Constitution

The name of the Society shall be “The Cambridge University Tamil Society”, hereafter referred to as “the Society”.

The Society’s aims shall be to promote Tamil culture, tradition and community at the university. All students are welcome to learn and celebrate the ethos and philosophies of the Tamil people.

The Society shall be guided by the following core values, which all members and Executive Committee Officers are strictly expected to understand, embody, and uphold at all times:

The Society shall maintain an environment that is respectful, welcoming, and safe for all members, and shall not discriminate on the grounds of race, ethnicity, caste, nationality, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other protected characteristic.

The Society shall not endorse, encourage, require, or promote the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, vaping products, or recreational drugs. No Society branding, official event marketing, or membership expectations shall be tied to the consumption of these substances, ensuring that all activities remain fully accessible and welcoming to all members. No member shall be pressured, directly or indirectly, into participating in any such activity against their wishes.

Officers and members shall conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the reputation of the Society and the University. Bullying, harassment, intimidation, discrimination, or misconduct shall not be tolerated under any circumstances.

Membership of the Society shall be open to all members of the University and any others who have an interest in the Society’s interests or share the interests of the Society.

The Executive Committee may expel any member whose conduct seems likely to bring the Society into disrepute. Such expulsion shall be undertaken in accordance with Article X and is subject to confirmation at the next General Meeting of the Society. Any person expelled shall have the right of appeal to the Senior Treasurer.

Membership shall be granted by the Committee on an annual and lifetime basis, where annual memberships are valid for the Academic Year (as defined by the Statutes and Ordinances of the University of Cambridge) in which payment was received and lifetime memberships are valid until such time that the member in question has deceased; forfeited their membership by expressing such an interest to the Executive Committee; or expelled by the Executive Committee.

Annual and lifetime memberships are granted by the Executive Committee following the payment of an annual or lifetime subscription fee, as appropriate.

The annual and lifetime subscription fees shall be determined by the Executive Committee and such fees will be subject to review at Annual General Meetings.

The Executive Committee reserves the right to refuse membership to any member whose conduct may bring the Society into disrepute and/or whose conduct may harm the furtherance of the Society’s interests.

The membership fees are not refundable where a Member has been expelled on the basis of their conduct, as outlined in 4(1), 4(2) and 4(6).

Members who have paid the annual or lifetime subscription fee shall be the only members (excluding the President(s) and Vice-President) with Voting Rights at General Meetings, Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings.

The day-to-day management of the Society’s affairs shall be in the hands of the Executive Committee, which shall normally be elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).

The Executive Committee shall consist of a President and a Vice-President or two Co-Presidents, a Secretary, and a Junior Treasurer, who shall be elected by the members as in 5(1). In addition, there shall be a Senior Treasurer, who shall be a member of the Regent House or other person approved by the Junior Proctor. The Senior Treasurer shall be appointed by the elected members of the Executive Committee and shall be ex officio a member of the Executive Committee.

A majority of the elected members of the Executive Committee shall be full-time undergraduate or postgraduate students of the University of Cambridge.

Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be chaired by the President or, in their absence, the Vice-President. If neither the President nor the Vice-President is present, the remaining members shall elect a chairperson for that meeting. The quorum for a meeting of the Executive Committee shall be three members, and a written record of each meeting shall be kept.

Non-Executive Roles & Sub-Committees: Additional non-executive roles shall be elected at the AGM alongside the Executive Committee. These roles do not hold core Executive voting rights. The Executive Committee retains the authority to appoint individuals to fill vacancies in these non-executive roles during the academic year. At current, these roles include: one access and welfare officer, two publicity officers, two events officers, one sports officer and one outreach officer.

Duties and Handover: All Committee members are expected to carry out their duties diligently. Outgoing Officers must provide comprehensive handover materials, including account access, financial records, passwords, and guidance to incoming Officers within fourteen days of the AGM.

Assets and Platforms: Official Society communications, branding, and social media accounts remain the property of the Society and not of any individual Officer.

All members of the Executive Committee and any non-executive roles are strictly accountable to this Constitution and the TSoc Values defined in Article III.

