Constitution of the African Physical Society

The name of the society (hereinafter referred to as “The Society”) shall be AFRICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY

 

The objectives of the Society shall be:

1. To promote and further research in Physics and Mathematics and their applications in order to enhance technological, economic, social and cultural development in Africa.

2. To promote effective contacts and co-operation among African physicists and astronomers

3. To collaborate with international organizers in furthering scientific activities in Africa.

 

The membership of the Society shall consist of the following categories:

 

1. National Physics Societies.

(a)          National and multi-national physics and physics-related on the African continent are eligible to become organizational member societies of the African Physical Society.

(b)          All organizational member societies are entitled to representation on the AfPS executive council.  All individual members of organizational member societies are automatically individual members of the African Physical Society.

 

2.  Individual Members.

(a)          Ordinary members.  Individuals, especially physicists and astronomers working in countries that have no national physics society, are eligible for direct ordinary membership in the African Physical Society.

(b)          Associate members. Associate membership shall be open to non-African physicists and astronomers working in Africa; or to physicists and astronomers who have their origin in Africa but who are ordinarily resident outside the continent.

 

3.  Members of the African Association of Physics Students (AAPS).

(a)          Any physics or astronomy student at any African university, or any African student studying physics or astronomy abroad is eligible to become a member of AAPS.  AAPS members are automatically members of the African Physical Society.

 

4. Institutional/Corporate Members.

(a)          African university physics departments, African research institutes, and African corporations are eligible to become institutional/corporate members of the African Physical Society.

 

5.  International Associate Members.

(a)          Through various reciprocal agreements we invite members of non-African physics and physics-related societies as members of the African Physical Society.

 

6.  Honorary Members.

(a)          Honorary members are elected by the executive council of the African Physical Society.

 

For the purposes of organization and running of the Society, the African continent shall be divided into the following regions:

There shall be subject panels and committees, which will be determined from time to time by the Society.

 

There shall be a General Assembly of the Society made up of all members of the Society.

 

The Society shall convene every four years, an ordinary General Assembly. The agenda of a session of the General Assembly shall be drawn up by the Executive Committee and sent out to members at least three months before the opening of the General Assembly.

If the time and venue of a meeting has not been fixed by the previous General Assembly, they shall be fixed by the Executive Committee. 

 

A Quorum of a General Assembly shall be one-quarter of the membership.  Decisions of the General Assembly shall be a simple majority vote of ordinary members present and voting.

 

The General Assembly shall elect a Regional co-ordinator for each of the region of the Society and also elect a Chairman for each Subject Panel of the Society. The General Assembly shall elect a Chairman for each committee of the Society.

 

1. There shall be an Executive Committee of the Society. The General Assembly of the Society shall elect Executive Committee Members which shall consist of:

One-half of the membership of the executive committee shall constitute a quorum.

 

2. Members of the Executive Committee shall remain in office until the end of the ordinary General Assembly following their election.  No member of the Executive Committee shall hold the same office  for more than two consecutive periods separating an ordinary General Assembly.

 

3. The Executive Committee shall organize and handle all matters relating to international connections and external relations on behalf of the Society.

 

The President shall be the Chief Executive of the Society. He shall normally preside at all meetings of the Executive Committee, the Council and the General Assembly.

 

In the absence of the President, a Vice-President shall preside over a meeting of the Executive Committee, Council or General Assembly.

 

The General Secretary shall be responsible for the day-to-day matters of the Society.  The General Secretary shall act as liaison between the Society and the Regional Coordinators, Chairman of Panels Ad-hoc Committees of the Society and affiliated organizations.

 

The Assistant General Secretary shall assist the General Secretary of the Society in his duties.

 

The treasurer shall administer the finances of the Society. In this, he shall present a financial report on all meetings of the Executive Committee and Council. He shall present an audited report on the accounts of the Society to all ordinary meetings of the General Assembly.

 

There shall be a Council of the Society. Its members shall be elected by the General Assembly; Members of the Council shall consist of: Members of the Executive Committee, Chairman of Subject Panels, Regional Co-ordinators, and two Ex-Officio Members. The council shall meet once in every two years to draw up a programme of activities for the Society and to discuss matters brought before it by the Executive Committee or the General Assembly. One-third of the membership of the Council shall constitute a quorum. Decisions of the Council shall be a simple majority vote. The Council shall appoint members of the Subject Panels.

 

Regional Co-ordinators and Chairman of the Subject Panels shall present reports of their work to the General Assembly. No regional Co-ordinator or Chairman of a Subject Panel shall hold the same office for more than two consecutive periods separating an ordinary General Assembly.

 

The General Assembly, the Council or the Executive Committee may appoint ad-hoc Committees. An ad-hoc Committee of the Society shall normally present the report of its work to the organ of the Society that appoints it.

 

1. The revenue of the society shall consist of such donations and subsidies as are accepted by the Executive Committee and by subscriptions as shall be decided by the General Assembly from time to time.

2. The General Assembly shall appoint Auditors for the Society.

c) The Society shall open and operate bank accounts at the time and places that shall be determined by the Executive Committee.

 

The General Secretary shall circulate information (including nomination forms) about elections and members of the Society at least three months before the opening of an ordinary General Assembly. Nominations of the members of council shall be made on prescribed forms obtainable from the General Secretary.  Nomination forms duly completed must be deposited with the General Secretary at  least forty-eighty (48) hours before any election. The General Secretary shall circulate the completed nomination forms to members of the General Assembly at least twenty four (24) hours before elections are held.  Voting shall be by secret ballot.