Our Constitution

1. The Society
   
   
   1. The society, which shall be called 'Cambridge Futures' for operational and marketing purposes, whilst still acknowledging it was used to be “Cambridge University Industrial Society,” shall hereafter be referred to as 'the Society'.
      
      
   2. The Society shall be affiliated to the national Student Industrial Society.
      
      
   3. The Society shall exist to create a better understanding between the business world and the student community of Cambridge. It shall act as a student careers and personal development society.
      
      
   4. The Society shall achieve the aim set out in 1.3 through a broad programme of events.
      
      
2. Membership
   
   
   1. Membership of the Society shall be open to all members of Cambridge University.
      
      
   2. The Committee at all times reserves the right to refuse and terminate membership of the Society.
      
      
   3. Life membership of the Society is defined as the uninterrupted period that a member remains a student within Cambridge University. Periods away from the University as part of a student's course requirement is deemed to be study within the University.
      
      
   4. All other conditions of membership shall be determined by the Committee.
      
      
3. The Committee
   
   
   1. The Committee will consist only of members of the Society and the Senior Treasurer.
      
      
   2. The Committee shall consist of the following officers:
      
      
      • President
        
        
      • Vice-President
        
        
      • Secretary
        
        
      • Junior Treasurer
        
        
      • Events Officer
        
        
      • Ex-officio officers
        
        
      • A minimum of eight further officers
        
        
      
      
   3. The President, Vice-President, Secretary, Junior Treasurer and Events Officer are hereafter collectively referred to as the 'Top Five officers'.
      
      
   4. The five ex-officio officers will be the immediate predecessors of the Top Five officers, with the proviso that they are still members of the Society and do not hold any other position in the society.
      
      
   5. The roles of the officers will be determined by the Committee to fulfil the objectives of the Society. The need for additional officers, over and above the minimum of eight, will be reviewed by the existing committee.
      
      
   6. The quorum for a meeting of the Committee will be two thirds of all officers.
      
      
   7. All commitee members as defined above are eligible to vote on committee matters. See section 6 for committee election rules.
      
      
   8. Committee decisions will be reached by a simple majority of all officers present subject to the provisions of the constitution. If the vote is tied the President will have the casting vote.
      
      
   9. Sub-committees and posts within sub-committees may be created at the discretion of the Committee.
      
      
   10. Officers of the Committee who are unable to attend a committee meeting will be entitled to vote by proxy. The name of the proxy must be given to the President prior to the meeting.
       
       
   11. An officer leaving the Committee is responsible for ensuring that any successor fully understands the responsibilities of that position.
       
       
   12. Executive power within the Society will reside in the Committee subject to the provisions of the constitution.
       
       
   13. All matters pertaining to the society shall be treated as confidential.
       
       
   14. Operations Protocol
       
       
       1. Events Protocol
          
          
          1. Officers must give companies prior notification of the following details:
             
             
             • The approximate cost of the event.
               
               
             • Cancellation dates and cancellation costs.
               
               
             • Payment to be made within one month after invoice date.
               
               
             • Date by which an event description is required.
               
               
             
             
          2. The following details must be agreed on with the company:
             
             
             • Date of Presentation
               
               
             • Time and Venue
               
               
             • Maximum number of people attending
               
               
             • Equipment required
               
               
             
             
          3. The information described in 5.1.1 and 5.1.2 must be included on a standardised form. The contact person at the company will be required to sign it to confirm the details are acceptable.
             
             
          4. Where deposit checks are used, they will not be cashed without a majority decision from the Top Five officers.
             
             
          
          
          Computing Facilities
          
          
          1. Only Committee members are to be allowed access to the shared computer filespace, called the Cambridge Filestore', available.
             
             
          2. It is the responsibility of each committee member to ensure the security of the shared filespace. Attention is drawn to the confidential nature of the membership database and Society accounts.
             
             
          3. The shared filespace may only be used for Cambridge Futures related files.
             
             
          4. The Computing Officer and the President will be responsible for the maintenance of the filespace.
             
             
          5. Electronic Mail to the entire membership must be sent by one of the Top Five officers, or by their direct approval.
             
             
          
          
          Elections to Officer Positions
          
          
          1. Elections will be held in the Michaelmas and the Lent term of every year.
             
             
          2. Elections will be advertised to the membership as a whole in advance of the event.
             
             
          3. The elections will be for the immediately succeeding period of office.
             
             
          4. All of the Committee posts will be deemed vacant for the elections.
             
             
          5. A secret ballot will be held to determine the allocation of the officers' positions the result of which will be decided by a two round system. The first round will consist of a simple vote. The two candidates gaining the highest votes will then enter into a second round where the result will be determined by a simple majority. In the event of a candidate in the first round achieving more than fifty percent of the vote, or there being less than three candidates, there will be only one round, determined by a simple majority. If the voting is tied in any way the President will have the casting vote(s). The President will count the ballots. The count will not be announced and may not be asked for.
             
