Limkokwing University of Creative Technology Debating Society Constitution

1. NameThe name of the Society shall the LIMKOKWING UNIVERSITY OF CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY DEBATING SOCIETY CONSTITUTION (hereinafter referred to as the Society).

2. Objecta) The object of the Society is to encourage and foster Debating and Public Speaking at the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, and within the wider community.

b) Pursuant to subsection a) of this section, the Committee shall organise regular debating evenings in which Society members may participate

3. Membership and Subscriptionsa) All students of the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology are eligible for membership of the Society. Any other person may be admitted to the Society at the discretion of the Society.

b) The annual subscription will be set from time to time by the Committee. The subscription is to be paid by each member by the date specified in Section 3 (d).

c) Only those who have paid their annual subscription for the current year will be eligible to compete in interuniversity Tournaments vote at any meeting of the Society or hold office in the Society. Members who have paid the subscription shall be known as financial members.

4. CompetitionsThe Society may enter teams in any debating or public speaking competition, either in Malaysia or overseas.

5. Management of the Societya) The Committee of the Society, as defined and constituted in Section 6, shall manage the internal affairs of the Society supervise over the property of the Society purchase all materials required by the Society and pass accounts for payment.b) The funds and resources of the Society, from whatever source they are derived, shall only be applied to the promotion of the objects of the Society, and no portion of the funds of the Society shall be paid directly or indirectly by way of dividend, bonus, salary, to any member of the Society.

c) All monies shall be received by the Treasurer, who shall deposit them in the Societys bank account.

d) Individual Committee or Society members may not act behalf of the Society or use its funds, resources, or other assets without the consent of the Committee.

6. The Committeea) The Committee of the Society, which shall be referred to as the Committee, shall consist of the following positions, the responsibilities and duties of each being as follows:

i) The President shall oversee all activities of the Society, and conduct all transactions with other Debating Societies. The President shall attend all University and other relevant meetings as the Societys representative.

ii) The VicePresident Administration shall keep a record of the committees decisions and discussions, and aid the President in facilitating the committees agenda.

iii) The VicePresident Development shall coordinate regular training for current and prospective tournament debaters, as well as assisting with training beginner debaters. They will make available relevant resources to the societys members.

iv) The Treasurer shall collect and account for all subscriptions and other monies received by the Society and dispose of them as directed by the Committee keep proper books and furnish a Financial Report, including a Statement and Expenditure for the year, and a Statement of the Societys Assets and Liabilities, to the Annual General Meeting of the Society. The Treasurer shall keep a register of members, and a record of the equipment owned by the Society and where such equipment is kept.

v) The Development Officer shall coordinate regular training for current and prospective tournament debaters, as well as assisting with training beginner debaters. They will make available relevant resources to the societys members.

vi) The Coordinator shall coordinate relevant debating competitions, which will take place as part of the Societys regular activities during the year. >>> ??

vii) The Social and Promotions officer shall organise social events, and be responsible for the promotion of the Societies events.

viii) The Equity Officer shall focus on representing the interests of women and minorities in Society matters, including working to foster an inclusive and safe community for all Society members, to encourage parity and representation, and to preside over a formal complaints process to effectively deal with equity concerns arising from any other member of the Society.

ix) The Firstyear Representative shall be a student in his or her first year at the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology. He or She shall represent the views and concerns of firstyear members of the Society, and shall assist the other members of the Committee and carry out various responsibilities, as required from time to time by the Committee.

x) The Chief Adjudicator will be an exofficio position, with the commitments of developing adjudicators, and facilitating the attendance of adjudicators at national tournaments.

b) Members of the Executive may not hold more than one position on the Debsoc Executive, with the exception of Chief Adjudicator, but are permitted to sit on other societys Executives.

c) All Committee members will be elected at General Meetings of the Society.

d) The duties and responsibilities of each Committee member, as included in section (a), may be temporarily varied or reassigned at any time by a resolution of the Committee. In particular, the Committee may appoint an Acting President for a specified period of time who will take over the duties of the President of the Society as included in section 6(a)(i).

e) In addition to all other duties and responsibilities of each Committee member, as included in subsection a) of this section, and subject to the provisos in subsection e) and f) of this section, it shall be the duty and responsibility of all Committee members to attend all Committee meetings as set out in section 7 of this Constitution and all debating evenings as set out in subsection b) of section 2 of this Constitution.

f) If any Committee member is absent from three consecutive Committee meetings as set out in section 7 of this Constitution without an apology from that member being accepted by the Committee, the Committee may deem that member to have resigned from his or her position on the Committee. However, if the Committee member tends an apology that is declined by the Committee, then all reasonable efforts must be made to inform him or her of this before this clause may be invoked.

g) If any Committee member is absent from three consecutive debating evenings as set out in subsection b) of section 2 of this Constitution without an apology from that member being accepted by the Committee, the Committee may deem that member to have resigned from his or her position on the Committee. However, if the Committee member tends an apology thatis declined by the Committee, then all reasonable efforts must be made to inform him or her of this before this clause may be invoked.

h) Any Committee member may resign from the Committee at any time by submitting a written resignation to the Secretary.

i) A member of the committee may be removed from their duties by order of the committee, if they do not consistently fulfil their role on the committee or if they bring Debsoc into disrepute. A document clearly stipulating the accusations and calling a committee meeting to decide the matter must be delivered to the President of the society three days before the intended meeting. The exception is if the President is the subject of the accusations, in which case the Vice President must receive the document. The document must then be delivered to that accused. At the meeting the accused must have an opportunity to address the letter, and may bring a support person or personal representative. The committee will then vote on whether to remove the impeached officer. To carry the motion, a majority of 75% must be attained, with all but one of the committee members present.

