A. RULES

1. Name

The name shall be the Hampstead Scientific Society.

2. Objects and Powers

The objects of the Society shall be to advance public education by the promotion in the Hampstead area of the study of all branches of Science and in furtherance of the said object but not further or otherwise the Society through its Council shall have the following powers:

1. to promote study and research and to publish the useful results of such research;
2. to make surveys, collect information and give advice and information;
3. to hold meetings, lectures, exhibitions and demonstrations;
4. to raise funds and invite and receive contributions, subscriptions and donations from any person or persons whatsoever; provided that the Society shall not undertake any permanent trading activities;
5. to do all such other things as shall further the declared objects of the Society.

3. Membership

Membership other than honorary membership shall be open to any person interested in actively furthering the objects of the Society and contributing an annual subscription of such reasonable amount as the Council shall from time to time determine, and membership shall be of the following kinds:

1. Ordinary members are those who pay the annual subscription and do not fall in other classes of membership.
2. Junior members are those who are under eighteen years of age or undergoing full-time education on the 1st October at the beginning of the year concerned and who pay a reduced annual subscription.
3. Honorary members shall be elected for distinction in science or for valuable services to the Society.
4. Group members shall be under the age of 21 and shall be engaged in study at a school or college, through which membership shall be organised and the subscription determined by Council paid.

4. Subscriptions

1. All subscriptions fall due on 1st October of each year.
2. Members joining after 30th April in any one year on payment of a first annual subscription shall be considered to be fully paid up until 30th September in the following year.
3. Any person whose subscription is in arrears for three months shall cease to be a member of the Society and shall only be re-eligible on payment of those arrears and the current subscription.

5. Officers - Council

1. The Officers shall be the President, not more than six Vice-Presidents, the Honorary Treasurer, the Honorary Secretary, the Honorary Membership Secretary, the Honorary Programme Secretary, the Honorary Archivist and the Honorary Secretaries of such Sections of the Society as shall be constituted under Bye-Law 6.
2. The Council shall consist of the Officers of the Society, as defined in 5a, and five ordinary members, of whom at least one shall retire each year, either voluntarily or the one who has served for the greatest number of consecutive years, or where there is more than one who qualifies, the one selected by ballot of Council members. Any ordinary member of Council retiring under this rule shall not be re-eligible to serve on Council as an ordinary or co-opted member during the subsequent year, but shall be immediately eligible to fill any office as defined in 5a.

6. Election of Officers and Council

1. Except as laid down below, the Officers and ordinary members of Council shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting, by ballot when there are more candidates than vacancies.
2. The President of the Society shall be appointed by Council annually, at the last Council Meeting before the Annual General Meeting. Vice President is an honorific appointment awarded for life or until retirement for valuable services to the Society; they are elected at a General Meeting on the nomination of the Council. The Honorary Secretaries of Sections who are ex-officio Officers of the Council are appointed by the Section concerned. The Council shall put forward nominations for the other posts of Honorary Officers and ordinary members of the Council from among the members of the Society.
3. The Council shall have power to co-opt one member to represent Group members and not more than two other members of the Society to serve until the date of the next Annual General Meeting.
4. The Council shall fill by co-option any vacancy occurring among the Honorary Officers or ordinary members of Council before July in any one year. Any such co-opted person shall be eligible for election as an Honorary Officer or ordinary member of Council at the next Annual General Meeting without regard to his period of co-opted service. All such co-opted persons shall have the same voting rights as the elected Officers and ordinary members of Council.

7. Powers of Council

The Council shall meet not less than three times in each year and shall be responsible for the conduct of the Society's business. The Council may appoint such sub-committees as it thinks necessary for the effective conduct of the Society's affairs. The Chairman and the majority of the members of each sub-committee shall be members of Council. The Council shall be responsible for all actions taken by sub-committees.

8. Finance and Property

The funds of the Society shall be under the control of the Council who shall have power to expend such funds for the promotion of the objects of the Society as they think fit. Provided that:-

