Constitution and Statement of Understanding
The downloadable format is PDF - the Adobe Acrobat Document format. If you do not have a PDF acrobat reader it is available as a free download from:
A right mouse button click on the pdf link of a particular issue will allow you to "Save Target as ..." and then you can select a directory and file on your own PC. A left mouse button click will open Acrobat with the pdf file from which it can be printed direct or to file.
CaDAS Constitution (pdf file size: 50.9KB)
Statement of Understanding with Stockton Borough Council
Statement of Understanding (pdf file size: 29.3KB)
Cleveland and Darlington Astronomical Society Constitution
1. Name
The name of the Society shall be the Cleveland and Darlington Astronomical Society (CaDAS)
2. Objectives
The objectives of the Society shall be to promote popular interest in all aspects of astronomy in the local area (Tees Valley); to encourage and foster active observing by members and others in the local area; to develop links with local educational establishments and community groups. Regular lectures will be arranged and a Newsletter will be produced at least four times a year.
3. Committee
The management of the Society shall be vested in a Committee elected from the membership. The Committee shall consist of:- 1. Chairman, who shall have control of all the meetings and ensure that the correct procedures are carried out. He will be expected to give a vote of thanks, if any. 2. Treasurer, who shall have control of all the finances of the Society and ensure that payments are made promptly. He will keep proper records that will be audited each year. He shall advise the Committee of the financial position throughout the year. 3. Information and Communications Secretary, who shall produce the Society's magazine, Transit, and arrange for its distribution to all members. This post will also encompass Membership Secretary to keep accurate records of members' names and contact details. In addition the post will be responsible for publicity of Society events in the public media. 4. General Secretary, who shall conduct the general business of the Society in consultation with the Committee. He shall arrange the venue for meetings, produce an agenda for meetings and take the minutes of meetings. These minutes will be passed on to the Transit Editor for dissemination to members. If required, he will read out the minutes to a meeting. The General Secretary is the only person empowered to correspond with bodies outside the Society, on behalf of the Society. 5. Programme Secretary, who will arrange the programme of lectures and produce the annual diary for distribution at the September meeting. He may, at the discretion of the Committee, be given a budget to work within and, once that has been allocated, fill the remainder of the programme with our own members. 6. Two other members elected from the floor of the meeting with full voting rights, to represent the views of the Members.
A quorum of the Committee is four voting members. The Committee will appoint an internal auditor to audit the accounts of the Society.
4. Elections to the Committee
Elections for the Committee will take place at the Annual General Meeting. Nominations for Committee positions shall be made at the Annual General Meeting by a proposer and seconder who have acted with the consent of the nominee. Membership of the Committee is for one year only but the retiring members of the Committee can, with their approval, be proposed for re-election. Should a vacancy occur during the year the Committee have the power to co-opt a Member of the Society to that position for the remaining part of the year. Should a position on the Committee not be filled at the Annual General Meeting then the Committee will endeavour to co-opt a member to that post at the earliest convenience.
5. Voting
5.1 Committee Voting. In the event of a Resolution being put to a vote, then each member of the Committee will have one vote. In the event of any vote having equal numbers for and against the Resolution, then the Chairman will have the casting vote. Committee members may vote by proxy if unable to attend the meeting and must do so by contacting the Chairman. 5.2 Annual General Meeting Voting. Only Members have a vote and any resolution can be carried by a simple majority, with the rule on Chairman's casting vote applying.
6. Membership
6.1 Anyone can apply for membership to the Society which is granted at the discretion of the Committee. On admittance to the Society the member is granted full voting rights. 6.2 Honorary membership shall be granted to such members or other people who are proposed and approved by the Committee. Honorary members will not form part of the Committee. 6.3 The positions of Honorary President and Honorary Vice President shall be nominated by the Committee and agreed by Members at an Annual General Meeting. The nominated members shall have served the society with distinction over many years. They shall represent the Society at any official functions.
Any Member who brings the Society into disrepute may have his/her membership cancelled at the discretion of the Committee.
7. Subscriptions
The Annual Subscription shall be determined by the Committee, with the approval of the Membership, and become due in January.
8. Meetings
The Ordinary Meetings of the Society shall be held each month between September and June inclusive or as the Committee decides. The location and programme of lectures will be distributed to the members before the September Meeting, which will also announce the date of the Annual General Meeting. Visitors can attend any of the lectures on payment of a fee determined from time to time by the Committee. Committee Meetings will be held at least four times a year, quarterly. All meetings will be conducted in accordance with current Standing Orders.
9. Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting shall take place at the February Meeting. The Agenda shall include a Chairman’s Report, General Secretary’s Report, Treasurer’s Report and Financial Statement, Minutes of the last AGM for ratification, Election of Officers, and Any Other Business.
10. Amending the Constitution
No amendment shall be made to this Constitution except on a written resolution presented at the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting and carried by a majority of two-thirds present.
11. Dissolution of the Society
If, in the event of the Society being dissolved and after all liabilities have been cleared, there is any money or property remaining then this shall be transferred to another body connected with astronomy to be named by the final Committee.
As amended by the Annual General Meeting of 12th February, 2010.
Extract from Annual General Meeting, 2010, Minutes:-
Three changes to the Constitution had been proposed by the Committee.
a) Section 2 Objectives: To add as an explicit objective, "to encourage and foster active observing by members and others in the local area". This was accepted by the meeting on a show of hands, with no dissent.
b) Section 3.3, Information & Communications Secretary: To delete the sentence "The Information and Communications Secretary shall also act as Curator, controlling the assets (other than the financial assets) of the Society and keep a proper record of their whereabouts." This change implies the appointment of a co-opted member to act as dedicated Assets Curator and was accepted by the meeting on a show of hands, with no dissent.
c) Section 9, Annual General Meeting: In the sentence, "The Annual General Meeting shall take place at the January Meeting", to replace "January" by "February". This change had already been implicitly accepted, of course, but was formally passed on a show of hands, with no dissent.
AM 24/03/2010
As amended by the Extraordinary General Meeting of [TBD] 2014.
The following changes to the Constitution had been proposed by the Committee.
a) General change to gender-neutral formulations This was accepted by the meeting on a show of hands, with no dissent.
b) Establishment of the post of an instrument curator (section 3.6)
c) Section 9, Annual General Meeting: In the sentence, "The Annual General Meeting shall take place at the January Meeting", to replace "February" by "June". This change had already been voted for during the EGM in 2013 July 01 by a show of hands.
d) General changes in the committee member task descriptions, especially for the secretary
e) Change from two to four general committee members This was already accepted by the committee before the AGM in 2013.
JS 21/10/2014