new (revised) IFIS constitution:

IFIS CONSTITUTION:


1. The name of the society shall be the RHBNCSU Institute For Impure
Science, "IFIS".

2. Membership shall be open to:
(a)All members of RHBNCSU upon payment of an annual fee to be
determined by the committee.
(b)Other individuals who do not qualify for membership under 2(a) may
be awarded associate membership of the society upon payment of an annual
fee to be determined by the committee. The awarding of associate
membership is at the discretion of the committee. Unless stated otherwise
associate members shall have the same rights as normal members.

3. The aims of the society shall be:
(i)To act as a science fiction society for students at RHBNC.
(ii)To provide a library for members containing books relating
to the society's interests.

4. The committee:
(a)The committee of the society shall comprise the following officers
elected at the society's Annual General Meeting, "AGM":
(i)Chairperson
(ii)Secretary
(iii)Treasurer
(iii)Librarian
(iv)Publicity Officer
(b)The elected Committee may choose to co-opt additional members of the
Society onto the Committee at their discretion.
(c)Only Full Members of RHBNCSU may be committee members.
(d)The term of office for the committee shall be until the next AGM.
(e)The positions of Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer are executive
positions for the purposes of this constitution.

5. In addition to other responsibilities and as limited by the RHBNCSU
constitution and regulations:
(i)It is the responsibility of the Chairperson to ensure the
society does not contravene the RHBNCSU constitution, regulations or
policy.
(i)It is the responsibility of the Secretary to maintain an up
to date list of membership and bring this to all meetings of the society.
(ii)It is the responsibility of the Treasurer to maintain a list
of all financial transactions involving society funds.

6. Honorary society positions maybe created, however these shall not be
committee positions.

7. An AGM of the society must take place each academic year; the AGM shall
be considered a General Meeting of the society.

8. A General Meeting of the society may be called by the committee at any
time or by the written request of twenty five members or 25% of the
society whichever is the fewer.

9. Quoracy at all General Meetings of the society shall be 25% of
membership or 25 members which ever is the fewer; both must include a
quorate committee.

10. A quorate committee shall be three committee members, including at
least one executive member.

11. A two-thirds majority at a quorate General Meeting of the Society
shall be required to pass amendments to the Constitution, or to pass a
motion of 'No Confidence' in committee members. Motions of 'No Confidence'
or to change the constitution must be submitted at least three working
academic days before the General Meeting.

12. Meetings of the society may only take place during term time, and must
be publicised as widely as possible, one full academic working week in
advance.

13. Weekly film screenings and social events shall not constitute meetings
of the society for the purposes of the constitution, unless explicitly
stated and publicised otherwise.

14. Elections:
(a)Only and all members of the society shall be eligible to vote or
stand as candidates in an election. Except as limited by clause 4.
(b)The committee shall appoint an officer of the society to be
returning officer, if unable or unwilling, a returning officer shall be
appointed from the membership. The returning officer will not be eligible
to stand in any of the elections.
(c)Nominations shall be accepted from the floor prior to the election
of each committee position.
(d)The method of election shall be by show of hands, with all
candidates outside the room.
(e)All candidates will be invited to make a 1 minute hustings speech.
The conclusion of hustings speeches should be immediately followed by the
vote.
(f)Officers of the society will be elected in the order given in clause
4(a).
(g)An observer from RHBNCSU shall be invited to all elections to ensure
that they are conducted fairly.

15. All previous constitutions are hereby expressly revoked.

[snip
I like the phrase "one full academic working week". By my count that
must be about 6 hours notice!

I'd hardly call that notice. Looking back I can vaguely see that "IFIS
will be meeting this evening at 7pm in MLT" could vaguely translate to
"IFIS will be having a vitally important GM which will change the
constitution ..." but I guess to people it looks much the same as any
other "IFIS will be meeting in MLT at 7 to watch a film" type message.

Oh well - I guess it's too late to point out that half the (old)
constitution has been left out. *8(

Charlotte and I made posters announcing the general
meeting and they were put up around campus a week in
advance, additionally Ant's film posters all said
clearly that we would be having a society meeting. We
have been having problems with college email recently
so emailing everyone wasn't an option until Wednesday
of that week. This is publicising as widely as
possible.

The new constitution includes practically all of the
old constitution, what do you think is missing?
The bits left out are standard practice under the SU
constitution.

Well putting posters up shows you're doing a better job than previous
years. But you lot have (as clearly demostrated by yourself) external
email accounts. Ok, so the non-CS students might not have seen the email,
but the rest of us would. And a week before the meeting you were all down
the pub and nothing was said.

