The Constitution of the Society for Italian Studies

The name of the Society shall be ‘The Society for Italian Studies’.
The object of the Society is to advance public education by furthering the study of Italy, Italian Language, Literature, Thought, History, Society and Arts in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The Society may negotiate with government or other bodies or Societies for this purpose on behalf of its members, and in general shall promote the interests of Italian studies in higher education.
The Society is non-political.
There shall be a patron of the Society and his/her period of office shall be for five years in the first instance, renewable for further periods of five years as the Executive Committee may propose. He/She shall be proposed by the Executive Committee with the approval of the Annual General Meeting of the Society.
The Society shall own and publish the review Italian Studies and shall also publish occasional papers. The Executive Committee of the Society shall appoint a Board of Editors for the above-mentioned review and the Editorial Board shall appoint Senior Editors in accordance with the procedures outlined below. The Editorial Board of Italian Studies shall also be charged with the publication of the Society’s occasional papers.
The Editorial Board of Italian Studies shall be subject to the following conditions:

(a) It shall consist of six members, each elected to serve for a period of three years, and the Chair of the Society (ex officio). If an editor retires or resigns, the Board may elect a replacement for the remainder of that retiring editor’s term, to be ratified by the Chair of the Society on behalf of the Executive Committee.

(b) Two elected members of the Board shall retire each year and be eligible for re-election for one further period of office without a break; however, the term of office of the person or persons elected as Senior Editor(s) shall be as stated in 7(c) below, so that in certain years there may be one, or three, retirements.

(c) The Editorial Board shall appoint the Senior Editor(s) from among its members. Once elected, the Senior Editor(s) serve a term of five years from the year of election, irrespective of the time they have previously served on the Board; but their tenure of the office is subject to regular review by the Board as a whole, which has the power to discontinue it and to elect another Senior Editor from among its members.

(d) The Editorial Board shall appoint by co-option a Reviews Editor (who, once appointed, serves for five years as a seventh full member of the Board), and one or two Editorial Assistants.

(e) The Senior Editor(s) shall be responsible to the Executive Committee and report to the Executive Committee and to the Annual General Meeting of the Society.

(a) Membership of the Society shall be open to all persons and institutions interested in the objects set out in paragraph 2, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee of the Society.

(b) The minimum subscription to the Society, payable on the first of January of each year, shall be determined by the Executive Committee of the Society. The subscription shall entitle members and institution members to one copy of every issue of the review published for the year in which the subscription has been paid.

(d) Life membership may be made available at the discretion of the Executive Committee at a charge to be determined by it from time to time.

(e) The Society may elect to honorary membership persons who have rendered distinguished service to the Society or the field of Italian Studies. They shall enjoy the same rights and privileges as ordinary members.

The Society’s business shall be conducted by an Executive Committee. It shall be composed of the officers of the Society, as specified below under paragraph 12, and the following members:

(a) Nine members elected by the Annual General Meeting, three of whom shall retire each year after completing three years’ service. Each member shall be eligible for re-election for a further period of three years, but shall not thereafter be eligible until at least one year has elapsed. Names shall be duly proposed and seconded in writing before an Annual General Meeting or by word of mouth during an Annual General Meeting.

(b) One Postgraduate representative, elected by the Annual General Meeting, and eligible to serve for one three-year term of office. Names shall be duly proposed and seconded in writing before an Annual General Meeting or by word of mouth during an Annual General Meeting.

(d) The Italian Studies representative on the University Council of Modern Languages shall be an ex officio member.

(e) Not more than three members may be co-opted. All co-opted members shall retire on completion of twelve months’ service.

(f) The Directors of the Italian Institute in London, Edinburgh and Dublin shall be ex officio members.

There shall be an Annual General Meeting of the Society in each year, and such other general meetings as shall be requested by the officers or the Executive Committee or requested in writing by no fewer than thirty members of the Society.
The Annual General Meeting shall elect from its members a Chair, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer, who shall retire from office after three years’ service, renewable for one further period of three years; but they shall not thereafter be eligible for election until at least one year has elapsed . Periods of service as officers of the Society under this clause shall not count as membership of the Executive Committee for the purposes of 10(a) and 10(c) above.
Between meetings of the Executive Committee the Chair shall be responsible, in consultation with the Honorary Treasurer, for the financial affairs of the Society and, in consultation with the Honorary Secretary, for its educational and cultural activities.
The Executive Committee shall be empowered to appoint sub-committees formed of any members of the Society to carry out special tasks within the field of the Society’s interests as defined in paragraph 2 above.
The Society shall be non-profit making and any surpluses shall be devoted to furthering the activities which come within the ambit of the objects defined in paragraph 2 above.
The Society may be dissolved by the agreement of not less than three quarters of the members at a meeting specially called for the purpose, of which not less that six weeks’ notice shall be given to all members. Any funds existing at the time of dissolution shall not become the property of any member or members but be devoted to furthering any of the objects defined in paragraph 2 above.
Any motion for the alteration of the Constitution is to be carried by a two-thirds majority of the members present at a meeting called for the purpose, twenty-one days notice being given, the quorum to be thirty. No amendment may be made which would cause the Society to cease to be a charity at law.