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By Laws |
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By Laws |
Society Code of Ethics |
Committee Members
1) President
The President shall be responsible for:
(a) the convening of meetings;
(b) the conduct of meetings according to the Constitution; and
(c) officially representing the Society, or appointing a member of members to officially represent the Society, when required.
2) Vice-President
The Vice-President shall deputise for the President when the President is not available.
3) Secretary
The Secretary shall be responsible for:
(a) handling of the official correspondence of the Society;
(b) keeping records of the official correspondence of the Society;
(c) notification of Society members of meetings, as required by the Constitution; and
(d) applying for permits for any trip to a restricted access area and delivery of these permits to the relevant trip co-ordinators before the trip.
4) Treasurer
The Treasurer shall:
(a) supervise the accounts of the Society, including the Publications Fund, and be satisfied that the money in those accounts is only spent in matters pertaining to the aims and objections of the Society;
(b) ensure that any rules concerning management and expenditure of funds are complied with; and
(c) submit the Society's accounts to the University of Sydney Union within two months of the conclusion of each calendar year for the purpose of auditing.
5) Minutes Secretary
The Minutes Secretary shall:
(a) record all minutes at each committee Meeting, Annual General Meeting, and at any General Meeting at which a resolution is proposed;
(b) provide on request copies of the minutes of past meetings or parts thereof.
6) Senior Councillor of the Australian Speleological Federation
The Senior Councillor of the Australian Speleological Federation shall deal with all matters pertaining to the society's relationship with the Australian Speleological Federation Incorporated.
7) Editor of the Society Bulletin
The Editor of the Society Bulletin shall:
(a) organise the publication, so far as practicable, no less than four times a year, of a newsletter called the Bulletin of the Sydney University Speleological Society, which will contain:
(i) reports of trips of the Society; and
(ii) articles and any other items which the Editor considers related to the alms and objectives of the Society; and
(b) organise the distribution of the publication referred to in clause (a) to all those to whom the committee sees fit to distribute the publication.
8) Equipment Officer
The Equipment Officer shall:
(a) ensure that any equipment owned by the Society is stored in a manner designed to protect it from damage;
(b) maintain a register in which is recorded details of borrowing and return of equipment by members;
(c) in conjunction with the Safety Officer, inspect all equipment at least once per twelve months and ensure that it is adequate for the purposes for which it is likely to be used, and report to the committee on the results of that inspection;
(d) report to the committee any failure to return equipment; and
(e) recommend to the committee the purchase of net equipment, when required.
9) Safety Officer
The Safety Officer shall:
(a) compile a list of requirements for trip supervisors and, upon acceptance of those requirements by the committee, enforce those requirements:
(b) compile a list of current trip supervisors and ensure that list is kept up to date;
(c) make recommendations of safety practices and procedures to be followed on trips, and ensure that they are implemented;
(d) organise Society field days at which caving techniques are to be practiced;
(e) assist the Equipment Officer in inspections under By-Law 8(c); and
(f) be familiar with current safety procedures in caving.
10) Librarian
The Librarian shall:
(a) organise and maintain the Society library; and
(b) assist Society members in research connected with the Society and its aims and objectives.
11) General Committee Members
The General Committee Members shall undertake any duties which the committee sees fit to assign to them.
12) Duties imposed by Constitution
In addition to any duties mentioned in the By-Laws, each member of the committee is required to perform any duties imposed by the Constitution.
13) Officers Responsible to Committee
In the performance or exercise of any duty, function or discretion imposed upon or given to any officer or agent of the Society, that officer or agent is responsible to, and subject to direction by, the Committee.
Trips 
14) Official Trips
(1) An official trip is defined as a trip fulfilling the criteria that:
(a) two or more members of the committee have given their approval to the trip as an official trip of the Society; and
(b) which includes as a participant a person fulfilling requirements of a trip supervisor.
(2) Only a member of the Society may convene an official trip.
(3) The Society's name must not be used to gain any privileges on trips which are not official trips.
15) Trip Co-Ordinators
(1) The person convening an official trip shall be called a trip co-ordinator.
(2) All members who intend to Participate in a trip shall give prior notification of that intention to the trip co-ordinator, and shall obey the reasonable requests of the trip co-ordinator whilst an that trip.
(3) The trip co-ordinator of an official trip shall be responsible for:
(a) collection of any fees the Society may incur during the trip, and payment of those fees to the Treasurer; and
(b) ensuring no persons on the trip breach the Society Constitution and/or By-Laws.
(4) Where the number of people who may participate in a particular official trip is restricted, and a number greater than that number apply to participate in the trip, selection of participants shall be at the trip co-ordinator's discretion.
(5) When making a selection under paragraph (4), a trip co-ordinator shall:
(i) give preference to members of the society; and
(ii) endeavour not to select fever people than the maximum number of participants permitted.
(6) Subject to paragraph (5), non-members of the Society may attend trips at the discretion of the trip co-ordinator.
15A) Joint Activity
(1) The Committee may give its approval to the conduct of a joint activity with another organisation, including but not limited to another speleological society.
(2) A joint activity approved under paragraph (1) which satisfies clause 14(1) is taken to be an official trip of the Society.
(3) The Committee may establish a series of principles and guidelines on the conduct of joint activities.
(4) Principles and guidelines made under paragraph (3) may provide that for the purposes of a joint activity, by-laws 14(2), 15(4), 15(5) and 15(6) do not apply to a joint activity, or apply to a limited extent.
(5) One Society member participating in the joint activity:
a) must act as trip supervisor for the purposes of the Society's participation in the activity, and
b) has the same duties and powers in respect of Society members participating in the activity as for any official trip.
