Home Counties Magical Society

RULE 1. NAME.
The name of the Society shall be “HOME COUNTIES MAGICAL SOCIETY” hereinafter referred to as “the Society”.

RULE 2. OBJECTS.
(a) To promote and advance the art of magic and to secure its general recognition as one of the accepted arts.
(b) To discourage the disclosure of magical secrets to the public.
(c) To protect from imitation, whenever and wherever possible, original magical inventions and original forms of presentation.
(d) To arrange lectures, exhibitions, entertainments and such functions as may be considered desirable for the purpose of facilitating social intercourse and the exchange of ideas between magicians.
(e) To maintain a Library of works relating to the art of magic.

RULE 3. MEMBERSHIP.
There shall be four categories of membership, namely Ordinary Members, Life Members, Honorary Members and Junior Members.
(a) Ordinary Members: Any person over the age of sixteen years who can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Council a genuine interest in the art of magic is eligible for ordinary membership of the Society. Application for membership must be made on the prescribed form and be subject to the approval of a majority of the Council. Before such membership is confirmed applicants must take the Oath of Secrecy in such manner as may be determined by the Council. Ordinary membership entails the payment of an entrance fee and subscription as set out in Rule 22. (the current subscription being agreed at a General Meeting of the Society).
(b) Life Members: Life Membership may be conferred on an ordinary member in recognition of outstanding service to the Society. A Life Member enjoys all the privileges of ordinary membership but is not required to make any contribution to the funds of the Society by way of subscription or fees as set out in Rule 22. Appointment to Life Membership must be proposed by the Council and be subject to the approval of the Society at a General Meeting.
(c) Honorary Members: Honorary Membership may be conferred on a non-member where such action is considered by the Council to be in the interests of the Society. Honorary Members do not have voting rights but in all other respects enjoy the privileges of ordinary membership. Appointment to Honorary Membership must be proposed by the Council and be subject to approval by the Society at a General Meeting.
(d) Junior Members: Any person between the ages of twelve years and sixteen years can apply for Junior Membership of the Society. The applicant will be required to present an audition performance at a suitable meeting of the Society before confirmation of Junior Membership is approved by the Council. Junior Members will pay half the current annual subscription and will have no voting rights, but will enjoy in all other respects the privileges of membership.

RULE 4. EMBLEM of the SOCIETY.
There shall be a recognised emblem of the Society which all Members shall be entitled to wear.

RULE 5. TERMINATION of MEMBERSHIP.
(a) Any member may resign by forwarding a letter of resignation to the Hon Secretary. On receipt of such letter all privileges of membership will cease.
(b) In the case of an ordinary member the written resignation must reach the Hon Secretary at least 14 days before the 1st day of May in any year. Failing such notice of resignation, a member shall be liable for the amount of his subscription for the ensuing year. Those who by default have forfeited membership must discharge their liabilities before their re-election can be entertained.
(c) The Society in General Meeting have the power to cancel membership of any member. Such cancellation must first be proposed by the Council and put to the General meeting in camera. A Council proposal in this regard automatically withdraws the right of the subject member to be present at the General Meeting.

RULE 6. EFFECT of CESSATION of MEMBERSHIP.
Any person ceasing to be a Member of the Society whether by resignation, default or expulsion, shall thereupon forfeit all right to and claim upon the Society, and its property and funds, and shall not be entitled thereafter to wear any emblem of the Society, or in any way claim to be a Member of the Society.

RULE 7. ORGANISATION and MANAGEMENT.
The general policy of the Society shall be vested in the members of the Society, whilst the general administration and conduct of the affairs of the Society shall vest in a Council to be established in accordance with the provisions of these Rules.

RULE 8. CONSTITUTION OF COUNCIL.
The Council shall compromise:
(a) A President, an Hon Secretary and an Hon Treasurer who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting, in accordance with these Rules and they shall be deemed Members of the Council, and
(b) Nine Members of the Society of not less than two years standing to be elected at the Annual General Meeting in accordance with these Rules.

RULE 9. ELECTION of MEMBERS of the COUNCIL.
(a) Nominations for President, Hon Secretary and Hon Treasurer must be submitted to the Hon Secretary in writing on or before the 1st day of April.
(b) Nomination of other Councillors may be made at any time before the election takes place.
(c) Nominations for new candidates shall be proposed and seconded.
(d) Serving Councillors desiring to stand for re-election shall notify the Hon Secretary at or before the AGM and they shall be deemed to be duly nominated.
(e) The names of all known nominees shall appear on the Agenda for the AGM.
(f) The number of attendances at Council Meetings by the Councillors shall be recorded on the Agenda for the AGM.

RULE 10. CO-OPTION and APPOINTMENT by the COUNCIL.
(a) The Council shall have the power to appoint such Committees, and co-opt Councillors as they may seem desirable. Such appointments to be limited to the period of office of the Council.
(b) At the first meeting the Council shall:
- elect a Chairman of the council and read the minutes of the AGM and (although not confirmed) take suitable action to give effect to any recommendation or instruction given at the AGM.

