Rules

Kent Archaeological Society RULES (in force on the 1st January, 1979) Name I. The Society shall be called the 'Kent Archaeological Society'. Object 2. The obje9t of the Society shall be to promote the study of archaeology in all its branches, especially within the ancient county of Kent. Membership 3. (a) The Society shall consist of ordinary, life and honorary members. (b) Ordinary and honorary members may be individuals, societies or institutions. Life members must be individuals. Election of Members 4. The Members of the Society shall be those who, having completed the prescribed form of application, have been, or may be, elected at any meeting of the Council of the Society, or at a General meeting, by at least a two-thirds majority of those present and voting and they shall continue to be Members subject to the provisions as to c􀁹sation contained in Rule 10. Subscription 5. (a) Subject to the provision of paragraphs (e), (f), and (g) of this Rule, an ordinary member shall pay an annual subscription of four pounds fifty pence and an institutional member an annual subscription of six pounds due on election and afterwards due in advance on 1st January in each calender year. (b) A husband and wife both of whom are or become members and who receive jointly one copy of Archaeologia Cantiana may pay a joint annual subscription of five pounds and fifty pence. (c) In lieu of annual subscription a life member elected on or after 1st January 1952, or an ordinary member becoming a life member under section (d) of this rule, shall pay by reference to his or her age a composition equal to the cost of an Immediate Life Annuity of four pounds fifty pence calculated in accordance with the table of Annuities in force for the time being under the Finance Act 1962. (d) An ordinary member being an individual and not being in arrear with his annual subscription may become a life member at any time on payment of a composition detennined in the manner set out in paragraph (c) of this Rule. (e) An applicant under the age of21 years may be accepted at a reduced subscription of £2 up to and including the year in which he attains that age but xxviii RULES such an applicant may only be accepted as a Junior Member if Council are satisfied that this concession is justified in view of his interest in the objects of the Society. (f) No further subscription shall be payable by an ordinary individual member who has paid fifty annual subscriptions. (g) Any member who is over 65 years of age and has been a member of the Society for the previous five years or more may, if he or she so desires pay an annual subscription of two pounds fifty pence if the Hon. Membership Secretary is notified accordingly. Honorary Members 6. (a) The Council may elect as an honorary member any person who has signally promoted the interests of the Society or is likely to do so. (b) An honorary member shall not be required to pay an entrance fee or any subscription. Notification of Electwn of Member 7. The Honorary General Secretary shall notify every new member of his election and shall send him a copy of the Rules on request. Cancellation of Electwn of Member 8. A new member shall pay his entrance fee and first subscription within three months from the date of the notification to him of his election. Failing such payment his election shall be null and void unless the Council for good cause shown shall in their discretion otherwise decide. Unpaid Subscriptions 9. (a) The Honorary Membership Secretary shall cause application to be made to members for annual subscriptions not paid by 1st March in each calendar year. (b) The privileges of members may be withheld from any member whose annual subscription is more than three months in arrear. Removal of Names of Members 10. (a) The Council may remove from the list of members the name of any member whose subscription is one year in arrear and shall so remove the name of a member whose subscription is two years in arrear. (b) Names so removed may be reinstated by the Council on good cause being shown and on payment of all arrears. (c) If the conduct of any Member shall be brought or come to the knowledge of the Council as having been injurious to the interests and welfare of the Society, the Council shall consider the same and may at its discretion bring the question of the removal of such Member before the Society at a General Meeting other than an Excursion Meeting subject nevertheless as hereinafter provided, and if upon the question being put to the vote the xxix RULES removal of such Member be carried he shall be removed accordingly, provided nevertheless (i) No action shall be taken (except for non-payment of subscription under Rule 10 (a) unless and until the Member concerned has been infonned in writing by recorded delivery to his last known address of the nature of the complaint and has had the opportunity of submitting his case either in writing or in person to a Meeting of the Council, and for this purpose he shall be entitled to receive not less than four weeks' notice of such Meeting. (ii) No ballot for the removal of a Member shall take place unless notice thereof shall have appeared in the notice convening the General Meeting at which such a ballot is to be held. (iii) Every removal shall require a majority of two-thirds