UCC Society Start Up Form 2014

UCC Society Start Up Form 2014
                         Email to: development@uccsocieties.ie

This is the official pack for applying to start or restart a society in University College
Cork, only applications done according to this pack will be considered to be brought
before the Societies Guild Executive for a discussion.

So how do start a society in UCC?
1. Complete this Pack in full
2. Bring it to Student Activities Office or preferably email to the above address.
3. The proposal has to be passed by Societies Guild Executive at an official meeting.
4. Then your proposal is brought to the Academic Council Committee for the Student
Experience
5. If passed you will then be given provisional status as a UCC Society

What does “Status” mean?
Societies have four official statuses –Dormant, Provisional Year 1, Provisional Year 2
and Full Status. The reason for provisional status being granted to a newly
started/restarted society is to ensure that there is a continuous interest on campus to
sustain your society. The society’s status will be reviewed 2 years after a successful
start/restart at which time it will be decided by the Societies Guild Exec whether to
keep the society at Provisional or upgrade to Full.

Before you start, ask yourself a few vital questions:
1. Is there already a society that offers this activity or something similar to it within the
UCC?
2. If so, would my society have a better chance as a smaller part of an existing society?
3. How are students going to benefit from becoming involved?
4. Will students be interested?
5. Am I determined enough to carry this off?
6. Is there a Society with the same ethos and activities currently active in another third
level institution in Ireland? If so this may help your application.
7. Has there previously been a society in UCC with the same title/activities that you are
proposing? If so you can re-start this society and as such will speed up your application
as it is much easier to re-start a society than form one from scratch.

If you are unsure about any of the answers to the above questions, then the next step is
to talk to the Membership Development Officer (development@uccsocieties.ie), or any
member of the Societies Guild Exec, as they will be able to advise you and discuss your
ideas further.

Where do I begin?
Step 1:
Decide what society you would like to create. Remember you need 100 UCC student
members to start a new society.
Step 2:
Fill out all the relevant forms including a cover letter explaining the purpose of the new
society and pointing out that there is no other society on campus that can currently
meet your needs, by referring to the current list of active UCC societies on
uccsocieties.com
Step 3:
Find three other people who are keen on your proposed society activity to help with
starting up by forming an interim committee. (fill out the form below)
Step 4:
When the forms have been filled in, send them into the Societies Guild Exec for
consideration. You may not use the word society to describe yourself until the Societies
Guild Exec has passed your proposal.
Step 5:
The Guild Exec may need to call you in for a chat about your potential society to make
sure they have all the information before making a final decision. But if your application
forms are fully complete and clearly state your objectives you won’t need to come in.
Step 6:
If your society is approved by the Societies Guild, there is only one step left to hurdle –
Joint Board. The Societies President will make a case in favour of the society at a
meeting of Joint Board. College authorities will then evaluate the benefit to the wider
student population.
Step 7:
If the Joint Board approves the society, you will be given Provisional Society Status.
This is your chance to show what the society can do. However, you will not have the
same funds available as a full society.
You’ll have the chance to make special applications to get the finances to run big events
– and, of course, we’ll encourage you to raise money within your society (through
sponsorship, fundraisers, etc.)
Step 8:
Hold an AGM to elect the committee to run your society. Please contact the Societies
Guild Exec to help you organise it and, as our regulation, to oversee the elections. A
Guild Rep must be present at all AGMs or they will be deemed invalid and you must
inform the Societies Guild at least two weeks in advance of the AGM.

Step 9:
Start to organise activities and events to achieve full status. You’ll be assigned a Guild
representative to inform you of our policies and activities, and advise you on the running
of the society. You will also be assigned an official societies email which you must use
for all correspondence with the Societies Guild Exec as this is our primary contact with
the society.

Answer questions below, create a constitution and get founding members and interested
student details according to table before emailing to development@uccsocieties.ie or
dropping into Accommodation and Student Activities Office on College Road.

Constitution:

Don’t worry; it’s not really as scary as it sounds. Most of the stuff you need to
include will be covered in this guide but it needs to be recorded formally. Just like
Bunreacht Na hEireann dictates the way Ireland must be run; and the Students’
Union Constitution is in effect the ‘rule book’ of the Union, each society must come
up with its own constitution. A Constitution is a formal way of setting policy and
procedures; and it is vital that your Society has one.
Your constitution is there to protect you, your members and your activity and to
guide the development of your society. You don’t actually have to write it all by
yourself. There is a sample Society Constitution ready for you below. Just amend it
accordingly to make it relevant to your Society.
Some important things you might like to add as requirements to your society
constitution:
           o To attend Societies Training sessions
           o To attend The Societies Guild Annual General Meeting

It would be a good idea for all committee members to familiarise themselves with
Society’s Guild Constitution (available from the Student Activities office) to be aware
of the operating procedures in all situations.

