Recombination

Constitution

The Unicon Charter

Insofar as it has been deemed necessary to perpetuate the Unicon series of science fiction conventions the following regulations are presented to distinguish these conventions from similar events:

They shall bear the name Unicon and have a consecutive numbering or year suffix as all or part of their title.
They shall be held in residential establishments of higher education, and shall use the accommodation and facilities there provided.
The site of the convention shall be decided at the previous Unicon in a properly conducted business session or, failing this, by the Unicon steering committee.
1. Bidding Session
  1. All potential bidding committees who have made their presence known shall be invited to present their bid for a period not exceeding one half hour, except where only one bid exists in which case the time limit shall be set by the current Unicon.
  2. Voting will be carried out by any reasonable means determined by the current Unicon committee.
2. Steering Committee
  1. This shall be responsible for the maintenance and amendment of this charter, the administration of excess funds should no convention win the bidding ceremony, and shall act as arbitrator should disputes concerning Unicon arise.
  2. Each past and present Unicon committee shall nominate one member of the steering committee.
  3. The acting chairperson of the steering committee shall be the member nominated by the current Unicon and his functions will include: notifying steering committee members of transferring of excess funds from his convention, notifying all potential convention bids of these regulations, and providing for each member of the steering committee and for both the treasurer and chairperson of the next Unicon an accurate statement of accounts for his convention.
  4. The voting membership of the steering committee shall be the nominees of the last seven Unicons. A quorum shall consist of four voting members, and decisions shall be taken by a majority of voting members, whether or not present at the voting meeting. Meetings of the steering committee shall be notified at least one month in advance to all members of the steering committee, whether or not they are voting members. A meeting shall be held at Unicon and a written undertaking required by clause 7 shall be the notice of this meeting.
The surplus funds from a Unicon shall be disposed of as follows:
1. Where the sum does not exceed £200 the surplus shall be passed within a reasonable time to the convention that wins the bidding Ceremony.
2. Where the sum exceeds £200, 50% or £200 (whichever is the greater) shall be passed on as in 4(a) and the remainder disposed of as the convention committee sees fit in a manner to benefit fandom, subject to the approval of the steering committee.
3. Where no convention bid has been successfully made for the coming year the surplus funds shall be passed to the steering committee within a reasonable time.
The convention shall be insured:
1. Against loss of, or damage to, its property and that for which it is legally responsible, including building, machinery, plant, fixture and fittings provided to it by the property owners or management of the venue for the purpose of the convention.
2. Against loss resulting from cancellation, curtailment, postponement or abandonment in whole or in part of the convention, the non-appearance of a principal speaker or failure of the convention to vacate the premises at the end of its tenancy.
3. So as to be indemnified for all sums which the committee shall be legally liable for arising from bodily injury and property damage to employees and general public arising out of an occurrence in connection with the convention.
The convention committee shall undertake:
1. To be liable for any deficit arising from their own convention.
2. To cover any debts occurring in connection with any past Unicon which no longer holds funds, providing such debts do not exceed the value of the duns passed to them by the previous Unicon or by the steering committee.
The convention Committee shall agree to abide by the regulations present in this document and shall send a written letter undertaking to this effect (signed at minimum by the chairperson, secretary and treasurer, or the equivalent posts) to each member of the steering committee. Ambiguities and disputes arising from these regulations shall be settled by the steering committee in the light of common sense and with a view to the continuity of the Unicon series.