Australasian Association for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science (AAHPSSS) Constitution
As amended at Ordinary Meetings of Council on 27 June 2001 (Melbourne University conference - various changes) and 5 July 2002 (Sydney University conference - addition of Article 7)
Definitions
The "Association" is the Australasian Association for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science.
The "Council" is that body whose membership is determined by Article 3 Section (b) of this Constitution.
The "Executive" is that Executive Committee whose membership is determined by Article 3 Section (c) of this Constitution.
An "Ordinary Meeting" of Council is a Council Meeting held at a Conference of the Association.
A "Special Meeting" of Council is any Council Meeting other than an Ordinary Meeting of Council.
Article 1: Name and Object
(a) The name of the organization shall be "The Australasian Association for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science".
(b) The purpose of the Association shall be the furtherance of the study of the history and social studies of the sciences technology and medicine; of the philosophy, logic and methodology of the sciences; and of related subjects.
The term "science" shall be deemed for the purpose of this Article to comprise the natural sciences, the social sciences and mathematics.
(c) The Association is a non profit-making learned society. The assets and income of the Association shall be applied solely in furtherance of its above-mentioned objects, and no portion shall be distributed directly or indirectly to the members of the Association except on bona fide compensation for services rendered or expenses incurred on behalf of the Association.
Article 2: Membership and Dues
(a) Membership shall be open to interested persons and shall be effective upon (a) payment of dues and (b) registration with the Executive, the latter being effected either by letter to the Secretary, or by such other means as instituted by the Executive.
(b) Dues for the current calendar year as determined by Council shall be payable by 30th June in that year.
(c) Members whose dues are one year in arrears shall forfeit their membership.
(d) The liability of individual members in any one year shall be limited to an amount not exceeding the amount of their annual dues.
Article 3: The Council Executive Committee and Officers
(a) The Association shall be governed by a Council.
(b) The Council shall consist of all members of the Association who are professionally involved in the history and/or philosophy and/or social studies of science, medicine or technology.
Anyone demonstrating that they are in the at least one of the following categories will be recognised as professionally involved:
(1) All members holding academic appointments in Australasian Institutions of Tertiary Education whose title or terms of appointment specify that they teach or research the history or philosophy or social studies of science medicine or technology.
(2) All members holding academic appointments in Australasian Institutions of Tertiary Education who teach courses involving a substantial content of history and/or philosophy and/or social studies of science medicine or technology.
(3) All members doing full time research in history or philosophy or social studies of science medicine or technology including candidates for a PhD.
(4) All members who hold a doctorate in the history or philosophy or social studies of science medicine or technology.
(5) Members who do not fall into the above categories but who are deemed by the Council or Executive to be professionally involved.
The Council may co-opt other members of the Association and such co-opted members shall have full membership and voting rights.
(c) The Council shall elect from their number a President, not more than four Vice-Presidents, a Secretary and a Treasurer who shall be the Officers of the Association and whose functions shall be those usually exercised by such officers.
(d) There shall be an Executive Committee which shall consist of the President, a Vice-President as determined by Council (who shall be known as the Executive Vice-President), the Secretary, the Treasurer and any other member of the Council that the Executive Committee may from time to time co-opt for specified period. The Executive Committee shall carry on the business of the Association between meetings of Council
(e) The Secretary shall keep a Register of members of the Council and (except as provided below) no member of the Association shall be deemed to be a member of the Council at any given time unless his name appears upon the Register of members of the council at that time. Should the Secretary be found not to have kept such a list, then Council shall be deemed to be all those members attending a meeting of the Association together with those members who have provided a proxy. But this deeming shall not take effect if any members attending the meeting object to it.
(f) The Executive Committee shall determine whether or not the name of any new member of the Association or of any past member of the Association rejoining the Association shall be entered upon the Register of Members of the Council. The Executive Committee shall also determine whether or not the name of any member of the Association shall be removed from the Register of members of the Council.
(g) A member of the Association whose name has not been entered upon the Register of Members of the Council or whose name has been removed from the Register of members of the Council shall have the right to appeal to the Council against any such ruling of the Executive Committee and the decision of the Council in such a case shall be binding upon the Executive Committee.
(h) Authority for the receipt and disbursement of funds shall rest in the Executive Committee subject always to the authority of the Council. The annual accounts shall be presented to an Ordinary or Special Meeting of Council each year.
(i) In the case of a vacancy in any office, the Executive Committee shall be authorised to fill it by co-option until the next Meeting (Ordinary or Special) of Council.
