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THE ASSOCIATION OF CANADIAN STUDIES IN IRELAND
AN CUMANN LE LÉANN CEANADACH IN ÉIRINN
ASSOCIATION IRLANDAISE D'ÉTUDES CANADIENNES
1. NAME:
The name of the Association is ‘The Association of Canadian Studies in Ireland’. In the Irish language it shall be styled ‘An Cumann le Leánn Ceanadach in Éirinn'. In French it shall be styled 'Association irlandaise d'études canadiennes'.
2. AIMS:
The Association, as a collegiate scholarly body, shall support and encourage the study and understanding in Ireland of Canada: its culture, history, humanities, social sciences, and institutions, and of the connections and parallels between the two countries.
3. ACTIVITIES:
The Association shall organize a Conference once every two years, which shall be the occasion for the General Meeting (as provided for in Sections 6, 7 and 8).
It may also organize or support other conferences, seminars, and meetings associated with the study of Canada. The Association shall encourage and publicise any other activities pertinent to its aims and purposes, including exchanges, visits to Canada, special study programmes, etc. The Association shall concern itself with identifying, classifying and publicizing the resources in Ireland that are relevant to the study of Canada. It shall seek to promote active co-operation with other organisations interested in Canadian Studies.
Having regard to available resources, the Association shall support publications and cultural expressions in a variety of formats that derive from the study of Canada in Ireland. The Association shall publicize its activities via a Website, to be maintained by the Association for this purpose.
4. MEMBERSHIP:
The Association may have the following categories of Membership:
i) Regular: Any person with an active interest in Canadian Studies may become a member of the Association upon payment of the appropriate fee. Regular membership shall entitle a person to participate in all the activities of the Association, to hold office in it, to attend and vote at General Meetings and to receive all publications of the Association on terms laid down for members.
ii) Student: Any student attending any Institution of higher education in Ireland, or any other such person who may be deemed eligible by the Association, may become a student member of the Association upon payment of the appropriate fee.
iii) Honorary Members: These will consist of individuals deemed by the Association’s Officers to have made a contribution to Canadian Studies over many years and /or hold positions in other bodies which contribute meaningfully to the work and activity of the Association and its aims.
The Council of the Association will determine the appropriate fee at a normal meeting every two years.
Regular and Student Membership will be for the period from the last conference or from the payment of the appropriate fee and submission of the conference registration / application form as relevant.
Honorary Membership shall be for a period of four (4) years from when granted by the Association and may be renewed thereafter by the Officers.
The Officers will report to Council when an Honorary Member is so designated. They will also indicate at the next General Meeting the names of new Honorary Members admitted since the last General Meeting.
Members will be expected to uphold the standards and integrity expected of academic scholars and failure to do so may result in termination of membership.
5. AWARDS:
Members of the Association only shall be eligible to apply for such awards as are administered by the Association.
The Association shall observe good academic practice in promoting and making awards.
6. THE COUNCIL OF THE ASSOCIATION:
The Council of the Association shall consist of the President, Secretary, Treasurer, and additional Members of the Association (as provided in Sections 6-ii to 6-x below).
Membership shall be drawn from as many Institutions of higher education in Ireland as possible, and shall be representative of as many disciplines of Canadian Studies as possible.
Normally, members of the Council shall be resident in Ireland.
Members of the Council are expected to attend Council meetings.
The Council shall act as the organ of governance and the vehicle of leadership and execution with respect to the activities undertaken in pursuit of the Association's aims.
The Association shall have an honorary role entitled Patron.
Detailed terms with respect to Officers and Roles:
i) The Ambassador of Canada to Ireland shall be invited ex officio to become Patron of the Association.
ii) The President shall hold office for two years, and shall not serve two consecutive terms.
iii) The Secretary shall hold office for two years.
iv) The Treasurer, who shall also act as membership secretary, shall hold office for two years.
v) The Secretary and Treasurer shall be eligible for re-election to their respective offices.
vi) The President, Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected by the regular members as provided in Section 7: Elections.
vii) Following their election, the first duty of the Officers shall be to co-opt other members to Council, in accordance with the provisions of subsection 6-viii. In addition, the Council shall have power to co-opt additional members from time to time, as laid out in subsections 6-ix and 6-x.
viii) Co-opted members of Council shall be regular voting members of the Association. In making such co-options, the Officers shall attempt to ensure adequate representation of members from as many disciplines as possible within Canadian Studies, and from as many Institutions of higher education in Ireland as possible.
ix) The Association may appoint any regular member as Convenor of the Biennial Conference. Such persons, if not already members of the Council, shall be co-opted to the Council.
x) Any vacancy on the Council may be filled until the next General Meeting by majority vote of the Council.
xi) The Association shall be affiliated with the International Council of Canadian Studies (ICCS/ CIEC).
xii) The quorum for a regular Council meeting shall normally consist of five (5) persons, including at least two (2) officers.
