Constitution of the Oxford University Role Playing Game Society

Adopted 16th May 2010

CONTENTS

1. The Society is called the Oxford University Role Playing Game Society. The Society's objects are the facilitation and promotion of role-playing in all its forms and the income and property of the Society shall be applied solely to those objects.

2. 1. The Society shall be administered in accordance with the regulations for University clubs which are published from time to time in the Proctors' and Assessor's Memorandum ("the Proctors' Memorandum").
   2. 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. The Society shall observe the Code of Conduct on Safety Matters which is set out in the Schedule to this Constitution, ensure compliance with the Code by the members of the Society, and follow an appropriate procedure for risk assessment. Both the Code of Conduct and the procedure for risk assessment must be acceptable to the University's Safety Officer.
   4. No member of the Society shall participate in any activity overseas organised by the Society, whether during term-time or vacation, unless the plans for such activity have been notified at least one calendar month in advance of the date of departure from the United Kingdom to the University Marshal. Each member participating in such activities overseas shall observe any conditions imposed by the Proctors on the recommendation of the University Marshal, e.g. relating to the deposit of contact addresses, fulfillment of health, safety and insurance requirements, and stipulation of Senior Members to accompany the trip.
   5. The Society may apply to Oxford University Computing Services ('OUCS') to use information technology ('IT') facilities in the name of the Society. Where relevant facilities are allocated by OUCS it is the responsibility of the Society:
      1. to designate a member of the Society entitled to a University e-mail account (as defined by OUCS rules) to act as its IT Officer, whose duties shall include liaising with OUCS about the use of facilities allocated and passing on to his or her successor in office all records relating to the use of the facilities allocated;
      2. to designate one of its members (who may be, but need not necessarily be, the same as its IT Officer) or, exceptionally, a member of Congregation to act as its principal Webmaster, whose duties shall include maintaining an awareness of the University Guidelines for Web Information Providers and co-ordinating and regulating access to the web facilities use by the Society;
      3. to comply with regulations and guidelines relating to the use of IT facilities published from time to time by OUCS;
      4. to ensure that everyone responsible under 2.e.i - 2.e.iii is competent to deal with the requirements, where necessary undertaking training under the guidance of OUCS.

3. The members of the Society shall be those who are eligible and apply for membership of the Society, who are admitted to and maintained in membership by the Committee, and who have paid the relevant Society subscription.
4. 1. All student members of the University, and all persons whose names are on the University's Register of Visiting Students, shall be eligible to become members of the Society. A member shall continue to be eligible until he or she is given permission to supplicate for his or her degree, diploma or certificate, regardless of whether or not he or she continues to be liable to pay fees to the University.
   2. All other members of the University shall be eligible to become members of the Society.
5. The Committee may also, at its discretion, admit to membership:-
   1. students registered to read for diplomas and certificates in the University;
   2. student members of Permanent Private Halls who are not student members of the University;
   3. members of Ruskin College; Ripon College, Cuddesdon and the Oxford Institute of Legal Practice;
   4. members of the Westminster Institute of Oxford Brookes University who are registered to read for degrees or other qualifications validated by the University of Oxford; and
   5. other persons not falling within paragraph 4 above or paragraphs 5a to 5d above, provided that such members shall not constitute more than one-fifth of the total membership.
6. The Committee may remove a person from membership for good cause. The person concerned may appeal against such removal to the Senior Member.

7. There shall be an Annual General Meeting for all the members of the Society in Hilary Full Term, convened by the Secretary on not less than seven days' notice.
8. The Annual General Meeting will:
   1. receive the annual report of the Committee for the previous year and the annual accounts of the Society for the previous year, the report and accounts having been approved by the Committee;
   2. receive a report from the Committee on the Society's compliance with paragraph 2 above;
   3. elect Members of the Committee in accordance with paragraph 21 below: nominations for all posts must be seconded and have the consent of the nominee. They may be delivered to the Secretary in writing or by email in advance or made in person from the floor of the meeting;
   4. consider any motions and other relevant business raised from the floor of the meeting.
9. A Termly General Meeting may be called in Michaelmas and/or Trinity Full Term by the President, the Secretary or the Treasurer on not less than seven days' notice. Such a meeting will consider any motions and other relevant business raised from the floor of the meeting in addition to those of which notice was given in the agenda.
10. An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called in any Full Term, or exceptionally outside Full Term if it is called pursuant to paragraph 30; by the President, the Secretary or the Treasurer on not less than seven days' notice; or on a written requisition by seven or more members, stating the reason for which the meeting is to be called, and delivered to the Secretary not less than fourteen days before the date of the Meeting. Such a meeting will consider only subjects of which notice was given in the agenda.
11. Prior to all General Meetings notice of the agenda shall be sent out with the notice of the Meeting.
12. The quorum for a General Meeting shall be twelve members present in person or by proxy, of whom two must be members of the Committee. When any financial business is to be transacted there must be present the Treasurer, or a member of the Committee deputed by the Treasurer to represent his or her views to the Meeting (provided that where it is a case of a deputy, the only financial business transacted shall be that which was set out in the agenda accompanying the notice of the meeting).