(j) An Officer of the Association shall continue to hold office until the first Ordinary Meeting of Council held after election or so-option to that office. An Officer of the Association may relinquish office at any time should he or she so desire.
(k) Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 3 Clause (j) the Council may determine at any Ordinary or Special Meeting of Council by a majority of members of the Council that the appointment of any Officer of the Association be terminated forthwith.
(l) Notwithstanding any other Provisions of this Constitution any person who has been a member of the Executive Committee for a continuous period of nine years shall resign his membership of the Committee not later than the next Ordinary or Special Meeting of Council following and shall not again be eligible for membership of the Executive Committee until a period of two years and six months has elapsed. In the event of the termination of membership of the Executive Committee in accordance with provisions of this Clause of the President, the Executive Vice-President, the Secretary, or the Treasurer of the Association, such an officer shall at the same time resign his office and shall not be eligible for election or re-election to any of the above-mentioned offices until a period of two years and six months has elapsed.
(m) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Constitution no President, nor Executive Vice-President, nor Secretary of the Association may seek re-election to the same office which that person has held for three successive terms within a period of two years and six months of the termination of the appointment to that office.
(n) The Executive Committee is authorised to assist in the formation of local branches of the Association. The policies of such branches shall be decided by the Council except where authority has been delegated by the Council to the Executive Committee or to the local branch.
Article 4: Conferences and Elections
(a) The Council shall arrange a Conference for the presentation and discussion of papers normally once in each calendar year.
(b) For each Conference, a Conference Secretary shall be elected by the Council from amongst its members or by the Executive Committee when authority to do so has been delegated to it by the Council. If any member of the Council elected as a Conference Secretary be not already a member of the Executive Committee, he or she shall be co-opted as a member of the Executive Committee for a period to be determined in advance by the Executive Committee.
(c) The Executive Committee shall call a meeting of Council at every Conference. Such a meeting shall be termed an Ordinary Meeting of Council. The quorum for an Ordinary Meeting of Council shall be seven.
(d) The Executive Committee shall have authority to call at any time a Special Meeting of Council. The Executive Committee shall always call a Special Meeting of Council at the written request of any ten members of Council. The quorum for a Special Meeting of Council shall be seven.
(e) Elections of Officers of the Association shall take place at an Ordinary or Special Meeting of Council. The result of an election shall be decided by a majority vote of those casting ballots in that election.
(f) If for any reason a Conference of the Association cannot be arranged within any calendar year, the Executive Committee shall call a Special Meeting of Council to be convened before the close of any such a calendar year.
(g) Any member of Council unable to attend a Council Meeting (Ordinary or Special) may appoint in writing another member of Council to vote on his or her behalf.
Article 5: Changes to the Constitution
(a) Any change in the Constitution may be proposed by three or more members of the Association. Such proposals shall be lodged with the Secretary at least two months before an Ordinary Meeting of Council and notice of them shall be sent to all members of the Council at least a month before that Ordinary Meeting of Council.
(b) Proposed amendments to the Constitution shall be adopted if one-third or more of the members of Council cast ballots on them at an Ordinary Meeting of Council and if at least two-thirds of such votes are affirmative. Proxy votes shall be valid.
Article 6: Dissolution of the Association
(a) In the event of the Association being dissolved, the amount of money that remains after such dissolution shall be transferred to any association with similar purposes which is not carried on for profit or gain of its individual members.
Article 7: Financial Arrangements
(a) The Association shall operate an account for the purpose of assisting students to attend the Association's conferences, and for the provision, from time to time, of a prize for what is judged to be the best paper on a topic related to the history, philosophy, or social study of science, medicine, or technology, presented by an enrolled student at an AAHPSSS conference (excluding full-time academic staff members, but not casual teachers) who must be enrolled in honours or postgraduate programs. The bursaries shall be known as the Ian Langham Bursaries, so named in honour of the late Dr Ian Langham, who taught History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Sydney and was a stalwart Member of the Association. The prize shall be known as the Ian Langham Prize.
(b) The AAHPSSS Executive shall not be empowered to spend, in any given fiscal year, more than 10 (ten) percent of the Association's total funds (reckoned on the first day of that year), excluding those received from conference registration in that year, without a majority vote of the Council. This authorising vote must take place prior to any spending in excess of 10 percent of the Association's funds, and may take place either at the Ordinary Meeting of Council (AGM) or by a special poll in which a quorum of the Council is demonstrably contacted and permitted sufficient time for all to respond by voting.