Grounds for Disciplinary Action: Any Committee member (Executive or Non-Executive) may be subject to suspension or removal if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have:

Removal of Elected Executive Officers: Because Executive Officers hold core administrative authority, their permanent removal shall require a motion of No Confidence, which may be initiated and completed by either:

Removal of Elected Non-Executive Members: May be removed from their position without a full society-wide EGM under the following condition:

Alternatively, a Non-Executive Member may be removed by a vote at a General Meeting.

Emergency Suspension: In urgent cases posing an immediate reputational, financial, or safeguarding risk, the Executive Committee may temporarily suspend any Non-Executive Role’s access to funds and platforms pending a formal investigation or an EGM.

The Society shall hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) during each Academic year. The AGM shall be held in Cambridge during Easter Full Term. All fee-paying Members, other than the President(s) or Vice-President, shall be entitled to attend and vote at any General Meeting. At least fourteen days’ written notice shall be given to members before the AGM.

The AGM shall approve Minutes of the last General Meeting and the Society’s Accounts for the preceding year, elect the Executive Committee for the year ahead and conduct such other business as is necessary.

Candidates for election to office shall be proposed and seconded by two other members. Every motion at a General Meeting shall be proposed and seconded by two members. Voting shall be by secret ballot, and if there are more than two candidates for a post or more than two options on a motion, voting shall be by FPTP.

An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) may be held at any time during Full Term. It shall be held in Cambridge and may be called by the Executive Committee or at the written request of at least ten members. Twenty-one days written notice shall be given to members before an EGM is held. An EGM shall have the same powers as an AGM.

The President or, in their absence, the Vice-President, or either Co-President shall take the Chair at any General Meeting. In the absence of the President and Vice-President, the meeting shall elect a Chairperson for that meeting. The quorum for a General Meeting shall be five members, and a written record of every General Meeting shall be kept.

Electoral Fairness: Candidates for election shall not use Society funds, official mailing lists, or official Society social media platforms to unfairly advantage their campaign. Elections must be conducted transparently and free from coercion.

The Society shall maintain a banking account with a suitable Bank or Building Society to hold the Society’s funds.

It shall be the responsibility of the Junior Treasurer to ensure that monies received are properly accounted for and that the Society’s financial records are kept in good order. In particular, the Junior Treasurer shall ensure continuity of Cambridge resident signatories for any bank accounts held by the Society.

The Senior Treasurer shall make arrangements for the Society’s Accounts to be properly audited, either by themselves or by some other person approved under University Ordinances.

The Senior Treasurer shall not be liable for any financial debt or other obligation of the Society unless he or she has personally authorised such a debt in writing.

For so long as the Society shall be Registered with the Junior Proctor, it shall be the duty of the Executive Committee to ensure that the Society complies with the requirements for Registration as a University Society.

Conflicts of Interest: Any Officer who has a personal, financial, or other material interest in any matter under discussion must declare that interest immediately and shall not vote on the matter.

The Constitution may be amended by:

No amendment to this Constitution intended to remove the position of Senior Treasurer, to alter its prerogatives and duties, or to change the criteria and procedure for the appointment of a Senior Treasurer can be put to a vote without the prior written agreement of the Junior Proctor of the University of Cambridge.

The Society’s only disciplinary sanctions are to expel or to suspend a member whose actions are felt to be such as to bring the Society into disrepute, or to materially adversely affect the smooth running of the Society in a major way. Such expulsion or suspension can only be effected by a majority vote of all Executive Committee members, excluding the Senior Treasurer. In the event of an expulsion, the excluded member is required to return all equipment, documents and finances belonging to the Society within 7 days. They will not be entitled to any full or partial refund of annual subscriptions.

If the excluded or suspended member wishes to appeal the decision, that appeal should be made to the Senior Treasurer, who will consider all the facts, and whose decision will be final. An appeal as to the process of exclusion, but not a further investigation into the facts, may be lodged with the Junior Proctor.

The Society may be dissolved at a General Meeting, provided that at least twenty-one days’ written notice of the intention to dissolve the Society has been given to the members. At least two-thirds of those present and voting at the General Meeting must vote in favour of the motion for Dissolution for it to be effective.

Any motion for Dissolution of the Society shall provide that assets remaining after all liabilities have been met shall be transferred to another Registered University Society. The recipient society to be chosen by the final General Meeting or by the Executive Committee if the meeting does not decide.