1. The Society shall not support with its funds any object or endeavour to impose on or procure to be observed by its members or others any regulations, restriction or condition which, if an object of the Society, would make it a trade union;
2. in case the Society shall take or hold any property subject to the jurisdiction of the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales or Ministry of Education, the Society shall not sell, mortgage, charge or lease the same without such authority, approval or consent as may be required by Law, and as regards any such property the Officers of the Society shall be chargeable for such property as may come into their hands, and shall be answerable and accountable for their own acts, receipts, neglects and defaults, and for the due administration of such property;
3. in case the Society shall take or hold any property which may be subject to any trusts, the Society shall only deal with the same in such manner as allowed by Law having regard to such Trusts.
4. the income and property of the Society whencesoever derived shall be applied solely towards the attainment of the above objects of the Society and no portion of the income and property of the Society whencesoever derived shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly to the members of the Society but this proviso shall not prevent the payment in good faith of reasonable and proper remuneration to any Officer, servant or member of the Society not being a member of the Council or of out-of-pocket expenses to any Officer or servant of the Society or to any member of the Society in return for any services actually rendered to the Society nor shall this proviso prevent the payment of interest at a rate not exceeding 5 per cent per annum on money lent or reasonable or proper rent for premises demised or let by any member to the Society;
5. if upon the dissolution of the Society there remains after satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities any property whatsoever, the same shall not be paid to or distributed amongst its members but shall be given or transferred to some other charitable institution or institutions having objects similar to the objects of the Society and which shall prohibit the distribution of its or their income and property amongst its or their members to an extent at least as great as is imposed on the Society under or by virtue of proviso (iv) hereof, such institution or institutions to be determined by the members of the Society at or before the time of dissolution, or in default thereof by such Judge of the High Court of Justice as may have or acquire jurisdiction in the matter and if and so far as effect cannot be given to the aforesaid then to some charitable object.

9. The Council shall present to each Annual General Meeting a Report of the Society's activities during the preceding year, including a statement of accounts duly examined by one examiner chosen from two members of the Society, but independent of the Society's governing Council, who shall be appointed at the previous Annual General Meeting. Council shall have power to employ, if it thinks fit, the services of a professional auditor.

10. Election of Members

1. Council will accept new members of the Society after receipt of a formal application provided it is accompanied by the first annual subscription.
2. The Council may call upon any member of the Society to show cause why his membership should not be terminated for specified conduct prejudicial to the best interests of the Society and upon the failure of the member to show cause to the satisfaction of the Council his membership shall terminate forthwith subject only to Rule 10d.
3. Any person aggrieved by the termination of his membership under Rule 10b may, within two weeks of such termination, give notice of appeal in writing to the Council and the appeal shall be determined at the next Annual or Special General Meeting by a simple majority of those present and voting.
4. Any person who exercises his right of appeal under Rule 10c shall be a member of the Society but not of the Council until his appeal is determined.

11. Meetings

Meetings of the Society, including lectures, special general meetings, field meetings and visits of scientific interest, shall be arranged by Council at such times and such places as the Council thinks fit.

12. Annual General Meeting

The last meeting of the Society before 1st September in any year shall be the Annual General Meeting unless Council arranges otherwise. At the Annual General Meeting the Officers and Council for the next twelve months shall be elected, the Annual Report of the Council shall be submitted and such other business shall be transacted as is in accordance with the arrangements detailed in Bye-Law 3.

13. Notice of any special general meeting, whether called by Council or at the written request of not less than five ordinary members of the Society, shall be sent to all members of the Society not less than fourteen days before the date of such meeting, and not more than four weeks after the receipt of such written request.

14.

1. Any alteration or addition to the Society's Constitution shall only take effect if two thirds of those present and voting at a general meeting vote in favour and providing that notice of such alteration or addition has been given in accordance with Bye-Law 3 and provided that no alteration or addition shall be made which would have the effect of causing the Society to cease to be a charity at law.
2. Any alteration or addition to the Society's Bye-laws shall only take effect if more than half of those present and voting at a general meeting vote in favour and providing that notice of such alteration or addition has been given in accordance with Bye-Law 3 and provided that no alteration or addition shall be made which would be inconsistent with the Constitution of the Society.

BYE-LAWS

1. Notice of Meetings

The Council shall, as far as practicable, send to all members not later than the end of August a list of the Society's scientific meetings and public lectures to be held in. the twelve months from the ensuing 1st of September.

2. Subscription

The amount of subscription to the Society shall be fixed from time to time by a General Meeting on the proposal of Council.

3. General Meetings

When any special business is to be conducted at a General Meeting (including the Annual General Meeting), notice thereof shall be sent to all members not less than fourteen days before the date of such meeting. Such notice shall include any proposal or resolution to be put forward by Council or by at least two members of the Society.

4. Nominations for Officers and Council

Council shall circulate to all members at least six weeks before the date of the Annual General Meeting the names of those nominated by Council as Honorary Officers or ordinary members of Council and shall invite further nominations from ordinary members. Any such nominee shall signify in writing to the Honorary Secretary his willingness to serve, and shall be duly proposed and seconded by two members of the Society not less than four weeks before the Annual General Meeting.

5. Quorum

At Council meetings a quorum shall be six. At a General Meeting (including the AGM) a quorum shall be twelve or one-eighth of the membership whichever is greater.

6. Sections

Separate Sections of the Society may be formed at the discretion of the Council to carry on work in particular branches of Science. The Honorary Secretary of each Section shall be an ex-officio member of the Council.