Review of Constitution
The Management Committee is recommending several alterations to the MAS Constitution
We allocated January and February for members to comment on the initial draft and received some very helpful feedback. Comments are now closed. Thank you.
The final proposal was put to a “yes/no” vote of members attending the April AGM. The vote was a unanimous “Yes”. Thank you.
The amended constitution will come into force on the date that it is approved by the NSW Dept of Fair Trading.
Current (Outgoing) Constitution > HERE <
Description of Proposed Amendments
Reasons: DOFT = NSW Department of Fair Trading. CP = Bring in line with Current Practice. GI = General Improvement
| CLAUSE | DESCRIPTION | Reason |
| 1.2 Definitions | Modified the definitions of Management Committee, Office Bearers & Committee Members. Added definition for Returning Officer. | CP |
| 3.1 Powers | Added “Society” | GI |
| 4.1 Membership | Redefined the meaning of “Full Member” to include Family, Student, Pensioner and Honorary memberships (but not Associate Membership) | GI |
| 4.6 Membership Register | Limitations on the availability of members private information. | DOFT & GI |
| 4.8 (New clause) | Limitations on membership liabilities. | DOFT |
| 5.1 Membership of management committee | Added role of Returning Officer at AGM ballot. Placed no limit of consecutive terms served by an office bearer or committee member. Added a specific time for nominations for election to be lodged. Added required action by committee in event of no candidacy for a position. Relaxed the strict requirement to terminate a committee member who does not attend three committee meetings. | DOFT, CP & GI |
| 5.5 Meetings of the management committee | Clarified procedure for committee minutes approval. | CP |
| 5.7 (New Clause) | Confirms the power of the committee to determine the use of electronic methods where deemed appropriate. | GI |
| 6.1 to 6.4 Meetings | General revision to formalise the current practice that Ordinary General Meetings (i.e. Macarthur Astronomy Forum) are informal meetings where formal business is not conducted and which are exempt from the strict formal procedures required for Annual General Meetings and Special General Meetings. 6.4 (v) Permits the chairperson to over-rule a request for a formal ballot when such a ballot would be impracticable. | DOFT,GI & CP |
| 7 Funds & Accounts | Added clause describing income sources. | DOFT |