Dawn Duellists Society Constitution

The Dawn Duellists Society (DDS) is a not-for-profit society based in the heart of Edinburgh, Scotland. In keeping with this status it has a written constitution which defines the activities of the Society.

Constitution Of The Dawn Duellists Society

Name

The name of the society shall be The Dawn Duellists Society, abbreviated to DDS, and referred to in this document as The Society.

Objectives

The objectives of The Society shall be:

  • To study and practise historical swordsmanship and other historical European martial arts.
  • To practice historically accurate yet safe duelling customs.
  • To provide classes and support in various weapon systems to enable safe free-play and safe independent study where practical, regardless of natural ability.
  • To maintain and improve the standard of swordplay within The Society.
  • To maintain an open and collaborative environment promoting mutual respect among members.
  • To work with other organisations or individuals with similar aims or academic interests to enable the free exchange of expertise and ideas.
  • To raise awareness of historically accurate swordsmanship in the general public.
  • To maintain and improve the profile and reputation of the Society.

Constitution, Policy Documents And Amendment Thereof

The Society may amend this constitution by resolution with a 75% majority vote at an Annual General Meeting or, following a proposal to the Committee, at a General Meeting where members are given at least one month’s notice to see the proposal and be able to attend by allowable means.

In the event that an amendment is made, a dated copy of the pre-amended version must be archived as detailed in the Office Bearers And Committee Guide*.

All policy documents referred to in this constitution and marked with an asterisk (*) are to be the current versions of those documents as approved by the Committee and agreed by the electorate.

  • Treasury Fees Document
  • Office Bearers And Committee Guide
  • Instructors And Supervisors Guide
  • Code Of Conduct
  • Discipline Code
  • Honours Duelling Code

The official policy documents referred to in this constitution under paragraph 3.3 may be amended by The Society at any time subject to approval by the Committee and agreement by the electorate.

Membership

Membership is available, on payment of subscription, to anyone over the age of 18 interested in pursuing studies in keeping with The Society’s objectives as defined in this constitution under section 2 Objectives, unless vetoed by the Committee.

Appeal against veto may be made if representation is made to the Committee by a member of The Society’s electorate whereupon the matter shall be brought before The Society’s electorate to decide at an Appeal General Meeting in accordance with the regulations detailed in the Disciplinary Code*.

All members shall be deemed to accept the terms of the constitution, and to agree to abide by the rules and guidelines of The Society as they are published in policy documents by the Committee and agreed by The Society’s electorate.

Membership of The Society shall be divided into four administrative levels having the rights defined in this constitution under section 5 Membership Rights:

  • Active Membership – a person is deemed an Active Member of The Society if they have paid the yearly subscription as detailed in the current Treasury Fees Document*.
  • Trial Membership – a person is deemed a Trial Member of The Society if they meet the qualification criteria as detailed in, and are paying the session subscription as detailed in the current Treasury Fees Document*.
  • Honorary Membership – a person is deemed an Honorary Member of The Society if they are nominated for and awarded this title by The Society at a General Meeting.
  • Visitor Membership – a person is deemed a Visitor Member of The Society if they do not qualify for Trial Membership and are paying the pro-rata subscription as detailed in the current Treasury Fees Document*. Visitor Members have temporary membership of The Society for the duration of their visit.

Membership Rights

All members shall have the right to attend and participate in any class, workshop or event that they are physically fit for and that their level of fencing standard qualifies them to as defined in this constitution under section 12 Fencing Standards.

The eligibility of any member to attend study groups, compete for or hold any fencing honours or to become a Supervisor or Instructor is defined in Instructors And Supervisors Guide under Fencing Standards Definitions.

Active Members shall have the right:

  • To attend, vote, raise motions and make nominations at meetings as set out in this constitution under section 10 Electorate, Voting And Meetings.
  • To pay subscriptions at the preferential rates and use the payment schemes as set out in the current Treasury Fees Document*.
  • To be assessed for and hold free-play passes for weapons taught by The Society.
  • To attend study groups subject to eligibility.
  • To compete for and hold fencing honours awarded by The Society subject to eligibility.
  • To become Instructors And Supervisors, and to hold elected posts on the Committee subject to eligibility.