16) Trip Reports
(1) Trip co-ordinators are strongly encouraged to submit, within a period of three months from the conclusion of an official trip, a report of that trip to the Editor of the Society Bulletin, detailing any observations of speleological or practical interest made during the trip, and any additional information the trip co-ordinator desires to include.
(2) The committee may, if it so wishes, require a trip co-ordinator to submit a report as described in paragraph (1).
17) Trip Supervisors
(1) The person ultimately responsible for enforcement of correct safety procedures and the Constitution and By-Laws of the Society on an official trip shall be called the trip supervisor.
(2) Where the trip supervisor on an official trip believes a breach of safety or the Constitution or By-Laws has occurred or is likely to occur, the trip supervisor Should notify the trip co-ordinator and, where appropriate, take steps to prevent any further such breach.
(3) In the event that a difference of opinion occurs between the trip co-ordinator and the trip supervisor on a matter of safety or the Society Constitution or By-Laws, the opinion of the trip supervisor shall prevail.
(4) In the event that a participant in an official trip requires other than minor first aid, or a rescue situation arises, the trip supervisor shall assume all responsibilities and powers of the trip co-ordinator until such time as the trip supervisor sees fit.
(5) In the event that the trip co-ordinator ceases to participate in an official trip, the trip supervisor shall assume all responsibilities and powers of the trip co-ordinator.
18) Appointment of Trip Supervisors
(1) A member will be appointed as a trip supervisor by the committee after approval by the safety officer only when the committee is satisfied that the member has fulfilled the trip supervisor requirements.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the committee may, from time to
time,appoint a member as a trip supervisor for a specific time and purpose
if that member has not fulfilled the trip supervisor requirements if
the committee is satisfied that:
(a) the member possesses the skills required to act as trip supervisor
for the purposes of that activity; and
(b) the member has fulfilled the following trip supervisor requirements:1a);
1b); 1c)(ii)-(iv); 1d).
(3) Only members of the Society may be admitted as trip supervisors.
(4) The committee may, at any time with just cause, withdraw a member's qualifications as a trip supervisor.
19) Trip Supervisor Participation in Official Trips
(1) It is the responsibility of the trip co-ordinator to ensure that a person with trip supervisor status is present at all times on an official trip, and to inform that person before the commencement of the official trip that that person will be acting as trip supervisor.
(2) Where more than one person with trip supervisor status is present on an official trip, the trip co-ordinator shall appoint one of these persons to act as trip supervisor, and inform that person of the appointment before the commencement of the official trip.
(3) A person's tenure as trip supervisor for a particular official trip will terminate when that person ceases to participate in that official trip.
(4) A trip co-ordinator may act as the trip supervisor on an official trip provided that person has been appointed as a trip supervisor by the committee in accordance with By-Law 18.
Equipment
20) Use of Equipment
(1) The Equipment Officer shall make Society equipment available to trip co-ordinators for use on official trips, and otherwise at the discretion of the committee.
(2) The borrower of any Society equipment shall:
(a) be responsible for its return in an acceptable condition in a reasonable period of time after the conclusion of the trip; and
(b) shall report to the Equipment Officer at time of return any damage sustained to the equipment or any perceived fault in the equipment which is likely to affect its future safe or efficient use.
(3) The return of equipment by a member in a state rendering it unsafe or unsuitable for further use, or the non-return of equipment after a reasonable period of time after a trip, shall be reported to the committee by the Equipment Officer, upon which the committee may recommend that the cost of replacing the equipment be borne in whole or part by the member who borrowed the equipment.
21) Purchase of Equipment
The committee may make grants of Society funds for the purpose of purchase of Society equipment.
Caves
22) Blasting
No blasting is to be carried out in a karst area on an official trip without the approval of the committee.
23) Nomenclature
(1) When a new cave or section of cave is discovered by a member, that member has the right to assign a name to that cave or section of cave, subject to any restrictions in force in the area in which the cave or section of cave is located.
(2) Any member may propose a name for a previously unnamed cave or section of cave, subject to any restrictions in force in the area in which the cave or section of cave is located.
(3) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2), the committee has the right to order a member to withdraw a name for a cave or section of cave where it sees fit.
Society Code of Ethics
Responsibilities to the Community
24) Cave Conservation
(1) Members shall take care not to damage any cave or karst formation either accidentally or by design. In particular, they should not:
(a) break or deface any cave formation;
(b) leave any rubbish, including spent carbide, in any cave;
(c) write on or otherwise mark the surfaces of any cave; or
(d) harm any cave biota.
(2) The committee may, for any specific speleological or conservation purpose, temporarily dispense with the requirements of paragraph (1).
25) Environmental Conservation
Members shall practice minimal impact camping.
26) Private Property
(1) Members shall not enter private property without obtaining permission from the owner to do so.
(2) When permitted access to private property, members shall:
(a) leave all gates as they found them (open or closed);
(b) take care to avoid interfering with livestock, crops, equipment and structures; and
(c) gratefully acknowledge any hospitality received.
27) Access Restrictions
Where conditions are imposed on access to an area proposed to be entered by the Society on an official trip, participants shall comply with all such conditions.
Responsibilities to the Society
28) Behaviour of Members
At all times, members must act in a way that does not detract from the reputation of the Society.
29) Relations with Other Speleological Organisations
Members shall endeavour to maintain good relations between the Society and other speleological organisations by co-operating with the projects of other organisations and taking reasonable steps to inform other organizations of any facts which may aid the activities or work of those organisations.
Responsibilities to Other Members
30) Safety of Members
No member shall intentionally commit an act or make an omission which may endanger the safety of others.
31) Enjoyment of Members
No member may act in a way which may Interfere with another person's enjoyment of a trip.
Responsibilities to ASF
32) ASF Code of Ethics
Members shall follow the Australian Speleological Federation Code of Ethics.