             
          6. Those eligible to vote will be any Officer or assistant who has attended a minimum of four meetings (se 6.11) since the previous election. In the case where this is not possible, those eligible to vote will be the Officers and assistants who have attended the maximum number of meetings possible. The President will not vote unless the voting is tied (See 6.5).
             
             
          7. Any officer position, with the exception of President and Vice-President, may be held for successive terms of office by the same person with the proviso that the officer is re-elected. Any person who has previously been either President may not stand for election to the Top Five positions
             
             
          8. It is the duty of the Committee to ensure that any officer positions still vacant after the elections, or which subsequently become vacant, are filled subject to the above election procedure.
             
             
          9. In the event of the President being unable to perform his/her duties the Vice-President will exercise all the functions of the President.
             
             
          10. Subject to the provisions of the constitution, electoral procedure will be at the discretion of the President.
              
              
          11. For the purposes of the constitution a meeting will be defined as a meeting held inside Full Term, at which all committee members are asked to be present. If at any point during the meeting an Officer is present at a meeting, this will count as having attended the meeting. An Officer who is unable to attend a meeting directly due to a Cambridge Futures engagement (for example hosting a Social) will be deemed to have attended that meeting for the purposes of the constitution.
              
              
          Votes of No Confidence
          
          
          1. The Committee may force a committee member to resign his or her position and forfeit her or his status as an officer by passing a vote of no confidence. A vote of no confidence will require a two third's majority. The officer in question will not be eligible to vote.
             
             
          2. Any committee member (excluding ex-officio officers) who fails to attend three successive meetings will automatically be subject to a vote of no confidence. This vote will be held at the end of the third meeting from which they are absent.
             
             
          3. Any committee member about whom the society receives more than 30 complaints, or causes 2 or more members to resign their membership shall automatically be subject to a vote of no confidence, held at the next committee meeting.
             
             
          4. The officer in question will be informed of the intention of the Committee to hold a vote of no confidence at least six days in advance of that vote, except if the vote is being carried out in accordance with 7.2.
             
             
          Finance
          
          
          1. The Junior Treasurer will keep the accounts of the Society and will present a summary of them at the annual general meeting. A summary of expenditure will be presented to the Committee on a termly basis.
             
             
          2. A Senior Treasurer will be appointed by the Committee. The Senior Treasurer will provide advice to the Junior Treasurer and will ratify the Society accounts.
             
             
          3. All payments exceeding one hundred pounds must be announced to committee at the next meeting and recorded in the minutes.
             
             
          4. Exceptions to 8.3 may be made for accounts for specific projects subject to committee approval.
             
             
          5. The Junior Treasurer will be responsible for ensuring that the financial affairs of the Society are within the law.
             
             
          6. The accounts of the Society will be available to any officer for his/her scrutiny.
             
             
          7. The Society will be subject to the rules of Cambridge University.
             
             
          8. Committee members and assistants may claim for expenses incurred during their duties as a member of the Committee. Claims will be presented to the Junior Treasurer and will be settled at his/her discretion.
             
             
          9. A decision made by the Junior Treasurer on the payment of an expense may be overruled by a committee vote.
             
             
          10. The Junior Treasurer will be responsible for questioning and bringing to the attention of the Committee any expenditure that does not appear to relate directly to the Society. Committee members must reimburse the Society all personal expenditure incurred using Society facilities.
              
              
          11. The expenses of any committee member must be revealed to any other committee member who requests to see them.
              
              
          Annual General Meeting
          
          
          1. There shall be an Annual General Meeting (A.G.M) to enable society members to present their views. The Annual General Meeting will be held in the Lent term simultanelously with the committee elections.
             
             
          2. Society members must be informed of the A.G.M. See (6.2)
             
             
          The Constitution
          
          
          1. The ex-officio officers will be responsible for the interpretation and review of the constitution.
             
             
          2. Amendment of the constitution must be approved by a two third's majority vote of all officers.