Society for the Study of Christian Ethics

CONSTITUTION

I. Name The name of the Society shall be ''The Society for the Study of Christian Ethics".

II. Objectives The objectives of the Society shall be:

1. to encourage and further the study of Christian ethics in its practical and theoretical aspects
2. to strengthen the teaching and learning of ethics as an academic discipline
3. to encourage serious ethical thinking and discussion in the life of the Churches
4. to foster the exercise of Christian social responsibility
5. to hold a Conference and at least one General Meeting of the Society in each calendar year.

III. Membership

1. All persons who accept the Society's objectives shall be eligible for membership.
2. Any person who wishes to become a member of the Society must submit an application in writing to the Secretary. The application shall contain a statement that the applicant accepts the Society's objectives. Election to membership shall be at the discretion of the Committee.

IV. Subscription

1. Members shall pay such annual subscriptions as the Society shall from time to time determine.
2. The annual subscription shall be due on joining the Society and thereafter on the 1st day of January each year

Please note: changes under IV.2 above were voted on at the 2011 AGM and will be re-ratified by vote at the 2014 AGM. 

V. Resignation

1. Membership of the Society shall cease upon a member's giving written notice to the Secretary.
2. A member whose subscription is more than two years in arrears shall be deemed to have resigned.

VI. Committee

1. The Committee shall consist of a President and nine other elected members, including the Secretary, a Secretary to the Annual General Meeting and seven other elected members. In addition, the Editor of the journal "Studies in Christian Ethics" shall be an ex officio member of the Committee.
2. The President shall be proposed by the Committee following the receipt of nominations from the membership, seconded by two members of the Society and elected at the Annual General Meeting. The President shall be elected to office for one period of three years.
3. The other Committee members shall be proposed, seconded and elected at the Annual General Meeting. Committee members shall be elected to office for three years and shall be eligible for not more than one further term of three years. After a lapse of three years, committee members who have served two terms may stand for re-election. One third of the nine elected Committee members shall retire at each Annual General Meeting and an election shall be held to fill the vacated places. Any casual vacancy occurring by resignation or otherwise may be filled by the Committee; any member so chosen shall then retire at the next General Meeting but shall be eligible for re-election at that Meeting.
4. The Committee members shall appoint the office holders other than the President from amongst their number.
5. Committee meetings shall be held not less than once a year, and the quorum of that meeting shall be not less than one third of the Committee. The President, or in his or her absence a member selected by the Committee, shall take the chair. The Secretary shall give all the members of the Committee reasonable notice of a meeting. In the absence of consensus, decisions of the Committee shall be made by a simple majority of those attending. In the event of equality of votes the President (or the acting Chairperson of that meeting) shall have a casting or additional vote.
6. In addition to the members so elected the Committee may coopt up to three further members of the Society who shall serve until the next Annual General Meeting. Coopted members shall be entitled to vote at the meetings of the Committee.
7. The Committee may from time to time appoint from among their number such subcommittees as they may consider necessary and may delegate to them such of the powers and duties of the Committee as the Committee may determine. All subcommittees shall periodically report their proceedings to the Committee and shall conduct their business in accordance with the directions of the Committee.
8. The Committee shall be responsible for the management, including the financial management, of the Society.
9. The members of the Committee shall be entitled to payment out of the assets of the Society for all expenses incurred by them in the management of the affairs of the Society.

Please note: changes to "VI.2" above were ratified at the 2014 AGM

VII. Annual General Meeting

1. The Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held each year to transact the following business:
   1. ​to receive a report of the activities of the Committee during the previous year
   2. to formally consider for approval the accounts of the Society for the previous year
   3. to elect the President (when appropriate) and other members of the Committee
   4. to decide on any resolution which may be duly submitted in accordance with Rule VII(2).
2. Nominations for election of members to the office of President or for membership of the Committee shall be made in writing by the proposer and seconder to the Secretary at any time prior to the Annual General Meeting. Notice of any resolution proposed to be moved at the Annual General Meeting shall be given in writing to the Secretary before the meeting.

VIII. Special General Meeting

A Special General Meeting of the Society may be called by resolution of the Committee, or at the request of not less than 25 members of the Society giving 28 days notice.

IX. Procedures at Annual and Special General Meetings

1. The Secretary shall send to each member at his or her last known address written notice of the date of the General Meeting at least 21 days before the meeting.
2. The quorum for the Annual and Special General Meetings shall be 25.
3. The President (or a member of the Committee selected by the Committee) shall take the chair. Each member present shall have one vote and resolutions shall be passed by a simple majority. In the event of an equality of votes the Chairperson shall have a casting or additional vote.
4. The Secretary to the Annual General Meeting (or a member of the Committee selected by the Committee) shall take minutes at Annual and Special General Meetings.

X. Alteration of the Constitution

The rules of the Constitution may be altered by resolution at an Annual or Special General Meeting provided that the resolution is carried by a majority of at least two thirds of the members present at the General Meeting.

XI. Finance

1. All money payable to the Society shall be received by the Treasurer and deposited in a bank account in the name of the Society. The Treasurer and Secretary shall regularly review the finances of the society and present a report to the committee, on no less than an annual basis to ensure a level of transparency and accountability is in place with regards to the management of society finances. Monies shall be drawn from that account by either treasurer or secretary and any outlays exceeding £500 should be authorised by the treasurer and another representative from the committee. Any monies not required for immediate use may be invested as the Committee in their discretion think fit.
2. The income and property of the Society shall be applied only in furtherance of the objectives of the Society and no part thereof shall be paid by way of bonus, dividend or profit to any member of the Society.
3. The Committee shall have power to authorise the payment of remuneration and expenses to any person or persons for services rendered to the Society.
4. The financial transactions of the Society shall be recorded in a proper set of books kept by the Treasurer.

Note: changes in "XI.1" above were ratified at 2014 AGM.

XII. Dissolution

1. A resolution to dissolve the Society shall only be proposed at a Special General Meeting and shall only be carried by a majority of at least three-quarters of the members present.
2. The dissolution shall take effect from the date of the resolution. The members of the Committee shall be responsible for the winding-up of the assets and liabilities of the Society.
3. Any money remaining after the discharge of the debts shall be donated to a charity whose objectives are consistent with those of the Society. The choice of the charity shall be in the President's sole and absolute discretion and the decision shall be final. If the President is incapacitated or the post of President is unfilled, then the decision shall lie with the Committee.

Date of amendments: September 2014, September 1998