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You are in:  Home » Friends of SPRI » The Constitution of the Friends

Constitution

Article 1: Name of the association

The name of the association shall be the 'Friends of the Scott Polar Research Institute' (hereafter referred to as 'the Friends').

Article 2: Objective

The objective of the Friends is to assist in the development of the Scott Polar Research Institute as:

• a centre for the stimulation of interest in the polar regions; in their peoples and environments, and the relationship of those environments to the world as a whole;
• a centre of excellence in polar scholarship and research;
• an international information centre dedicated to the collection, organisation and dissemination of knowledge about the Arctic and Antarctic;
• a centre for the collection, maintenance and display of materials relating to the history and geography of the polar regions.

Article 3: Membership and benefits

1. Membership shall be open to any person wishing to support the objectives of the Friends.
2. Members shall receive copies of the SPRI Annual Reviews, the Michaelmas and Lent term lecture lists, a newsletter and any other benefits decided by the Committee.

Article 4: Subscriptions

1. The Committee shall establish categories of membership and related subscriptions.
2. An initial subscription may be paid at any time. The annual subscription shall fall due for renewal in following years on the annual anniversary or such designated date being January 31st or July 31st, as the Committee shall designate and inform the members so.
3. A Member whose subscription has not been renewed by the due date shall be reminded within three months after the due date. If a subscription has not been renewed within six months after the date of the reminder, the membership shall have lapsed.
4. A member wishing to resign shall notify the Secretary.

Article 5: The Committee of the Friends

1. The Committee shall consist of eight Members of the Friends in good standing, and the following ex officio members:
   • the Director of the SPRI;
   • the Keeper and Librarian;
   • the Archivist and Curator; and
   • the Secretary to the Friends as secretary.
2. Each of the eight Members of the Friends shall serve four years. Two members shall retire each year. A retiring member shall not be eligible for re-appointment until after the expiration of one year following his or her retirement.
3. The Annual Meeting of the Committee shall be held in the Michaelmas term. A quorum shall consist of not less than five non-ex officio members of the Committee.
4. Each year the Committee shall inform the Membership of the names of Members of the Committee, the names of those due to retire that year, and the names of Members it proposes for the filling of the vacancies.
5. Any Member may nominate any other Member for consideration by the Committee. Such nominations shall be accompanied by the address of the nominee, the names and addresses of two seconders, and by a letter of agreement to serve from the nominee. In the event of there being such nominations, the Committee shall make a decision or decisions which appear to it to be in the best interests of the Friends, and shall inform the Membership accordingly.
6. The Committee may co-opt up to two additional Members who shall not serve for more than four years.
7. The Committee shall manage the affairs of the Friends and the funds of the association in support of the objectives set out in Article 2.

Article 6 Officers

1. The Committee shall elect a Chairman and Vice Chairman from its non-ex officio Members, whose term of office, from that date, shall be four years and may not coincide.
2. The Chairman, together with the ex officio Members shall constitute an Executive Committee for the purpose of transacting such business as is necessary between Annual meetings of the Committee.

Article 7 Meetings

1. An Annual General Meeting of the Friends shall be held during the Michaelmas Term, for the Committee to report to the Membership.
2. Any six Members may request a Special General Meeting for any purpose. The purpose shall be communicated to the Secretary in writing, and the Committee shall respond in writing. If the six Members are not satisfied by the Committee's response, a Special General Meeting shall be convened prior to the next Annual General Meeting of the Friends.
3. Further meetings of the Committee, and of the Membership may be held from time to time.

Article 8 Changes to the Constitution

A proposal to alter this Constitution shall only become effective upon the agreement of two-thirds of the Friends returning votes in a postal ballot.

Article 9 Charitable status

The Committee shall seek to maximise the benefit to the Friends by use of the charitable status accorded to the Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Cambridge and American Friends of Cambridge University.

Article 10 Personal data

Membership of the Friends and acceptance of this Constitution by the Members will be deemed to constitute consent to the holding of relevant personal data for the purposes of the UK Data Protection Act 1984.