As agreed at the inaugural ISASR meeting held at UCC, 19 Feb 2011.
[Note: Passages in italics are those which the ISASR Inaugural meeting of 19 Feb. 2011 authorised the Committee to insert in order to pursue charitable status and IAHR/EASR membership. Clause 1.c. has been formulated in accordance with the decision of the Inaugural Meeting and is subject to formal ratification at the next General Meeting; the remaining clauses in italics are those specified by the Revenue. Once charitable status is determined, no clause below can be amended without reverting to the Revenue in accordance with 10.b. below].
1. Aim and scope
a. The aim of the society shall be to promote, in Ireland and internationally, the academic study of religions.
b. The Society is a forum for the critical, analytical and cross-cultural study of religions, past and present. It is not a forum for confessional, apologetical, interfaith or other similar concerns.
c. The Society will participate in the work of the IAHR (International Association
for the History of Religions) and the EASR (European Association for the
Study of Religions).
2. Objectives
The Society will:
a. provide a forum for scholarly activity across those disciplines and fields that have a bearing on the academic study of religions.
b. foster a variety of academic activities such as conferences, seminars, workshops, publications and other activities as the Society shall determine.
3. Structure
a. The affairs of the Society will be directed by a committee elected by members of the Society.
b. The principal officers of the Society shall be Chair/President, General Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Officer and Website Officer.
4. Membership
a. Membership of the Society shall be open to individuals (researchers, students and others) who support the aims and work of the Society, who accept the regulations set out in the constitution and who have paid the annual subscription.
b. The Committee has the right to approve or reject applications having regard to any rules of eligibility for membership adopted from time to time by the General Meeting.
5. Termination of membership
The Society may by a two-thirds majority of a General Meeting, for good and sufficient reason, terminate the membership of any individual, provided that the individual member concerned shall have the right to be heard before a final decision is made.
6. General Meeting
a. The governing body of the Society is the General Meeting of members.
b. A General Meeting shall be convened at least once annually.
c. Not less than 28 days notice of a General Meeting shall be provided in writing for all members.
d. The proceedings of a General Meeting shall not be invalidated by the nonreceipt by one or more members of notification.
e. Five members shall constitute a quorum.
f. Elections and matters put to the vote shall be determined by a simple majority of those voting with the exception of termination of membership and dissolution as specified in this Constitution.
7. Subscription
a. All members shall pay an annual subscription determined by the General Meeting, save that a General Meeting shall have the power in exceptional cases to confer Honorary Membership of the Society.
b. Categories of membership and subscription level shall be determined from time to time by the General Meeting.
8. Officers
The officers of the Society shall be:
a. A President who shall be elected for three years only.
b. A Secretary, who shall serve for three years and shall be eligible for reelection for one further consecutive term.
c. A Treasurer, who shall serve for three years and shall be eligible for reelection. The Treasurer shall present annually to the General Meeting a statement of accounts that have been independently examined in accordance with relevant legislation.
d. A Membership Officer, who shall serve for three years and be eligible for reelection.
e. A Website Officer, who shall serve for three years and be eligible for reelection.
f. In all cases, re-election to the same officer post is permitted after the lapse of at least three years.
9. Committee
a. The general conduct of the affairs of the Society shall be in the hands of the Committee consisting of the officers and two other members elected at the General meeting for a term of three years.
b. The Committee shall normally include at least one postgraduate student member.
c. The notification of any General Meeting shall include intimation of any vacancies among the officers or members of the Committee occurring through expiry of their term of office, and shall call for nominations of members to fill those vacancies.
d. Nominations shall be in the hands of the Secretary before the commencement of the General Meeting at which the vacancy falls to be considered.
e. In the event of there being more valid nominations than places to be filled, a ballot shall be held of members present at the meeting.
f. In the event of a casual vacancy, the Committee shall be empowered, at their discretion, to co-opt a member until the next general meeting with the assent of that member.
10. Amendments
a. Amendments to this Constitution shall require a majority of no less than two-thirds of those members present and voting at a General Meeting, and not less than 28 days notice of the amendment having been sent in writing to all members.
b. No addition, alteration or amendments shall be made to or in the provisions of the Governing Instrument for the time being in force unless the same shall have been previously submitted to and approved in writing by the Revenue Commissioners.
