CONSTITUTION OF THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF GLASGOW

1.0

NAME

1.1

The name of the society shall be 'The Astronomical Society of Glasgow', hereinafter referred to as 'The Society'.

1.2

On 19 October 1994, the International Astronomical Union approved the name GLASGOW for Minor Planet No. 5805 (originally discovered on 18 December 1985 by Dr Edward Bowell at the Anderson Mesa Station of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona), it being "named for the City of Glasgow and the Astronomical Society of Glasgow whose 100th anniversary is this year being marked by a civic dinner hosted by the Glasgow City Council". The approved name contains at its centre the Society‘s abbreviation, namely the three letters ASG.

1.3

The name of the minor planet was formally announced at the civic dinner on Wednesday 23 November 1994, the exact centenary of the founding of the Society. During the dinner, the President of the Society was presented with a suitably inscribed silver salver to mark the occasion.

2.0

OBJECT

2.1

The object of the Society shall be to promote interest in Astronomy by presenting an annual lecture series and observing programmes for society members and to engage with members of the public by organising outreach events.

3.0

MEMBERSHIP

3.1

Membership of the Society shall be open to all persons interested in Astronomy. The Council shall have discretion to withhold Membership. Life Membership shall be awarded at the discretion of the Council.

3.2

The Council may also award Honorary Membership to individuals who make a significant contribution to the Society. Honorary Membership will last for a period of one year and is subject to annual renewal.

4.0

SUBSCRIPTION

4.1

The amounts of Annual Subscription shall be fixed by the Council, who will notify the Membership accordingly at the Annual General Meeting.

4.2

Subscriptions shall be payable to the Treasurer at the first Ordinary Meeting of the Society following the Annual General Meting. No one shall be entitled to the privileges of membership of the Society until their current annual subscription has been paid. Subscriptions shall be waived for those holding Life or Honorary Membership.

5.0

COUNCIL

5.1

The Council shall be responsible for the business and activities of the Society and shall consist of a President, three Vice Presidents, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and not more than eleven Ordinary Members. All Members of Council shall serve for one year, from one Annual General Meeting to the next. If any Council position becomes vacant for any reason, the Council shall have power to co-opt another Member to fill that position until the next Annual General Meeting. The Council shall appoint from among the Ordinary Members duly elected to Council two persons to be specifically responsible for Membership, and for Publicity. The Council shall have discretion to delegate other responsibilities as the need arises. The Council shall also have discretion to invite persons of distinction to serve as Honorary Presidents.

5.2

Any person who has occupied the position of President for two consecutive years or the position of Vice President for three consecutive years shall not be eligible for re-election to that position the following year.

5.3

At the Ordinary Meeting of the Society immediately preceding the Annual General Meeting, the Council shall submit a list of Members recommended by them to constitute the Council for the ensuing year. Any member of the Society shall be entitled to put forward additional names of Members, either at the Ordinary Meeting preceding the Annual General Meeting or in writing to the Secretary not less than ten clear days before the Annual General Meeting, such nominations requiring to be duly seconded. If no nomination for a position has been made, the Council has discretion to co-opt another Member to fill that position.

5.4

The president or, in his or her absence, a Vice President, shall chair Council Meetings. Otherwise, the Council Meeting shall elect a Chairperson. The Chairperson shall have a casting vote. At Meetings of the Council five members shall form a quorum.

5.5

In the event that more than the required number of Members are nominated for any position, a ballot shall be taken of the Members present at the Annual General Meeting. The vote shall be verified by two tellers appointed by the Chairperson.

5.6

At the Annual General Meeting in April the silver salver referred to in sub-clause 1.3 above shall be on display and where appropriate, shall be formally handed over to the incoming President by the outgoing President along with the badge of office which was crafted by ASG member Mr Martin Donoghue and gifted to the Society by Mrs Margaret Morris during her Presidential term 1998 - 2000.

6.0

MEETINGS

6.1

The Council shall be responsible for arranging all Meetings of the Society, which shall generally take the form of a lecture by an invited speaker. Advance notice of each Meeting shall be given, and a syllabus card containing the full programme shall also be distributed to members. Not less than seven days‘ notice shall be given for Annual or Extraordinary General Meetings. The Ordinary Meetings of the Society shall generally be held monthly from September to April, and one of them shall be designated the O‘Neil Lecture, in recognition of the late Barney O‘Neil and his bequest to the Society. The Council shall have discretion to arrange further Meetings at other times. All Meetings shall require a quorum of five members.

6.2

The Annual General Meeting shall be held in April, for the presentation of reports, the election of the Council and any other competent business

6.3

An Extraordinary General Meeting must be called by the Council if the Secretary receives a written request, signed by a minimum of five members, and stating the purpose for which the meeting is required. Such a Meeting may also be called at any time by the Council.

6.4

The President, or in his absence a Vice President, shall chair all Ordinary, Annual and Extraordinary General Meetings. Otherwise the Meeting shall elect a Chairperson. The Chairperson shall have a casting deliberative vote.

7.0

ACCOUNTS

7.1

An independent Examiner shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting and shall examine the accounts for the ensuing financial year which shall end on the last day of March. The examined Financial Statement and Balance Sheet shall be distributed to the Membership a minimum of seven days prior to the Annual General Meeting.

7.2

In the event of an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting agreeing to the dissolution of the Society, any property that it owns, including books and telescopes and other assets, shall be sold and the monies realised added to any other Funds of the Society, so that its outstanding debts may be settled. If thereafter there are any surplus monies, the sum remaining shall be given to the British Astronomical Association.

8.0

BAA AFFILIATION

8.1

The Society shall be affiliated to the British Astronomical Association, with which it has historical links.

9.0

CHARITABLE STATUS

9.1

The Society is recognised by the Inland Revenue as a Charity for Tax purposes, and has been registered with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR), who is responsible for maintaining the Scottish Charity Register, under Scottish Charity Number SCO 15035. The Society shall therefore conform in every respect to the legal obligations incumbent upon it because of charitable status, and shall thereby be entitled to the privileges and benefits of such recognition.

10.0

UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE PRIZE

10.1

The Society shall each year award a prize to the best first year student at the University of Strathclyde, who shall either be from the faculty of Mathematics or from the faculty of Physics. The successful student shall be nominated to the Society by the University, and the amount of the prize shall be decided by the Council.

11.0

ALTERATIONS TO CONSTITUTION

11.1

Notice of any proposed alteration or addition to the Constitution proposed by a Member shall be lodged with the Secretary fourteen days before an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting. Proposed amendments cannot be adopted unless approved by a majority of the Members present at such meetings.
The Constitution was approved by the ASG Council on 28 October 1993, formally adopted as the new ASG Constitution at an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Society on 20 January 1994, then amended to include sub-clauses 1.2, 1.3. 5.6 and 7.2, at the Annual General Meeting of the Society on 18 April 1996 and further amended to amend clauses 1.2, 2.1, 4.2, 5.6, 7.1, 9.1 and 10.0 when clause 3.2 was added at the Annual General Meeting on 19 April 2007 and at an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Society on 20 March 2008 when Clause 5.1 was amended.

20 March 2008