Sample Constitution:

  Constitution of the University College Cork Tree Craft Society

1.0 General

1.1 The title of this society shall be UCC Craft Society, hereafter called the Society.
1.2 The aim of the Society is:
• To provide an outlet for students and staff to express themselves creatively
through the medium of traditional craftwork in a social setting.
1.3 The objectives of the Society are:
• To give students and staff the opportunity to learn new crafts or further develop
existing craft skills.
• To share in the enjoyment of craftwork.
• To promote positive environmental awareness by recycling materials to create new
craft products.
• To promote environmentally friendly self-sufficiency amongst the student
population.
1.4 There shall be one class of membership: Ordinary membership of the Society
shall be available to all University students and staff

2.0 The Committee

2.1 The committee shall be elected solely from the ordinary members. It shall be
composed of the following officials;
• Auditor

• Treasurer
• Secretary
• Public Relations Officer
• First Year Representative
The number of committee members elected shall be decided upon at the Annual
General Meeting.

3.0 Election of Officials

3.1 The method of election shall be by simple majority vote.
3.2 Members of the committee may resign by giving one week’s written notice to
the Secretary, or in the case of the Secretary, to the Chairperson.
3.3 In the case of a vacancy on the Committee due to resignation, the Committee
shall have the power to co-opt any member to the Committee until the next General
Meeting.
3.4 The election of the First Year Representative shall be held in the October of each
academic year.

4.0 Duties of Officials

4.1 The Auditor shall chair meetings of the Committee and any general meetings
that may be held. The Chairperson has the right to co-opt any member of the Society
as an assistant.
4.2 The Secretary shall maintain a record of the meetings and deal with any
correspondence and
other administrative duties.
4.3 The Treasurer shall control all finances of the Society.
4.4 The Public Relations Officer will be responsible for the maintenance of the
profile of the society. It will be their responsibility to maintain contact with the press
and the media as well as acting host to visiting officials and guests.
4.5 The Society members shall take an active part in the Society, shall represent the
Society on any outing/activity and shall represent the Society when communicating
with bodies outside the Society.

5.0 Meetings

5.1 Committee meetings shall be held when deemed necessary by the Committee. At
least two meetings per term shall be held. The Secretary shall give at least two days
notice of any meeting.

6.0 Interpretation of the Constitution

6.1 The Auditor shall rule on the meaning of the constitution whenever any dispute
arises. This may be overruled by a simple majority vote at a general meeting.

7.0 The Societies Guild

7.1 The Societies’ Guild is the organisation of all recognised UCC Societies and the
UCC Society shall operate under the rules laid down by this organisation.

UCC Society Start Up Form 2014

1. What are the objectives of the Society?

2. Is there already a society that offers this activity or something similar to it
   within the UCC?

3. If so, would my society have a better chance as a smaller part of an existing
   society?

4. How long has the group been in operation and what events has it already
   held?

5. How are students going to benefit from becoming involved?

6. Will students be interested?

7. What events do you have planned? Please lay out a one year plan.

8. Am I determined enough to carry this off?

9. Is there a Society with the same ethos and activities currently active in
   another third level institution in Ireland? If so this may help your application.

    .
10. Has there previously been a society in UCC with the same title/activities that
    you are proposing? If so you can re-start this society and as such will speed
    up your application as it is much easier to re-start a society than form one
    from scratch.

11. Would your group require special facilities, large funds etc.?

12. Required with this application:
               Standard type Constitution (see later)
               List of 100 members showing names, faculty, and year
               Four signatories (committee) with Names, Faculties, Years,
                  Telephone Numbers.
               Sample budget with income and expenditure for one year

Founding Members:

The following students propose to set up and run the society/student activity named
above, in line with the aims and objectives stated and the constitution attached.

Auditor:

Name:
Course & Year:
Student Number:
Mobile Number:
Email Address:
Date of Birth:

Secretary:

Name:
Course & Year:
Student Number:
Mobile Number:
Email Address:
Date of Birth:

Finance Officer:

Name:
Course & Year:
Student Number:
Mobile Number:
Email Address:
Date of Birth:

Public Relations Officer:

Name:
Course & Year:
Student Number:
Mobile Number:
Email Address:
Date of Birth:

100 Signatures:
( See Attached)

     No.          Name:   Faculty :   Year:   Student No:
1

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

100