The MKIVC prides itself on being a friendly club, and we don't have many rules and regulations as we implicitly trust our members to do the right thing.

But as a real club, run by the members, the club belongs collectively to all the members. And therefore it is necessary to have in place some structure to how we operate, in order to protect our assets and ensure we meet our obligations; both to our fellow members, and to other parties that we interact with.

CONSTITUTION FOR MILTON KEYNES INTER-VARSITY CLUB

NAME

1. The name of the Club shall be "The Milton Keynes Inter-Varsity Club" hereinafter referred to as "the Club".

OBJECTS

2. The objects of the Club are:-

(a) To provide opportunities for social, cultural and recreational activities among graduates and other people of similar interests resident in and visiting Milton Keynes and its environs.

(b) To provide facilities for visitors or temporary residents from other Inter-Varsity Clubs, in accordance with the Reciprocal Agreement of the Association of Inter-Varsity Clubs.

(c) To promote and encourage subsidiary societies for the furthering of the above aims.

3. The Club and its subsidiary societies shall not hold or express any political, religious or racial opinions, nor shall it be associated with any organisation which does.

MEMBERSHIP

4. Subject to the provisions of article 8, the following shall be eligible for ordinary membership of the Club:-

(a) Full time internal graduates and undergraduates of Universities and University Colleges in the United Kingdom and Trinity College Dublin and past and present students of medicine, dentistry, nursing, radiograph and physiotherapy in Teaching Hospitals in the United Kingdom.

(b) Past and present students of institutions of higher education considered by the Committee to be of approximately equal status.

(c) In exceptional circumstances other persons not eligible under 4(a) or (b) above may be admitted if in the unanimous opinion of the Committee he has similar tastes and interests.

5. The Committee may by resolution, invite any person of standing to become an honorary member. A General Meeting may invite any person of standing to become an Honorary Vice-President.

6. Past and present students of Commonwealth and Foreign Universities and past students of Institutions mentioned in article 4(a) if staying in Great Britain for a short period, may become temporary members. No entrance fee shall be charged to temporary members, and subscriptions shall be fixed by the Committee. The Committee may, at its absolute discretion, refuse to accept any person as a temporary member, without assigning any reason.

7. Honorary and temporary members shall not be qualified either to vote at General Meetings or to hold any office except President or Honorary Vice-President. They shall be entitled to all other benefits and privileges of membership, except as provided in Article 43. All applicants for ordinary or temporary membership shall, if required, produce evidence of their eligibility for membership as defined in Article 4.

8.

(a) All applications for ordinary membership are subject to the approval of the Committee, who shall take such steps as it thinks fit to determine the applicant's suitability for membership. The Committee may, at its discretion, refuse any application for membership without assigning any reason.

(b) All ordinary members, having paid their current subscription, shall be entitled to the facilities afforded by the Club, and shall be entitled to join any of the subsidiary societies of the Club. They shall be bound by the Constitution, Standing Orders (see Article 23) and other rules of the Club and those of the subsidiary societies they join or intend to join.

9. The Club shall not knowingly admit as a member, any person who has been expelled, or who has been refused membership by any Constituent Club of the Association of Inter-Varsity Clubs without consultation with such Association.

10. Members of other Inter-Varsity Clubs which are members of or affiliated to the Association of Inter-Varsity Clubs may, subject to the payment of such supplementary fees or subscriptions as may from time to time be laid down by the Committee, enjoy all the privileges of membership of the Club, provided that at the same time they comply with the rules and regulations of the Club.

11. The subscription for ordinary members, subscriptions for the husband/wife of an ordinary member and entrance fee (if any) shall be fixed by resolution of a general meeting, provided that notice of intention to change such fee or subscription shall first have appeared in the Agenda or notice of the meeting.

12. Every ordinary member shall be notified of the date on which his subscription falls due. If, after one month from that date, he has not paid his subscription, his membership shall lapse forthwith. If any lapsed member wishes to renew his subscription within twelve months of the renewal date, he shall be liable to the full subscription from that date and any entrance fee that may apply at the time. If after twelve months a lapsed member wishes to renew his subscription it will be necessary to submit a formal application to the Committee.

13. Any member may resign membership by giving the Membership Secretary notice in writing to that effect.

14. The Committee may invite any member who brings the Club or the Association into disrepute, disgrace or otherwise behave in any manner which is considered harmful or injurious to the Club, the Association or any section of its members to resign membership within a specified time. Failing such resignation the matter shall be referred to the next Committee meeting and the member shall be invited by the Secretary to make representations at the Committee meeting or in writing in advance or both. If after full discussion two-thirds of the Committee members then present vote for the member's expulsion he shall thereupon cease to be a member of the Club.

15. Upon a person ceasing to be a member of the Club he shall forfeit all right to and claim upon the Club and its property and funds except for any claim notified to the Membership Secretary in writing at the time of resignation under Article 13 or 14 or within one month of a notice of expulsion being sent to him.

16. Every member of the Club shall communicate to the Membership Secretary any change of his own address. All notices posted to a member's address shall be considered as having been duly given on the second day following the date of posting, in the case of first class mail, or on the fourth day following the date of posting, in the case of second class mail.

17. No proceedings of the Club shall be invalidated solely because of the discovery subsequent thereto of some accidental omission to give notice.

MANAGEMENT

18. The officers of the Club shall include a Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Association Liaison Officer and Activities Secretary.

19. The management of the Club shall be deputed to a Committee consisting of:-

(a) The officers mentioned in Article 18.

(b) Those ordinary members of the Committee elected in accordance with Articles 26 and 27 of the Constitution.

