ACOG Constitution

Aberystwyth Community of Gamers

Ratified AGM 2012

2011 2012

Section 1 General ........................................................................................................................................... 2 Section 2 Mission Statement ...................................................................................................................... 2 Section 3 Guild of Students and the Board of Societies .................................................................... 2 Section 4 Membership ................................................................................................................................. 3 4.1 Committee Members ........................................................................................................................................... 3 4.2 Referee Members ................................................................................................................................................. 3 4.3 Standard Members............................................................................................................................................... 3 4.4 Associate Members .............................................................................................................................................. 3 Section 5 Committee Management ........................................................................................................... 4 5.1 President .................................................................................................................................................................. 4 5.2 Vice President ........................................................................................................................................................ 4 5.3 Treasurer ................................................................................................................................................................. 4 5.4 Secretary .................................................................................................................................................................. 4 5.5 Social Secretary ..................................................................................................................................................... 4 5.6 Tournament Director.......................................................................................................................................... 5 5.7 Appointed Positions ............................................................................................................................................ 5 Section 6 Election Process ........................................................................................................................... 5 6.1 Pre-election Administration ............................................................................................................................ 5 6.2 Voting Process ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 6.3 Results....................................................................................................................................................................... 6 6.4 By-elections ............................................................................................................................................................ 6 6.5 Vote of No Confidence ........................................................................................................................................ 6 Section 7 Finances .......................................................................................................................................... 7 7.1 Income ...................................................................................................................................................................... 7 7.2 Expenditure ............................................................................................................................................................ 7 7.3 Transportation ...................................................................................................................................................... 7 Section 8 Meetings and Decision Process .............................................................................................. 8 8.1 Annual General Meeting .................................................................................................................................... 8 8.2 Emergency General Meeting ............................................................................................................................ 8 8.3 Umbrella Organisations ..................................................................................................................................... 9 Section 9 Constitution Ratification and Interpretation .................................................................... 9 9.1 Freedom of Information .................................................................................................................................... 9 9.2 Penalties ................................................................................................................................................................ 10 9.3 Disputes................................................................................................................................................................. 10

CONSTITUTION FOR ABERYSTWYTH COMMUNITY OF GAMERS

SECTION 1 GENERAL
The name of the Society shall be Aberystwyth Community of Gamers and will be abbreviated to ACOG in reference. All views and opinions will be those of the Society and not be the views of Aberystwyth University, The Guild or the Board of Societies.

SECTION 2 MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of ACOG shall be: To provide a platform for technical support, competitive play and social events to Gamers affiliated to Aberystwyth University.

SECTION 3 GUILD OF STUDENTS AND THE BOARD OF SOCIETIES

The Aberystwyth Guild of Students and the Board of Societies within the Guild shall hereby be referred to as the Guild and BOS respectively. As such ACOG shall be up to date, and in compliance with all rules and regulations concerning both organisations.

SECTION 4 MEMBERSHIP
There will be four levels of membership within the society based on a vertical hierarchical structure. Each level will have different entry requirements and provide respective membership benefits. ACOG will uphold the principle that anybody who does not hold membership status may be prohibited from participating in events. ACOG will enforce this practice knowing that we may otherwise be subjected to financial penalties or restrictions.

4.1 COMMITTEE MEMBERS Committee Members of ACOG must meet the entry requirements of Standard Membership (4.3) and will make decisions on behalf of ACOG in accordance with Section 5.

4.2 REFEREE MEMBERS Referee Members (hereby known as Referees or Refs) will be appointed by the Committee only, providing they already meet the criteria of Standard Membership (Section 4.3). Refs will have additional powers during ACOG events and will be able to oversee and enforce event rules with the power to impose penalties. The Tournament Director (Section 5.6) will appoint Referees at the beginning of each academic year and allocate specific powers at the start of each event.

4.3 STANDARD MEMBERS Standard Membership of ACOG will be the normal level of membership available to anyone who is a Full Member of the Guild of Students, as defined by the Guild Constitution. Standard Members must also have paid current membership fees (Section 7.1), and hold a valid BOS Number. Standard members will be allowed to participate in events and may stand for election as outlined in Section 6.

4.4 ASSOCIATE MEMBERS Associate membership of ACOG will be available to everyone, including those not registered with the university if they have paid current membership fees (Section 7.1). Associate Members hold the same rights as Standard Members but may not stand in an election. The ACOG Committee remains the right to determine when associate membership is valid.

SECTION 5 COMMITTEE MANAGEMENT

The general and financial business of ACOG shall be conducted by the committee through the view of the members subject to this Constitution and decisions made at weekly Meetings (Section 8). The Committee shall be made up of around 6-10 members including up to four appointed positions and the following elected positions: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Tournament Director and Social Secretary. In any case, elected members will always have seniority when decision making.

