1.1 The title of the society is "Astro 2, the Astronomy and Physics Society of NUI Maynooth". This is abbreviated to "Astro 2" or "the Society" for reasons of readability.
1.2 "The University" is hereby defined as the joint entity that is NUI Maynooth and St. Patrick's Collage.
2.1 The aims of this society are to promote astronomy and physics throughout the University by means of events and talks organized by the society.
2.2 The society also aims to help its members with their education by organizing talks, which relate closely to subjects covered in various courses and by other means mentioned in article 10.
3.1 Membership is open to all students and staff of the University, at a fee to be specified by Astro 2.
3.2 Membership will last until the first fairs day of the next academic year.
3.3 This membership will entitle members to privileges unavailable to non-members.
See also Articles 4, 8 and 10.
4.1 Lifetime Membership
4.1.1: Any person who has been elected to the post of President since the establishment of the society is entitled to "lifetime membership".
4.1.2: Any person who has been named as a lifetime member is entitled to any of the privileges that are available to ordinary members.
4.1.3: Lifetime Members are not required to pay any annual subscription charges.
4.1.4: Lifetime Membership only applies when a person has left the University, through deregistration or graduation.
4.1.5: Lifetime Membership is automatically given but can be terminated on the request of the person himself or herself.
4.1.6: Lifetime Members cannot sit on either committee and do not have a vote.
Associate Membership
4.2.1: Associate Membership is available to any past member of Astro 2, who is no longer a registered student.
4.2.2: Associate Membership must be requested in writing.
4.2.3: To become an Associate Member, the person is required to pay a once payable fee, greater than that of ordinary membership.
4.2.4: The aforementioned fee is to be decided on by a joint subcommittee, made up of the President, the Vice-President and the Treasurer, at the start of the academic year and will be standard until the end of the academic year, when it will be reviewed.
Honorary President
4.3.1: A member of staff will be invited to act as honorary President to the society at the start of each year.
4.3.2: The honorary President will act as a link between the society and the Maths Physics and Experimental Physics Departments of the University.
4.3.3: The honorary President must be a member of either the Maths Physics or Experimental Physics Departments of the University.
5.1 The President
5.1.1: The function of the President is to coordinate the working of both the Executive Committee and the Non-Executive Committee and look after the running of Astro 2, assisted by the committees.
5.1.2: The President is to draw up an annual report and present it to the members at a General Meeting.
5.1.3: The President is to assist members of either Committee in their official duties.
5.1.4: The President will be the contact name for the Students Union of NUI Maynooth and will hand in contact details at the start of each academic year.
5.1.5: The President is also responsible for the Astro2 accounts.
5.2 Vice-President
5.2.1: The function of the Vice-President is to assist the President and to help in the running of Astro 2.
5.2.2: In the absence of the President, the Vice-President will act in their stead and with their authority.
5.2.3: If the President is unable to finish out their term of office, the Vice-President will assume the role of President until an election can be held to elect a new president.
5.3 Secretary
5.3.1: The Secretary is responsible for keeping a record of official meetings, and for all correspondence concerning the society.
5.3.2: The Secretary will be the official returning officer for all elections, with following exceptions:
5.3.2a: The Secretary is running for one of the positions in said election, in which case a neutral member will be picked by the committees and take over the duties of returning officer.
5.3.2b: The Secretary is not present at said election, in which case, the President will assume the job of returning officer except in case of 5.3.2a.
5.4 Treasurer
5.4.1: The Treasurer is to safeguard the financial position of Astro 2, in association with the President, and is to keep the accounts in accordance with the Capitation Committee regulations.
5.4.2: The Treasurer is to present a financial statement to both Committees at regular intervals and at an Annual General Meeting.
5.4.3: No money is to be removed from the Astro 2 account without the knowledge of the Treasurer.
5.4.4: The Treasurer will not reimburse any member of the Committees for costs incurred in the running of the Committee unless said member has the receipts to prove said costs.
5.5 Public Relations Officer (PRO)
5.5.1: The PRO is responsible for promoting and advertising all events associated with Astro 2.
5.5.2: The PRO will ensure that he/she has the relevant information for coming events in advance so that he/she is able to carry out advertising.
5.5.3: The PRO is responsible for the content of the webpage.
5.6 Projects Officer
5.6.1: The Projects Officer will preside over any projects organized by Astro 2.
5.6.2: The Projects Officer has the authority to call projects meetings whenever he/she deems necessary.
5.6.3: The Projects Officer will present a regular report to the President at regular intervals, to keep the President informed of happenings at the aforesaid meetings.
6.1 Webmaster
6.1.1: The Webmaster will be responsible for maintaining and developing the Astro 2 web page.
6.1.2: The Webmaster is responsible for ensuring that the content of the web page does not breach any of the rules outlined in Article 11.
6.2 Equipment Officer
6.2.1: The Equipment Officer will be responsible for all equipment owned or on loan to Astro 2, with the exception of the Library.
6.2.2: The Equipment Officer will bring the need for repair or maintenance of any piece of equipment to the attention of the Executive Committee.
6.2.3: The Equipment Officer will present a report on the Equipment owned or on loan to Astro 2, on the request of any member of the Executive Committee and at General Meetings.
6.3 Events Officer
6.3.1: The Events Officer is responsible for the organization of events to further the aims of the society.
