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Irish Association for Quaternary Studies (IQUA) Constitution
March l984
(Amendments in 1995, 2001, 2012, 2018, 2019, and 2022)
1. The name of the Association shall be the Irish Association for Quaternary Studies or IQUA. [This name was changed from Irish Association for Quaternary Studies at the AGM in 2001 to “The Irish Quaternary Association” to better fit the pre-existing abbreviation “IQUA”]
2. Membership of the Association shall be open to all interested in furthering the object of the association.
3. The object of the Association is the advancement of education and research in the discipline of Quaternary Studies in Ireland through the dissemination of the results of research for the benefit of the public. In the furtherance of this object, but not otherwise, the Association, through its Executive Committee, shall have the following powers:
(a) To hold public meetings and exhibitions
(b) To publish pamphlets, leaflets etc.
(c) To co-operate with other associations, national or international, that have the same or similar objects
(d) To do all such other things as will further the object.
4. The affairs of the Association shall be handled by an Executive Committee which shall include the following officers: a Chairman, a Secretary, a Treasurer and a Newsletter Editor, each of whom may hold office for up to four successive years. The Executive Committee shall also include four ordinary members, each of whom may serve in this capacity for not more than three successive years. At least one new ordinary member of the Executive Committee shall be elected each year at the Annual General Meeting. Any officer of the Executive Committee is eligible for election as an ordinary member or to another office of the Executive Committee on completion of a term of office. Ordinary members of the Executive Committee are eligible for election as officers of the Executive Committee. In all such cases the position or office may be held for the full period appropriate to it.
5. The Annual General Meeting shall be held not later than the 31st of March and the Secretary shall notify all members at least thirty days in advance of its agenda, venue and date.
6. The Executive Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. Officers and ordinary members shall be nominated by the retiring Executive Committee, and the list of nominations shall be sent to all members at least thirty days before the Annual General Meeting. Members of the Association may make additional nominations up to the beginning of the Annual General Meeting provided that each nomination is supported by at least two members of not less than one year’s standing.
7. The Annual Report of the Executive Committee shall be presented by the Secretary at the Annual General Meeting. The accounts of the Association, which shall have been made up the 31st of December of the previous year and which shall have been examined and signed by an auditor, who shall have been appointed annually by the members of the Association at the previous Annual General Meeting, shall be presented in writing at the Annual General Meeting.
8. The Executive Committee shall have the power to co-opt to fill any vacancies which may arise in the Executive Committee until the next Annual General Meeting of the Association.
9. The Executive Committee shall have the power to establish Working Groups to deal with any aspect of Quaternary research. The chairman of all such groups shall be a member of the Executive Committee and shall have the power to co-opt any member of the Association to work in such a group.
10. At meetings of the Executive Committee four members shall form a quorum.
11. The Chairman shall preside at all general and committee meetings at which he is present. In his absence the Secretary or in his absence the Treasurer shall invite another member to preside.
12. The Secretary shall make arrangements for the general organisation and conduct of the meetings. The arrangements for particular meetings may be made the responsibility of a Local Secretary who shall be appointed by the Executive Committee for this purpose. The Secretary shall take the minutes of the proceedings of general and committee meetings and shall enter them regularly in the minute books; he shall keep records of other meetings, conduct the correspondence of the Association and report to the Executive Committee matters relating to the business of the Association.
13. The Treasurer shall receive and keep account of all the monies of the Association. He shall produce accounts whenever required by the Executive Committee and also shall present the accounts for each year ending 31st of December, so that they may be audited and submitted to the Annual General Meeting of the Association. All monies received for the Association shall be paid into such designated financial institutions as may be selected by the Executive Committee.
14. The Association shall hold at least two meetings each year, and the Executive Committee shall meet at least three times each year.
15. A Special General Meeting of the Association may be called at any time by the Chairman, the Executive Committee or any six members on application to the Secretary. Not less than thirty days’ notice of the date and purpose of such a Special General Meeting shall be given to all members, and no business shall be considered at such a meeting other than that for which it was convened.
16. All members of the Association shall pay an Annual Subscription, the amount of which shall be determined by a majority vote at the first Annual General Meeting and may be altered by a majority vote at any subsequent General Meeting.
17. The first Annual Subscription shall be paid on joining the Association, but if a member joins in November or December the subscription shall cover the whole of the following Calendar year. With this exception, all Annual Subscriptions shall become due on 1st of January for the subsequent year.
