Open Meetings

These are the principle form of governance with the HUS and shall allow every member of HUS the opportunity to have their say about the policies of the union and the issues that concern them.

The exec shall be mandated at Open Meetings to perform certain task and undertake particular campaigns. The Open Meetings shall decide upon union policy as a whole, including how HUS shall vote at CUSU Council.

Normally proposals shall be submitted to the Open Meetings three days before a meeting. All motions have a proposer and a seconder. The proposer and subsequent speakers shall have three minutes to make their speeches.

Emergency motions may be submitted just before the meeting, but in time to be copied for distribution.

Any motions that get passed by Open Meetings shall then pass into HUS Policy and it is the Exec’s responsibility to ensure that they shall be carried out in the proper manner. Open Meetings shall occur twice a term (Hustings may count as an Open Meeting).

The Final Open Meeting of the Year shall be the AGM which shall review the current years’ work and approve the budget for the following year. Any constitutional proposals made at previous Open Meetings shall be approved. An extraordinary Open Meeting shall be called if requested by 25 members of HUS or a resolution of the Executive and must be held within seven days of the petition or resolution.

Quorum for any HUS Open Meeting shall be 30 people. If the meeting is not quorate then decisions made shall not become policy. However, such decisions may be granted temporary status by a vote of confidence from the Executive, pending ratification at a future quorate Open Meeting.

A referendum of the membership may be called if requested by a petition of 50 members of HUS, or by a resolution of the Executive or Open Meeting and must be held within 20 days of such a petition or resolution. Referenda shall be the supreme policy-making acts of the Union and shall be decided by a simple majority (providing the number voting in favour of the motion is not less than one tenth of the membership of HUS).

In the event of a referendum, the HUS President or in the case of absence, the VP Internal is the Returning Officer, and voting is under the same conditions as Elections. Any resolution shall take immediate effect, and shall over-ride any previous policy.

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