I'm not trying to have a go, but I would have liked to have been there
(although I'd have left when the film started). The email we did get
could have been a bit less subtle and used phrases like "general meeting"
and "changing the constitution" and "important", is all I'm saying.

You've also dropped Fantasy from the societies interests. We're not
promoting SciFi at all.

I guess most of the other bits (proxy votes, defining which SU members are
allowed in etc) are under the SU constitution, but they don't have a copy
on their website.

From what I remember, I believe they are in the SU constitution.

when was the last time you went and saw a good fantasy film??? (and if
anybody mentions bloody Princess Bride, they may suddenly and without
warning, have their bodily fluids forcibly removed and given to kindergarten
kids to use for painting that nice new playground mural...)

when was the last time you went and saw a good fantasy film??? (and if
anybody mentions bloody Princess Bride, they may suddenly and without
warning, have their bodily fluids forcibly removed and given to kindergarten
kids to use for painting that nice new playground mural...)

Although the idea of being able to elect penguins, overhead projectors and
photocopiers into executive positions may sound like a fun one, it
unfortunately holds little water with the SU, who believe, rightly so, that
such nonsense has no place in the constitution of a society which wants to
be taken seriously, and be given plenty more theoric.

I didn't think the SU gave out theoric any more and that it was all based
upon our membership takings.

Given that by acting silly and dressing up,
Charlotte & Co managed to rake in 100 members this year I think that being
silly certainly pays.

Being silly is great (it was certainly fun dressing up
as Pricess Leia for 2 days) but where the Union's
concerned we have to do things seriously!!

I do think that idea of Nick's is a good one, about
having "society rules"..

When was the last time you READ a good fantasy book.
Um yesterday thankyou.

Ok, how about the crow? or Highlander? or The Adventures of Baron
Munchhousen(sp)? Or Life of Brian? Or...do I need to go on?

Cartainly the "traditional" Fantasy film is just plain dead, and has
been for years.

From what I've seen of it, The Sixth Sense might (just about)

I would not say they are dead...

They changed... The stars wars film are as much fantasy as they are
science fiction.

Walt Disney still produces
cartoons which are "pure" fantasy.

What about historical fantasy - the three mustekeers (i known I can
spell so no flames), Cyano de B... (I can't
either try that one) etc.

Is the X-files film fantasy - I would tend to say yes.

How about the
other films based on paranormal and the like;
The Matrix etc. These easily sit between fantasy and sciences fiction.

Fantasy is a very big tree, so saying its dead because one branch died
is not doing it justice.

I did, and I'll say it again.
They're dead.
(I'll also say again LOTR might resurrect them. Hollywood has a fondness for
suddenly producing a rash of similar films. - eg. Suddenly two films about
living a TV story. Just the most recent example.)
Cobblers. The Science aspect is hugely dominant. It's lasers and space
ships. Episode I goes even further and attempts to scientify The Force.

Ok. Beauty and The Beast counts.
That's one.
Bigfoot and the Hendersons too....

Not Fantasy.
That's fiction.
Fantasy usually needs a supernatural thing somewhere. Magic, or a monster of
some sort. Parallel universe-type stuff tends to fall under SF (like
Clockwork Orange) although Red Sonja etc. count as fantasy, despite not
having magic (if I remember correctly).

You'd be the only one.

No, I think the problem is that it's a very small tree.

SF and horror eat up a lot of that tree. What remains is pretty tiny.

Aha! I've thought of one, nay, two!

Practical Magic.
The Craft.

These aren't horrible enough to count as horror, and blatantly contain
Magic. No swords or goblins though.

Aladdin.
Snow White.
Fantasia.
Bedknobs and broomsticks.
and so on...

You don't remember the same as me, let's put it like that. The "bad

at the end was using magic. She cut something in a bowl and the person she
pointed at got a wound. Sounds like magic to me.
I tend to have a scale of SF, and for me fantasy tends to be the mushy end
of SF. At the other end, of course, SF is "hard". "Star Wars" is mushy
enough to be fantasy, and so is "The X Files."

Classic swords and elves stuff I don't call fantasy - I call it "cliche".
Along with pseudoscientific bollocks like all this "midichlorian" crap.
"What you saw was the light of Venus reflected through swamp gas ..." yah
dah, yah dah. If midichlorians convey psi-powers, how do the

get them? It's about as scientific as Father Christmas.

