Constitution

Dictionary Society of Australasia

Article I: Name

The name of the society shall be The Dictionary Society of Australasia.

Article II: Purpose

The purpose of the Society shall be to foster scholarly and professional activities in the field of lexicography. The Society shall fulfil this purpose by facilitating the exchange of information and ideas through meetings, publications, and such other means as its Members deem appropriate.

Article III: Membership

Section I

Membership of the Society shall be open to any person or institution interested in the purpose of the Society. The membership shall consist of those who have paid the required annual subscription.

Section 2

The categories of membership shall be regular, institutional, student, and honorary.

a) Regular membership shall be that of an individual or of two people jointly.

b) Institutional membership shall be that of an institution, e.g. an academic centre or publishing house.

c) Student membership shall be that of any individual enrolled as a student in a tertiary institution.

d) Honorary membership shall be that of an individual who has made a significant contribution to lexicography, as recommended by the Executive Committee and elected by the membership.

Section 3

The required annual subscription for each category of membership (excluding honorary membership), as determined by the Executive Committee, shall be paid to the Treasurer on or before 30 June and in advance. Honorary members shall be exempted from paying an annual subscription.

Section 4

Each membership shall have the right to one vote.

Section 5

All Members shall receive the regular publications of the Society.

Article IV: Administration

Section I: Officers

The officers of the Society shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.

1. The President shall be elected by the Members at a General Meeting, shall serve for a term of two years, and shall not normally be eligible for immediate re-election. The President shall provide leadership within the Association, shall be the principal representative of the Association in public, and shall convene and preside over meetings of the Society and meetings of the Executive Committee. The President shall report on the activities of the Society to a General Meeting.
2. The Vice-President shall be elected by the Members at a General Meeting, shall serve for a term of two years, and shall normally be nominated for the office of President at the following General Meeting. The Vice-President shall deputise for the President in the President’s absence.
3. The Secretary shall be elected by the Members at a General Meeting, shall serve for a term of two years, and shall be eligible for re-election. The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping the records of the Society, for the general administration of the Society, and for the preparation and circulation of such publications as are not in the province of an Editor.
4. The Treasurer shall be elected by the Members at a General Meeting, shall serve for a term of two years, and shall be eligible for re-election. The Treasurer shall be responsible for administering the financial business of the Society and shall report to a General Meeting.
5. In the event of any of these offices falling vacant, the Executive Committee shall appoint a person to act in the required capacity until the next General Meeting.

Section 2: Executive Committee

The Society shall be managed by an Executive Committee consisting of the four above-named officers and up to three additional Members who shall be elected at a General Meeting, shall serve for a term of two years, and shall be eligible for re-election.

1. The Executive Committee shall have the power to form such ad hoc committees as it deems appropriate, and to invite Members of the Society to serve in various capacities, such as that of Editor of a Society publication or Convener of a conference programme.
2. In the event of a non-office-bearing place on the Executive Committee falling vacant, the Execute Committee may co-opt a Member to serve in that place.

Article V: Meeting

Section I

There shall be a biennial General Meeting of the Society at a time and place determined by the Executive Committee.

1. The business of a General Meeting shall include the election of Officers of the Society and Members of the Executive Committee and the consideration of the biennial reports of the President and the Treasurer.
2. The membership shall be given at least twelve months’ notice of a forthcoming General Meeting.
3. Notice of motions to be put to a General Meeting shall be received by the Secretary at least four weeks prior to the advertised date of the General Meeting.
4. The decisions at a General Meeting shall be taken by a majority of votes cast at the meeting.
5. A Member may delegate a vote by proxy to another Member, who shall obtain a certificate to this effect.
6. The quorum for a General Meeting shall be one fifth of the membership.

Section 2

The Executive Committee may call a Special Meeting to coincide with a conference or other occasion when Members are likely to be present in some numbers. A decision taken at a Special Meeting shall appear as a substantive item on the agenda for the next General Meeting.

Section 3

An Extraordinary General Meeting may be convoked by a petition signed by one-fifth of the membership, and shall be held within three months of the date of the Secretary’s receipt of such a petition.

1. Only matters raised by such a petition shall be considered at an Extraordinary General Meeting.
2. The provisions for voting at a General Meeting shall apply.
3. The quorum for an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be one-fifth of the membership

Article VI: Amendments and Dissolution

A proposal to amend this Constitution or to dissolve the Society shall be considered and voted on by Members at either a General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting. Assets remaining after outstanding obligations of the Society have been met shall be disbursed at the discretion of the Executive Committee, in the interests of lexicography.