Constitution | CCR Union

Cistercian College, Roscrea, Union, the association of past students of Cistercian College, Mount St. Joseph Abbey, Roscrea, was proposed on l6th December, 1929. The Union Constitution was adopted on 24th June 1930 and rules were passed on 8th November 1936. Life membership, in place of the original membership scheme, was introduced in November 1949.

A proposal at the time of the Golden Jubilee of the College to expand the membership of the Union through the establishment of Branches was formally approved by the Lord Abbot on 8th December 1957. A Constitution providing for this expansion, was unanimously approved by the General Meeting of the Union assembled at the College on 8th June 1958 in substitution for the previously existing Rules.

In the light of experience and with a view to the further development of the Union, the members of the Union in Extraordinary General Meeting on 8th December 2000 unanimously adopted this present Constitution, which received the approval of the Lord Abbot on that date and were immediately brought into effect. All previous Rules are rescinded as of that date. It is not intended that anything contained in these Rules shall create any legally enforceable obligation and no such obligation shall be deemed to have been created by reference to these rules.

The current Central Committee shall continue in office pending the next Annual General Meeting of the Union following the adoption of this Constitution by the Union and their approval by the Lord Abbot and shall have authority to make the necessary arrangements for their introduction.

1. Title of the Union

1.1 The title or name of the Union shall be Cistercian College, Roscrea, Union.

2. Patron of the Union

2.1 The Lord Abbot of Mount St. Joseph Abbey, Roscrea shall be the Patron of the Union.

3. Aims and Objectives

(a) To promote and maintain camaraderie, goodwill, friendship and fraternal relationships amongst Past Students of Cistercian College, Roscrea and between Past Students and the College, with concern for the welfare, both spiritual and temporal, of all members of the Union;
(b) To uphold the good name and reputation of the College;
(c) To promote amongst members of the Union a deeper understanding of Cistercian values;
(d) To assist, where possible, younger members in preparing for, establishing and developing their chosen careers;
(e) To communicate with Union members throughout the world by means of the current Roscrea Union publication or periodical and / or Web Site;
(f) To encourage Union members of all ages and in particular as many young Union members as possible to participate in the affairs of the Union.

4. Membership of the Union

4.1 Membership of the Union shall be conferred only on Past Students of the College and on members (both serving and retired) of the teaching and residential care staff of not less than five years’ standing in the College. They shall, in common with all members of the Union at the date of adoption of these Rules, enjoy the benefit of the rights and privileges, and accept the obligations, of membership in accordance with these Rules.
4.2 The names and last known addresses of members of the Union shall be inscribed in a Roll of Members which shall be kept at the College under the supervision of the Central Committee. The Roll of Members shall be accessible to members of the Union at all reasonable times.
4.3 Honorary membership of the Union may, on the proposal of the Central Committee, be conferred by the Union in general meeting on persons who are deemed by the Central Committee to have rendered special service to the Union, the College or the Abbey. Honorary members shall have the same rights and privileges as ordinary members of the Union save that they shall not have the right to vote at general meetings.
4.4 Subject to any decision of the Central Committee from time to time, a subscription entitling a student to life membership of the Union shall be payable at the time he leaves the College.

5. Central Committee

5.1 Membership of the Central Committee shall consist of:

The President of the Union, who shall be Chairman,
The President – Elect,
The Chairman, and one other member, of each Union Branch,
The President of the College,
The Chairman of the Board of Governors of the College,
The Pastor of the College,
The General Secretary of the Union,
The Honorary Life Vice Presidents of the Union,
The Editor of the current Union publication or periodical,
The General Treasurers,
The Past Presidents of the Union;
The House Captain of the preceding academic year;
Not more than six elected members; and
The Union members who are co-opted in accordance with these rules.

5.2 The business of the Union shall be managed and controlled in accordance with this constitution by the Central Committee which shall have all necessary authority for that purpose and in particular the power-

(a) to make bye-laws for the regulation of any matter not dealt with in these Rules,
(b) to raise money (by appeals, fund-raising events or otherwise), and to expend Union funds, for any purpose related to the aims and objectives of the Union,
(c) to make and notify decisions as and when necessary for the interpretation of these Rules,
(d) to delegate matters as and when necessary to sub-committees drawn from its members and from members of the Union generally; and,
(e) to co-opt, with a view to balancing the age profile of the Central Committee, six members of the Union to the Central Committee who shall hold office until the next following annual general meeting of the Union.
(f) to appoint three trustees in whom the assets of the Union shall be vested.