(I haven't had a good week, no. Why do you ask?)
"Groundhog day".
"Pleasantville".
"Pi"
"Highlander"
"The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen"
"Wierd Science"
"The Witches of Eastwick"
"Beetlejuice"
"The Addams Family"
"Fallen"
"Ghostbusters"
"Wolf"
"A Life Less Ordinary"

From Dawn Till Dusk

Urkkk.
Good point.
Yeah, there's no shortage of decent books if you know where to look, but
films...
Yes, you do.

The Crow is fantastic, but The Crow was 1994, Highlander is excellent, but
was released in 1986, and Baron Munchausen was total garbage, and made in
1988. Life of Brian is SF, not Fantasy, and in any event was made in 1979.

Cartainly the "traditional" Fantasy film is just plain dead, and has been
for years. Swords and Magic just don't seem to cut it in cinemas. To be
honest, I can see why. I enjoy fantasy films, but I wouldn't go shouting
about them.

LadyHawke, Legend, Krull, Labyrinthe - the grand old days of Fantasy films,
were, to be honest, just that wee bit naff.

Maybe the new Lord Of The Rings film will spark a resurgence. New Zealand
seem to have got the feel about right, if Xena etc. are anything to go by.

There was Dragonheart, which I didn't bother going to.

Blade, Wolf, or Vampires might qualify, but should probably be left as "Horror". The various

And falls flat on its arse trying. "Star Wars" is swords & sorcery lite, for people who can't take it straight.

Very 'High Fantasy'. Maybe not your bag though, Dominic.

I think Blade falls well into the fantasy genre - it certainly isn't

pigeon-hole it's Fantasy/Action.

Also, what about The Mummy (1999, not 1912)? An enormously popular, recent

can easily be classified as Fantasy

The thirteen Warrior

The list of fantasy films is growing up the time - but I though the
point was there were not many made!!!

And yes, despite the fact that you don't like The Princess bride (which I
don't think you even bothered attending) other people do, so I quite
happily risk life & limb to state that it is a "good fantasy film".

I didn't think the SU gave out theoric any more and that it was all based
upon our membership takings. Given that by acting silly and dressing up,
Charlotte & Co managed to rake in 100 members this year I think that being
silly certainly pays.

when was the last time you went and saw a good fantasy film??? (and if
anybody mentions bloody Princess Bride, they may suddenly and without
warning, have their bodily fluids forcibly removed and given to kindergarten
kids to use for painting that nice new playground mural...)

right, time to get back to the painkiller methinks..........

TTFN
Asan

Oh well - I guess it's too late to point out that half the (old)
constitution has been left out. *8(

Chris
PS It certainly didn't help showing a shite film afterwards. *8)
--

As you know we held a general meeting of the society on 21st October, at
this meeting a change of constitution was presented and approved with no
opposition. For your referece it is below:

Could I suggest (read as "propose an amendment to the constitution") that
in future that such things are transmitted electronically (announce@)
as well as via poster ? A tightening of 12 to state the media by which
publicity will be made via might be the best bet.
Something along the lines of:
"12. Meetings of the society may only take place during term time, and
must be publicised as widely as possible via
a) Posters distributed on campus
b) email sent by the to announce@"

Oh and I won't use the phrase "Quoracy count".

All life union members (EG: Me) have a right to join the society (which I
did) and vote

Phil Ayres said:
You should never, ever, specify exactly how things will be done in
practice inside a constitution. If you do, then you can be bound to ensure
they occur. Someone could then use this by jaming the email lists and

preventing IFIS announcements getting through to members, that would then
prevent IFIS from holding its AGM and that would mess-up the societys
organisation.

Standard practice is for the committee of an organisation to take all
reasonable steps to publicise an event to membership.

Email is only a main communication medium when it is working.

additionally, those of us with campus addresses don't actually recieve
IFIS email at present!??? - we love Holloway comp services don't we!

Why not, it was a quorate meeting, and the new constitution was passed
with no opposition.

Under section 4.3 (b) of the RHBNCSU constitution, membership rights for
union recognised clubs and societes, with regard to associate and life
union members, is as limited by the club or societies own constitution.

BUT our own (IFIS) constitution DOES allow associate and life members,
membership of IFIS.
WHY? because you are valued members of IFIS

appologies for the typos, and I hope the forrmatting survives intact.

"I nominate the Penguin as chairbeing !" Happy, happy days....

I could be wrong but i think that's the point of the new consttution;
to remove ridiculous ideas like that and try to increase the feeling
that we're more of a serious society instead of a bunch of
alchoholics who can't give up there student days.