of the Members voting. Members in Arrears and 'Archaeologia Cantiana' 11. No member shall be entitled to receive Archaeo/ogia Cantiana or any other publication of the Society for any year until his subscription for that year has been paid. Payments 12. Entrance fees, first subscriptions and other donations and payments shall be made to the Honorary General Secretary for transmission to the Honorary Treasurer. All other subscriptions shall be made to the Honorary Membership Secretary. Affiliation of Local Societies 13. Any local association, society, club or institution (hereinafter called a local society) having not less than twenty members and carrying on in the county of Kent work the main objects of which are similar to the object of this Society shall be affiliated to this Society if and as soon as the Council of this Society and the governing body of the local society shall have passed resolutions in favour of such affiliation and the current subscriptions shall have been paid in accordance with Rule 14. Subscriptions, Duties and Privileges of Affiliated Society 14. (a) An affiliated local society shall pay to this Society an annual subscription of four pounds fifty pence, due on 1st January, and shall make available to this Society one copy of each of its current publications, and shall receive in return one copy of the current issue of Archaeologia Cantiana, or other publication of the Society. (b) An affiliated local society, but not the individual members thereof, shall by virtue of affiliation become a member of this Society, and may vote at meetings through one of its members duly nominated for that purpose. Proceedings and Papers of Affiliated Society 15. The Honorary Editor of this Society may at his discretion include in Archaeologia Cantiana a brief summary of such proceedings of any affiliated XXX RULES local society as appear to be of general interest, and also papers written by its members dealing with archaeological research or discoveries made by such local society, which society in such cases shall be entitled to buy for its members at cost price as many off-prints of such papers as shall be specified to the Honorary Editor before publication. Privileges of Members of Affiliated Societies 16. The Council may allow members of any affiliated local society to attend meetings ( other than Annual or Special General Meetings) of this Society, but not to vote thereat, and to share other privileges of membership of this Society on such terms and to such extent as it may from time to time determine. Withdrawal from Affiliation 17. A local society may withdraw from affiliation and this Society may determine the affiliation of a local society by notice given to that effect in any year, to expire on 31st December in that year. Annual General Meeting 18. (a) The Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held at Maidstone on the third Saturday in May, or at such other place or date as the Council may determine. (b) At this meeting the Council shall present its Annual Report and the Accounts for the past year, ended 31st December; and the Auditors for the current year, and six members of the Council, or more if occasion requires, shall be elected. (c) An agenda paper, which shall specify the names of the retiring members of the Council, distinguishing between members eligible and offering themselves for re-election and members not so eligible or not so offering themselves, shall be sent with the Report and Accounts to all members not Jess than fourteen days before the Annual General Meeting. Excursion and other General Meetings 19. Other General Meetings of the Society, including Excursion Meetings for the purpose of visiting places of archaeological interest, shall be held from time to time as the Council may determine. Special General Meetings 20. (a) A Special General Meeting shall be summoned by the Honorary General Secretary at such place within the county as the Council or the President may determine, on the requisition in writing of the President, or of twenty members. (b) Such requisition shall specify the business to be brought before such meeting and only the business so specified shall be there dealt with. Special Meetings 21. Special meetings for the reading of papers, the exhibition of antiquities and other purposes may be held at such times and places within the county of Kent as the Council may determine. xxxi RULES Voting at Meetings 22. (a) Except as provided in Rules 4 and 36, the resolutions of the majority present and voting at meetings of the Society or of the Council shall be binding. (b) The Chairman of any meeting shall have a casting vote independently of his vote as a member. Council 23. (a) All the affairs of the Society not reserved for a General Meeting shall be conducted and managed by the Council. (b) The Council shall refer to a General Meeting any proposition involving the disposal of all or part of the Collections of the Society. (c) No Member of Council shall receive any benefit, either directly or indirectly, from the income or assets of the Society, except by way of remuneration for services rendered to the Society in accordance with a resolution of Council. 