Trial Members shall have the right:

  • To attend any General Meeting held during their trial period though they may not vote, raise motions or make nominations.
  • To pay subscriptions at the preferential rates as set out in the current Treasury Fees Document*.

Honorary Members shall have the right:

  • To attend any General Meeting though they may not vote, raise motions or make nominations.
  • To pay subscriptions at the preferential rates as set out in the current Treasury Fees Document*.
  • To be assessed for and hold free-play passes in weapons taught by The Society.
  • To attend study groups subject to eligibility.
  • To compete for and hold fencing honours awarded by The Society subject to eligibility.

Visitor Members shall have the right:

  • To attend any General Meeting by invite only though they may not vote, raise motions or make nominations.
  • To attend study groups or make use of Supervisors subject to eligibility by making a request in writing via email and having it approved by the Committee.

If an Honorary Member is also an Active Member, then the rights of Active Membership will supercede those of Honorary Membership while they are an Active Member.

Office Bearers

The Society shall have three Office Bearers, all of whom must be Active Members of The Society. Office Bearers shall be members of the Committee and entitled to attend, vote, raise motions and make necessary nominations for any position at any meeting.  Their titles and responsibilities shall be as follows.

President

  • Acting as the first point of contact for all external organisations.
  • Representing The Society in situations where it is appropriate for one person to represent The Society.
  • Welcoming any new members and congratulating any advances.
  • Ensuring The Society’s activities are constitutional and lawful.
  • Keeping internal discipline in order.
  • Ensuring those put in positions of responsibility by the Society complete their assigned tasks.
  • Setting the agenda for and chairing all Society meetings.
  • Reporting when required on how the aims and objectives of the Society are being furthered.

Secretary

  • Ensuring internal and external communications run smoothly and are dealt with in a timely fashion.
    This includes newsletters, publicity, society notifications, general enquiries, etc.
  • Ensuring that material produced by The Society such as budgets, plans, photographs and publicity material is archived.
  • Organising and publicising meetings and events.
  • Taking and publishing minutes of all meetings.
  • Keeping an inventory of The Society’s equipment.
  • Recording and publishing the fencing standard of and official duels fought by Active Members.
  • Ensuring all other necessary (non-financial) paperwork is in order.
  • Reporting when required on the equipment, fencing standard and official duels of The Society.

Treasurer

  • Budgeting and setting agreeable fees for membership, classes, workshops and events.
  • Ensuring all membership and training fees are collected and banked.
  • Ensuring The Society’s expenses are met in a timely fashion.
  • Ensuring The Society’s insurance and bank account are in good order and up to date.
  • Managing equipment orders made through The Society.
  • Book-keeping to the standard set out in the current Office Bearers and Committee Guide*.
  • Recording and publishing the Society’s membership and attendance levels.
  • Reporting on The Society’s membership, attendance levels and financial status when required.

No Office has autonomy and all must act in concert with each other and the Committee to run The Society in accordance with the guidance set out in the current Office Bearers and Committee Guide*.

Each Office Bearer has the right to delegate tasks which fall within their respective areas of responsibility to any volunteer from the Active Membership with the approval of the Committee. This delegation shall not confer any extra voting rights or privileges to the volunteer.

The selection criteria and appointment process for Office Bearers are defined in this constitution under section 9 Selection And Appointment Of Office Bearers And Committee Members.

Instructors And Activity Management

In order to teach historical fencing or any other historical European martial art, The Society must have insured and qualified instructors (elsewhere referred to as Instructors). Instructors must qualify by fulfilling the conditions and passing the assessment as set out in the Instructors And Supervisors Guide*.

All activities run by The Society which involve any teaching must take place with at least one Instructor present who must oversee and approve the teaching activities.

The Society may also have supervisors (elsewhere referred to as Supervisors) who are not Instructors to oversee non-teaching activities where necessary.  Supervisors must qualify by fulfilling the conditions and passing the assessment as set out in the Instructors And Supervisors Guide*.

Only Instructors may approve Members for free-play or to be a Supervisor and must do so in accordance with the regulations set out in the Instructors And Supervisors Guide*.