13. The affairs of the Society shall be administered by a Committee that shall determine the subscriptions payable by the members of the Society, and have ultimate responsibility for the activities of the Society. The Committee shall have control of the funds and property of the Society, and of its administration.
14. The Committee shall be made up of the President, the Secretary, the Treasurer (together, the "Office Holders"; and their offices are referred to as "the Offices"), the Senior Member and those persons holding other posts as determined by a General Meeting of the Society. The President, the Secretary and the Treasurer shall each be either a member of the Society whose eligibility stems from paragraph 4a above or paragraphs 5a to 5d above, or (with the approval of the Proctors) a member of Congregation. If his or her eligibility stems from paragraphs 5a to 5d above, on election to office he or she must sign an undertaking to abide by the Proctors' Memorandum, and to accept the authority of the Proctors on Society matters.
15. The quorum for a Committee meeting shall be two members present in person, including one of the Office Holders. When any financial business is to be transacted, there must be present either the Treasurer or a member of the Committee deputed by the Treasurer to represent his or her views to the meeting.
16. The President shall have the right to preside at all meetings of the members of the Society and at all meetings of the Committee. Should the President be absent, or decline to take the chair, the Committee shall elect another member of the Committee to chair the meeting.
17. The President shall:
    1. ensure the production and distribution of a programme of meetings arranged for each term (the term card);
    2. ensure that copies of this Constitution and any resolutions which affect the running of the Society are available for reference by members; and
    3. assume or delegate the duties of of any Committee post which is unfilled.
18. The Secretary shall:
    1. give notice of meetings of the members and the Committee;
    2. draw up the agendae for and the minutes of those meetings;
    3. notify the Proctors promptly following the appointment and resignation or removal of Office Holders and other members of the Committee;
    4. advise the Proctors promptly of any changes in this Constitution;
    5. notify the Proctors not later than the end of the second week of every Full Term of the programme of meetings which has been arranged for that term (e.g. by providing them a copy of the term card); and
    6. inform the Proctors if the Society ceases to operate, or is to be dissolved, and in doing so present a final statement of accounts (the format of which the Proctors may prescribe).
19. The Treasurer shall:
    1. organise an annual Christmas Party;
    2. maintain a register of the members of the Society, which shall be available for inspection by the Proctors on request;
    3. keep proper records of the Society's financial transactions in accordance with current accepted accounting rules and practices;
    4. develop and implement control procedures to minimise the risk of financial exposure, such procedures to be reviewed regularly with the University's Internal Audit Section ("Internal Audit");
    5. ensure that bills are paid and cash is banked in accordance with the procedures developed under 19.d;
    6. ensure that all statutory returns are made including VAT, income tax and corporation tax if appropriate;
    7. seek advice as necessary on tax matters from the University's Finance Division;
    8. develop and maintain a manual of written procedures for all aspects of the Treasurer's responsibilities;
    9. make all records, procedures and accounts available on request to the Senior Member, the Proctors and Internal Audit;
    10. forward to the Proctors by the end of the second week of each Full Term a copy of the accounts for the preceding term (the format of which the Proctors may prescribe) signed by the Senior Member, for retention on the Proctors' files; and
    11. if the Society has a turnover in excess of £15,000 in the preceding year, or if owing to a change in the nature or scale of its activities, it may confidently be expected to have such a turnover in the current year, submit its accounts (the format of which the Proctors may prescribe) for independent professional inspection and report by a reporting accountant approved in advance by the Proctors. Accounts are to be ready for inspection within four months of the end of the Society's financial year and the costs of the inspection and report shall be borne by the Society. If requested by the reporting accountant, the Society shall submit accounts and related material as a basis for a review of accounting procedures, the cost likewise to be borne by the Society.
20. The Senior Member shall:
    1. hear appeals from removal from membership under paragraph 6 above;
    2. following paragraph 19.j above, consider the accounts of the Society and sign them if he or she considers them to be in order;
    3. ensure that adequate advice and assistance is available to the Secretary and the Treasurer in the performance of their responsibilities under paragraphs 18 and 19.b to 19.k above; and
    4. be available to represent and speak for the Society in the public forum, and before the Courts of the University and the University authorities.
21. The members of the Committee shall be elected by the members of the Society annually, and shall be eligible for re-election. The members of the Society shall not appoint several individuals jointly to hold any of the Offices, nor allow any individual to hold more than one Office at a time. When electing other members of the Committee each year, the members of the Society shall also appoint a member of Congregation as the Senior Member, and he or she will then be a member of the Committee ex officio.
22. If during the period between the annual elections to offices any vacancies occur amongst the members of Committee, the Committee shall have the power of filling the vacancy or vacancies up to the next Annual General Meeting by co-optation.
23. Each Office Holder must, on relinquishing his or her appointment, promptly hand to his or her successor in Office (or to another member of the Society nominated by the Committee) all official documents and records belonging to the Society, together with (on request from the Committee) any other property of the Society which may be in his or her possession; and must complete any requirements to transfer authority relating to control of the Society's bank accounts, building society accounts, or other financial affairs.
24. Without derogating from its primary responsibility, the Committee may delegate its functions to finance and general purposes and other subcommittees which are made up exclusively of members of the Committee.
25. The Committee shall have power to make regulations and by-laws in order to implement the paragraphs of this Constitution, and to settle any disputed points not otherwise provided for in this Constitution. Any alteration to this Constitution shall require the approving vote of two-thirds of those present in person or by proxy at a General Meeting.
26. No member of the Committee shall be removed from office except by the approving votes of two-thirds of those present in person or by proxy at a General Meeting.