24. (a) The Council shall consist of the Officers, viz. the President, the Honorary General Secretary, the Honorary Treasurer, the Honorary Editor, the Honorary Librarian, the Honorary Curator, the Honorary Membership Secretary, the Honorary Excursions Secretary, the Vice-Presidents and twentyfour members elected from among the members of the Society. (b) Each Officer shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting to hold office for one year but shall be eligible for re-election. Before each Annual General Meeting, Council shaU nominate the members whom it recommends to serve as Officers for the ensuing year. Any five members of the Society may, by a writing signed by them, nominate any member as a candidate for election as an Officer provided that such nomination reaches the Honorary General Secretary on or before the first day of March and is accompanied by the written consent of the person so nominated to serve in that particular office. (c) The President shall be Chairman of every meeting of the Council and Society or in his absence the Members shall appoint as Chairman such member of the Council as the majority of those present determine. (cl) The Society in General Meeting may elect as a Vice-President of the Society any person of distinction associated with the county of Kent, on his becoming a member of the Society, or afterwards, and any person who has rendered distinguished service to the Society, on his becoming a member or afterwards. Any member of the Society may nominate such a person for election as a Vice-President, provided that such nomination reaches the Honorary Secretary on or before the first day of March, and is accompanied by the written consent of the person so nominated. (e) The Honorary General Secretary shall be the chief executive officer of the Society and shall exercise a general control over its affairs. He shall have discretion to make decisions in emergencies, in consultation as far as may be possible with the other Officers and members of Council. He shall keep a record of the proceedings of the Society to be communicated to Members at the General Meeting and shall be an ex officio member of all Standing Committees. In the exercise of his office he shall endeavour at all times to promote the objects of the Society. xxxn RULES (j) The Honorary Treasurer shall keep an account of all receipts and payments of the Society and after 31st December in each year he shall prepare the Accounts, including a Balance Sheet for the past year. He shall lay a short statement of Income and Expenditure before each quarterly meeting of Council. After the Accounts have been approved by the Auditors, the Honorary Treasurer shall lay them before the next meeting of the Council, accompanied by a Statement of all subscriptions and other sums due to the Society and in arrear, and of all moneys due from the Society. The Council may at any time if it thinks it desirable, employ and pay a professional accountant to assist the Honorary Treasurer in making up such Accounts. (g) The duty of the Honorary Editor shall be the publication of Archaeologia Cantiana and he shall take care that the standard of this volume is consistent with the Society's position and importance. (h) The Honorary Librarian shall be responsible for the organisation of the Library as directed by Council. (1) The Honorary Curator's duties in respect of the Society's collections shall be such as are delegated to him by Council. (J) The Honorary Membership Secretary shall be nominated by the Council and annually elected at the Annual General Meeting. He shall be responsible for all matters concerning the membership of the Society, including the collections of all subscriptions. (k) The Honorary Excursions Secretary shall be responsible for all excursion meetings of the Society. Retirement of Members of Council 25. (a) One-fourth of the twenty-four elected members of the Council shall retire annually in rotation at the date of the Annual General Meeting, but, subject to Rule 25 (b), shall be eligible for re-election without nomination. (b) A retiring member of the Council who has attended Jess than onefourth of the meetings of the Council held during his last period of office shall not be eligible for re-election unless the Council or the Annual General Meeting shall resolve in any individual case that there was a reasonable cause for non-attendance. Co-option 26. Upon the death or resignation of an Officer or elected member, the Council may co-opt another member in his place until the next annual general meeting where that member will retire but may stand for re-election. Nominations for Council 27. (a) Any two members may nominate another member for election to Council by giving notice to the Honorary General Secretary by the 1st day of March, together with the written consent of the person so nominated and the name proposed shall be placed on the agenda of the Annual General Meeting. (b) If on any occasion the number of vacancies on the Council exceeds the number of valid nominations so received by the Honorary General Secretary, together with the number of retiring members of the Council who are eligible and offer themselves for re-election, the chairman of the Annual xxxiii RULES General Meeting may accept further nominations received at or at any time before such meeting. Council Meetings 28. (a) The Council shall meet quarterly during the year, normally in