Committee

The affairs of The Society shall be conducted by a Committee which shall consist of Instructors, Office Bearers, the BFHS Representative (if there is one) and two Elected Representatives, all of whom must be Active Members.  All Committee Members shall be entitled to attend, vote, raise motions and make necessary nominations for any position at any meeting.

The committee shall have the authority to:

  • Arrange venues for Society meetings.
  • Arrange classes, duels and free-play opportunities for members.
  • Arrange workshops and events for The Society.
  • Arrange purchase, storage, security and maintenance of pooled equipment for use by members.
  • Raise funds and seek sponsorship in the name of The Society.
  • Spend up to a limit agreed at the AGM without further reference to the electorate.
  • Arrange adequate insurance and first aid for The Society.
  • Make decisions on matters arising where necessary to further the aims of The Society.

In practice the Office Bearers shall bear the brunt of the day-to-day running of The Society and shall have discretion on matters agreed by the Committee at any meeting, including any pre-approved organisational practices or expenditure types.

Selection And Appointment of Office Bearers and Committee Members

All Instructors who are Active Members of The Society shall automatically be members of the Committee unless they opt out whereupon they shall be deemed to be an Ordinary Member of the electorate.

All Offices and Elected Representative posts must be filled by Active Members and renewed each year at the AGM.

Retiring candidates may be nominated to continue in their current post or to fill another post subject to eligibility as defined in this section of the constitution.

The Treasurer can be selected from any of the Active Membership and must be nominated and seconded by two members of the Committee and elected by the electorate at a General Meeting.

The Secretary can be selected from any of the Active Membership and must be nominated and seconded by two members of the Committee and elected by the electorate at a General Meeting.

The President can be selected from any of the Instructors and must be nominated and seconded by two members of the Committee and elected by the electorate at a General Meeting.

If, at any point, the ability of any nominated or incumbent Committee Member to carry out the duties of the post is called into question, the electorate shall decide the matter either at the AGM during elections or at a General Meeting, whichever is appropriate to the timing of the matter.

The two Elected Representatives can be selected from any of the Ordinary Membership of the electorate and must be nominated and seconded by two Ordinary Members and elected by the electorate at a General Meeting. These Committee Members shall represent the Ordinary Membership on the Committee and shall provide support for the Office Bearers when necessary.

Electorate, Voting And Meetings

The electorate shall consist of all Active Members each of whom shall have a single non-transferrable vote.   Those who are not Committee Members shall be referred to as Ordinary Members of the electorate.

Ordinary members may attend, vote, raise motions and make necessary nominations for Honorary Members and the Elected Representatives at any General Meeting. They may attend any Committee Meeting by invite only though they may not vote, raise motions or make nominations.

In addition to the rights detailed in paragraphs 5.1 and 6.1 of this constitution, Committee Members may each occasionally attend, vote, raise motions and make necessary nominations for any position at any meeting by telephone or video conferencing subject to prior approval by the Committee.  A proxy who must be a Supervisors, Instructor or Committee Member may be used subject to written instruction which must be shown to and approved by the Committee prior to the meeting.  The proxy shall have no rights additional to those they normally hold when acting on their own behalf.

Representation by any Ordinary Member at any meeting must be made in person unless special dispensation is granted by the Committee for remote attendance or use of a proxy.

All Committee Meetings require the attendance by allowed means of two Committee Members plus the President to be quorate.

All General Meetings require the attendance by allowed means of one third of the Ordinary Membership plus the President and two other Committee Members to be quorate.

In the case of emergency where quorum cannot be made, all resolutions passed at any such meeting must later be ratified at an appropriate subsequent quorate meeting.

All resolutions made at any meeting must be recorded and passed to the Secretary (if they did not record them) for processing, archiving and circulation as detailed in the Office Bearers and Committee Guide*.

All motions and elections at any meeting will be carried by simple majority vote with the President having the casting vote in the event of a tie.

The Society shall hold an Annual General Meeting (elsewhere referred to as ‘AGM’) once a year, no more than fifteen months apart to receive the Office Bearers’ annual reports, review activity and progress for the preceding year and to set resolutions for the next year.