27. So far as may be permitted by law, every member of the Committee and every officer of the Society shall be entitled to be indemnified by the Society against all costs, charges, losses, expenses and liabilities incurred by him or her in the execution or discharge of his or her duties or the exercise of his or her powers, or otherwise properly in relation to or in connection with his or her duties. This indemnity extends to any liability incurred by him or her in defending any proceedings, civil or criminal, which relate to anything done or omitted or alleged to have been done or omitted by him or her as a member of the Committee or officer of the Society and in which judgement is given in his or her favour (or the proceedings are otherwise disposed of without any finding or admission of any material breach of duty on his or her part), or in which he or she is acquitted, or in connection with any application under any statute for relief from liability in respect of any such act or omission in which relief is granted to him or her by the Court.
28. So far as may be permitted by law, the Society may purchase and maintain for any member of the Committee or officer of the Society insurance cover against any liability which by virtue of any rule of law may attach to him or her in respect of any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust of which he or she may be guilty in relation to the Society and against all costs, charges, losses and expenses and liabilities incurred by him or her and for which he or she is entitled to be indemnified by the Society by virtue of paragraph 27.

29. The Society may be dissolved by the approving votes of two-thirds of those present in person or by proxy at a General Meeting; this dissolution shall take effect not less than thirty days from the date of the General Meeting. The Society may also be dissolved (without the need for any resolution of the members) by means of not less than thirty days notice from the Proctors to the Secretary of the Society if at any time the Society ceases to be registered with the Proctors.
30. In the event that the Society is to be dissolved, an Extraordinary General Meeting may be called to discuss the fate of its assets. This meeting shall be conducted according to paragraph 10. Any assets remaining upon dissolution shall not be distributed amongst the members, but shall be paid to or at the direction of the University for the promotion of role-playing in the University.

Adopted 16th May 2010

The following lists Committee posts created at the General Meeting of 16th May 2010; it does not form part of the constitution and can be amended by the approving vote of a majority of those present in person or by proxy at a General Meeting.

Note that all posts other than the Offices may be held jointly by several individuals. These individuals should state how responsibility will be divided between them when they stand for election. Moreover, an individual may hold several posts (including at most a single Office).

1. Archivist. The Archivist shall:
   1. maintain in good repair, if possible, any non-LARP games-related items owned by or loaned to the Society ("the Archive");
   2. make the contents of the Archive available as requested by members of the Society;
   3. ensure that any items borrowed from the Archive by members of the Society are accounted for and to request return if necessary;
   4. provide the Treasurer with an inventory of the contents and location of the Archive; and
   5. accept, at the discretion of the Committee, new items donated to the Archive.
2. Campaign Organiser. The Campaign Organiser shall:
   1. ensure that a Society Game is run during each Full Term; and
   2. ensure that all such Society Games are run in such a way as to be accessible to members who have not role-played before.
3. Nightflyer Editor. The Nightflyer Editor shall:
   1. obtain articles and artwork from Members of the Society, for publication in the Society magazine, Nightflyer; and
   2. edit and arrange the publication of Nightflyer, at intervals determined by the Committee.
4. Social Secretary. The Social Secretary shall:
   1. arrange social events for members of the Society; and
   2. organise an annual Banquet.
5. LARP Organiser. The LARP Organiser shall:
   1. ensure that Live Action Role Playing games are available to members;
   2. ensure that a Society LARP is run during each Full Term; and
   3. ensure that such a Society LARP is run in such a way as to be accessible to members who have not role-played before.
6. LARP Treasurer. The LARP Treasurer shall:
   1. keep proper records of any financial transactions conducted in connection with any LARP games run by the Society in accordance with current accepted accounting rules and practices;
   2. maintain an inventory of the contents and location of any LARP related items owned by the Society; and
   3. provide these records to the Treasurer as required.