Mos Maiorum
1. Name: The name of the Society shall be “The Tanner Society.”
2. Definitions:
In this mos maiorum, the following terms shall have the meanings proscribed below:
2.1: “The University” shall mean the University of Newcastle
2.2: “The Professor” shall mean the late Professor Godfrey Tanner.
2.3: “The Board” shall mean the Board of Custodians.
2.4: “The Society” shall mean The Tanner Society.
2.5: “the mos maiorum” shall mean this constitution
3. Objects:
a) To recognise and celebrate the contribution of the Professor to the life of the University.
b) To record and pass on the experiences and views of the Professor insofar as they relate to the life of the University and such other matters which interested him.
c) To promote the intellectual and educational values held by the Professor and shared by many of the University community of his times.
d) To offer such advice as the Professor might reasonably have been expected to furnish to individuals and organisations (whether they welcome it or not) as the occasion arises.
e) To provide a forum for such debates as the Society believes the Professor would have been an enthusiastic contributor to.
f) To ensure that the University community continues to be aware of its indebtedness to the Professor.
4. Membership:
a) Plebeian Membership
Plebeian membership of the Society shall be open to enrolled students of the University of Newcastle. No charge for membership of the Society shall be levelled on Plebeian members, but such members must make application to, and be accepted as members by the Society in accordance with this mos maiorum.
b) Patrician Membership:
Patrician membership of the Society shall be open to the following categories of persons:
I. Staff employed by the University of Newcastle
II. Members of Convocation
III. Past staff and students of the University
IV. People who were personally acquainted with the Professor – including any such person who would also be eligible for Plebeian membership.
4.1: The members of the society shall be:
a) Those people present at the inaugural meeting of the Society and voting in favour of its formation and adopting this mos maiorum; and
b) subsequently, those people whose application for admittance as a member of the Society is accepted by a simple majority at a duly constituted meeting of the Society.
4.2 Membership Fees:
a) Membership fees (for Patrician members) shall be set at the Annual General Meeting of the Society, on all such occasions before the main course is consumed. The intent of this clause is to ensure sober consideration of such financial matters.
b) The due date for payment of membership fees shall also be determined by each Annual General Meeting. Consideration of this matter may, unlike a) (above) be deferred until the main course has been consumed.
c) Financial members of the Society shall be those members who have paid the Membership Fees in accordance with this mos maiorum.
5. Officials:
Officials of the Society shall be elected or appointed in accordance with the following cursus honorum, set out in decreasing order of pomp and importance.
1. Dictator: A dictator may be appointed by the Consuls, from amongst the membership of the Society, for a term of not more than six months. Such appointment may be made in time of crisis or to facilitate a particular project. A Dictator so appointed shall have all the powers normally enjoyed by the Consuls. The Consuls, during the Dictator’s period of office, shall carry out such of their normal duties as prescribed by the Dictator.
2. Consuls: Each Annual General Meeting of the Society shall elect two Consuls of the Society. These Consuls shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting, or until they resign or otherwise become incapable of holding office. Each Consul shall have the power of veto over actions proposed by the other Consul. The Consuls, between them, shall:
a) convene and chair all meetings of the Society.
b) act as spokespersons for the Society.
c) ensure that the provisions of this mos maiorum are adhered to in the affairs of the Society.
d) compile and record all proceedings at meetings of the Society, including papers presented at such meetings, motions moved and other material as they consider relevant into an acta diurna which shall be distributed to members or published in whatever form, media or format that the Consuls consider appropriate.
e) send and receive all correspondence on behalf of the Society.
f) generally administer the affairs of the Society.
g) convene and chair all meetings of the Board of Custodians.
h) act on the Society’s behalf between meetings of the Society.
3. Censor: Each Annual General Meeting shall elect a Censor for the same term as the Consuls. The Censor shall:
a) keep a record of the names, addresses and contact details of all members of the Society.
b) collect and pay out money on behalf of the Society.
c) keep the books and financial statements of the Society.
d) present an accounting of the financial affairs of the Society to each Annual General Meeting.