7. ELECTIONS:
The elections for President, Secretary and Treasurer (as described in Section 6-vi) shall take place at a General Meeting to be held every second year as part of the biennial conference.
Election shall be by simple majority of a ballot.
Candidates for office shall be nominated and seconded by other regular members of the Association.
Candidates for office must be normally resident in Ireland.
The following conditions must be met before an election takes place:
i) The Secretary shall give Notice of the forthcoming Election to the General Membership at least thirty-five (35) days in advance of the General Meeting.
ii) The Notice of Election shall include a request for nominations for the offices of President, Secretary and Treasurer, with a deadline at least twenty (20) days in advance of the General Meeting. Each candidate shall provide a letter accepting the nomination and a brief CV.
iii) When the deadline for nominations has passed, the names of those nominated, together with the names of their proposer and seconder, and the brief CV provided by each candidate, shall be circulated to the General Membership.
iv) At this point, should there be no nomination for any of these three posts, the Secretary shall include a further call for any post lacking nominations, with a deadline of ten (10) days in advance of the General Meeting.
v) Nominees shall have the right to withdraw from the Election. If this results in a particular post lacking nominations, the Secretary shall circulate a further call for nominations as above at 7-iv.
vi) If all the above procedures have been followed, but nominations are still lacking for any post on the day of the General Meeting, nominations may be taken from the floor.
8. ADOPTION AND AMENDMENT OF THIS CONSTITUTION:
Adoption:
This Constitution was adopted at the General Meeting of the Association of Canadian Studies in Ireland held at University College, Dublin on May 22nd 1982 and became effective in the form approved at that meeting.
It was amended at the General Meeting of the Association of Canadian Studies in Ireland held at University College, Cork on April 29th 2004.
It was further amended at the General Meeting of the Association held at the Meyrick Hotel, Eyre Square, Galway on 10 May 2014, under the auspices of NUI Galway.
Amendment:
Any proposed amendment to the Constitution must be made in writing to the Secretary by three regular members of the Association at least thirty-five days before a General Meeting.
All such proposed amendments shall be circulated to regular members by the Secretary thirty-five days before the General Meeting called for the purpose of considering them as specified in Article 3. Votes shall be recorded in person at that General Meeting.
The period of thirty-five days shall refer to the receipt of a valid proposed amendment by the Secretary.
Any amendment to the Constitution shall require the support of two-thirds of regular members voting to become effective.
9. DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION:
Notice of any proposal to dissolve the Association shall be circulated to regular members as provided for in Section 4, and the Association shall be dissolved by simple majority of regular members voting at a General Meeting. In the event of dissolution, any assets remaining after the satisfaction of all proper debts and liabilities shall not be paid to members but shall be paid to some other charitable organization or organisations similar to that of the Association.
10. ACCOUNTS:
The presentation to the General Membership of the accounts of the Association shall be undertaken by the Treasurer during the General Meeting of the Association.
The Association's Council shall approve the accounts prior to their presentation at the General Meeting of the Association.
The Association's accounting period for the presentation to the General Meeting shall be the two (2) years ending on 31st December prior to General Meeting.
Council approval shall be required for the opening or closure of any bank account held by the Association.
A minimum of two officers shall act as bank account signatories. Council shall approve the designation of such signatories.
11. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING:
The Association may at any time, for any purpose, call an Extraordinary General Meeting at a time other than the biennial Conference.
At least twenty-eight (28) days notice shall be given to members on calling an Extraordinary General Meeting at a time other than the Biennial Conference.
No business other than that specified in the notice shall be transacted at an Extraordinary General Meeting.
END
This Constitution was passed unanimously at the General Meeting of ACSI held in Waterford Institute of Technology on Friday 27th April 2018.
