1. Name and Constitution
The Society shall be known as the Australian Society for Asian Humanities, and consists of Members, who are entitled to attend all the general meetings of the Society, to receive its publications and generally to participate in its Activities, and Honorary Fellows, who shall enjoy all the privileges of Members.
2. Aims
- The principal aim of the Society is to encourage the study of the history and culture of Asia.
- The Society also aims to promote the interchange of information by lectures, discussions, exhibitions and other means.
- The Society also prints and circulates the Journal of the Society and other publications that promote the aims of the Society.
- The Society may establish branches as deemed advisable.
3. Members
Membership is open to all persons with an interest in the promotion of the aims of the Society. Membership is effective on payment of the annual subscription.
4. Fellows
The Executive Committee may from time to time propose the election to honorary fellowship of persons who have made outstanding contributions to the aims of the Society. Honorary fellows shall pay no subscription and shall enjoy all the privileges of membership, but shall not be entitled to vote at any meeting or be eligible for election to the Executive Committee or any office in the Society.
5. Financial Year
The financial year shall begin on the first day of July in each year and end on the thirtieth day of June following. The word “year” wherever used in this Constitution shall mean the financial year.
6. Subscription
Subscription shall be determined by the Executive Committee and reported to the Annual General Meeting of the Society. Concessional membership rates shall apply for student and retired members. Subscriptions shall be payable in advance.
If any Member fails to pay money due to the Society within three months of the date when such payment was due, the Executive Committee may cancel
the membership, but that membership may also be restored at the Executive Committee1s discretion of payment of all moneys due.
7. Registers
A register shall be kept by the Treasurer of the Fellows and Members of the Society, which shall contain the email addresses and other particulars of Fellows and Members as prescribed by the Society from time to time. Any notice shall be sufficiently given if posted to the address appearing in the appropriate register.
A Fellow or Member shall without delay notify the Treasurer in writing of any change of address.
8. Resignation
A Fellow or Member may resign by notice in writing to the Honorary Secretary and paying any moneys due to the Society. The privileges of Fellowship or Membership shall not be transferable and shall cease with resignation.
9. Officers of the Society
The Officers of the Society shall be elected for a two year period from among the Members at the Annual General Meeting of the Society. They shall comprise the President, Vice President, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, and other officers as the Society may determine from time to time.
10. Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall minimally consist of the Officers of the Society and the Honorary Editor of the Society’s Journal. All Officers and any other nominees willing to serve, shall be elected biennially at the Annual General Meeting of the Society. The Executive Committee will hold office until the close of the Annual General Meeting following that at which they were elected, but shall be eligible for re-election.
Vacancies amongst the members of the Executive Committee through resignation or any other cause may be filled by the Executive Committee, until the next Annual General Meeting, provided that the Executive Committee may continue to exercise its powers and functions notwithstanding the existence of any such vacancy.
11. Voting at Elections
At the elections for the Executive Committee, each Member may vote for as many candidates as there are vacancies to be filled. The candidate securing the highest number of votes shall be declared elected, ties being decided by lot. If the number of vacancies in any instance does not exceed the number of vacancies to be filled, the candidate or candidates nominated shall be declared elected. The Executive Committee may make by-laws, conforming to these general principles with respect to the conduct of any election wholly or partly by means of a digital vote.
12. Executive Committee Meetings
Convened by the President, the Executive Committee shall meet twice a year. The President may also convene a Special Meeting on the written request of three members of the Executive Committee. Four members of the Executive Committee present shall form a quorum.
13. Powers of the Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall be charged with the management of the Society and the arrangement of all its meetings and make by-laws not inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution for the government of the Society. The Executive Committee shall perform or observe any directions given to it by resolution of any meeting of Members, and shall take into consideration any recommendations embodied in a resolution of any Annual General Meeting of the Society.
The Executive Committee shall have power to control the property and assets and the expenditure and all other matters of finance of the Society and to do all such other acts as it may deem necessary to the interests of the Society.
The Executive Committee shall have power to set up sub-committees as deemed appropriate from time to time and to define the powers of such sub-committees.
The Executive Committee shall have power to call Special General Meetings of the Society.
14. Honorary Secretary
The Honorary Secretary shall keep copies of the minutes of all meetings of the Executive Committee or the Society and of all resolutions carried and all business transacted. Such minutes shall be submitted to the next corresponding meeting for confirmation. The Honorary Secretary shall have charge of the general business of the Society and shall conduct the correspondence of the Society.
15. Honorary Treasurer
The Honorary Treasurer shall keep the membership registers before mentioned, have charge of all accounts and shall attend to the collection of subscriptions and all moneys due to the Society which, when received, shall immediately be paid into the Bank approved by the Executive Committee. No cheques on its bank accounts shall be payable unless signed by the Treasurer and counter-signed by such persons as the Executive Committee may from time to time nominate. The Honorary Treasurer shall prepare an annual statement of accounts, which shall be submitted with the Annual Report to the Annual General Meeting and subsequently lodge a Summary of Financial Affairs with Fair Trading NSW within one month of the AGM or within seven months of end of financial year (i.e. June 30).
16. Honorary Editor
The Honorary Editor shall have charge of the publication of the Society1s Journal, in accordance with policies that may from time to time be determined by the Executive Committee. The Honorary Editor shall be appointed by election from among the Members of the Society for a period of up to four years.
17. Annual Meetings
The Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held on a day appointed by the Executive Committee. All Members (but not Honorary Fellows) may vote at the Annual General Meeting or any Special General Meeting of the Society.
18. Admission of Visitors
Unless the Executive Committee shall otherwise determine, Fellows and Members may introduce friends and potential associates of ASAH as visitors to meetings of the Society.
19. Affiliation
The Executive Committee shall have the power to affiliate the Society with any other body or bodies having, in its opinion, aims wholly or in part similar or substantially similar to any aim of the Society, or affiliation with which may, in its opinion, be advantageous or beneficial to the Society, and to pay all such sums as may become payable upon or by reason of any such affiliation; and the Executive Committee may enter into any treaty or arrangement with any such body, whether a body to which the Society becomes affiliated or not, for the conferment upon Fellows or Members of reciprocal rights and privileges or for any other form of reciprocity.
20. Alteration of Constitution
Any provision of this Constitution may be altered by resolution passed by a majority consisting of not less than two-thirds of the Members of the Society present and voting at any Annual General Meeting or Special Meeting of the Society, of the intention to propose which resolution notice shall have been given in the notice convening the said meeting.