and Central Council Representatives i) Elections shall take place, when necessary, in the following order: President, Vice-Presidents, Senior Member, General Secretary, Master, Resident Secretary, Librarian, Treasurer, Webmaster, Steeplekeepers, Central Council Representatives. ii) Candidates shall be proposed and seconded. iii) In a contested election to fill one vacancy, each member shall have one vote. The candidate with an absolute majority shall be declared elected. If no candidate secures an absolute majority, the candidate with the least number of votes shall withdraw. This procedure shall be repeated until one candidate secures the necessary majority. iv) In a contested election to fill two vacancies, each member shall have two votes, which shall not be cast for the same candidate. The two candidates with the highest number of votes shall be declared elected. v) Where two or more candidates receive the same number of votes and are not the only candidates in the election, further votes shall, if necessary, be taken to determine which candidate or candidates shall withdraw or be elected. vi) If an attempt to determine the election or withdrawal of a candidate or candidates by voting under rule 8(d)(v) or otherwise results in the same number of votes being cast for all the candidates concerned, the Chairman shall exercise casting votes, which he may delegate. vii) A candidate in any election may not vote for himself. viii) Voting in contested elections shall be by paper ballot. e) Except as provided in (d)(vi) above, the Chairman shall have one casting vote, which he may delegate. f) Honorary and Unofficial members shall have no vote and may not propose or second motions. 9 Practices
When possible, at least two towerbell practices shall be held each week during Full Term.10 Peals
a) All peals credited to the Society shall be rung entirely by ordinary or life members of the Society. b) A peal-fee of such amount as the Society may determine shall be paid by each participant in such peals. c) A record of the Society's peals shall be kept by a member appointed by the Master for the purpose. All peals so recorded as at 1st December 2008 shall be deemed to have been rung in accordance with rule 10(a). 11 Rules
a) A copy of the rules shall be given to each member on his first joining the Society. b) (i)Alteration of the rules shall be by a two-thirds majority of members present and voting at a General Meeting. ii) Notice of any proposed alteration of the rules shall be given at the General Meeting before that in which the proposal is to be made. iii) Such notice shall also be submitted for publication in an issue of 'The Ringing World' which appears at least seven days before the meeting in which the proposal is to be made.