7. Committee Meetingsa) Notice of Committee meetings shall be by SMS or Whatsapp and email unless otherwise requested by a Committee member, in which case a phone call, letter, fax or other form of personal notification approved by that Committee member may be used. Notice must be issued at least three working days prior to the date of the meeting.

b) The quorum for the Committee is five Committee members.

c) Voting at Committee Meetings is by voice, unless a Committee member who will vote calls for a secret ballot. Motions will be passed by a simple majority of those voting. Only Committee members can vote at Committee meetings.

d) Committee Meetings will be chaired by the President or, in his or her absence, by the Committee member whose position appears highest on the list in Section 6(a). The Chairperson has both a deliberative and a casting vote.

e) Any four Committee members may direct the President or Secretary to call a Special Committee Meeting to discuss specified items of business. A Special Committee Meeting requires no advance notice, but all reasonable efforts must be made to contact and inform all Committee members about such a meeting, before it takes place. A Special Committee Meeting will only deal with the specific items of business it is called to discuss and consider. Any motions passed by such a meeting must receive the positive votes from a simple majority of the total number of Committee members as included in Section 6(a), whether all Committee members are present at the meeting or not. The Chairperson has only a deliberative vote at such meetings.

f) Any member of the Society may attend any Committee Meeting.

8. Annual General Meetings and Special General Meetings

a) Notice of General Meetings shall be by SMS or Whatsapp and email unless otherwise requested by a financial member, in which case a phone call, letter, fax or other form of personal notification approved by that financial member may be used. Notice must be issued at least ten working days prior to the date of the meeting.

b) The Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held in the second half of each academic year, at a date to be determined by the Committee. The regular business for this meeting, which takes precedence over all other business, shall be:

i) To receive the Presidents Annual Report the Treasurers Financial Report TheAnnual Report of any debate competitions held, and the Financial Statements for the preceding year

ii) To elect the Committee members (except the First Year Representative) for the following year.

c) A Special General Meeting shall be held in the first term of the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology academic year, at a date to be determined by the Committee, to elect the First Year Representative.

d) A Special General Meeting of the Society shall be called by the Secretary on receiving a written request form from at least four financial members of the Society or by resolution of the Committee.

e) The quorum for General Meetings is fifteen financial members of the Society, excluding the committee themselves.

f) Voting at all General Meetings shall be by:i) a secret ballot and/orii) Where a financial member who wishes to vote cannot attend a General Meeting, his or her vote may be cast on his or her behalf by another financial member who has been chosen by the absent financial member to so vote, providing the chosen financial member attends the General Meeting. Except for amendments to this Constitution, all motions will be passed by a simple majority of those voting.

g) All General Meetings will be chaired by the President or, in his or her absence, by the Committee member whose position appears highest on the list in Section 6(a). The Chairperson has both a deliberative vote and a casting vote.

9. The Financial Year >>> ???The financial year of the Society shall commence on November the 1st of each year, and terminate on October the 31st of that year. Financial expenses of significant nature after the AGM but the beginning of the new committees financial year (November 1st), must be disclosed and agreed to on a basis of consensus, by the incoming committee.

10. Affiliationa) The Society shall be affiliated to the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology Students Association and will abide by the decisions and rulings of that Associations Executive and the conduct of the affairs of the Society shall be in accordance with the Constitution of the aforementioned Association.

b) The Society will be affiliated to the Malaysian Institute for Debate and Public Speaking. In addition, the Committee may decide to affiliate the Society to any other relevant organisations.

11. Winding upIn the event of the Society being wound up, all property, and assets of the Society will accrue to the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology Students Association, whose Secretary must be promptly informed, by the incumbent President of the Society, of the step of winding up.

12. The Constitutiona) This Constitution may only be changed, subject to subsections b) and c) of this section, at a General Meeting of the Society. Proposed changes to this Constitution must be handed to the Vice President at least four working days before the date of such a meeting. The proposed changes must be posted at least three working days prior to the date of the meeting. Notice must be issued by email, unless otherwise requested by a financial member, in which case a phone call, letter, fax or other form of personal notification approved by that financial member may be used.

b) All motions to change this Constitution, subject to subsection c) of this section, must be passed by at least a twothirds majority of those voting.

c) Neither Clause 11 of this Constitution nor this subclause may be amended or removed from this Constitution without the approval of the Clubs and Societies Officer of the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology Students Association.

d) The Secretary of the Society shall notify the Clubs and Societies Officer of the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology Students Association of any changes to this Constitution.

e) The Secretary shall keep copies of this Constitution, which shall be available to members upon request. At least two of these copies must be hard copies of the Constitution.