11. Dissolution
a. If the Committee by a simple majority decide at any time that on the ground of expense or otherwise it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the Society, it shall call a meeting of all members of the Society who have the power to vote, of which meeting no less than 21 days notice (stating the terms of the Resolution to be proposed thereat) shall be given.
b. If such a decision shall be confirmed by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting at such meeting the Committee shall provide formal notification of the dissolution of the Society to any bodies with which it is associated or affiliated.
c. On such dissolution, the Committee will have power to dispose of any assets held by or on behalf of the Society.
d. If upon the winding up or dissolution of the charitable body there remains, after satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities, any property whatsoever, it shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of the charitable body. Instead, such property shall be given or transferred to some other charitable institution or institutions having main objects similar to the main objects of the charitable body. The institution or institutions to which the property is to be given or transferred shall prohibit the distribution of its or their income and property among its or their members to an extent at least as great as is imposed on the charitable body under or by virtue of the Income and Property Clause hereof. Members of the charitable body shall select the relevant institution or institutions at or before the time of dissolution, and if and so far as effect cannot be given to such provisions, then the property shall be given or transferred to some charitable object.
12. Income, Property and Accounts
a. The income and property of the charitable body shall be applied solely towards the promotion of its main object(s) as set forth in this Governing Instrument. No portion of the charitable body’s income and property shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividend, bonus or otherwise howsoever by way of profit to members of the charitable body. No Director/Trustee/Officer shall be appointed to any office of the Charitable body paid by salary or fees, or receive any remuneration or other benefit in money or money’s worth from the charitable body. However, nothing shall prevent any payment in good faith by the charitable body of:
- reasonable and proper remuneration to any member or servant of the charitable body (not being a Director/Trustee/Officer) for any services rendered to the charitable body;
- interest at a rate not exceeding 5% per annum on money lent by Directors/Trustees/Officers or other members of the charitable body to the charitable body;
- reasonable and proper rent for premises demised and let by any member of the charitable body (including any Director/ Trustee/ Officer) to the charitable body;
- reasonable and proper out-of-pocket expenses incurred by any Director/Trustee/Officer in connection with their attendance to any matter affecting the charitable body;
- fees, remuneration or other benefit in money or money’s worth to any Company of which a Director/Trustee/Officer may be a member holding not more than one hundredth part of the issued capital of such Company.
b. Annual accounts shall be kept and made available to the Revenue Commissioners on request.
13. Enabling measure (subsequently to be deleted and archived)
a. As an enabling measure an inaugural meeting of founding members of the ISASR (provisional name) will be held at UCC, Cork, on 19 February 2011.
b. The first task of the meeting will be to modify and confirm this Constitution. The provisions of the Constitution will then come into force.
c. At the inaugural meeting, an ISASR Action Committee shall be elected by a simple majority of members present for a term to end not later than 31 May 2012. Any persons who would normally qualify for membership of the ISASR may be elected to the Action Committee whether they are present at the inaugural meeting or not. The Action Committee shall consist in the first instance of at least five acting designated officers named in Article 8 of the Constitution. Membership of this Action Committee shall not be counted as a “term” of office as regulated in Article 8.
d. The task of the Action Committee so elected shall be to initiate the work of the ISASR with immediate effect, in particular, to develop the membership in accordance with the above provisions, to apply for membership of the European Association for the Study of Religions (EASR) and of the International Association for the History of Religions (IAHR), to establish working relations with relevant cognate and peer associations in Ireland and elsewhere, to arrange the next General Meeting of the ISASR membership, to which it will report, on or before 31 May 2012, and to conduct elections to the a new Committee which will replace the Action Committee and will run for a normal term commencing not later than 1 June 2012.
e. On the appointment of a Committee elected under the terms of article 8, this enabling measure article 12 will be automatically deleted from the statutes and preserved archivally.
f. Membership of the ISASR will be confirmed by acceptance of the member’s application by the Committee AND receipt of the annual subscription. All Membership fees collected before 1 June 2011 will be credited to the period from 1 June 2011 onwards.
