Last amended: 21 March 2022

  1. Name
    1. The name of the Society shall be “The Cambridge University Light Entertainment Society” (hereinafter referred to as “the Society”).
  2. Aims of the Society
    1. To perform light entertainments for those to whom they would not normally be accessible.
    2. To perform light entertainments in order to raise money for charitable organisations, subject to those organisations being approved by a majority of the Committee.
    3. For members to have fun.
  3. Membership
    1. Membership of the society shall be open to all members of the University of Cambridge, including those having graduated from the University.
    2. Membership may be awarded to those not conforming to the requirements of the previous clause by a two-thirds majority decision of the Committee.
    3. Membership will be granted for life, but for the purposes of deciding a quorum, and for no other purpose, as described in ‘Meetings’ below, the number of members shall be counted as those members who have been active in the society in either the term of the meeting or any of the two preceding terms (where ‘active’ signifies participation in the productions of the society). The Secretary shall maintain a record of membership for the purposes of determining which members shall be defined as active.
    4. Membership may be revoked by decision of the member concerned, or by unanimous decision of the Executive Committee that the member concerned has been involved in conduct detrimental to the Society. No other grounds shall be accepted for the termination of membership; any member faced with expulsion from the Society shall have the right of appeal to the Senior Treasurer.
    5. All people that have taken an active role in productions of the society, which in the case of dispute will be determined by majority decision of the Committee, shall be awarded membership. Other people may be awarded membership by a two-thirds majority decision of the Committee in accordance with 3.2.
    6. The society shall not in any way discriminate against anybody on the grounds of race, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or political views.
    7. Membership will cost £5 per year or £15 for lifetime membership, paid to the Society bank account. Society members’ first show is free. This fee can be waived at the committee members discretion.
  4. Committee
    1. 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 AGM.
    2. The Executive Committee shall consist primarily of a President, a Secretary and a Junior Treasurer. 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.
    3. Additional members of the Committee (but not the Executive Committee) may be co-opted by a unanimous vote of the Executive Committee.
    4. A majority of the elected members of the Executive Committee shall be full-time undergraduate or postgraduate students of the University of Cambridge.
    5. The duties of the President shall be to provide general guidance for the Society; to chair Meetings; to liaise with senior members of the University concerning Society matters; to act as the point of contact between the Society and others; and to carry out such duties as may be necessary and appropriate. The President shall, in the event of unforeseen circumstances, be the first person to be called upon to direct, produce, write, act, sing or whatever may be necessary in order to satisfy the aims of the Society.
    6. The duties of the Secretary shall be to arrange and notify members of Meetings of all sorts; to take the minutes and keep the records of the Society; and to carry out such other duties as may be necessary and appropriate. The Secretary shall also be responsible for arranging venues for performances.
    7. The duties of the Junior Treasurer shall be to collect the membership fee, if such a fee exists; to arrange, in consultation with President and Secretary, such matters as may concern the financial business of the Society; and to carry out any other duties as may be necessary and appropriate.
    8. Where candidates exist, the committee may contain an Accessibility Officer. The duties of the Accessibility Officer will be to work with producers or the social secretary to ensure that society events (whether in person or online) are held in settings accessible to all participants, where at all practicable; to assist production teams in ensuring that all show-related materials are accessible, where at all practicable; to be the point of contact for any member who has an accessibility concern; to produce Access Statements for society events. Here an event, venue or a show-related material is considered accessible if no individual finds themself at a disadvantage with regards to accessing said event, venue or show-related material due to a disability or another access need. Where available in any given year, it is recommended that the Accessibility Officer undergoes accessibility training.
    9. Any member of the Committee who shall cease to be a member of the Society shall vacate their seat. If said member was a member of the Executive Committee, a Special General Meeting shall be called by the remaining members of the Committee within fourteen days, not counting the days which fall outside Full Term, in order to replace them.
    10. Any member of the Committee may be removed from office by the votes of two thirds of the members present at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose.
  5. Meetings
    1. Ordinary Meetings of the Society shall be set by the Committee, and need not occur on a regular basis. Any member may attend an Ordinary Meeting.
    2. Committee Meetings of the Society shall be set by the Committee, and require the presence of more than 1/2 of the Committee members to be quorate. Members of the Committee are expected to attend, and others may attend if they have the consent of at least 2 Committee members (who must be present at the Meeting). The Committee may decree statutes during any Committee Meeting, subject to a majority vote.
    3. 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 Single Transferable Vote.
    4. Nominations for the Committee posts should be given to the Secretary in writing at least 3 days before the AGM, along with the name and signature of the proposed, the nominator and the seconder. Anyone standing for a Committee post shall be prepared to stand hustings, which will be held before voting.