4. Aedile: Each Annual General Meeting shall elect an Aedile, for the same
term as the Consuls. The Aedile shall:
a) ensure that an appropriate venue is obtained for each meeting of the Society.
b) ensure that small glasses of sherry are distributed to the members prior to each meeting of the association.
c) ensure that sufficient food and drink is available (at the members’ expense) to sustain the members throughout the lengthy proceedings required to address the business of the Society at each meeting.
d) negotiate with the Consuls regarding a guest speaker and/or papers to be delivered at the Annual General Meeting.
5. Custodians: Each Annual General Meeting shall elect as many Custodians as it sees fit, provided that the total number of Custodians and Officials elected in accordance with the sections 2) to 4) above does not exceed fifteen. The Officials elected in accordance with sections 2) to 4) above (inclusive) together with the Custodians elected under this clause shall form the Board of Custodians. The powers, duties and role of the Board of Custodians are set out in Section 6, below, of this mos maiorum.
6. The Board of Custodians:
The Board of Custodians, as elected and constituted in Section 5 above of this mos maiorum (being all the Officials of the Society), shall form the editorial board of the Society. The Board of Custodians shall consider all papers submitted to the Society for publication. Such papers making a substantive contribution to a debate shall be assessed by the board on the basis of their merit. Papers accepted by the Board shall be published in what form and format the Society sees fit and form part of the Libri Sibyllini.
7. Meetings of the Society:
a) The Society shall meet at least once per calendar year. This shall be the Annual General Meeting.
b) Notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be given to all members not less than one calendar month before the scheduled date of the meeting.
c) Notice of the Annual General Meeting shall include notice of all business to be considered at the meeting. No amendment of this mos maiorum may be considered by the Annual General Meeting unless notice of such proposed amendment is provided to the Consuls at least six weeks before the scheduled date of the meeting and such notice is then forwarded to the members.
d) Special Meetings of the Society may be called by the Consuls provided that at least one calendar month’s notice is given to all members. Notice of all business to be discussed at such meetings shall be included in the notice of such meeting.
e) Decisions shall be taken by voting, a simple majority to suffice on all occasions.
f) Quorum at meetings of the Society shall equal the number of Officials elected in accordance with this mos maiorum at the previous Annual General Meeting.
g) In the event of a tied vote, the Consuls, in addition to their ordinary vote, exercise a single casting vote between them.
h) Meetings, where possible, shall be held over dinner.
8. Meetings of the Board of Custodians:
a) All papers submitted to the Society shall be sent to the Consuls.
b) The Consuls shall, upon receipt of such papers, circulate them to the Board of Custodians for their consideration.
c) If a member of the Board of Custodians is the author of a paper so submitted and circulated, that Board member may take no part in the Board’s deliberations regarding that paper (other than making the same representations available to any other person submitting such a paper), nor exercise a vote regarding its acceptance.
d) Each member of the Board of Custodians shall, within the time requested by the Consuls (not being less than two weeks) consider the paper and reply by way of email, letter or phone call, casting their vote in favour of acceptance, against such acceptance or proposing that the author be requested to re-submit the work, taking certain considerations into account.
e) Each such circulation of a paper, together with the responses from the Custodians, shall constitute a meeting of the Custodians.
f) Quorum for such a meeting of the Custodians shall consist of half plus one of their number replying and casting a vote or abstaining.
g) A simple majority shall suffice to decide questions considered by the Board.
h) A member of the Board may request that a matter be revisited by the Board, in which case, such request shall be circulated, discussed and voted on in the same manner as if it were a paper submitted for publication.
8. Dissolution of the Society:
a) The Society may only be dissolved by unanimous vote of all members.
b) Upon such dissolution, any funds or assets held by the Society shall be given to the University Students Union/ Sports Union (what’s it all called now?) to be used to benefit the students of the University.
