A constitution is what defines any Society: it lays out and unifies your aims and objectives and is the first reference for all procedural issues. It’s the first thing you’ll need to take care of when you decide to set one up. Luckily, college Society constitutions need not be overly long or detailed, but it’s also important not to leave out any essentials.
A good constitution will include:
The name of your Society (of course!).
A list of the committee positions. See next page.
Meeting schedule: how often are the committee expected to meet during term? Once every two to three weeks should be enough.
The main objectives of your society: what do you want to achieve?
AGM and EGM procedures: who calls these, and how far in advance must they be called? Typically, a Secretary should call these no later than one full week prior to the date fixed.
Details on membership: how does a student become a member of your Society?
Voting rights: some societies require members to have attended a certain number of meetings throughout the college year before they qualify for voting rights.
Writing a Constitution
A constitution is what defines any Society: it lays out and unifies your aims and objectives and is the first reference for all procedural issues. It’s the first thing you’ll need to take care of when you decide to set one up. Luckily, college Society constitutions need not be overly long or detailed, but it’s also important not to leave out any essentials.
A good constitution will include: