How to set up a Society

(See Bye-Law 4: 'Affiliated Organisations' of the JCR Constitution for the full text)

  1. You are not allowed to affiliate to other student organisations, such as the DSU. Therefore, before you go any further, ensure that you only want your society to work on a college, not university, level!
  2. Elect an Executive Committee – societies must have (1) a Chair who is responsible for running the society and (2) a Treasurer, responsible for any grants from the JJCR. Both of these positions must be held by members of John’s or Cranmer Hall. You can appoint any other positions you like (e.g. secretary, publicity organiser etc.)
  3. You can choose to accept the pre-written 'Default Society Constitution' or, if you are so inclined, write your own.
  4. Finally, the new society and its exec have to be approved by at a JCR meeting. Write a motion for the meeting that resolves to affiliate your society to the JJCR and that ratifies all the members of the Executive Committee (ask the JCR Chair or JCR President for help on this).

Once your society has been passed by the JCR, you will be allowed to receive funding and access other facilities. You’re not allowed to charge a membership fee, so talk to the JCR Treasurer about obtaining funding (there is no minimum number of members needed for a society to receive money from the JCR).

Any problems or questions, please get in touch with the Sports and Societies Officer (johns.sportsoc@durham.ac.uk).

 

Default Society Constitution

(Schedule 1 of JCR Sub-Committee and Society Regulations)

The aims and objectives of the society must be listed in the society constitution, or be implicitly defined within the society name, and these aims and objectives must be compatible with the aims and objectives of the JCR.

The constitution of any society affiliated or wishing to be affiliated to the JCR shall be deemed to contain the following clauses. Job titles may be changed to suit a society's requirements.

 

1. The aims and objectives of the society must be listed in the society constitution, or be implicitly defined within the society name, and these aims and objectives must be compatible with the aims and objectives of the JCR. The constitution of any society affiliated or wishing to be affiliated to the JCR shall be deemed to contain the following clauses. Job titles may be changed to suit a society's requirements.
2. Membership of the Society shall be open to all JCR members.
3. The Society shall have a Chair, who shall have overall responsibility for the activities of the Society.
4. The Society may only disaffiliate from the JCR if the JCR approves this decision by an ordinary motion, and/or either 66% of those society members voting, or 50% of all society members, whichever is less, vote to disaffiliate in a one-member, one-vote election, in which all those listed on the society membership list shall have the right to vote, and at least 50% of the society must vote. The voting shall be supervised by the Vice-Chair of the JCR, unless there is an objection raised to this, in which case the voting shall be supervised by an independent observer, selected in line with the JCR election regulations. Upon disaffiliation, any unclaimed JCR grant is kept by the JCR. Any debts to the JCR must be paid immediately upon disaffiliation.
5. The society, its constitution and its actions cannot contravene any part of the constitutional documents of the JCR.
6. If the society spends the JCR's money, then the Treasurer of the society may be required to attend a meeting of Finance Committee at the invitation of Finance Committee.

 

1. The aims and objectives of the society must be listed in the society constitution, or be implicitly defined within the society name, and these aims and objectives must be compatible with the aims and objectives of the JCR. The constitution of any society affiliated or wishing to be affiliated to the JCR shall be deemed to contain the following clauses. Job titles may be changed to suit a society's requirements.

2. Membership of the Society shall be open to all JCR members.

3. The Society shall have a Chair, who shall have overall responsibility for the activities of the Society.

4. The Society may only disaffiliate from the JCR if the JCR approves this decision by an ordinary motion, and/or either 66% of those society members voting, or 50% of all society members, whichever is less, vote to disaffiliate in a one-member, one-vote election, in which all those listed on the society membership list shall have the right to vote, and at least 50% of the society must vote. The voting shall be supervised by the Vice-Chair of the JCR, unless there is an objection raised to this, in which case the voting shall be supervised by an independent observer, selected in line with the JCR election regulations. Upon disaffiliation, any unclaimed JCR grant is kept by the JCR. Any debts to the JCR must be paid immediately upon disaffiliation.

5. The society, its constitution and its actions cannot contravene any part of the constitutional documents of the JCR.

6. If the society spends the JCR's money, then the Treasurer of the society may be required to attend a meeting of Finance Committee at the invitation of Finance Committee.