1. NAME

The society shall be called 'FUSION — The Open University Physics & Astronomy Society' (referred to hereafter as 'the Society'). The name may be abbreviated to FUSION.

2. AIMS

1. To provide information to its members by means of a regular newsletter, website, and any other appropriate media.
   
2. To support and encourage the Open University Physics & Astronomy Department in maintaining a comprehensive and up-to-date syllabus of Physics & Astronomy courses.
   
   
3. To foster the exchange of ideas between members on the theory and practice of Physics & Astronomy.
   
4. To encourage its members to join the Institute of Physics (IOP).
   
5. To encourage its members to participate in events organised by the Society and the IOP.
   
6. To encourage communication between members and the OU Physics & Astronomy Department.

3. MEMBERSHIP

1. Full membership shall be open to all students, former students and staff of the Open University.
   
2. Associate membership shall be open to any other person.
   
3. Membership may be refused to persons who are opposed to the aims of the Society.

4. GOVERNMENT

1. The governing body and sole policy making body of the Society shall be the General Meeting consisting of all members of the Society who choose to attend. The quorum for General Meetings shall be 7 (seven) members of the Society's full and associate membership.
   
2. The affairs of the Society shall be administered between General Meetings by the Committee.
   
3. Notice of General Meetings shall be given to all full and associate members not less than 21days in advance of such meetings. Publications in SESAME or in a newsletter or other publication of the Society sent at an appropriate time to all full and associate members shall be regarded as notice. The notice shall include the name and telephone number of a member from whom details of the Meeting's business can be obtained.
   
4. Any full or associate member of the Society shall be entitled to speak or vote on any matter before a General Meeting; except where specifically excluded by the provisions of this constitution.
   
5. Minutes of all General Meetings shall be kept by the Secretary and shall be available upon reasonable notice for inspection by any full or associate member.
   
6. There shall be an Annual General Meeting (AGM) which shall be called not less than 11 months and not more than 15 months after the immediate previous AGM, subject to clause (ii), (iii) and (iv) of this section of the constitution.
   
7. The Committee may call ordinary General Meetings subject to clause (ii) to (v) inclusive of this section of the constitution.
   
8. An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) may be called by the Committee or at the request of not less than 33% of the full members of the Society made in writing to the Secretary. Such requests shall specify the business for which the meeting is to be called. Upon receipt of such request the Secretary shall within 1 calendar month give notice of the meeting to the Society. EGMs shall be subject to clause (ii), to (v) inclusive of this section of the Constitution. The agenda for an EGM shall comprise only the business for which the meeting has been called.

5. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE

1. The Committee of the Society shall consist of the Officers and not more than 9 ordinary Committee members. The quorum for Committee Meetings shall be 5 members of which at least one member shall be an officer.
   
2. The Officers of the Society shall be: Chair, Secretary, Treasurer.
   
3. The Officers and ordinary committee members shall normally be elected at one AGM and shall hold office until the end of the succeeding AGM
   
4. Only full members of the Society may nominate or be nominated for officers posts or ordinary committee membership. Nominations which have a proposer and seconder shall be accepted up to the time of the election.
   
5. No member shall be eligible to be nominated for the same officer post for more that 5 (five) consecutive years. No member shall be eligible to be nominated for membership of the committee (either as an officer or as an ordinary member) for a total of more than 7 (seven) years whether consecutive or separate. The provisions of this clause may be waived in whole or in part for periods of one year at a time at the discretion of an AGM if insufficient eligible members are nominated for officer posts or committee membership.
   
6. In the event of any casual vacancies either of officers or ordinary committee members, the Committee may in its absolute discretion leave the vacancy unfilled, co-opt from amongst the full members of the Society or call an ordinary General Meeting for the purpose of election. Not more than 3 (three) co-options shall be made between General Meetings.
   
7. To be eligible for nomination for a key post, members must have occupied a committee position for at least one year, and demonstrated a willingness to attend committee meetings regularly. Key posts are defined as Treasurer and Membership Secretary.

6. FINANCE

1. The Society's financial year shall run from the 1st November to the 31st October.
   
2. The Society shall levy subscriptions on its members. Such subscriptions shall fall due on the anniversary of their joining date and shall be determined by the immediately preceding General Meeting.
   
