British Association for Victorian Studies Constitution

  1. Aims of the Society

The object of the British Association for Victorian Studies shall be the advancement and spreading of knowledge by the promotion of the study of the Victorian period. In furtherance of the said object but not otherwise the Association may:

  • collect and disseminate information on all matters affecting the said object and exchange such information with other bodies having similar objects whether in this country or overseas;
  • cause to be written and printed or otherwise reproduced and circulated, free of charge or otherwise, such papers, books, periodicals, pamphlets, digital documents, or other documents as shall further the said objects;
  • raise funds and invite and receive contributions from any person or persons whatsoever by way of subscriptions and otherwise PROVIDED THAT the Association shall not undertake permanent trading activities in raising funds for the said objects;
  • do all such other lawful things as are necessary in the pursuance of the said objects.

The Association is non-political.

  1. Membership

Membership of the Association shall be open to all persons, of any nationality, interested in the aims of the Association. There shall be three categories of members: regular members, honorary members, and concessionary members (students and unwaged). Honorary membership may be conferred by the Annual General Meeting. Regular members are those who pay the annual subscription fee (see 7). Students engaged in research and living on grants and those not in receipt of a wage may join as concessionary members.

  1. Officers

The Society has the following officers: a President; a Secretary, a Treasurer and a Membership Secretary.

The officers shall be elected by the Annual General Meeting for a three year term of office, staggered to ensure that the terms of all the officers do not conclude at the same time. With the exception of the President, officers shall be eligible for re-election at the conclusion of each term. The President shall not be eligible for re-election, but shall be eligible to stand for election on any subsequent occasion. The next President (Elect) will be elected in the final year of office of the current President. To ensure an appropriate disciplinary range in the Association’s leadership the President and President Elect will be from different academic disciplines wherever possible.

  1. Executive Committee

The Executive Committee consists of the officers, the immediate past President (ex officio), the editor of the Association’s newsletter (ex officio), the web administrator (ex officio), the liaison officer (ex officio), the publicity and recruitment officer (ex-officio), the conference organiser (ex officio), three ordinary elected members, and two student members. There shall be at least four women and four men on the Committee. The ordinary elected members shall be elected for a three year term, so arranged that at least one of them shall retire each year. Committee members elected to replace a member retiring before the end of their term shall be elected to serve for the remainder of the term. Ordinary elected members are not eligible for re-election in the year they retire, but are eligible to stand again in any subsequent year, and to become a co-opted member of the committee. The student members shall be elected for a two year term, so arranged that one of them will retire each year, and will not be eligible for re-election as the student member. No member of the Committee shall be under the age of eighteen years. The election of Committee members shall take place at the Annual General Meeting. The Executive Committee shall have power to co-opt not more than three additional members. The President shall be required to call a meeting of the Executive Committee at the request of any three members of the Executive committee. A meeting shall be quorate when at least six members of the Committee are present. The Executive Committee shall have power to create and wind up sub-committees as required.

  1. Annual General Meeting of the Association

The Association shall hold an Annual General Meeting. Other General Meetings may be called at other times, with not less than one month’s written notice to all members, by the Executive Committee or by the President at the request of not less than 20% of the members.

  1. Elections

Officers and members of the Executive Committee shall be members of the Association. They are elected by the members present at the Annual General Meeting, with the exception of the student member who will be elected at the annual postgraduate student forum. The Executive Committee may receive and propose nominations of candidates for election after not less than three weeks’ written notice to all members. Appointments to posts as Newsletter Editor, Web Officer, Liaison Officer, and Conference Organiser are made by the Executive Committee.

Should any elected officer of the Association cease to fulfil their duties efficiently, the Executive Committee is empowered to request the officer’s resignation, and to co-opt a replacement who will serve until the next AGM, at which time the office will be open to election.

  1. Subscriptions

The amount of the annual subscriptions to the Association is determined by the Annual General Meeting of the Association.

  1. Amendments to the Constitution

The General Meeting of the Association may amend the Constitution by a majority of two thirds of the members present and voting, provided that a quorum of twenty members be present, and that written notice of the amendment proposed has been given to all members not less than two months before the General Meeting.

  1. Dissolution

The Association may be dissolved by the agreement of not less than three quarters of those members present at a General Meeting specially summoned for this purpose, as provided in Clause 5 above. Any funds existing at the time of dissolution shall not become the property of any member or members but shall be devoted to furthering the aim defined in Clause 1.

[last updated September 2013]