5.1 PRESIDENT The President will have the main role of ensuring that ACOG is in accordance with the views of the Members and that it follows the constitution at all times. The President will also be the main contact for external communications including the Guild and BOS. In addition the President should provide smooth and effective management of the society and be the arbitrator of internal disputes.

5.2 VICE PRESIDENT The Vice President will have the main role of ensuring the survivability of ACOG and maintaining a positive society image. The Vice President should also actively advise the President on issues regarding the committee and be willing to stand in for the President during absence or emergency.

5.3 TREASURER The Treasurer will be the financial coordinator of ACOG and must ensure that all funds are monitored. In addition, the Treasurer should keep a current record of the flow of society money. Overall the Treasurers role will be to specifically uphold Section 7 of this Constitution.

5.4 SECRETARY The Secretary will have the responsibility to oversee the internal communication between the committee and ACOG Members including the maintenance of any Social Networking Websites. The Secretary will also be the appointed Member for general Health and Safety but may delegate responsibility to another Committee Member during events.

5.5 SOCIAL SECRETARY

The Social Secretary will be responsible for the organisation and running of regular social events as well encouraging a sufficient turnout. The Social Secretary will also be tasked with ACOGs on-going marketing campaign.

5.6 TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR The Tournament Director will be the coordinator for regular gaming events including the management of the Refereeing Team. The Tournament Director should also concentrate on ensuring events cater for both casual and competitive players as highlighted in the Mission Statement.

5.7 APPOINTED POSITIONS

Additional committee positions may be appointed by the elected committee if they believe they do not currently have the resources to manage the entire society both effectively and efficiently. In this case a maximum of 4 positions may be appointed. An appointed position may only be approved if 51% of the committee agree.

SECTION 6 ELECTION PROCESS

A General Election will take place every year during March/April where an election must be run for all committee positions described in Section 5. Any member will be allowed to vote in an election assuming they meet the requirements of Section 4.4. However, only Members who meet the requirements of standard membership (Section 4.3) will be entitled to stand for election to the committee.

6.1 PRE-ELECTION ADMINISTRATION At least 14 Days prior to an election, an e-mail will be sent to each member providing details of the available positions and instructions on how to stand. 7 Days prior to the election another e-mail will be sent to each member with an explanation of the election process and a list of potential candidates.

6.2 VOTING PROCESS Each member (section 4) of ACOG will receive one voting paper with a list of Candidates sectioned by position. Each position will also include a None of the Above/Re-open Nominations option to vote against all candidates. When marking the voting paper, a vote will only be counted if a definite cross is put in the respective box.

6.3 RESULTS In any system, the winner will be the candidate with the highest number of votes. However if a single candidate wins multiple elections, that candidate may decide which of the positions to fill. The remaining post will then be appointed to the runner-up in that position. At any stage highlighted above, a tied vote will result in a second round of voting (not using a show of hands). If this round of voting also results in a tie, both (or more) winning candidates will be appointed onto the committee sharing the role. If the voting at any stage results in a None of the Above vote, another round of voting with a show of hands is required. However, in this case the candidacy is opened up to all eligible Standard Members present (Section 4.3) and the None of the Above option is removed.

6.4 BY-ELECTIONS An interim election outside the normal Annual General Election period will hereby be referenced as a By-Election and must follow the same procedure as a General Election. If sensible, the Committee should organise a By-Election if an elected position becomes vacant several months before the annual elections. In cases where three elected positions all become vacant simultaneously, a full election must be called immediately. In either case, the annual elections must still go ahead during March/April.

6.5 VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE A vote of no confidence is a vote between members for the immediate dismissal of a committee member (as outlined in section 5). A Member may propose a Vote of no Confidence at any point if the majority (51%) of the Committee agrees. The vote of no confidence must then be held at the following meeting unless a valid reason for delaying has been provided. Whether a reason is valid is determined by the bringer of the vote, and may only be delayed by 4 academic weeks. The current committee member must be informed via 5 days prior to the vote. Alternatively a vote of no confidence may be forced through by a petition of 20 members or 51% of members whichever is lower. If a petition is successful calling for a vote of no confidence in 3 or more positions, an EGM must be called. A vote of no confidence may not be called until after a month of an election or AGM.

SECTION 7 FINANCES
The finances of ACOG will be coordinated by the Treasurer (as noted in Section 5.3) who must manage the accounts in a legal and professional fashion. The Treasurer will maintain a current record of the costs of running the society as well as any money ACOG gains. The Treasurer must submit the accounts of ACOG to the AGM and should provide them to the Committee or Guild when requested. Most of the Society funds will be kept within the Guild Finance Office and all financial actions undertaken by ACOG will be in accordance with the Guild and BOS rules and regulations.

