Constitution of the Trinity College Literary Institute
(Last Amended Spring 2001)
Section I: The Institute
1. The Society shall be known as the Trinity
College Literary Institute.
2. The Motto of the Institute shall be “Feros
Cultus Voce Formare”.
3. The objects of the Institute shall be the
fostering of cultural activities and the encouragement of public speaking.
4. The Colours of the Institute shall be those
of the College, namely, red and black.
5. The Blazon of the Institute shall be:
Arms:
per pale embattled gules and sable two gavels in saltire or.
Crest:
Above a helmet mantled gules and sable doubled or within a wreath or gules and
sable a stag ledged regardant or armed and unguled argent supporting a book
bound gules clasped and gilded or bearing on its cover a representation of a
mitre sable within an oval or.
Motto:
FEROS CULTUS VOCE FORMARE
Section II: Members
1. The Institute shall consist of three classes of members – Active Members, Honorary Members and Life Members.
2. Active members shall be all Trinity levied
degree students. Any undergraduate
student who during the course of the year becomes a part-time student will
retain his privileges as a full member.
No Member shall speak at the meetings or hold office until he has taken
the Oath of Allegiance at the hands of the Speaker, and has registered in the
Minute Book.
3. Honorary Members shall consist of:
a: Former Members of the Institute
b: the Provost, Professors, Lecturers, Dons and
Fellows of Trinity College
c: Anyone elected as an Honorary Member by vote of
two-thirds of the Members present at an Ordinary Meeting.
4. Life Members shall consist of former members
of Trinity College who have duly paid a fee of TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS.
5. Honorary Members and Life Members shall have
all the privileges of Active Members, except that of holding office and voting.
6. The Oath of Allegiance shall be: “I do swear
that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the Trinity College
Literary Institute and that I will uphold its traditions and abide by its
regulations. So help me Great G.
Whitaker.”
7. Active Members of the Institute shall be
classified as Senior Members and First-Year Members.
Section III: Meetings
1. Meetings shall be classed as Ordinary, Special, Open and Business.
a) Ordinary Meetings shall be those at which the
Literary Programme consists of a party debate, and shall be held at
approximately weekly intervals.
b) Business Meetings shall be those at which the
Council shall introduce any business which it believes may interfere either
through length or complexity, with the Literary Programmes of Ordinary
Meetings.
c) Open Meetings shall be those at which any person
present in the house shall be allowed to speak and vote.
d) Special Meetings are meetings defined in Section
III, article 7.
2. The Council shall have the power to suspend
or cancel any meeting if deemed necessary, provided that the written approval
of the Leader of the Opposition has been posted not less than thirty-six (36)
hours prior to the announced meeting.
3. The Chairman shall call the Meeting to order
as soon as there are twenty members present, which number shall form a quorum.
4. Every member shall have the privileges of
introducing visitors at Ordinary and Open Meetings by signing the Register.
5. The Clerk of the House shall post all
notices for Ordinary Meetings, including notices of motion, at least three days
in advance.
6. The Annual Meeting shall be held on the last Thursday of March, to receive and deliberate on the reports of the Officers of the Institute, to hear the Valedictory speeches of the retiring members and to hear the results of the election of Officers for the ensuing year.
7. The Council must call a Special Meeting of
the Institute and is bound to do so on the written petition of twenty-one
Members, of which meeting not less than twenty-four nor more than forty-eight
hours’ notice shall be given. In the
case of a Meeting called by written petition the notice summoning the same
shall be posted by the Clerk of the House within four hours of the presentation
of such a petition, the said notice to contain the reason for the summoning of
the Special Meeting. Under these
circumstances at least thirty members shall comprise a quorum.
8. An Open Meeting shall be called at the
discretion of the Council.
9. At least two Ordinary Meetings per term
shall be held at St. Hilda’s College.
Section IV: The Executive
1. The Executive of the Institute shall consist
of the Permanent Officers, the Council, and the Opposition Committee.
2. At any meeting of the Executive, six members
thereof, of whom at least two must be on the Council, and two on the Opposition
Committee, shall constitute a quorum.
3. The Speaker shall take the chair at any
meeting of the Executive.
4. Resolutions for debates shall be chosen by
the Executive.
5. An approved resolution with the name of at least one person to lead the affirmative shall be handed by the Council to the Clerk of the House and posted at least three days in advance.
