Article 1 - Name of the Society

 

   1.1 The name of the Society shall be the Durham University Surgical Society, hereinafter referred to as 'The society’.

 

   1.2 The official language of the Society is English, and all of the Society’s business shall be conducted in English.

 

 

Article 2 - Aims of the Society

 

   2.1 The aim of the Society shall be to provide supplementary surgical teaching to students interested in a career in this field.

 

   2.2 The Society shall organise regular talks by surgical experts. Additional, small group anatomy and practical surgical skills sessions will be run, which aim to allow members to learn in a more intimate environment.

 

 

Article 3 - Membership

 

   3.1 All students and members of staff of Durham University Medical School shall be eligible to become members of the Society.

 

   3.2 Any eligible person shall become a member of the Society having sent a request to surigcal.society@durham.ac.uk or having submitted a written request to the Secretary of the Society.

 

 

Article 4 - The Committee

 

   4.1 A committee shall conduct the business of the Society.

 

   4.2 The committee of the Society shall be elected following the annual elections, in April of each year.

 

   4.3 The committee shall consist of the following members: the President, the Vice-President, the Chairman, the Treasurer, the Secretary, the Communications Officer, the Events Officer and the First Year Representative.

 

   4.4 As far as possible, Committee members should have been members of the Society for at least the previous year.

 

   4.5 President

 The President shall have overall responsibility for the affairs of the Society. The President shall be the point of contact for graduates in the year immediately following their Presidency and for the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

 

   4.6 Vice-President

 The Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President should they be absent or unable to fulfil their duties. They are the point of contact with Newcastle University Surgical Society, and are responsible for maintaining relations and promoting joint events. In the event of the resignation or death of the President, the Vice-President will assume the role of the President with immediate effect.

 

   4.7 Treasurer

 The Treasurer will manage the financial affairs of the Society, in consultation with the Chairman. They will maintain the financial records of the Society, manage sponsorship and promote fundraising events. They will prepare and present to the Society the end of year accounts and treasurers report for the Society.

 

   4.8 Secretary

 The Secretary shall keep the non-financial records of the Society, including the official membership list, and manage the correspondence of the Society. They will organise the stash for the Society.

 

   4.9 Communications Officer

 The Communications Officer shall be responsible for advertising the meetings and events of the Society and for the contents of the website, Twitter feed and Facebook group. They will produce the advertisement page in the Fresher’s booklet.

 

   4.10 Events Officer

 The Events Officer will organise the timings of talks, the room booking and refreshments. They will manage the theatre visits for the Society. They will facilitate the suturing practicals.

 

   4.11 First Year Representative

The First Year Representative will be the point of contact for all first years, promoting the talks and relaying feedback to the committee. They will see how the Society is run, and will ensure the continuity of it’s success in the forthcoming year.

 

   4.12 Chairman

The Chairman shall chair, facilitate and arrange meetings. They shall have the deciding vote in issues where a deadlock arises on the executive committee of the Surgical Society, but shall not otherwise have a vote.

 

   4.13 Committee Meetings

 

      4.13.1 Meetings of the committee shall be held at least monthly during the academic year. All members of the committee shall be required to attend and participate in such meetings unless apologies are sent in advance.

 

     4.13.2 The quorum for a meeting of the committee shall be 4 committee members.

 

      4.13.3 Meetings of the committee shall be convened by the President. At least 2 days’ notice of a committee meeting shall be given by the President to the members of the committee.

 

   4.14 Term of Office of the Committee

 The committee shall hold office from the first day following their election until the day of the election of the new committee.

 

 

Article 5 - Election of the Committee

 

   5.1 The election of the committee of the Society shall be during the annual elections, in April.

      5.1.1 The elections shall take place in the 15 days following the last Friday of the Easter holidays.

 

   5.2 The President shall act as returning officer for the elections. Where the President intends to be a candidate in any election, a returning officer, who is not a candidate in any election, shall be appointed by the committee.

 

   5.3 All first year members of the Society shall be eligible for election to the committee.

 

   5.4 Candidates for each position on the committee of the Society are proposed by email of a personal manifesto to the Chairman of the Society.

 

   5.5 All members of the Society shall be entitled to an anonymous vote in the election of the committee.

 

   5.6 The election of members of the committee shall take place by anonymous vote on the University’s DUO system. The President is to liaise with the Medical School to arrange the elections.

 

   5.7 Where the votes obtained by any candidate exceed the votes obtained by any other candidate for a particular position, they shall be deemed elected to that position.

 

   5.8 The First Year Representative will be elected within the first month of the academic year, through manifesto submission and an anonymous vote by the committee. Their Terms of Office will end on the election of the new committee.

 

   5.9 In the event that no manifestoes are submitted for a role, and that role stands consequently empty after an election, it falls to the committee to decide - as first order of business in their very first committee meeting - if that role should be filled. If the committee votes in favour of filling these roles, candidates must come from the same year group as the rest of the committee (i.e. are newly second year), and their proposition for election must be made by manifesto to the Chairman. If the position applied for is that of Chairman, then manifestoes should be submitted to the President. If this post is also empty, then manifestoes should be submitted to the Vice President. Manifestoes are then voted on by the rest of the society, as per the previous election. If positions deemed necessary to the running of the society remain unfilled after this second election then - and only then - may a third election be conducted, this time inviting manifestoes from candidates in years 1 and 2 of Durham University Medicine and years 3, 4 and 5 of Newcastle University Medicine who are based at Tees Base Unit. Previous committee executives may not apply.

 

 

Article 6 - Resignations from the Committee

 

   6.1 The resignation of any member of the committee shall be instituted by a letter of resignation to the Secretary of the Society. In the case of the resignation of the Secretary, resignation may be instituted by a letter of resignation to the President.

 

   6.2 In the event of the resignation or death of the President, the Vice-President will assume the role of the President with immediate effect.

 

   6.3 In the event of the resignation of any committee member (other than the President), it is at the discretion of the committee whether a new committee member is elected to fill the role. If the committee vote in favour of a substitute, then candidates must be in their 2nd year of Medicine and the vote is open to the 2nd year medical cohort only. This vote will be done via the anonymous DUO system and is co-ordinated by the President. Those already on the committee are duty-bound to remain in their roles and, so, may not apply for this newly-opened post.

 

 

Article 7 - Management of Finance

 

   7.1 The finances of the Society shall be managed by the Chairman and Treasurer of the Society.

 

   7.2 The Society’s cheques require two signatories; one must be the Treasurer and the other, the Chairman of the Society.

 

   7.3 No member of the committee of the Society shall receive remuneration from the Society, or use their office for personal financial gain.

 

 

Article 8 - Amendments to the Constitution

 

   8.1 Amendments to this constitution may be made at a committee meeting. Amendments require a two-thirds majority of committee members to be passed.

 

 

Article 9 - Dissolution of the Society

 

   9.1 The Society may be dissolved by a two-thirds majority vote of its membership at a General Meeting.

 

   9.2 On dissolution of the Society, its assets shall become the property of the University.