7.1 INCOME ACOG will aim to gain the majority of its yearly start-up costs through Annual Membership fees. These fees will be set by the Treasurer at the beginning of the academic year based on the budget. ACOG will also aim to negotiate financial backing from local businesses and secure a Guild Grant. ACOG will also raise other funds by charging a small entry fee to the larger events which will also be outlined in budget.

7.2 EXPENDITURE All outgoing funds will have the approval of the Treasurer or the President, whom will be on the financial mandate form. As such, all Committee members who will deal with outgoing funds must have attended a mandate training course as outlined in the Guild Rules and Regulations. All other members who make purchases on behalf of ACOG must present a receipt to the Treasurer to claim back the cost.

7.3 TRANSPORTATION Throughout the year, ACOG will plan on travelling to UK based events and other Universities to network with similar minded organisations and to participate in competitive gaming events (hereby referenced to as e-sport). The method of travel and the potential for Society funding will be at the discretion of the Committee and based on individual circumstances. ACOG will be committed to providing equal opportunities for all members when considering spaces for limited events.

SECTION 8 MEETINGS AND DECISION PROCESS

ACOG Meetings are open for anyone to attend and Members who are keen to get involved are advised to do so. Meetings will be held weekly at the Committees discretion, normally in a Sponsors premises. During meetings, those present will discuss present and future events and the general management of the society. Decisions will be made with an equal vote, where the chair will have the deciding vote in a tie. Agendas and Minutes of all Meetings will be kept by the Secretary and may be requested by members at any time.

8.1 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The Annual General Meeting hereby known as the AGM will be the largest discussion of ACOG activities in the academic year. Invitations shall be sent via e-mail to all members at least 14 days in advance of the AGM and must be held normally within a month of the General Election. The business of the AGM shall be to review the past year, hand over to the incoming committee and to suggest a plan for the following year. Members can expect the following subjects to be discussed. To receive a summary of reports from the outgoing committee for the year. To receive a current financial summary and a budget for the following year. To review any Umbrella Organisations and discuss future partnerships. To consider any motion, submitted to the secretary a week prior to the AGM. For any constitutional amendments to be ratified, and the constitution to be approved. To formally handover the elected positions to the incoming committee for the following academic year. To determine a plan, strategy and timetable for the following year. Members will be given a chance to ask questions to the outgoing and incoming committee.

8.2 EMERGENCY GENERAL MEETING The Emergency General Meeting hereby known as the EGM will be an emergency procedure used when the survivability of the society comes into question. The committee shall call an EGM when in their discretion a serious emergency arises. Once called, information regarding the meeting must immediately be sent via e-mail to all members at least 14 days in advance. During the meeting, all members will have an equal vote on the future direction of the society and members must also be given an opportunity to call a vote of no confidence.

8.3 UMBRELLA ORGANISATIONS An Umbrella Organisation / Umbrella Body will be the names given to any organisation who agrees to become a subgroup of ACOG. All potential Umbrella Bodies must meet the following criteria before being considered. Agree to follow the ACOG Constitution Specialise in a relevant area or have a similar target market. Prove to be promoting the ACOG Mission Statement. Promote ACOG through branding the Logo

All appointment of Umbrella Bodies will be at the discretion of the Committee and will be reviewed at the Annual General Meeting. During the term of the agreement, either party will retain the right to dissolve the agreement by providing written notification 4 weeks in advance.

SECTION 9 CONSTITUTION RATIFICATION AND INTERPRETATION

This constitution will come into effect immediately pending ratification at the 2011 AGM and after confirmation by the Guild. Any amendments to this constitution will happen in the following fashion: 1. The proposed Amendment must be submitted to the Committee at least seven days before an AGM or six months after. 2. The Committee will then scrutinize the proposed amendment and then suggest any changes that would be suitable. 3. The proposed amendment is then proposed at the AGM or presented to the full committee where it must be ratified with a 66% vote. 4. All amendments that take place outside of an AGM must be reviewed at the following AGM.

9.1 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION A copy of this constitution will be kept by each Committee Member and distributed to members upon request. The Students Activities Officer shall also hold a copy, which will be submitted annually in a paper format. A copy shall also be put on the ACOG website.

9.2 PENALTIES Any Member who does not follow this constitution may be subject to either: A penalty from a Referee at a competitive event or disqualification in extreme cases. (A social penalty whilst during a social event from the Social Secretary). In the most extreme cases, penalties will be agreed upon by the whole committee.

9.3 DISPUTES Should there be any difference between the English and Welsh versions, the English version shall take precedence. In the case of a dispute regarding interpretation, the Committee shall have the power to act accordingly to their own interpretation. If the constitution does not cover the issue, then a constitutional amendment should be presented to the committee or presented by the Chair at the next AGM.

10