Other regular meetings and additional ad hoc meetings held throughout the year to decide matters arising will be held as and when necessary as set out in the Office Bearers and Committee Guide*.

Resignation And Debarment

The voluntary resignation in good standing of any member, elected post-holder, Supervisors or Instructor must be given in writing to the Committee and will not preclude them from being eligible to return to The Society or to hold an elected post or be a Supervisor or Instructor at a future date if they are eligible at that time to do so.

In the event of any elected post-holder standing down or being removed from post before the AGM, an acting replacement must be put in place by the Committee within one week. If there are three months or more until the next AGM a General Meeting must be held within one month to elect a replacement.

In the event of any Supervisors or Instructor standing down or being removed from post it should be noted that they may not supervise or instruct for The Society. Their name should be removed from any group insurance policy owned by The Society and, if they are removed from post, any single insurance policy bought for them by The Society should be cancelled.

The Society may suspend or withdraw the right to Membership or to any fencing standard, fencing honour, committee post or instructing rank if a grievance is brought to the Committee and the Committee deems the holder has acted unconstitutionally or against the regulations in the policy documents*.

In the case of a grievance being upheld by the Committee, the Committee shall write to the offender, stating the grievance, and give them a chance to make their defence at a private Disciplinary Committee Meeting with at least two thirds of the Committee in attendance by allowed means, one of whom must be the President.

The Committee may choose to give the offender a time period to make amends or improvement with regard to the grievance before enacting withdrawal of membership, position or title.

Appeal may be made if representation is made by a member of The Society’s electorate whereupon the matter shall be brought before The Society’s electorate to decide at an Appeal General Meeting.

Any notification to The Society of proceedings will be made, and any Disciplinary Committee Meeting or Appeal General Meeting will be held, in accordance with the regulations set out in the Disciplinary Code*.

No refund of any subscription made will be due to any person who resigns or has had Membership withdrawn.

Fencing Standards

In order to progress to independent study, to compete for or hold any fencing honours, or to become a Supervisors or Instructor, members must be approved for free-play (awarded a free-play pass) by one or more of The Society’s Instructor’s in accordance with the guidelines as set out in the Instructors And Supervisors Guide*.

Each member is entitled to display their fencing standard in accordance with the regulations as set out in the Code of Conduct*.

Fencing Honours

Members of The Society eligible to duel may compete for and hold fencing honours awarded by The Society as detailed in the Duelling Guide* if they are vouched for by an Instructor as having a good record of safety and are in good standing with The Society.

Each member is entitled to display their fencing honours in accordance with the regulations as set out in the Code of Conduct*.

Finances

The income and property of The Society shall be used only for purposes of meeting The Society’s objectives as defined in this constitution under section 2 Objectives.

The Society shall have the power to raise money by annual and session fees at rates determined by the Treasurer, approved by the Committee and agreed by the electorate.  These fees and any conditions pertaining to them shall be recorded in the Treasury Fees Document*.

The Society shall have the power to raise money through the provision of other services relating to historical fencing and other historical European martial arts, including but not limited to the sale of equipment, provision of classes, workshops, events, instruction and hire of equipment.

All funds shall be lodged in a bank account in the name of The Society.

Access to the bank account and Society funds, including any online facilities, shall be controlled by the Office Bearers.

All cheques drawn against The Society’s funds must be signed by two of the Office Bearers.

Society funds may be spent on:

  • Equipment for The Society’s use.
  • Venue hire.
  • Promotion of The Society.
  • Insurance and first aid training for The Society and Instructors teaching for The Society.
  • Legitimate expenses for Instructors and the Committee, including, but not limited to, equipment, training, travel, accommodation and support materials for classes, workshops and events.
  • Payment for instruction by external instructors.
  • Fees to any external organisations The Society is a member of.
  • Other expenses as approved by the Committee where necessary to further the aims of The Society.

Dissolution

In the event of the dissolution of The Society, any equipment, funds or other assets owned by The Society shall, after the clearing of any outstanding debts, be donated to a group or organisation with similar aims and objectives.  All assets on loan to The Society shall be returned to their respective owners.