March, June, September and December, and more often if deemed expedient. (b) The March meeting shall ordinarily be held at Canterbury, the June meeting at such place as may be fixed by the President, the September meeting at Rochester, and the December meeting at Maidstone. (c) If deemed advisable by the Honorary General Secretary in consultation with the President, the quarterly meetings may be held at other times or places, or a quarterly meeting may be omitted. (d) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (c) above, the Council shall have power to detennine where its meetings shall be held. (e) Seven elected members and two officers shall fonn a quorum. Committees of Council 29. (a) Council shall appoint the following Standing Committees, which at the option of Council may function jointly with other bodies. (l) Investment. (2) Records Publication. (3) Excavations. (4) Preservation of Ancient Buildings. Councils may also from time to time appoint other Standing Committees or ad hoe committees for any purpose and define their terms of reference. Council also has power to form joint-committees with kindred bodies. (b) The duties of the Standing Committees are defined as follows: (I) The Investment Committee shall, subject to the direction of Council, be responsible for the investment policy of the Society with regard to its capital funds. It shall meet at least once a year to consider changes in investments and shall report to Council thereon. (2) The Records Publication Committee shall publish volumes of Records from time to time and shall be responsible for maintaining a high standard. (3) The Excavations Committee shall be responsible for the conduct of excavations initiated by the Society, for considering and recommending to Council applications for grants for excavation or field-work, and for the control and safe-keeping of the Society's excavation and survey equipment. (4) The Preservation of Ancient Buildings Committee shall have as its duty the recording and preservation for study of buildings of historic importance. (c) When established a committee shall elect its own officers and, subject to Council's approval, shall have power to co-opt. Membership, which need not be confined to members of Council, shall be for a period of three years, but Council shall have power to reappoint. All committees shall report back to Council at least annually. xxxiv RULES Local Secretaries 30. The Council may appoint any member of the Society to be Honorary Local Secretary for any particular town or district in Kent. Such appointment will be for a period of three years, but Council may extend or cancel such appointments at any time. The duties of Local Secretaries are: (1) To stimulate interest in the work of the Society. (2) To report local discoveries. Branches 31. Council may authorize the formation of separate Branches of the Society within the scope of the Society's objects. Such Branches shall be either (I) in suitable geographical areas or (2) to promote a particular study or research. Such Branches shall be empowered to organize their own activities subject always to the proviso that such meetings shall be open to any member of the Society. Trustees 32. The funds and securities of the Society, other than than those needed for immediate working purposes, shall be held by the Official Custodian for Charities. The Official Custodian for Charities shall act in accordance with resolutions of Council. Investment of Life Compositions 33. (a) Life Compositions shall be invested in Trustee Securities and, together with the income derived therefrom, shall constitute the Life Composition Fund. (b) The Council may each year transfer from the Life Composition Fund to the General Fund for each Life Member of the Society, a sum not exceeding the current Annual Subscription. Cheques 34. All cheques shall be signed by the Honorary Treasurer or, if he is absent or unable to act, by the President and the Honorary General Secretary. Controversial Topics 35. The Society shall avoid all topics of religious or political-controversy. Alteration of Rules 36. (a) No alteration in these Rules shall be made except at the Annual General Meeting and then only by a majority of two-thirds of the members present and voting. (b) No proposed alteration, other than one initiated by the Council shall be considered unless notice thereof shall have been given in writing to the Honorary General Secretary on or before the 31st December preceding the Annual General Meeting. (c) Any proposed alteration shall be set out in the notice convening the Annual General Meeting or in a notice sent therewith. XXXV RULES 37. If at a Special General Meeting it be decided by a majority of two-thirds of the Members present to wind up the affairs of the Society the Treasurer shall realize so much of the assets as may be necessary to discharge the liabilities of the Society and shall give any of the assets remaining to one or more Charitable Societies having objects similar to those of this Society or to one or more charitable institutions as the Council may direct. In no circumstances whatever shall any of the assets of the Society at any time be given or refunded to any Member except by way of reimbursement of expenses or as remuneration for services rendered to the Society. xxxvi