20. The Committee, or any Sub-Committee of the Club may by resolution co-opt any additional members for the remainder of the meeting only, unless otherwise empowered by their parent body in accordance with Article 19. At least two-thirds of the members present and eligible to vote must vote in favour of such resolutions.

21.

(a) The Committee may appoint such Sub-Committees as it considers necessary or expedient and may depute or refer to them such powers and duties as it may determine. Such Sub-Committees shall periodically report their proceedings to the Committee and shall conduct their business in accordance with any directions which the Committee might give.

(b) The Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer shall be entitled to attend any Committee or Sub-Committee of the Club.

22. Any Committee or Sub-Committee may act despite any vacancy thereon.

23. The Committee may make standing orders to govern its own meetings and those of Sub-Committees of the Club and may make regulations governing the conduct of officers of the Club and the use of Club facilities by members.

24. The Committee shall have the power to appoint, pay and dismiss such servants of the Club as it deems necessary and may elect any such servant to temporary member of the Club during his tenure of office or for shorter time as it thinks fit.

25. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the funds of the Club, which shall be kept in a recognised bank or building society. Cheques must be signed by both the Treasurer and the Secretary or Chairman.

ELECTIONS

26. At the Annual General Meeting an election shall be held for:-

(a) The Officers of the Club as defined in Article 18.

(b) Two ordinary Committee members.

27. All nominations must be signed by at least two members of the Club and the written consent of the nominee obtained. All nominees must be ordinary members of the Club.

28. Any vacancies remaining from the Annual General Meeting or occurring during the year shall be filled by election/co-option at a meeting of the Committee. At least seven clear days notice shall be given of all such elections.

29. A Committee member may be dismissed by the unanimous vote of all the other Committee members on grounds of either a breach of the Constitution or for some other serious reason showing that he should no longer remain in office. An explanation shall be given to all Club members without delay and to the next General Meeting.

MEETINGS

30. Not less than fourteen days' notice shall be given of any General Meeting.

31. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held during October in every year the date to be fixed by the Committee and published by the Secretary at least fourteen days in advance.

32. The business of the AGM shall include:

(a) Reception of a financial report to include the audited accounts for the preceding year.

(b) Reception from the Chairman of a report of the Club's activities during the previous year.

(c) Election of Officers and Ordinary Committee Members as laid down in Article 26.

(d) Any motion relevant to the meeting of which seven days' notice has been given to the Secretary.

(e) Any other business agreed to by the Meeting.

33. The Committee may at any time order an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). The Secretary shall convene an EGM within twenty one days of the receipt of a written requisition signed by at least twenty * of the Ordinary Members stating the purpose for which the meeting is required, or within such longer period as is stated in such requisition. The principal business of an EGM shall be stated in the notice of meeting or in a preliminary agenda circulated at least fourteen days before the meeting.

[* ...or smaller number if the Club has less than 100 members.]

34. The final agenda for an EGM incorporating any motions relevant to the purpose of the meeting received by the Secretary shall be drawn up by the Secretary and be available to any member at least seven days before the meeting. No business shall be discussed at an EGM other than that on the Agenda.

QUORUM AND VOTING

35. The quorum for any General Meeting shall be twenty-five per cent of the ordinary members or 20 whichever is the lesser number.

36. At all General Meetings of the Club every ordinary member present shall be entitled to one vote on every motion and in case of an equality of vote the Chairman shall have a casting vote. Voting shall be by a show of hands unless ten members request a secret ballot. Proxy votes cannot be accepted.

37. The Committee shall meet at least once in each calendar month.

38. Not less than three clear days' notice shall be given of a Committee Meeting. The quorum for a Committee Meeting shall be four persons.

39. Minutes of all meetings shall be taken and shall be open to inspection by any member of the Club on application to the Secretary.

ACCOUNT AND AUDIT

40. The financial year of the Club shall end on the 31st March in each year.

41. Auditors shall audit the accounts after the end of the financial year and before the Annual General Meeting.

42. No member shall, except for services rendered at the request of the Committee on any pretence or in any manner receive any profit, salary or emoluments from the funds or transactions of the Club.

DISSOLUTION

43. If, at any General Meeting of the Club, a resolution for the dissolution of the Club be passed by two-thirds of the members present, a poll of all ordinary members shall be held not less than one month and not more than three months thereafter. If such resolution be confirmed by two-thirds of those voting in the poll, the Committee shall thereupon, or at such future date as shall be specified in such resolution, proceed to realise the property of the Club, and after discharge of all liabilities, shall divide the residue equally among the ordinary members, or shall dispose of it in accordance with the resolution. Honorary and temporary members shall have no claim to such residue. Notice of any motion to dissolve the Club shall be given not less than fourteen days before the meeting.

INTERPRETATION AND AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION

44. The Committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of these Articles of Constitution, and of any regulations made thereunder, and the decision of the Committee upon any question of interpretation or upon any matter affecting the Club and not specially provided for by these Articles or by any regulations made thereunder shall be final and binding upon the members.

45. Subject to AIVC approval these Articles of Constitution may be added to, repealed or amended by resolution of a General Meeting, the intention of which shall have appeared in the notice of or Agenda for the meeting, provided that two-thirds of the members present vote in favour thereof. Voting shall be by a show of hands unless at least ten members shall demand a secret ballot.

This Constitution must comply with the AIVC Constitution at all times. If the AIVC Constitution is amended this Constitution must be amended appropriately as soon as possible by the Committee and a copy sent to the Secretary of the AIVC.

LIABILITY

46. No member shall by virtue of being a member of the Club have any more rights to compensation for any injury, loss or damage arising from any of the Club's activities than if he were a person not a member of the Club