6. The name of at least one person to lead the negative shall be handed by the Opposition Committee to the Clerk of the House and posted at least two days in advance.
Section V: Permanent Officers
1. The Permanent Officers shall be the Honorary President, the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, the Treasurer, the Clerk of the House, the Archivist, the Chair of the Competitive Debates Committee, the Poet Laureate, and the Chair of the Jucker Committee.
2. The Honorary President shall be the Provost
of Trinity College.
3. a) The Speaker,
the Deputy Speaker, the Treasurer, and the Clerk of the House shall be elected
at the Annual Elections, to hold office throughout the ensuing year. They must not be members of either the
Council or the Opposition Committee. The
Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, and the Clerk of the House shall be Senior Members
of the Institute. In the event of any
vacancy, an election shall be held (in pursuance with section XIX) before any
further Meeting of the Institute.
b) The Archivist, and the Poet Laureate shall be
appointed by their predecessors at the discretion of the Prime Minister elect.
c) The Chair of the Competitive Debates Committee
shall be appointed by the Council elect.
d) The Chair of the Jucker Committee shall be
appointed in the manner outlined in the Constitution of the Jucker Committee.
4. At all meetings of the Institute, except as provided for in section VII, Subsection 1, the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker shall occupy the Chair. At the discretion of the Speaker, the Prime Minister may temporarily occupy the Chair.
5. The Treasurer shall have charge of all the
monies of the Institute subject to its order.
In the case of sums less than two hundred fifty dollars, the Treasurer
shall dispense funds upon order of the Council (subject to Section XI,
subsection 4). All cheques shall be
signed by both the Treasurer and the Prime Minister.
6. All records in the care of the Treasurer
shall be open to inspection by the Members of the Institute. At the Annual Meeting the Treasurer shall
present a report of all the business carried on in his department throughout
the year.
7. The Clerk of the House shall keep the minutes of each debate and meeting of the Institute. He shall also carry on the correspondence of the Institute, and shall submit all communications to the Council.
8. All records in the care of the Clerk of the House shall be open to inspection by Members of the Institute.
9. The Archivist shall supervise the keeping of
the Institute’s historical records; shall keep two sets of all documents
produced by the Institute, one to be deposited with the College Archives at the
end of the Archivist’s term, and one for the Institute’s own archives; and
shall contact Kashif Pirzada at least once a month, until such time as the
archives of the Institute in Kashif’s possession are recovered.
10. The Chair of the Competitive Debates
Committee shall supervise all serious competitive debating with other debating
societies.
11. The Poet Laureate shall recite a comic poem
or toast at every non-serious debate throughout the year.
12. The Chair of the Jucker Committee shall be
bound by the terms of the Constitution of the Jucker Committee.
Section VI: The Council
1. The Government of the Institute shall be in the hands of a Council consisting of a Prime Minister, Government House Leader, two Keepers of the Mace, one a Woman of College and one a Man of College, and two First Year Councillors, one a Woman of College and one a Man of College. The officers shall rank in the above order. The Prime Minister and the Government House Leader shall be Senior Members of the Institute.
2. At any meeting of the Council, three members thereof shall constitute a quorum.
3. a) At the Annual Meeting of the Institute, the results of the elections for the ensuing year shall be
announced, with the exception of the First Year Councillors, who shall be elected at the Meeting of the First Year to elect their representatives to College Organizations.
b) In the event of any vacancy in any office of the Council, the said vacancy shall be filled by means of a by-election at the next Ordinary Meeting.
Section VII: The Duties of
the Council
1. The Prime Minister shall take the Chair at all meetings of the Council, and at the Annual Meeting of the Institute during the presentation of reports of the offices and appointees of the Council. In the absence of the Prime Minister, the Government House Leader present shall take his place at such meetings.
2. The Keepers of the Mace shall be responsible for the safety of the Mace.
3. One of the First Year Councillors shall act as Secretary of the Council; whenever called upon at regular meetings, they shall assist the Clerk of the House.
