The Lawns Residents Association Constitution

Definition: The Lawns Residents Association (hereafter referred to as the LRA):
The body reponsible for the benefit of the residents of the Lawns Centre, currently comprising Lambert, Nicholson, Morgan, Downs, Reckitt and Grant Halls. It it comprised of the following positions directly elected by the Lawns Centre population:
  1. President
  2. Vice-President
  3. Secretary
  4. Treasurer
  5. Entertainments Secretary
  6. Social Secretary

In addition, there are six hall JCR presidents who are elected by their respective hall as that hall's JCR president.

2. Elections

2.1 The Directly Elected Positions of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Entertainments Secretary and Social Secretary:

  1. These shall be elected by ballot in the week prior to the Easter break
  2. The Returning Officer shall call an election in the week prior to Easter break for the purpose of electing these positions with at least six weeks notice
  3. Nominations for these positions shall be received by the Returning Officer in writing, proposed and seconded by a Lawns Resident not later than two weeks prior to the election date
  4. The term of these positions shall commence from the start of the next academic year and shall continue until the end of the next academic year.
  5. Where a position's occupant has not been reelected, that person should help that position's elect to get to know their new role and provide him/her with all materials relevent
  6. In the event of only one person being nominated for a post, that person shall be automatically elected without going to the polls.
  7. The role of Chairman shall be filled by an internal election within the LRA membership

2.2 The Hall JCR Presidents

These are elected as JCR President according to that hall's JCR constitution

2.3 General

  1. A candidate may not stand for more than two of any of the positions within the LRA at any one time (this includes the JCR presidents)
  2. The election system uses a proportional representation system of counting votes.
  3. A register of those who have voted should be kept to prevent a resident voting more than once.

 

3. Functions

3.1 The LRA

Obligations of the LRA (are these too detailed? Definately need reorganising, or maybe broken into groups ...):

  1. To write and distribute a monthly LRA newsletter to all Lawns residents containing what has been happening at the LRA, publicising events etc.
  2. To represent the interests of all residents at the Lawns at all opportunities, especially at university committee level
  3. To work for the benefit and improvement of all Lawns residents, especially their happiness and well-being and the state of the Lawns accomodation
  4. To collect and justly maintain LRA fees levied from Lawns residents
  5. To advise the President on questions of LRA policy
  6. Hall JCR Presidents to act as liason officers between Hall Residents and their JCR committee and the LRA in order for better understanding and information to be passed easily
  7. To organise regular and substantial events within the Lawns Concourse
  8. To organise regular events to increase socialising and mixing of Lawns Residents eg; video nights, soccer matches etc.
  9. To organise occaisional large events too large for the Lawns Concourse outside the Lawns site eg; the Lawns Ball
  10. To hold regular meetings not less than one per academic week, and to notify Lawns residents of when and where the meeting shall take place (notice board best for this).
  11. To produce accurate minutes detailing each meeting and their delivery to the relevent parties
  12. To maintain a good relationship with Lawns Residents and to operate in a transparent and truthful manner. This is best achieved through posting messages on a dedicated LRA noticeboard.
  13. To organise suitable fresher week events to help new arrivals integrate quickly into established Lawns society. These events should be decided be the LRA elect prior to the end of the semester prior to when their term of office begins.
  14. Additional motions for a meeting's agenda over and above those carried from the previous meeting to be handed to the Secretary not later than noon three days before that meeting
  15. Agenda's for meetings to be displayed alongside the notification of the next meeting
  16. Non-LRA members should be permitted to attend meetings although they are not permitted to vote in decisions or act in the name of the LRA unless the LRA agrees to it.
  17. A budget (business plan) outlining the proposed LRA income and expenditure for the session should be decided before the end of October and made public to relevent parties (including the Lawns residents). Expenditure beyond that specified in the budget must first receive the approval of a LRA meeting.

3.1.1 The LRA President

  1. To represent the LRA and Lawns Residents on such Committees of the University that request his/her presence.
  2. To act as spokesperson of the LRA and Lawns Residents if opinion is requested on any matter, subject to ratification by an LRA meeting
  3. To take action on the decisions of the LRA committee
  4. To act in all respects of the benefit of the Hall; to enhance the conditions of residents and to promote their welfare in all possible ways
  5. To act as Returning Officer for Elections in the week prior to the Easter break unless standing for re-election

3.1.2 The LRA Vice-President

3.1.3 The LRA Secretary

3.1.4 The LRA Treasurer

3.1.5 The LRA Entertainments Secretary

3.1.6 The LRA Social Secretary

3.1.7 The LRA chairman

4. Removal of LRA members

  1. A LRA member may be removed from the LRA if more than two thirds of the other LRA members agree with that member's removal.
  2. The position left vacant by that member's removal shall be filled by an election which shall be held at the earliest possible date, subject to the regulations governing elections
  3. Any LRA member missing for three consecutive ordinary meetings without good reason shall be deemed to have resigned.