Our Constitution

South African Society for Atmospheric Sciences

Objectives
The objectives of the Society shall be:
- To stimulate interest and support for all branches of atmospheric sciences
- To encourage research and education in the atmospheric sciences
- To promote collaboration between organisations and institutions interested in the science of the atmosphere.

Membership
Persons who agree with the objectives of the Society may be considered for membership. The Society shall consist of Honorary Members, Ordinary Members, Institutional Members and Student Members. Prospective Members shall apply to become a member of the Society and will be subsequently approved by the Council. Senior students (MSc and PhD) may apply to the Council to become Ordinary Members

Privileges of membership
Ordinary Members, who are in good standing, shall have full rights to hold any office of the Society and to nominate candidates for election to all offices of the Society. Such members shall receive all ordinary publications of the Society issued during the year of their admission to the Society and those issued during years in which they continue to pay their subscription to the Society.

Honorary, Institutional and Student Members shall receive all ordinary publication of the Society but shall not be eligible to hold office or to vote at meetings of the Society. Honorary members shall not pay membership fees.

Termination of membership
Members may resign at any time but members who resign after 30 September in any year shall be liable for full subscription for that financial year. Council shall have the power to strike off the roll the names of members who are more than two years in arrears in payment of their subscription.

The Council, after a hearing and by a majority vote of two thirds of all its members, may censure, suspend or expel from the Society any member who infringes the Code of Ethics (which forms the Addendum to this Constitution).

Liability of members
The Society shall sue or be sued in its own name, and the financial liability of members shall not exceed the annual membership fee and costs of purchasing published material from the Society.

Management of the Society
The management of the Society shall be entrusted to a Council.

Council
The Council shall consist of four office bearers of the Society, namely a President, Vice President, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer, and six more members, elected as Councillors in the manner hereafter presented.

The President of SASAS should not be permitted to serve more than two terms of office.

Any member of the Society who is eligible and in good standing may be proposed as Councillor upon written or on-line nomination by a member of the Society who is in good standing. Nominees shall submit notification of their availability for election. Nomination for the Council must be received not less than six weeks before every quadrennial Annual General Meeting. Members must vote for not more than 10 nominees, and the votes will be collated by the Honorary Secretary a week before the Annual General Meeting.

The new Council's term of office shall begin immediately after every quadrennial Annual General Meeting and will last for four years.

The Council shall have the power to co-opt a maximum of two persons if it is in the interest of the Society. Such members shall have no voting power on the Council.

The appointment of any trustee shall be subject to confirmation at the next Annual General Meeting.

Meetings and powers of the Council
Ordinary meetings of the Council shall take place in conjunction with the Annual General Meeting.

The President and Honorary Secretary may convene extraordinary meetings of the Council on the request of a member of the Council. Notice, in writing, of Council meetings shall be sent to all Councillors at least two weeks before the date of the meeting. At the meeting of Council eight elected members shall form a quorum.

The President shall preside as chairman at Council meetings and shall have a deliberative and casting vote.

The Council shall have the power to appoint committees for such purposes and with such powers, as it may deem necessary.

The Council shall have the power to determine electoral procedures.

The Council shall have the power to make by-laws to facilitate the work of the Society, to determine subscriptions and entrance fees, to approve publications in the name of the Society, to appoint trustees and accept and hold in trust for the Society any money or property belonging to the Society or in which the Society is interested. The Council shall have the power to execute and do all deeds that may be requisite in relation to any such trust.

Financial year and Annual General Meeting
The financial year of the Society is from 1 January to end December. The Annual General Meeting shall take place approximately mid-way in the financial year and all members must receive at least one month notice thereof. A chairman's report and financial report shall be presented at the Annual General Meeting.

Amendments to the constitution
Motions for amendments to the constitution, supported by a minimum of four members, must be received by the Honorary Secretary at least one month before the Annual General Meeting and the constitution will be amended accordingly provided at least two-thirds of the members at the Annual General Meeting vote in favour thereof.

Dissolution of the Society
Should the Society cease to exist, the net asset shall be transferred to the South African Council for Natural Scientists.

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Addendum: Code of Ethics
1. Members shall conduct themselves in a manner, which reflects dignity and honour on the profession off atmospheric scientists.
2. Members shall not knowingly take credit for work done by others; in publications and meetings credit shall be given where it is due.
3. In scientific practice members shall base their work on scientific principles applied in a scientific manner.
4. Members shall refrain from making exaggerated and unwarranted claims and statements.
5. Members who contribute new knowledge to the profession are expected to make known to the scientific world the results of their significant work or research.

September 1989

Addendum: Composition of SASAS Council
1. The number of council members should be reduced from 14 to 10. 100% of the SASAS members attending the AGM on 10 September 2009 voted in support of the motion.
2. The President of SASAS should not be permitted to serve more than three terms of office. 100% of the SASAS members attending the AGM on 10 September 2009 voted in support of the motion.

10 September 2009

Addendum (19 November 2021)

Membership
Prospective Members shall apply to become a member of the Society and will be subsequently approved by the Council. Senior students (MSc and PhD) may apply to the Council to become Ordinary Members

Council – Election
Any member of the Society who is eligible and in good standing may be proposed as Councillor upon written or on-line nomination by a member of the Society who is in good standing. The nominee shall submit notification of his/her availability for election. Nomination for the Council must be received not less than six weeks before every alternate Annual General Meeting. Members must vote for not more than 10 nominees, and the votes will be collated by the Honorary Secretary a week before the Annual General Meeting.

Council – Term
The President of SASAS should not be permitted to serve more than two terms of office.

The new Council's term of office shall begin immediately after every quadrennial Annual General Meeting and will last for four years.

Meetings and powers of the Council
The President and Honorary Secretary may convene extraordinary meetings of the Council on request of a member of the Council.

Financial year and Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting shall take place approximately mid-way in the financial year and all members must receive at least one month notice thereof.

Addendum (30 October 2024)

Council Meetings
The quorum for any duly constituted Council meeting shall be 50% (fifty percent) of its members plus one (1).