Setting up a society

This handbook details how to go about setting up a society under St. John’s Common Room.

Further reading: See Bye-Law 4: ‘Affiliated Organisations’ in the SJCR constitution, and Schedule 1 of the SJCR Sub-Committee and Society Regulations.

All queries regarding setting up a society should be directed to the SJCR Sports & Societies Officer.

Procedure

  1. A St. John’s society may be affiliated only with the SJCR, not with the Students’ Union or any other student organisation. Make sure you’re happy for your society to work on only a college level and not univeristy wide.
  2. Select your initial executive committee. This must be at least:
    • President
    • Treasurer

      but generally also includes:
    • Secretary
    • Social Secretary
  3. You can either have the Default Society Constitution, which is generally suitable for all, or write your own constitution. Contact the SJCR Sports & Societies Officer for help with this.
    • A constitution is a list of aims, objectives and regulations that the society will observe. Statements such as “membership of the society shall be open to all SJCR members” and “the Society shall have a President” are examples of statements contained in a constitution for a society.
  4. The new society will have to be approved by the SJCR at an SJCR Meeting. This should be done by writing a motion resolving to aliate the society to the SJCR and ratifying the members of the executive committee.
    • See HANDBOOK 3 – Writing a motion
  5. Societies in the SJCR will receive funding from the SJCR budget. The allocation of this funding is decided by the Sports & Societies Officer.
  6. An SJCR Society may not charge a membership fee.