Constitution of the DSA
as adopted at the first Annual General Meeting of the Association, Glasgow (27th September 1978, amended at the AGM held in Oxford (11th September 1981), at the AGM held in the University of Birmingham (16th November 2013) and at the AGM held in the University of Bath (7th September 2015).
1. NAME AND FORMATION
There is hereby constituted a Development Studies Association (DSA).
2. OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the Association shall be to advance knowledge of the alternative processes and methods of socio-economic change, which studies are commonly referred to as development studies, through inter-disciplinary studies, meetings, conferences, and the dissemination of information about research results, operation and practice, course curricula, and training schemes.
3. MEMBERSHIP
3.1 Membership shall comprise Ordinary Members, Honorary Members, Institutional Members and Associate Institutional Members.
3.1(a) Ordinary Members – Individuals who subscribe to the objectives of the Association may, upon application in due form, be admitted by the Council as Ordinary Members. Those persons whose names are subscribed to these Statutes are hereby declared to be Members of the Association without further formality; but the status, rights and obligations of such Members shall in other respects be the same as those of Members duly admitted under the present Article.
Concessionary members (retired, unwaged, students) shall have the same rights as ordinary members whilst paying a reduced membership fee.3.1(b) Honorary Members – Persons who have made an outstanding contribution to Development Studies may be nominated by Council to a General Meeting of the Association for election as Honorary Members of the Association, provided that the total number of such Honorary Members at any one time shall not exceed five per cent of the total number of paid-up Ordinary Members. The status of an Honorary Member is identical with that of an Ordinary member, and the provisions of these Statutes relating to Members shall apply equally to Honorary Members, except insofar as the payment of membership dues is concerned.
3.1(c) Institutional Membership and Associate Institutional Membership are open to institutions whose activities or interests conform to the objectives of the Association.
3.2 Privileges of Membership
Members of the Association shall, provided that they have paid the Membership dues for the appropriate period and provided that their Membership has not been terminated as provided below, have the following privileges:
3.2(a) The right to attend, subject to their paying any charge which may be made in respect of the meeting, and vote at meetings organised by the Association.
3.2(b) The entitlement to receive the regular newsletter (currently entitled DSA Bulletin) or other papers distributed by the Association.
3.2(c) Such other privileges as the Council may from time to time determine.
3.2(d) Each Member shall have one vote.
3.3 Junior members who are under 18 years of age may be members of DSA but may not, in law, hold office in the DSA.
3.4 Institutional Members and Associate Institutional Members of the DSA are entitled to rights and privileges established from time to time by the DSA Council and approved by the AGM and/or EGM, and advertised on the DSA Website.
3.5 Obligations of Membership
3.5(a) Every Member undertakes to abide by the Statutes and Standing Orders of the Association, and to pay such annual or other subscription, or other dues as the Association may from time to time in General Meeting determine.
3.5(b) The annual subscription of Members shall be determined, and may be varied, by a General Meeting of the Association.
3.6 Termination of Membership
Membership of the Association shall be terminated in any one of the following events:-
3.6(a) Where the Member has submitted his or her resignation in writing to the Council.
3.6(b) Where the Member's subscription dues are more than one year in arrears.
3.6(c) Where the Council has given notice to the Member that it proposes to terminate membership and has in fact so terminated it; but the Council shall, before exercising this power, give the Member in question an opportunity to make representations to the Council.
4. THE COUNCIL AND OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION
4.1 The management of the affairs of the association is vested in the DSA Council, whose Elected and Co-opted members shall serve as the Trustees of the Association. At all times the Council will aim to maintain and improve the high quality of development studies research, teaching and practice. The Council consists of:–
The President
The Honorary Secretary
The Honorary Treasurer
Twelve elected Members
Not more than three co-opted MembersThe DSA Administrator will attend Council meetings in a non-voting capacity.
4.2 The Officers, that is to say, the President, the Honorary Secretary and the Honorary Treasurer must be Members of the Association. Officers shall be elected by the Association at its Annual General Meeting. The President shall hold office for a term of three years and is not immediately eligible for re-election to the same or any other office.
4.3 The Elected Members of the Council must be members of the Association, and shall be elected by the Association at its Annual General Meeting. An Elected Member of Council shall hold office for a term of three years. An Elected Member shall be eligible to stand for election to a second three year term of office, but after serving two successive terms of office shall not be immediately re-eligible for election to the same office. A former Elected Member of Council shall be eligible to serve as an Officer or as a Co-opted member of Council.
4.4 For the purpose of ensuring an adequate geographical and disciplinary distribution of Members, and for other reasons as may from time to time seem appropriate, Council shall have power to co-opt not more than three additional Members. Such Co-opted Members must be members of the Association. Their membership of Council will be reviewed each year at the Annual General Meeting of the Association. The Council shall meet at least twice a year, and at other times when convened by the President. Five elected members of Council shall constitute a quorum.
4.4(a) The Council may appoint such Officers as it may think fit for the more efficient conduct of its business and may delegate any of its powers to such sub-committees as it may determine PROVIDED THAT the acts and proceedings of any such sub-committee shall be fully and promptly reported to the Council.
4.4(b) The Council may make Standing Orders (being not inconsistent with the provisions hereof) for regulating the affairs of the Association and of the Council, and for the conduct of the meetings of the Association and of the Council.
