Rules adopted on 19 November 2022
The name of the Society is the Oriental Numismatic Society (the ‘Society’). The Society is a private society founded in 1970 by Michael Broome.
The aims of the Society are:
(a) to promote the collection and study of Oriental coins, medals, paper money and related material;
(b) to encourage contacts and co-operation between those collecting and studying such coins and material;
(c) to publish a regular journal and other publications;
(d) to organise meetings of its members; and
(e) to do such other things as shall be conducive to the attainment of the above aims.
Any person (whether an individual, institution or corporation) wishing to become a member of the Society must apply in writing, agree to be bound by these rules and pay the entry fee (if any). Election to the Society is at the discretion of the Council, who may delegate this discretion to the appropriate Regional Secretary. Any entry fee shall be decided from time to time by the Council. A member may resign membership by written notice to the appropriate Regional Secretary. The Council may withdraw membership from any person if, in the Council’s opinion, it is in the Society’s interest to do so.
Members (other than honorary members) shall pay an annual subscription on joining and annually thereafter on 1 January. Subscriptions are fixed by the Council and paid to the appropriate Regional Secretary. The Council has the right to determine different rates of subscription for different regions. Failure by a member to pay the annual subscription will entitle the Council or relevant Regional Secretary to consider the membership of that member to have lapsed. A person whose membership has lapsed for not having paid the subscription may (at the Regional Secretary’s discretion) be asked to pay the entry fee (if any) on re-joining. Payment of the subscription will entitle members to the Society’s publications issued in that year, with the exception of any special publications for which a charge is made. The Council has the right to waive the subscription of any member in recognition of exceptional service to the Society.
The Council may elect any person as an honorary member of the Society in recognition of their exceptional service to the Society. An honorary member shall be entitled to all privileges of membership but shall not be obliged to pay the annual subscription.
The affairs of the Society shall be managed by a Council consisting of the following officers: a Secretary General, a Deputy Secretary-General, a Treasurer, a Secretary, an Editor (ex officio), a Digital Editor (ex officio), Regional Secretaries (ex officio), and not more than seven other members of the Society.
At every Annual General Meeting such number of officers and other members of Council (other than Regional Secretaries, Editor and Digital Editor) as is nearest to but does not exceed one third of their number must retire from office and may offer themselves for re-election by members. The persons to retire shall be those who have held office or been on council longest since appointment or determined by agreement or by lot. Any casual vacancy occurring by resignation, or otherwise may be filled by the Council.
The Council will appoint and may replace the Editor and the Digital Editor.
A member of the Council may hold more than one office but shall have only one vote at Council meetings. Decisions of the Council shall be by a simple majority and in the event of equality of votes the chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote. The Council may co-opt members of the Society and others as non-voting Council members to perform tasks which cannot be performed by existing members of the Council. Council meetings shall be held two or more times a year and may be called by the Secretary General, his or her deputy or the Secretary. The quorum for Council meetings shall be six members. Members of the Council may participate in Council meetings by suitable electronic means agreed by the Council in which each participant may communicate with all the other participants. Any Committee member participating at a meeting by such means shall qualify as being present at the meeting. The Council may appoint sub-committees from among their number and delegate to them such of their powers and duties as the Council may determine.
The members of the Council shall be entitled to be indemnified out of the assets of the Society against all expenses and liabilities properly incurred by them in the management of the affairs of the Society. Expenses may only be incurred with the Council’s prior approval.
The Council will define the regions covered by the Regional Secretaries and appoint and replace Regional Secretaries. The Regional Secretaries will collect entry fees (if any) and subscriptions from members in their regions and organise all other regional activities as appropriate. They will also distribute the Society’s publications in their region and transmit to the Treasurer all fees, subscriptions, payments for publications and any other monies received less the costs of distributing the publications and necessary expenses whenever requested. They will also provide the Treasurer with a statement of accounts and other financial information requested in time for preparation and review of accounts before the Annual General Meeting.
The Council may agree alternative arrangements in respect of any Region including agreeing that fees, subscriptions, payments for publications and other monies received less costs of distributions and expenses need not be transmitted to the Treasurer. The Council may cancel or vary its agreement to any such alternative arrangements.
The Regional Secretaries may organise conferences or special events in their respective regions with the Council’s prior approval. They shall be responsible for any regional social media accounts that they run for their region in terms of its administration, maintenance, input, legal obligations and security.
The officers of the Society shall be the Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General, Treasurer, Secretary, Editor, Digital Secretary, and Regional Secretaries. The same individual may hold more than one office.
The Secretary General or, in his or her absence, the Deputy Secretary-General will chair council meetings and normally represent the Society in relation to other institutions and societies.