    5. A General Meeting shall have a quorum of one tenth of the total number of members and each member shall be entitled to one vote on each motion. Voting shall be by a simple show of hands. In the event of equality of votes the President shall have a second or casting vote. In the absence of the President at a Meeting, a temporary President shall be appointed prior to the start of the Meeting.
    6. A Special General Meeting shall be called by the Secretary upon the direction of the Committee or upon a requisition signed by one fifth of the total number of members. Notice of any Special General Meeting and of the object for which it is called should be given to each member who is a resident member of the university at least 7 days prior to the date of the Meeting, not counting days which fall outside Full Term. No business other than that named in the notice shall be brought before a Special Meeting.
    7. The Annual General Meeting shall be held annually in the Lent term on a date to be fixed by the Committee, preferably in the first half of said term. At least fourteen days notice of the AGM, with a copy of the proposed agenda, shall be given to each member who is a resident member of the University. The business of the AGM shall be to:
      1. receive the account or accounts and balance sheet;
      2. receive the report of the Committee;
      3. consider such other business as may be submitted by the Committee or any motion to be proposed by a member of which at least three days notice has been given to the Secretary in writing;
      4. set the membership fee, if any
      5. elect the Committee.
    8. At least two days before the AGM the Secretary shall publish or otherwise circulate the updated agenda, including:
      1. a list of nominations for the Committee posts, and
      2. any motions which have been submitted.
    9. In the event that a position of the Executive Committee is not filled during a General Meeting, or that a General Meeting is not quorate, another General Meeting will be called by the remaining Committee members within fourteen days, not counting days which fall outside Full Term.
  6. Property and papers of the Society
    1. The Society may receive and disclaim property of any nature and purchase or otherwise acquire property of any nature. The property belonging to the Society shall be invested in the name of the Society. The funds of the Society may only be applied for lawful purpose determined by the Committee or any General Meeting in support of the objects.
    2. Any member may at all reasonable times inspect all books and accounts at any place where the Secretary/Junior Treasurer may produce them for inspection. The Junior Treasurer shall keep proper account of the finances of the Society and shall open/maintain a bank account in the name of the Society.
    3. Records shall be taken and minutes kept in such a form as the Committee may direct of the proceedings at all General Meetings and Meetings of the Committee. The minutes of every such Meeting shall be confirmed and signed by the President at a subsequent Meeting. When signed they shall be conclusive to all matters and things therein recorded.
  7. Affiliated societies
    1. The Cambridge Old Graduate and Graduand Light Entertainment Society (COGGLES) is a permanently affiliated part of The Society.
  8. Financial matters
    1. The Society shall maintain a banking account with a suitable Bank or Building Society to hold the Society’s funds.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. The Senior Treasurer shall not be liable for any financial debt or other obligation of the Society unless personally authorised such a debt in writing.
    5. 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.
    6. The Society will donate all profits made to a charity that is voted on by the Society’s members. ‘Profits’ excludes any money needed to reimburse Society members for expenses incurred in the production process.
  9. Disciplinary processes
    1. 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 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.
    2. 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.
  10. Dissolution
    1. In the situation where more than 2/3 of the Committee believe it is necessary to dissolve the Society, they must call an SGM, giving at least twenty-one days’ written notice, and advertise this to the Society through all its communication channels. The sole purpose of this SGM shall be to discuss and vote on the dissolution of the Society.
    2. All members of the Society may vote at this SGM and if any member is not able to vote in person they can either submit their vote in absentia to the Committee in advance of the SGM, by at least three days before the SGM, or they can elect a proxy to vote on their behalf. Again, the proxy must be arranged by three days before the date of the SGM. The committee can help to find someone to act as a proxy if necessary.
    3. At the SGM, a 2/3 majority is required to pass the motion and dissolve the Society.
    4. Any motion for Dissolution of the Society shall provide that assets remaining after all liabilities have been met shall be transferred either to another Registered University Society, or to the Societies’ Syndicate.
  11. Resignation
    1. Any member of the Committee who wishes to vacate their seat must inform the rest of the Committee in writing. This shall not affect their standing as a member of the Society. If said member was a member of the Executive Committee, a Special General Meeting shall be called by the remaining members of the Committee within fourteen days, not counting the days which fall outside Full Term, in order to replace them.
  12. Disclaimer
    1. The Society disclaims all responsibility for death, loss and injury incurred during or by Society activities, to the full extent allowable by the law.
  13. Amendments to this constitution
    1. These rules may only be amended in an Annual General Meeting, or a Special General Meeting called for that purpose. Any amendment shall require the votes of at least two-thirds of the members present at such a Meeting. The Committee shall have the power to make such bye-laws as it may consider necessary for the good government of the Society provided no such bye-law shall conflict with any rules. Notice of bye-laws should be brought to the attention of the Members.
    2. 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.