Members whose subscriptions are in arrears are not liable to receive circulars and may be excluded from meetings if attendance is restricted for any reason. Members whose subscriptions are more than one year in arrears may be removed from the Association by the Executive Committee provided that a final reminder has been sent by the Treasurer at the end of this year.
18. The Association shall not be dissolved except at a Special General Meeting convened for this purpose. The Motion of dissolution must be passed by a majority of two-thirds of the members present.
19. No member is entitled to any distinct or separate share in the property or effects of the Association, and in the event of dissolution the funds and other property of the Association, after the payment of all proper debts and liabilities, shall be given, paid, transferred or distributed to or among such other charitable institutions having similar objects to those of the Association as the Executive Committee, with the approval of the Special General Meeting, shall determine.
20. No alteration or addition to the Constitution of the Association shall be made except by a two-thirds majority of votes of the members present at a general Meeting, and no alteration or addition to the Constitution shall be made which would cause the Association to cease to be a charity in law. Any proposed amendment to the constitution must be submitted in writing to the Secretary at least 40 days prior to a General Meeting and must be formally proposed and seconded. The proposed amendment should be circulated to all members at least 30 days prior to a General Meeting.
Constitution Amendments
AGM, 11th March, 1995
16. All members of the Association with the exception of honorary members, shall pay an Annual Subscription the amount of which shall be determined by a majority vote at the first Annual General Meeting and may be altered by a majority vote at any subsequent General Meeting.
16a. The Executive Committee may propose honorary members of the Association subject to ratification at the AGM. Honorary membership is perpetual and will incur no subscription charges.
AGM, 14th April 2012
5. The Annual General Meeting shall be held in spring and the Secretary shall notify all members at least thirty days in advance of its agenda, venue and date.
21. The Frank Mitchell Memorial Award for Distinguished Service to Quaternary Research is an occasional award to be given only in cases of clear merit. Nominations of potential recipients may be made in confidence to the current President of IQUA in writing by the end of September each year. It is the President’s decision to make the award upon reasonable discussion with the IQUA Executive Committee and the proposer. The nominee cannot, unless in exceptional circumstances, be an existing member of the Executive Committee.
The award is to be accompanied by the presentation of an appropriate memento of reasonable cost which is to be kept by the recipient. The award is to be presented in person ideally, normally by the proposer or an appropriate invited guest, in the aftermath of the IQUA Symposium or Spring Meeting or AGM, whichever is suitable. It is not expected that the award will be made posthumously except in exceptional circumstances.
AGM, 21st April 2018
4. The affairs of the Association shall be handled by an Executive Committee which shall include the following officers: a Chairman, a Secretary, a Treasurer and a Newsletter Editor, each of whom may hold office for up to four successive years. The Executive Committee shall also include four ordinary members, each of whom may serve in this capacity for not more than three successive years. At least one new ordinary member of the Executive Committee shall be elected each year at the Annual General Meeting. Any officer of the Executive Committee is eligible for election as an ordinary member or to another office of the Executive Committee on completion of a term of office. Ordinary members of the Executive Committee are eligible for election as officers of the Executive Committee. In all such cases the position or office may be held for the full period appropriate to it.
4a. In exceptional circumstances and following a majority vote at the Annual General Meeting, members of the committee may have their four-year term extended by up to two additional years.
AGM, 13th April 2019
16. All members of the Association with the exception of honorary members, shall pay an Annual Subscription the amount of which shall be determined by a majority vote at the first Annual General Meeting and may be altered by a majority vote at any subsequent General Meeting.
16b. In exceptional circumstances, the Executive Committee may propose members of the Association at an alternative annual subscription amount, subject to a majority vote at a General Meeting.
AGM, 30th April 2022
4. The affairs of the Association shall be handled by an Executive Committee which shall include the following officers: a Chair, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Newsletter Editor, Webmaster, Publications Officer, and PGR Representative(s), each of whom may hold office for up to four successive years. The Executive Committee shall also include four ordinary members, each of whom may serve in this capacity for not more than three successive years. At least one new ordinary member of the Executive Committee shall be elected each year at the Annual General Meeting. Any officer of the Executive Committee is eligible for election as an ordinary member or to another office of the Executive Committee on completion of a term of office. Ordinary members of the Executive Committee are eligible for election as officers of the Executive Committee. In all such cases the position or office may be held for the full period appropriate to it.
11. The Chair shall preside at all general and committee meetings at which they are In their absence the Secretary, or in their absence the Treasurer, shall invite another member to preside.