3. The treasurer shall be responsible for the conduct of all financial matters and shall maintain the accounts of the Society. The accounts shall be available upon reasonable notice for inspection by any full member of the Society.
   
4. The accounts of the Society shall be subject to annual audit by two unqualified (or one qualified) auditors who are not members of the Committee and shall be presented to the AGM.
   
5. All expenditure shall be in connection with the AIMS of the Society. The treasurer shall have the authority to spend sums in total not exceeding £250 between committee meetings. The Committee may authorise the expenditure of sums up to £1000 and not exceeding in total £5000 between General Meetings. Any expenditure in excess of these sums must be authorised by a General Meeting.
   
6. The Treasurer and one other officer will sign cheques or make bank withdrawals on behalf of the Society, subject to clause (v) of this section of the constitution.
   
7. In the event of the Society being dissolved or wound up its assets shall be realised and any sum remaining after settlement of all outstanding liabilities shall be donated to the Institute of Physics or the Open University Department of Physics and Astronomy for the setting up of a Trust for the promotion and/or support of studying Physics & Astronomy through the Open University.

7. CHANGES TO THE CONSTITUTION

1. This constitution may be changed only by a resolution supported by at least two-thirds of the full members present and voting at an AGM of the Society. All full members are entitled to vote by proxy in writing (through the secretary) if they are unable to attend the meeting and wish to vote at the AGM. These must be received by the secretary one full week beforehand.
   
2. Proposed change to the constitution must be notified in writing to the secretary not less than 10 (ten) weeks before the AGM at which they will be discussed.
   
3. Changes in the constitution shall be notified in writing to all full and associate members of the Society. Each notification may be by publication in a newsletter and other publications sent out to all full and associate members.

8. SAFETY

Neither the Society nor any of its officers or members can accept responsibility for the safety of anyone attending visits or any other events.

9. This Constitution was adopted at a meeting of FUSION – the Open University Physics Society held on Saturday 13th January 2001.

ANNEX TO CONSTITUTION
Affiliation to the Open University Students' Association (OUSA)

On behalf of the above named Society we agree that the Society shall conform to the criteria for affiliation approved by the OUSA Conference of the Open University Students' Association (OUSA) in March 1984 and we acknowledge the grounds for disaffiliation approved by the Executive Committee at the same time.

We agree that the Society shall not make any statement nor distribute any publication nor communicate with any organisation or individual in the name of OUSA.

This annex was agreed by the officers of the Society on Momday 12th March 2001 as a condition of affiliation to the Open University Students' Association (OUSA)

AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

At the AGM on 2 February 2002:

"the anniversary of their joining date" replaced "the 1st November of each year" in Clause 6(ii).

At the AGM on 25 January 2003:

"General Meeting" replaced "AGM" in Clause 6(ii).

At the AGM on 24 January 2004:

The number of ordinary committee members referred to in Clause 5(i) was increased from 4 to 7.

The maximum consecutive tenure for officers referred to in Clause 5(v) was increased from 3 to 5 years.

The maximum tenure for ordinary committee members referred to in Clause 5(v) was increased from 6 to 7 years.

At the AGM on 28 January 2006:

The treasurer’s spending authority referred to in the second sentence of Clause 6(v) was increased from “not exceeding £50” to “not exceeding £250” between committee meetings.

The recipient of the Society’s assets in the event of it being dissolved or wound up, as referred to in Clause 6(vii), was changed from “the Open University Students Educational Trust or any other registered Charity” to “The Institute of Physics or the Open University Department of Physics and Astronomy for the setting up of a Trust for the promotion and/or support of studying physics through the Open University”.

At the AGM on 24 January 2009:

It was agreed to change of name of the Society from “Fusion – the Open University Physics Society” to “Fusion – the Open University Physics & Astronomy Society”; hence the words “& astronomy” were added after “physics” in the heading and in clause 1, 2(ii), 2(iii), 2(vi), 6(vii) line 4.

In clause 5(i), the maximum number of ordinary committee members was changed from 7 to 9.

Clause 5 (vii), defining Key Posts, was added.