4.4(c) Council members may claim reasonable travel expenses associated with attendance at meetings of Council. The maximum amounts of such expenses will be as agreed by Council from time to time and as revised annually.
4.5 The President shall preside over meetings of the Association and the Council. Where the President is unable to act through absence, incapacity or any other cause, the Secretary may call a meeting and the Council shall elect an Acting (or Temporary) President who may exercise any of the functions of the President as provided in these Statutes or in the Standing Orders of the association during the absence of the President.
4.6 The proceedings of the Council, of the Annual General Meeting and of any Extraordinary General Meetings, will be minuted and will be made available to members of the DSA on request.
4.7 Votes in Council will be carried by simple majority of all Officers and elected members of Council. The Chair will, in the case of a tied vote, have a casting vote.
4.8 The powers of the Trustees (Officers and elected Members of the Council of the Development Studies Association) shall be:-
4.8(a) To raise funds and receive contributions.
4.8(b) To invest DSA funds provided this is done in full compliance with terms and specifications provided by the Charity Commission and as laid down by the Charity Commissioners from time to time.
4.8(c) To dispose of any assets remaining in the event of the dissolution of the Association according to the Constitution, and to provide for the repayment of any debts due to be paid by the Association in the event of its dissolution.
5. MEETINGS OF THE ASSOCIATION
5.1 The Association shall meet annually in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland and at such other times and such other places as the Council may determine. Five Members, not being officers or members of Council, shall constitute a quorum for any meeting of the Association.
5.2 The business of the Annual General Meeting shall comprise:-
5.2(a) The election of officers.
5.2(b) The election of members of Council.
5.2(c) The receipt of the verified accounts of the Association for the proceeding financial year.
5.2(d) The receipt of a general report by the Council on the activities of the Association.
5.2(e) Any other business relating to the Association and its affairs.
5.4 All paid-up Members of the DSA shall be entitled to vote at the AGM.
5.5 Extraordinary General Meetings may be called by Council or by a group of at least 10 members who will notify Council of their intention to call the EGM at least 28 days in advance of any such meeting.
5.6 Votes at the AGM or any EGM will be decided by a simple majority of those present and entitled to vote. However to amend the Constitution (see paragraph 7) a two-thirds majority of members present is required.
6. FINANCIAL AND ACCOUNTING PROVISIONS OF THE DSA
6.1 The DSA will set up and operate such Bank and Building Society Accounts which are from time to time deemed necessary.
6.2 The Bank and Building Society Accounts of the DSA in which the Assets of the Association are held will be operated by the Council in the name of the DSA. All cheques and orders for the payment of money from such accounts will be signed by either a) two (2) Trustees (members of Council), or b) by the Association’s Administrator and one (1) Trustee.
6.3 Payments to the DSA with respect to subscriptions, conference fees or any other of the activities undertaken in pursuit of the Association’s objectives may be collected by cash, cheque, standing order, direct debit, credit and debit cards or bankers draft.
6.4 Members of Council will not normally receive any payment in return for duties performed on behalf of the Council. In exceptional circumstances members of Council may receive benefit in money or in kind for duties undertaken at the specific request of the Council which are above and beyond ‘normal duties’ of a Trustee. Such payments will be approved by Council complying with the official guidance provided by the Charity Commission for England and Wales (CCE&W) and by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).
6.5 The DSA will prepare Annual Accounts which will be submitted to the AGM. The DSA Council will appoint an independent examiner, subject to the approval of the AGM, to verify the Annual Accounts before they are submitted to the AGM.
6.6 The DSA will submit its Annual Report and Accounts to the Charity Commissioners within 10 months of the end of the financial year following the submission and adoption of the accounts at the Annual General Meeting.
7. AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION
7.1 These Statutes may be amended by a two-thirds majority of the Members of the Association present and voting at an Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting called for that purpose PROVIDED THAT no amendment shall be made to clause 2 without the approval of the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales (CCE&W) and of the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) and PROVIDED ALSO THAT no amendment shall be made so as to cause the Association to cease to be a charity in law. Any amendment shall be fully noted in the Minutes of the AGM or the EGM.
7.2 Any proposal for an amendment of the Statutes shall be in writing (transmitted in hardcopy or electronically) and shall either:-
7.2(a) be submitted by the Council; or
7.2(b) be supported by the signature of at least 10 members of the Association and be submitted not less than 28 days before the date of the General Meeting at which it is sought to move the amendment.
7.3 Any such proposed amendment shall be circulated to Members (either in hardcopy or electronically) not less than 14 days before the date of the General Meeting at which it is sought to move the amendment.
7.4 Any amendment shall be notified to the Charity Commission for England and Wales (CCE&W) and to the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) via a copy of the minutes of the AGM/EGM and a copy of the new Constitution shall be submitted to the CCE&W and OSCR and Signed by the President of the DSA and accompanied by a declaration which shall read “I certify this to be a true copy of the original Constitution of the DSA” Signed and Dated.
8. PROPERTY OF THE ASSOCIATION FOLLOWING DISSOLUTION
If, upon dissolution of the Association there remains, after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities, any property whatsoever the same shall not be paid or distributed among Members of the Association but shall be given or transferred to some other charitable institution or institutions having objectives similar in whole or in part to the objectives of the Association, to be determined by the Members of the Association at or before the time of dissolution. Nothing in this constitution shall authorise an application of the property of the charity for purposes which are not charitable in accordance with section 7 of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005.”