5.3 The Central Committee shall maintain a bank account under the title of “Cistercian
College, Roscrea, Union – Central Committee” into which all moneys received by the Central Committee shall be lodged. All cheques or other payments from the account shall be signed by any two of the following namely, the General Treasurers and the General Secretary. Any security or investment account in which Union funds not required for the immediate purposes of the Union are kept shall be held in the names of the Union trustees appointed or varied from time to time by resolution of the Central Committee.
5.4 There shall be not less than three Ordinary Meetings of the Central Committee in every year on dates to be fixed during the months of March, June and November, respectively.
5.5 Special Meetings of the Central Committee shall be convened at the request of the President of the Union and also on receipt of a request in writing signed by not less than five members of the Central Committee. The request in either case shall specify the purpose and agenda of the Special Meeting requested.
5.6 Every Member of the Central Committee shall be entitled to receive not less than fourteen days’ notice of every meeting, which notice shall include the agenda for the meeting.
5.7 No meeting of the Central Committee shall proceed to business unless there shall be present throughout the meeting the President of the Union (or in his absence, the Immediate Past President of the Union), the General Secretary (or in his absence one of the General Treasurers), at least one Branch Chairman and not less than three other members of the Central Committee.
5.8 On the proposal of the Central Committee, the Union in general meeting may from time to time confer the title of Honorary Life Vice President on such member or members of the Union as may be deemed by the Central Committee to have rendered special service to the Union, but so that there shall not be more than six Honorary Life Vice Presidents of the Union at any one time.

6. Branches of the Union

6.1 A Branch of the Union, subject to the approval of the Central Committee, may be established in a specified area, country, city or region to assist the realisation of the Union’s aims and objectives and to benefit the members of the Union living there.
6.1 A Branch of the Union, subject to the approval of the Central Committee, may be established in a specified area, country, city or region to assist the realisation of the Union’s aims and objectives and to benefit the members of the Union living there.
6.2 No individual member of the Union, or group of members other than authorised Branches of the Union, shall use the name of the Union or organise any meeting or function purporting to be under the auspices or in the name of the Union save with the prior approval in writing of the Central Committee.
6.3 Branches which exist at the date of these Rules are hereby recognised as authorised Branches of the Union.
6.4 All Branches shall enjoy equal recognition as an integral part of the Union and shall operate subject to these Rules and under the authority and control of the Central Committee. The Chairman or other Officer of the Branch delegated by him shall submit a report of Branch activities annually to the Central Committee, including an income and expenditure account as submitted to the latest Branch annual general meeting and a copy of the latest Roll of Branch Members, and shall report also to the annual general meeting of the Union.
6.5 Every Branch shall hold an annual general meeting which shall follow as far as possible the same agenda as the annual general meeting of the Union and shall hold elections for Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, and such number of members of Committee as may be deemed appropriate. The Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary shall hold office for a term of two years, the Committee members for one year. The President of the Union, the President of the College and the General Secretary of the Union shall be ex officio members of each Branch and shall be entitled to receive notice of, and to attend, speak and vote at Branch general meetings.
6.6 Each Branch shall be solely and exclusively responsible for financing its own activities, shall have financial independence from the Central Committee and shall be free to raise funds with which to pursue its objectives in such a manner as shall be approved by the Central Committee from time to time. Branch functions, being Union occasions affording members and guests the opportunity of meeting together under the auspices of the Union, shall be so organised so as not to conflict with other Union functions. Subject to these considerations, each Branch shall be entitled to arrange its own functions at the discretion of the Branch Committee.
6.7 The Branch Committee shall keep an up-to-date Roll of Branch Members (which shall be under the care of the Branch Secretary) and shall communicate in writing with members of the Union living in its area, providing details of forthcoming Branch functions and other information of interest to members.

