IPHS CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW 2003-2004

The Council of the IPHS has decided to undertake a review of the Society's Constitution. The Constitution was first drafted in 1993 at the time IPHS emerged out of the old Planning History Group, and was subsequently amended on a vote of members in 1996. A review was initiated some years ago but came to nothing. The aim now is to attempt another full and transparent review and report back to the Council at the Barcelona Conference in July 2004 with a view to securing ratification of a new document by then.

While this is not the most riveting of tasks, it seems essential that - as a modern, scholarly, globally-networked society - we at least have an agreed set of understandings and governance practices that best reflects current and foreseeable realities.

A Sub-Committee has been formed to progress this issue. It comprises:

Robert Freestone (Chair)
University of New South Wales
r.freestone@unsw.edu.au

Stephen Ward
Oxford Brookes University
svward@brookes.ac.uk

Peter Larkham
University of Central England
Peter.Larkham@uce.ac.uk

Emmanuel Marmaras
University of the Aegean, Greece
m.marmaras@aegean.gr

The constitution is outdated, complex and indeed not well known. It appears in electronic form for the first time on this website. The wording is very much a product of its day - the pre-email era - and the late Gordon Cherry's commitment to a style of organizational best practice. Its clauses on a Board of Management, the roles of officers, and formal linkages with other organizations have never been or only loosely enacted.

At the end of 2003 all members of the IPHS were invited to comment on the existing Constitution and make any suggested wording changes or other recommendations as they see fit. Submissions closed on 1 February 2004. On the basis of submissions received, and the Committee's own critical reading of the existing document and consultations with stakeholders, a revised draft constitution has been prepared.

The revised document does not seek to radically overhaul the Society¡¯s governance but to bring its constitutional basis more into line with both new modes of global communication unforseen even in the early 1990s and the practical realities and recent experiences of efficiently managing the affairs of an international scholarly society utterly dependent on voluntary activity.

The existing constitution is reproduced underneath.

Below it is a draft of a proposed new Constitution. Submissions on this draft are invited from all IPHS members up to 1 May 2004. These should be addressed to the Sub-Committee chair by email at r.freestone@unsw.edu.au.

This matter will be considered by the IPHS Council meeting at its next meeting in Barcelona in July 2004.

Robert Freestone
President, IPHS
r.freestone@unsw.edu.au

CONSTITUTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL PLANNING HISTORY SOCIETY
As approved September 1993 and amended October 1996

1. Title:
The name of the society shall be the 'International Planning History Society'

2. Objectives:
The objectives of the society shall be:

(i) To promote and develop the subject field of planning history.

(ii) To encourage research into planning history and the dissemination of research findings

(iii) To provide opportunities for means of contact between members through (a) organising conferences, seminars, meetings, and, (b) the publication of a regular bulletin

(iv) To develop links with other organisations concerned with planning history.

3. Membership:
Membership of the Association shall be open to:

(i) Individual persons supporting the objectives of the Society. All individual members shall be entitled to attend the Society's conferences, meetings and seminars, etc., for a lower fee than non-members, when arrangements for such a lower fee can be made.

(ii) Institutions (eg. libraries, educational and professional bodies, planning agencies, etc.) wishing to subscribe to the Society's bulletin.

4. Affiliation:
Organisations concerned with research and education in the subject field of planning history and supporting the objectives of the Society may become Affiliates as follows:

(i) Founder Affiliates - the Society for American City and Regional Planning History, and, the Urban History Association.

(ii) Elected Affiliates - by application or invitation, and, election by the Council of the Society.

5. Council:
(i) There shall be a Council of the Society with the following membership:

(a) The Officers of the Society (ex-officio)

(b) Twenty Members elected by and from the individual members of the Society. Inaugural elections shall be held for all Members in 1994 with half the Members so elected holding office for 1994-95 and half for 1994-98, the composition of the retiring fractions being decided according to the alphabetical order of the names of those so elected. Subsequent elections for ten Members (and any bye-elections) shall be held in 1994 and in succeeding alternate years. From 1995 such Members shall normally serve a four year term of office. Retiring individual Members shall be eligible to stand for re-election on subsequent occasions. Individual members may nominate themselves for election or be nominated by another individual member, providing that the candidate has expressed a willingness to serve if elected.

(c) Two representatives elected by the governing bodies of the Affiliates of the Society. Such representatives shall normally hold office for four year terms from 1993.

(d) Not more than three Co-opted Members, who shall normally hold office for four year terms.