4. The Prime Minister shall present a report of the Council’s activities at the Institute’s Annual Meeting.
5. All records in the care of the First Year Councillors shall be open to inspection by Members of the Institute.
Section VIII: The
Opposition Committee
1. The Opposition Committee shall consist of a Leader of the Opposition, Opposition House Leader, two Mace Seekers, one a Woman of College and one a Man of College, and two First Year Councillors, one a Woman of College, and one a Man of College. The Leader of the Opposition and the Opposition House Leader shall be Senior Members of the Institute.
2. Their election for the ensuing year shall be announced at the Annual Meeting of the Institute, with the exception of the First Year Councillors, who shall be elected in the same manner as the Government First Year Councillors.
3. In the event of the Opposition Committee’s becoming the Council under Section IX, sub-section 2, or its overthrow under Section IX, subsection 7, or in the event of the resignation of the whole Committee, a new Committee shall be elected in pursuance with Section XIX; otherwise vacancies in the Committee shall be filled by means of a by-election at the next Ordinary Meeting.
Section IX: Changes of Council
1. If at two successive party debates, the Council is defeated by a majority of the House, on a vote taken on the quality of the debate, the senior member of the Opposition Committee present may move a vote of want of confidence. If the motion is carried, the Council shall thereby go out of office. The motion may be reintroduced at any subsequent party debate until the Opposition shall be defeated in a party debate. No discussion shall be allowed on a motion introduced in this fashion, and Rule of Order XIX shall not apply to such a motion.
2. The members of the Opposition Committee
shall, on defeat of the Council, succeed automatically to the vacant offices in
the new Council, in such order as they shall choose; any remaining offices in
the new Council shall be filled by by-election at the next Ordinary or Business
Meeting of the Institute.
3. To the Opposition Committee taking office as
the new Council shall be transferred entire charge of the properties and
affairs of the Institute.
4. In the event of the Opposition Committee’s
succeeding to the Government of the Institute, nominations shall be taken at
the meeting at which such change in government takes place, and elections by
ballot to fill the offices on the Opposition Committee shall be held in
accordance with Section XIX.
5. Any Active Member of the Institute may at
any time move a vote of want of confidence in the Government Council. If the vote is carried and the change in
Council is to be the first of the academic year, then the Opposition will
automatically take office. If, however,
there has already been a change in the Council, the Hon. Member must indicate
whether he wants the Opposition to take office, or whether he wants to call a
general election under Section XIX.
6. All resignations from the Council or the
Opposition Committee shall be handed to the Clerk of the House in writing.
7. Any active member of the Institute may at
any time move a vote of want of confidence in the Opposition Committee. If this
is carried by the assembled House the Committee shall be dissolved and
elections by ballot to fill the offices on the Opposition Committee shall be
held in accordance with Section XIX.
Section X: The Constitution Committee
1. The
Constitution Committee shall consist of the Speaker and two members who shall
be elected at the first Ordinary Meeting of each academic year. At least one of the members of the Committee
shall be a Woman of College, and one a Man of College.
2. a) All recommendations for alterations in the
Constitution or Rules of Order, must be made to the Constitution Committee which shall report such recommendations to
the Institute, together with its advice on the same, within two weeks of the
receipt of any such recommendations.
b) Such report shall be
considered as notice of motion to amend the Constitution.
c) At the next Ordinary or Business
Meeting of the Institute the motion shall be discussed and voted on. To be carried, two-thirds of the members
present must support the motion. Amendments to the motion will be accepted at
this meeting only.
d) The same procedure shall be
followed at the next Ordinary or Business Meeting, after which if the motion
again receives the required majority, it shall become effective.
e) If the motion is defeated
under paragraph (c) or paragraph (d), it cannot be proceeded with further that
academic year.
3. The Constitution Committee may make
recommendations as to any changes in the Constitution which it deems
necessary. Such recommendations must
follow the procedures in paragraphs (b), (c), (d) and (e) of Subsection 2.
4. The Speaker of the House shall be
responsible for having available a sufficient number of printed copies of the
Constitution to fill any demand.
Section XI
1. Each Active Member shall pay an annual fee
set and collected through the Joint College Meeting.
2. The accounts of the Institute shall be
submitted to the Joint College Meeting’s auditor at the end of each academic
term.
3. The whole of the property and effects of the
Institute, of whatsoever kind, shall be vested in the Council of the Institute,
and subject to its control during its term of office.
4. The Treasurer shall have the power to veto
any payment authorized by the Council unless it has been passed by an Ordinary
or Business Meeting; no expenditure shall be made, however, except on
recommendation of the Council.