RULE 11. TERM of OFFICE of ELECTED MEMBERS of COUNCIL.
The President, Hon Secretary, Hon Treasurer and other members of the Council shall take office at the close of the AGM and remain in office until the close of the next succeeding AGM.

RULE 12. QUORUM.
Five Members of the Council shall form a quorum.

RULE 13. VACANCIES.
If any elected Member of the Council shall fail to attend three successive meetings of the Council without the prior permission of the Chairman, or the Council as a whole, he/she shall automatically vacate his/her seat on the Council, and a vacancy shall be deemed to have arisen.

RULE 14. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.
(a) The AGM shall be held in the month of May in each year for the purpose, inter alia, of transacting the following business:
- to approve the Minutes of the last AGM
- to receive the Hon Secretary’s report
- to receive the Accounts of the Society, and the Auditors report thereon
- to elect the Officers and Council
- to appoint two Auditors
- to transact such business as may be deemed appropriate.
(b) The Notice convening the AGM shall be sent to every Member of the Society at least fourteen days before the date of the said meeting. Publication of the date of the AGM in the Society’s Programme of Meetings shall be deemed sufficient notice to Members.
(c) Twelve Members shall form a quorum.

RULE 15. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING.
(a) The Council shall call a Special General Meeting at any time and shall convene such a meeting within thirty days of receiving a request, signed by not less than ten Members of the Society, specifying the objects of the proposed Meeting.
(b) Twelve Members of the Society shall form a quorum.
(c) Notices convening a Special General Meeting shall be sent to every Member of the Society at least seven days before the date of the said meeting, and shall state the matter to be discussed.
(d) No further business shall be transacted, other than that for which the meeting was convened.

RULE 16. CONDUCT of MEETINGS.
The conduct of meetings shall be in accordance with the Rules of Procedure for Meetings approved by the Council.

RULE 17. PRESIDENT.
(a) Any Member of the Society of at least five years standing may be elected President of the Society.
(b) Any person interested in Magic, and the Society, may be elected president provided he/she is a well-known personality either Nationally or Locally.

RULE 18. VICE PRESIDENTS.
The number of Vice Presidents to be appointed shall be at the discretion of the Council. They shall be elected annually.

RULE 19. LIBRARY.
(a) The Library shall be in charge of a Librarian, who may be a Member of the Council.
(b) The Librarian shall be governed by the Library Rules.

RULE 20. OTHER OFFICES.
Other offices may be created and filled as considered necessary by the Council.

RULE 21. FINANCIAL YEAR.
The financial year of the Society shall be from the 1st day of May until the 30th day of April following.

RULE 22. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION and ENTRANCE FEE.
(a) The Annual Subscription may be amended at a General Meeting of the Society and shall come into force forthwith.
(b) Subscriptions are payable on the 1st day of May in each year.
(c) New Members joining the Society shall pay an Entrance Fee and proportionate subscription.

RULE 23. SUBSCRIPTION in ARREAR.
Any Member whose subscription is three months in arrears shall automatically cease to be a Member of the Society, but shall remain liable for such subscription.

RULE 24. ACCOUNTS.
(a) The Council shall cause true accounts to be kept of the sums of money received and expended by the Society, and a statement thereof shall be placed before the Members at the AGM.
(b) No Member shall enter into any negotiation or arrangement which may result in a charge being made on the funds of the Society without first obtaining authority from the Council.

RULE 25. AUDIT.
The Accounts of the Society shall be examined and certified by the Auditors appointed by the AGM.

RULES 26. SOCIETY FUNDS.
(a) The funds of the Society shall be paid into an account in the name of the Society with a recognised Clearing Bank.
(b) Only Officers/Council Members appointed at a General Meeting shall act as administrators of the Society’s funds, and the signature of any one of them shall be necessary for the disbursement of any money by cheque.

RULE 27. MATTERS NOT PROVIDED FOR in these RULES and INTERPRETATION of RULES.
The Council shall have power to decide any matter not specifically provided for in these Rules, and to give decisions as to the interpretation of any Rule should the occasion arise.

RULE 28. ALTERATION of RULES.
(a) These Rules shall not be amended except at a General Meeting of the Society.
(b) Changes to the Rules can be proposed by the Council, or any member of the Society.
(c) Where a change is proposed by a Member, his/her resolution shall be in the hands of the Hon Secretary on or before the 1st day of April. The resolution shall be in writing and shall be signed by the proposer and a seconder. Both the proposer and seconder shall be present, or represented, at the General Meeting.
(d) Members shall be notified of any proposed amendments to the Rules at least ten days before the General Meeting.
(e) Amendments to these Rules shall become operative on the amendment being approved by a majority vote at a General Meeting.

RULE 29. OPERATION of RULES.
These Rules shall become operative on their adoption by the Society and their adoption shall cancel all previous Rules and Amendments. Every Member of the Society shall receive a copy of these Rules.

This reprint of the Rules incorporates all the alterations and amendments passed at General Meetings of the Society from 1973 to 2002.

Printed August 2002
(HCMS RULES)