Your Society constitution sets out things from the aims of your society,to the rules of your elections. It is vitally important that you follow the rules of you constitution as ratified by the CSC. However, if your constitution is out of date, or otherwise in need of an update, the CSC is here to help you through the process of updating and ratifying your constitution.
A copy of your current constitution is held by the CSC. The CSC secretary advises on any constitutional issues and can also provide you with a copy of your constitution: secretary@csc.tcd.ie
The procedure for amending your society constitution is as follows:
- Clearly mark all changes you wish to make and submit them to the CSC secretary for review;
- Vote on approved changes at an EGM or AGM of your society;
- Resubmit changes voted in by majority of members present to the CSC Secretary for ratification by CSC Executive.
This procedure is laid out in the CSC's Constitutional Amendments Policy.
A few guidelines for what changes may be ratified are also laid out in this policy, and are reproduced below:
- The recognition that the CSC extends to Student Societies is granted at the AGM of the CSC: once granted recognition must be maintained by the society through following its own constitution and pursuing the objects stated in that constitution.
- Trying to change a society’s aims is to try to change the nature of the society and may be considered to be equivalent to the dissolution of the current society and the desire to establish a new society. Therefore, trying to change the aims of your society is not recommended.
- If you want to add committee members, consider whether this change will benefit the long term future of the society. Big committees are ineffective, and another option may be to reduce your number of OCMs in favor of a specific committee position.
- Adding subcommittees to the Constitution will generally not be ratified by the Executive – they do not need to be in the Constitution to exist.
- In terms of the voting system, PR is preferable – a change to First Past the Post will likely not be ratified by the Executive.
- Please ensure you have given relevant notice of your constitutional amendments and if stated in the constitution, circulated them to members of your society, as otherwise they will be declared invalid regardless of whether they have passed at your AGM/EGM. For many societies, the notice required is five days, but is important that you check the society constitution in this regard.