7. Officers of the Union

7.1 The Officers of the Union (who shall be members of the Union) shall be the President of the Union, the President Elect of the Union, the two General Treasurers and the General Secretary.
7.2 The President shall preside at general meetings of the Union, at Union (that is, other than Branch) functions and events and at meetings of the Central Committee. The President (or his delegate) shall be invited as a guest of honour to Branch functions. He shall hold office for one year and shall be succeeded by the President Elect at the next following annual general meeting of the Union.
7.3 The General Treasurers shall be the financial officers of the Union and shall hold office for not less than three years. They shall be responsible for preparing the annual budget of the Union and keeping the accounts of Union funds received, and expended, by the Central Committee. They shall submit a joint financial report at Ordinary Meetings of the Central Committee and shall submit a yearly report (which shall include an annual income and expenditure account, to be audited by two members of the Union who shall not be members of the Central Committee) to the annual general meeting of the Union.
7.4 The General Secretary shall be the administrative officer of the Union and shall hold office for not less than three years. He shall take the minutes of meetings of the Central Committee and of the Union and shall be responsible for keeping the Minutes Book. He shall have particular responsibility for up-dating the Roll of Members, for the issue of notices of general meetings of the Union and of meetings of the Central Committee in accordance with these Rules and for the general administration of the Union under the control of the Central Committee. He shall submit a yearly report to the annual general meeting of the Union.

8. Elections

8.1 In the event that there is more than one current and valid nomination for the position of President Elect, General Treasurer or General Secretary at the commencement of the Annual General Meeting of the Union, then those positions in respect of which more than one current and valid nomination exists shall be elected by majority vote of the Union Members present and voting.
8.2 Up to a maximum of six ordinary members shall be eligible for election to the Central Committee and these ordinary members shall retire every two years by rotation.
8.3 Branches of the Union shall have the right to nominate candidates with the candidate’s consent for the office of President- Elect, General Treasurer or General Secretary, and these nominations signed by the Chairman of the Branch shall be sent to the General Secretary in writing not later than 30 days prior to the Annual General Meeting of the Union.

9. General Meetings of the Union

9.1 The annual general meeting of the Union shall be held at the College on such date as the Central Committee shall decide. Not less than twenty-one days’ notice shall be given to every member inscribed on the Roll of Members at his last known address in such manner as the Central Committee shall decide. The Quorum for such meetings shall be ten members of the union.
9.2 The business of the annual general meeting shall include:
1. Minutes of the last annual general meeting
2. Report of the General Secretary
3. Report of the General Treasurers
4. Reports from the Chairman (or other Officer) of every Branch
5. Election of Officers and Ordinary Members to Central Committee
6. Address by Outgoing President
7. Installation of the President Elect as President of the Union and of the other elected Officers
8. Notices of extraordinary business (if any)
9. General discussion of Union affairs.
9.3 “Extraordinary business” is any matter of exceptional Union importance proposed as a resolution and set out in a written notice, signed by not less than thirty members of the Union, delivered to the College and marked for the attention of the General Secretary not later than thirty days prior to the date of the annual general meeting.
9.4 The General Secretary shall convene an extraordinary general meeting of the Union if requested by the President of the Union or by notice in writing and signed by not less than twenty members of the Union, which notice shall state the resolution proposed to be put to the extraordinary general meeting. The meeting shall be held within thirty days of the receipt by the General Secretary of the said notice. Not less than fourteen days’ notice of the meeting shall be given to every member inscribed on the Roll of Members at his last known address in such manner as the Central Committee shall decide.

10. Union Functions

10.1 The principal functions of the Union every year shall be Union Day at the College (including Mass for the living and deceased members of the Union and the Past v. Present matches), the Annual General Meeting of the Union, the Union Retreat (Good Friday at the Guesthouse) and the Annual Dinner of the Union. Notice, with details of times and events, shall be given in good time by the Central Committee to every member of the Union. The foregoing principal functions of the Union may be varied or added to by the Central Committee from time to time.

11. Alteration of Rules

11.1 These Rules or any of them may be altered by a resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting at an extraordinary general meeting of the Union.

Prepared by the Constitutional Review sub-committee of the Central Committee of the Union: Donal Taaffe (Chairman), Cuimin Doyle, Pat O’Shea, Conor Massey, Larry Branigan, at Milltown Golf Club, Dublin 25th August 2000.