THE GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND (CUMANN TÍREOLAÍOCHTA NA hÉIREANN) (FOUNDED 1934)
RULES OF THE SOCIETY

  1. The name of the Society shall be THE GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND (Cumann Tíreolaíochta na hÉireann).
  2. The object of the Society shall be to promote the study of geography in all its branches, particularly the geography of Ireland.
  3. Membership of the Society shall be open to all who share the object of the Society, agree to be bound by the Rules of the Society and pay an annual subscription.
  4. The affairs of the Society, including its assets, shall be managed on its behalf by a committee (the ‘Committee’ referred to below).
  5. The Society is an unincorporated association with all committee members serving in a voluntary capacity.
  6. The Committee shall comprise the following members: the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Editor of Irish Geography, Editor of GeoNews, Graduate Representative, Society Liaisons Officer  and Public Relations (Communications and Information Officer), and at least two but no more than four Ordinary members. The Committee should as much as is reasonably possible, reflect a gender and institutional balance
  7. At committee meetings six officers shall form a quorum, the President shall act as chair.  In the absence of the President, the Committee shall select a chair from amongst its members. Matters shall be decided by a simple majority vote of Committee members present and voting.  The President shall have an additional casting vote in the event of a tied vote on any matter.
  8. The Society asserts its ownership of the publication title ‘Irish Geography’ and of ‘Geonews’.  Management of these publication titles shall be vested in the Committee who, inter alia, shall have the power to licence the use of these titles by third parties.
  9. The President shall be elected at an AGM one year in advance of assuming office as President. During this year he/she shall serve as Vice-President. The President shall hold office for two years only. A retiring President shall be Vice-President ex-officio for the next year.
  10. The Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer/Membership Secretary shall be elected at an AGM of the Society for two years and shall be eligible for re-election. Elections of the senior office holders of Secretary and Treasurer shall normally be held on alternate years. Nominees for senior office holder posts, including that of President, will have served at least one term as an Ordinary Member of the Committee, but not necessarily consecutively with their nomination.
  11. One member shall be elected at an AGM of the Society for two years to serve as Graduate Student Representative and shall be eligible for re-election.
  12. Appointment of the Editor of Irish Geography and Editor of Geonews shall be made by the Committee under such terms as decided by the Committee. The Committee may make other appointments as required to meet the Object of the Society, subject to the maximum number of voting members not being exceeded.
  13. The Committee shall have power to co-opt up to 2 persons to the Committee as non-voting members. Such co-opted members may serve until the next AGM.
    1. Candidates for membership shall be enrolled as members upon receipt by the Secretary of their annual subscription. Subscriptions shall apply to the calendar year in which they are received. b) The Committee may, in addition, elect and enroll persons as Honorary Life Members of the Society.
  14. The annual subscription shall be determined at the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.
  15. Subscriptions are due on the first of January each year. Those failing to pay them within twelve months from that date shall ipso facto cease to be members of the Society.
  16. The Society shall meet at such times as shall be determined by the Committee.
    1. The Society’s business each year shall end on each 31st December. The Annual General meeting shall be held during the months of January or February, or during the annual Conference of Irish Geographers, to receive the report of the Committee and the financial statement for the previous business year, to make elections to vacancies, to consider alterations to Rules and to transact any other business of the Society. b) The Treasurer shall, before the date of the Annual General Meeting, submit the Society’s accounts to an auditor approved by the Committee. c) At least four weeks before the Annual General Meeting a notice shall be sent to each member detailing the arrangements for the meeting and advising members of any proposals to amend the annual subscription. d) Any two members may nominate in writing members to fill any such vacancies as by a signed notice made so as to reach the Secretary at least two weeks before the annual general meeting. In addition any member being nominated must sign the notice to show his / her willingness to serve. e) Each member shall be sent a notice at least one week prior to the annual general meeting of all nominations. If the number of members nominated does not exceed that of the vacancies, the Chair at the annual general meeting shall declare such members to be duly elected, but if the number of nominations exceeds that of the vacancies an election shall be made by ballot among the members present at the annual general meeting. The method of voting shall be the single transferable vote method of proportional representation. f) Vacancies occurring between Annual General Meetings may be filled until the following Annual General Meeting by the Committee from the list of members. g) Rules may be altered at the Annual General Meeting on notice in writing of any proposed alteration or addition being sent to members at least two weeks prior thereto.
  17. The Committee shall have power to appoint and to discontinue sub-committees, which shall exercise such functions as the committee may delegate to them. Any member of the society may act on a sub-committee.
  18. The Committee of the Society shall have power to make such regulations as may be necessary for the working of the Society.
  19. Local branches of the Society may be formed, subject to the Committee’s approval, by ten or more members in centers outside Dublin.
  20. Other geographical societies which may be formed in Ireland may be affiliated to the Society at the discretion of the Committee.
  21. Any doubt that may arise as to the interpretation of these Rules shall be determined by the Committee whose decision shall hold until the next annual general meeting.
  22. NOTE: The above Rules were approved at the following annual and extraordinary general meetings of the Society: – 1962, 1966, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2017.