The Secretary will take minutes of and organise venues, agendas and notices for Council and General Meetings.
The Treasurer will co-ordinate the finances of the Society in conjunction with the Regional Secretaries on behalf of the Council.
Subject to the supervision and direction of the Council the Editor will co-ordinate the publication programme.
The Council shall from time to time agree, review and, if appropriate amend, job descriptions for each officer and Regional Secretary setting out more particularly their responsibilities. The Council shall undertake the general supervision of the affairs of the Society and exercise control over Officers, Regional Secretaries and any persons employed by the Society or self-employed persons doing work for the Society.
The Council may, by a simple majority (excluding the officer concerned), remove the Secretary-General, Deputy Secretary-General, Editor, Digital Editor or Treasurer from office and appoint another person (who need not already be a member of Council) in his or her place in such office. The person so removed shall remain a member of Council and retire from office at the next Annual General Meeting and be eligible for re-election.
The Society shall maintain on the internet a website and may also post information about the Society’s activities on the social media. Subject to the supervision and direction of the Council this shall be under the control of the Digital Editor. The Council will appoint and may replace the Digital Editor. Council may decide that certain information on the website shall be available only to members of the Society and be accessible by means of passwords.
An Annual General Meeting shall be held each year at a time and place decided by the Council, to transact the following business:
1. To receive the Council’s report on the activities of the Society during the previous year;
2. To receive and consider the accounts of the Society for the previous year; and
3. To decide on any resolution submitted in accordance with these rules.
4. To elect the members of the Council who stand for election or re-election.
The Council may from time to time make arrangements for members to participate in Annual and Special Meetings electronically from other locations but members so doing may only vote by proxy.
A member may appoint any other member as his proxy to attend and vote on his behalf on a poll if a poll is directed to be taken by the Chairman of the meeting. The Council will arrange for a proxy form to be available to all members on the Society’s official website for use at General Meetings. Proxy forms must be in such form as the Council may approve and returned to such postal address as the Council shall specify not less than 48 hours before the meeting at which it isto be used. Voting by proxy will be subject to confirmation by the relevant Regional Secretary, prior to the meeting, that the person appointing a proxy and the person appointed are both members.
Nominations for election of Council members (other than the Editor, Digital Editor and Regional Secretaries) must be in writing, supported by two other members and sent to the Secretary in time for inclusion in the agenda and notice of meeting. Persons nominated must agree in writing to act if elected. Any other item to be included in the agenda and notice of meeting must, unless approved by the Council, be seconded by six other members.
A Special General Meeting may be called by the Council or at the written request of not less than twenty members.
Notice of General Meetings will be sent to all members at his or her last known postal or email address with details of the business to be transacted at least fourteen days before the meeting. The accidental omission to send notice to any member shall not invalidate proceedings at a meeting. The quorum shall be ten members present in person or by proxy. If after one hour a quorum is not present the meeting may transact any business necessary for the continuance of the Society including the election of the Council. The Secretary General, or in his or her absence, a member of the Council shall take the chair. Each member present in person or by proxy shall have one vote. Resolutions shall, except where otherwise provided in these rules, be passed by a simple majority. In the event of an equality of votes the chairman shall have a casting vote.
These rules may be altered at a General Meeting provided the resolution is passed by a majority of at least two-thirds of the members present in person or by proxy. The Council shall have power to make, repeal, and amend such byelaws, as they may from time to time think necessary or desirable in the interests of the Society. Byelaws, repeals and amendments shall have effect until set aside by the Council or General Meeting.
The Society shall maintain appropriate data protection policies and procedures that comply with the current law of England and Wales. Regional Secretaries will be responsible for ensuring that laws applicable in their region are complied with and appropriate confidentiality maintained.
All cash payable to the Society shall be paid into an account or accounts in the name of the Society or in accordance with such arrangements as the Council may approve. Any other property of the Society shall be held by not more than four Council members or other custodians appointed by the Council. They shall deal with such property as directed by the Council for the furtherance of the Society’s aims and for the expenses of its administration.
A resolution to dissolve the Society shall only be passed at a General Meeting provided the resolution is passed by at least two-thirds of the members present and voting. The dissolution shall take effect from the date of the resolution and the members of the Council shall be responsible for the winding up of the assets and liabilities of the Society. Any surplus assets shall be given to a charity or charities nominated by the Council.
No member shall use the name of the Society for the purposes of trade or profit. A copy of these rules, which shall be governed by English law, shall be given to every person on becoming a member.
Notices shall be deemed to have been served 48 hours after posting to the last address recorded by the relevant Regional Secretary.
Passed at AGM, 19/11/2022