(ii) The Council shall meet on the occasion of each of the Society's International Conferences [for which a quorum shall be President and not less than five other members]. The Council shall otherwise be empowered to conduct its business by correspondence conducted by the Secretary-General.

(iii) The Council shall have general oversight of the Society's affairs, including the right to initiate general policy discussions and make recommendations to Officers and the Management Board.

6. Officers:
(i) The Officers of the Society shall be the: President; Editor: Planning History; Conference Convenor; Secretary-General; Treasurer; and Membership Secretary.

(ii) The Officers of the Society shall be appointed by the Council of the Society from among the individual members of the Society. The inaugural terms of office of the President and the Editor: Planning History shall be 1993-94. The normal terms of office of the President, Secretary-General, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, and the Editor: Planning History shall be four years; the normal term of office of the Conference Convenor shall be two years. Retiring officers shall be eligible for re-appointment.

(iii) The Officers shall submit annual reports (President - on the work of the Management Board and the general policy directions of the Society), (Secretary-General on the Society's elections and the work of Council), (Treasurer on the accounts and financial affairs of the Society), (Membership-Secretary on the membership of the Society), (Conference Convenor - on the Society's International Conference programme) to the Council.

7. Management Board:
(i) There shall be a Management Board of the Society with the following membership:

(a) The officers of the Society (ex-officio);

(b) Three members of the Council of the Society elected by and from the elected individual Members of the Council (who shall hold office during the terms of their Council Membership);

(c) Two Representatives of Affiliates of the Society appointed by the governing bodies of the Affiliates, who shall normally hold office for a four year term.

(ii) The Management Board shall meet on the occasion of each International Conference and shall be [sic] additionally endeavour to meet at least once a year. The quorum for meetings shall consist of the President and at least two other members of the Board. At least 28 days of notice of meetings shall be given to members. The Board shall otherwise be empowered to conduct its business by correspondence conducted by the Secretary-General.

(iii) The Management Board shall have power to conduct the general business of the Society and may establish working parties and committees to further the Society's objectives.

8. Finance:
(i) The income of the Society shall be used solely for the administration of the Society, for its activities and in the furtherance of the objectives of the Society.

(ii) The financial year of the Society shall end on 31 December. The Society's accounts shall be audited annually and a statement and report presented to members in the Society's bulletin.

(iii) The Management Board shall be empowered to determine annual subscription rates for Membership under Clauses 3 (i) and (ii). Annual membership subscriptions shall become payable on 1 January. A member whose annual subscription is not paid by 31 March shall be deemed to have resigned.

(iv) The Management Board shall be empowered to determine any financial arrangements relating to affiliation under Clause 4.

9. Bulletin:
(i) The bulletin of the Society shall be termed Planning History.

(ii) The Editor of Planning History shall be empowered to appoint individual members of the Society as assistants and as members of an Editorial Board.

(iii) All members under Clauses 3 (i) and (ii) shall be entitled to receive copies of Planning History.

10. Conference, Meetings and Seminars:
(i) The Conference Convenor shall organize the Society's programme of conferences, meetings and seminars in co-operation with the Society's individual Members, Affiliates, and other organisations concerned with planning history. Such events shall be organised on a self-funding basis.

(ii) As far as possible the programme shall include an International Conference in each alternate year from 1994, such events being co-ordinated with those programmed by the Society's Founder Affiliates.

(iii) The Conference Convenor shall be empowered to appoint individual members of the Society as assistants and members of local organizing committees for events organised as part of the Society's programme.

11. General Meeting:
(i) A General Meeting of individual members of the Society and Members of Affiliated Organisations shall be held on the occasion of each International Conference.

(ii) General Meetings shall receive a report from the President on the business of the Society, may discuss any respect of the Society's activities, and, may make recommendations to the Management Board, the Council and Affiliated Organisations.

12. Constitution:
(i) This Constitution shall come into effect upon the receipt by the interim Secretary-Treasurer [note not changed to Secretary-General in the 1996 change] of the signed endorsements of not less than 11 of the elected Individual Members of the Council.

(ii) The Council shall have authority to amend the Constitution upon the proposal of not less than three Council Members as presented in writing to the Secretary-General and following due to advertisements to the general membership of the Society in the Society's bulletin.

(iii) In 1996 the Council shall establish a Commission to review the working of this Constitution and to report to the Council on any recommended changes.

PROPOSED 2004 AMENDMENTS