6.3.2: The Events Officer will organize a special social night after Fairs Day, to welcome new members.
6.4 Librarian
6.4.1: The Librarian is responsible for the Astro 2 library.
6.4.2: The Librarian will make sure that all books are accounted for at all times.
6.4.3: The Librarian must follow the rules set out in Article 10.
6.4.4: The Librarian will present a report at Annual General Meetings.
6.5 Assistants
6.5.1: The committee may, from time to time, appoint assistants or coordinators to aid committee members in their duties or to assume responsibility for one or a number of events.
6.5.2: Assistants are directly responsible to the committee member to which they are assigned and to the President.
6.5.3: Assistants may attend committee meetings, if so requested by the committee, but do not have a vote on either committee.
6.5.4: Assistants may resign in the same fashion as committee members.
6.6 First Year Representative
6.6.1 The First Year Representative will represent the First Year students in Astro2.
6.6.2 The First Year Rep will bring any relevant issues to the attention of the committee.
6.6.3 The First Year Rep must be a First-Year Student
7.1 Voting Rights
7.1.1: Each member of both the Executive and Non-Executive Committees has one vote at Committee Meetings. However, in the event of a tied vote the vote of the Executive Committee is regarded as final. If this vote is also tied, the President is entitled to either call for another vote or make the casting vote.
7.2 Committee Meetings
7.2.1: An official Astro 2 Committee Meeting may consist of the Executive Committee alone, or the Executive Committee and Non-Executive Committee jointly, but not the Non-Executive Committee alone.
7.2.2: A full committee meeting must be held at least once a month during the university term.
8.1 A Committee member may resign from their post by giving official notice of this in writing.
8.2 If a Committee Member is absent, without having sent apologies, for more than two consecutive Committee meetings they can be deemed to have resigned at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
8.3 Resignations are final and are effective immediately.
8.4 If a Committee Member resigns from their post during the academic year they may not run for that position but may run for any other position.
9.1 General Meetings and Committee Meetings
9.1.1: In addition to Article 7.2.1, there must be a quorum of four Executive Committee Members at Committee Meetings.
9.1.2: Both Committees are to be present at General Meetings.
9.1.3: A minimum of 5 college days notice of a General Meeting must be given. This notice should take the form of a poster on nine designated notice boards (listed separately) and as an email to be sent to all members.
9.1.4: A General Meeting may be called at the written request of 10% of the official membership, at the request of two Non-Executive Committee Members or one Executive Committee Member.
9.1.5: General Meetings must have a quorum of 30% plus one.
9.2 Elections
9.2.1: Only fully registered students or members of staff who are members of the society are eligible for election to the Executive Committee and Non-Executive Committee.
9.2.2: A quorum of 30% plus one must be present in order to hold an election.
9.3 Voting
9.3.1: All elections are to be held by secret ballot or show of hands at the Presidents discretion, and shall be in accordance with the official Student Affairs Committee Standing Orders on voting procedures.
9.3.2: If there is a quorum, decisions are made by a simple majority vote.
9.3.3: If the vote is tied, the President has the casting vote.
9.3.4: Only full members of the society have voting rights.
9.4 Motions of No Confidence
9.4.1: Motions of no confidence in members of either Committee may be passed at a General Meeting.
9.4.2: In the event of a vote of no confidence being passed against any Committee member, elections for the vacant post shall be held within three weeks of that date and shall be in accordance with official Student Affairs Committee Standing Orders for the holding of Elections by Clubs and Societies.
9.4.3: A total of three people may be co-opted on to either Committee during the academic year.
10.1 The Library
10.1.1: Donations of books and tapes for the library are welcomed. The donors name is to be recorded and the books/tapes to be returned upon their request. The Library's database must include full contact details of library members to safe guard books.
10.1.2: The Librarian will decide on opening hours of the library.
10.1.3: Both the Librarian and the President will hold Keys to the library.
10.1.4: Members can suggest titles that the library should hold and every effort will be made to obtain these books.
10.1.5: A fee will be charged on joining the library. The Executive Committee and the Librarian will decide on said fee at the beginning of each academic year.
10.1.6: The Librarian and the President will jointly be responsible for all purchases to be made for the library.
10.1.7: It is the members' responsibility to inform the librarian of any changes in contact details.
10.2 The Library Database
10.2.1: The Librarian will be responsible for updating the database.
11.1 Content of the Web Page
11.1.1: The contents of the Astro 2 web page must be in accordance with the laws of the following:
11.1.1a: The Republic of Ireland.
11.1.1b: The University.
11.1.1c: The Web Site Host.
11.1.1d: The Internet Service Provider.
11.1.2: No pornographic content will be allowed on the web page.
11.1.3: Content will directly relate to the subjects of Physics or Astronomy, or to the activities of Astro 2.
11.2 Passwords to the Web Page and Email Accounts
11.2.1: The Webmaster, the President and the Vice-President will hold the password to the web page.
11.2.2: Any member of the Executive Committee is entitled to the password for the email account. If any member of the Non-Executive Committee wishes to send an email to members, it must go through the Executive Committee.
11.2.3: If any of these officers resign or have a motion of no confidence passed against them, the password of the web page and the email accounts shall be changed at the earliest possible time.
12.1 There will be three signatories on the chequebook for the society.
12.2 The signatories will be the President, the Vice-President and the Treasurer.