CONSTITUTION & REGULATIONS OF THE IRISH GEORGIAN SOCIETY
1. The Society shall be called the Irish Georgian Society
2. The objects of the Society are to encourage an interest in and the preservation of distinguished examples of architecture and the allied arts in Ireland and to assist in the implementation of such objects.
3. Membership of the Society is open to all who share its aims.
4. There shall be the following classes of members of the Society:-
4.1 members who shall be persons paying an annual subscription of a sum fixed from time to time by the IGS committee (as referred to hereunder) and who shall be called “Ordinary Members”;
4.2 life members who shall have paid a life subscription of a sum fixed from time to time by the IGS committee and who shall be called “Life Members”;
4.3 contributing members who shall be persons or corporate bodies making a contribution to the funds of the Society of a sum not less than a sum fixed from time to time by the IGS committee and who shall be called “Contributing Members” and who shall be members of the Society for the year in which such contribution is made; and
4.4 honorary members who shall be persons who have rendered notable service in promoting the objects of the Society and who shall have been appointed as such by the IGS committee and who shall be called “Honorary Members”.
4.5 such further or other classes of membership as shall be determined, from time to time, by the Irish Georgian Society Committee with the approval of the Irish Georgian Foundation (hereinafter referred to as “the IGF”) or as shall be determined by the Irish Georgian Foundation and communicated to the IGS by way of a direction or regulation as provided for by Rule 6.
5.1 The affairs of the Society shall be managed by a sub-Committee of the IGF known as the Irish Georgian Society Committee (hereinafter referred to as “The IGS Committee”). The IGS Committee shall consist of a Chairman, who shall be appointed by the IGF as hereinafter provided, and not less than six and no more then fifteen other members (hereinafter called “Society Members”) who shall be elected as hereinafter provided at the Annual General Meeting of the Society. Where the Chairman of the IGS Committee so directs no decision of the Committee shall have any force or effect until it shall have been approved by a resolution of the Committee of Management of the IGF.
5.2 The IGS Committee shall meet not less than four times per year.
5.3 The quorum for the conduct of business of the IGS Committee shall be four including the Chairman.
6. The IGS committee shall at all times conform to any directions or regulations that may be imposed upon them from time to time by the Committee of the Irish Georgian Foundation; subject thereto the IGS committee shall have power to make, alter or revoke bye-laws for carrying on the business of the Society.
7.1The President of the Society, being a member of the Society, shall be nominated by the Committee of Management of the IGF.
7.2 The President shall preside at all general meetings of the Society, whether annual special extraordinary or otherwise and further shall in addition perform such other functions as the Committee of Management of the IGF shall from time to time determine.
7.3 There will be a Vice President of the Society who shall be appointed by the President of the Society at the Annual General Meeting of the Society after consultation with the IGS committee and who shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting of the Society. The Vice President shall fulfil the functions of the President in his absence.
7.4 There shall be a Chairman of the IGS who, being a member of the Society, and also a member of the Committee of Management of the IGF, shall be nominated by that Committee of Management to be the Chairman of the IGS. The Chairman of the IGS shall preside at all meetings of the IGS Committee and at all other meetings or assemblies of the IGS other than General Meetings whether annual special extraordinary or otherwise provided howsoever that the Chairman of the IGS as so nominated shall be entitled, with the approval of the Committee of Management of the IGF to nominate another person from time to time to act in his place.
8.1 The IGS Committee shall, with the approval of the Committee of Management of the IGF, be entitled to appoint such honorary vice presidents of the Society, not exceeding twelve in number at any one time, such persons be entitled to life membership of the Society provided that no such honorary vice president shall continue in office after a direction to that effect given to the IGS Committee by the Committee of Management of the IGF, or the passing of a resolution of the IGS Committee that such persons honorary vice presidency be terminated such a resolution to be passed only in the event of any such person appointed an honorary vice president having brought the Society into disrepute.
8.2 The IGS committee shall be entitled to appoint persons to the office of honorary vice president solely in recognition of any such person’s esteemed service to the Society over not less than ten years.
9.1 The Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held once in each calendar year. Notice convening the Annual General Meeting shall be sent to each member of the Society not less than fourteen days before the date of such meeting and shall specify the general nature of the business to be transacted thereat.
10. At the Annual General Meeting of the Society, the President of the Society shall report on the activities of the IGS committee and on the activities of the Society.
11. The Society Members of the IGS committee shall serve on the IGS committee for a term of three years and on the expiry of such term they shall be eligible for re-election by the Society and re-appointment by the Committee of the Irish Georgian Foundation subject to the provisions of Regulations 13 hereof.
12.1 At the Annual General Meeting of the Society in each year, two of the Society Members shall retire from office as member of the IGS committee. The Society Member to retire in each year shall be the Society Member who has been longest serving on the IGS committee since his/her last election and appointment but as between Society Members who became members of the IGS committee on the same day, the Society Member to retire shall (unless they otherwise agree among themselves) be determined by lot. A retiring Society Member shall be eligible for re-election.
13.1 A ballot shall be held at each Annual General Meeting of the Society for the election of the Society Members of the IGS committee. Candidates for election by the Society shall be proposed by not less than two members of the Society. Voting by ballot of the members of the Society present shall take place at the Annual General Meeting and election shall be decided by a majority of the valid votes cast at the Annual General Meeting. The votes shall be counted by two scrutineers appointed at the Annual General Meeting for such purpose. Every member of the Society present in person shall have one vote only. The Society Members of the IGS committee for the preceding year (excluding the Society Member who is retiring) shall decide all questions touching the validity of elections and the decisions of such persons shall be final.
14. In the event of any vacancy occurring on the IGS committee of Society Members during the year by death, resignation or otherwise, the continuing Society Members of the IGS committee shall nominate another member of the Society to supply such vacancy and his/her term of office shall be co-terminus with that for which his/her predecessor was appointed. The IGS committee may act notwithstanding any vacancy in their body.
15. All income, (including subscription income), assets and property received by, acquired by or transferred to the Society from time to time shall immediately vest absolutely and automatically in the Irish Georgian Foundation.
16. This Constitution and Regulations of the Society may be altered, amended or modified from time to time by the votes of the majority of two-thirds of the members of the Society present at an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Society provided that one month’s notice of any such meeting shall be given to all members of the Society and provided also that any such alteration, amendment or modification shall have received the prior approval in writing of the IGS committee.
17. The Society may be dissolved by the votes of the majority of two-thirds of the members of the Society present at an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Society provided than one month’s notice of any such meeting shall be given to all members of the Society and provided also that such dissolution shall have received the prior approval in writing of the IGS committee.
18. Any notice or other communications may be given by the Society to any member either personally or by sending the same by post prepaid to him at the address supplied by him to the Society or if no such address is supplied a notice posted up in the premises in which the business of the Society is normally transacted shall be deemed to be well served at the expiration of twenty four hours after it was so posted up.