I could be wrong but i think that's the point of the new consttution;
to remove ridiculous ideas like that and try to increase the feeling
that we're more of a serious society instead of a bunch of
alchoholics who can't give up their student days.

I could be wrong but i think that's the point of the new consttution;
to remove ridiculous ideas like that and try to increase the feeling
that we're more of a serious society instead of a bunch of
alchoholics who can't give up there student days.

If the Information Superhighwayman is listening I'd like to hear his
comment on this suggestion.

In 4 years I don't think we've ever had a problem with a mail not being
sent from the list - the problems always arrive at the receipts stage.

Pt taken - with the exception of the unliklyhood of the above actually
happening. However not to inform those outside the college when it's
possible to is bad form, especially when (sorry Charlotte) an events list
was sent 3 days previous that made no mention of a GM.

3) If anyone wants any goodies from the states I'm owed a bit at the
moment

Philip.Ayres@ said:
I'd suggest something like "b) email sent to appropriate mailing-list(s)",
otherwise in the unlikely event that we lose the domain name, or the list
changes name, or whatever, you're forced to break the constitution. Saying
"appropriate mailing-list(s)" means announce@ at present, but
is
flexible enough to allow whatever other addresses might be approriate
later,
or even NO mailing list(s) if they ceased to exist entirely (none would be
"appropriate").

I'm absolutely positively NOT suggesting that this happen, but as an
example... What if someone, today, proposed an EGM, and they did so only
on
the announce@ mailing-list? At the moment, most STUDENTS wouldn't get
this mail (except those lucky / clever enough to have mail accounts
elsewhere), and we could have our own little EGM without inviting them,
and
we could maybe make some big changes to the constitution and tell them
later. They'd be pissed off, and they'd be entirely justified. This is,
really, no more ridiculous than what actually happenned, it's just the
opposite half of the membership.

... but as far as I'm concerned... "bygones"... Although I don't look
forward to the next real AGM when people will be wanting to put back a lot
of what got taken out, for example the boring "third years are busy" bit
that's already been mentionned.

I really must advise that the wording should remain ".... publicised as
widely as possible."
This is standard wording for constitutions and means that the officers of
the society are made to publicise it as widely as possible over standard and
feasible communication mediums.
And it also allows for any and all future mediums.

Right if this happened and if any one complained to the union (for we are a
union ratified society) then they would very probably declare the meeting to
unconstitutional because all societies should engage in oncampus publicity.

The union endorses poster publicity. Email is a normal communication medium
for ifis - ONLY amongst the very active membership

, and ONLY when reliable.

in my opinion the new (revised) IFIS constitution is a clear, sensible, AND
NORMAL constitution for a society such as IFIS.

Unfortunately it's the active membership that actually care about such
meetings. The non-active membership (the majority who just attend films)
don't care what happens to the society as long as we show films. If we
disappeared, they'd probably just go and join the next society to show
films.

You only have to look at the Film Soc for a good example - how many times
has that been ratified at the start of the year only to not get anyone turn
up to the AGM and hence sink without a trace? If it wasn't for the extra
activities, IFIS would have long since followed in it's footsteps.

Well thats why it's "publicised as widely as possible.". I'm sure there are
plenty of students that don't get to see the posters either, cos the SU
clones/clowns have covered them up or something. Try seeing how many you
can spot at a glance on your way to the film.

tattoo it to the foreheads of the committee,

excluding the films, what extra activities???????
(going to the pub does not count, since the majority of students find

way to alcohol regardless of where it's being served.......)

You only have to look at the Film Soc for a good example - how many times
has that been ratified at the start of the year only to not get anyone turn
up to the AGM and hence sink without a trace?

If you mail the list, put up posters, drop leaflets out of planes, yell
about it loudly down the pub, tattoo it to the foreheads of the committee,
etc. then I'm sure the only people not to know about it will be pygmies from
one of those undiscovered tribes hidden deep within the brazilian
rainforests. *8)

Despite the fact, that IFIS is full of very silly/crazy people who find it
fun and amusing to rename the chairman post to chairbeing *8).

So that'd make it 1995 (4 years ago) that the SU gave us a good slapping
about our constitution. The minutes of which are on the website - shame the
EGM minutes aren't up (for amusement value).

Right if this happened and if any one complained to the union (for we are a
union ratified society) then they would very probably declare the meeting to
unconstitutional because all societies should engage in oncampus publicity.

in my opinion the new (revised) IFIS constitution is a clear, sensible, AND
NORMAL constitution for a society such as IFIS.