Section XII: The
Conversazione Committee
1. The Annual Conversazione shall be organised
by a committee chaired by two Convenors who shall be Active Members of the
Institute. The Convenors shall be
elected at a meeting of the Executive; quorum for this vote shall be two-thirds
of the Executive.
2. The Convenors must submit a proposal which
includes a detailed budget before they can be elected.
3. The other members of the Committee shall be
chosen by the Convenors. Any Active
Member of the Institute may make suggestions to the Convenors as to who should
be on the Committee. It is left to the
discretion of the Convenors as to who will be on the Committee.
4. The Speaker, who may be assisted by the
Convenors, will receive.
5. The Committee shall have the power to
appoint sub-committees and shall have full charge of all the arrangements for
the Conversazione. The Convenors shall report at the Annual Meeting of the
Institute.
6. a) The Committee shall be financially
responsible to the Institute.
b) The finances of the
Committee shall be internal. When the
budget has been approved by the Government Council, a bank account shall be set
up, and all disbursements shall be handled through said account, cheques to be
co-signed by the Treasurer and Chairman of the Committee.
c) A sum of money not exceeding
$1500 may be advanced to the Committee by vote of the Council.
d) An annual income and
expenditure account shall be prepared by the Committee. This shall be audited, together with all
vouchers, receipts and unsold tickets, by the Treasurer.
e) Any additional expenses
incurred by the Committee shall be paid by the Treasurer, on order only of the
Council or the Institute, in accordance with Section V, Subsection 5, and
Section XI, Subsection 4.
Section XIII: The Junior Common Room
1. The Curator of the Junior Common Room shall
be a Man of College, appointed by the Council, which may not offer him an
honorarium. The Curator shall be
responsible for the properties of the Institute under the direction of the
Council.
2. The Curator of the JCR shall at the Annual
Meeting present reports of all business transacted by him throughout the year.
3. The Council shall be responsible for the
selection of reading material for the Junior Common Room. The Council shall report its selection to
the Annual Meeting of the Institute at which any selection made by the Council
may be rejected by a majority vote. The
Annual Meeting shall also have power to recommend the addition of other reading
material. These recommendations must be
considered, but not necessarily accepted by the Council. The Council may at this time make any
further recommendations with regard to improvements in the Junior Common Room.
4. Any member of the Institute guilty of
damaging the property of the Institute shall be liable to a fine of THREE
DOLLARS for each offence to be imposed through the Bursar’s Office, and shall
be subject to having his name posted on the College notice board. Flagrant breaches shall also be reported to
the Chair of the Discipline Committee.
Section XIV: The TCLI Dinner Committee
1. There shall be at least one Literary Dinner,
organized by the Speaker, per annum.
2. The Deputy Speaker shall be responsible for
Low Table Nights, and the invitation of a guest speaker.
Section XV: The Competitive Debates Committee
1. The CDC shall be divided into Senior
Members, who shall be defined as Members who have debated before with a
University team or league for at least one year; and Junior Members, who shall
comprise the remaining members of the Committee.
2. When determining who will be attending the
tournaments, the number of teams shall be divided impartially between Senior
and Junior Teams, except for the Nationals which will be entirely Senior teams. Anyone may judge or attend a tournament as a
spectator at any time.
3. In order to attend a tournament, the Member
must have been indoctrinated into the Literary Institute and must be a Member
in good standing. A Member in good
standing will have attended at least two of the previous eight Ordinary
Meetings of the Institute. This will
not apply to first year students or transfer students in their first term, who
need only have been indoctrinated into the Institute.
4. a)
The Chair of the CDC must post notice of upcoming competitions at least one
month in advance, unless this time falls during exams or holidays, in which
case notice must be prior to this time, during the academic term.
b) Should there be more teams willing to participate than there are
places available, the Chair of the CDC shall organize a tournament at Trinity
College to determine which teams attend.
c) Regardless of the results of
the tournament, no team shall attend two competitions if another team signs up
which has not yet attended a competition.
This rule shall not apply to Nationals.
5. The Chair of the CDC will be a Senior Member
who has been appointed by the Council as the sole representative of the
Committee. At the Chair’s discretion, a
subcommittee may be formed of the Senior members to deal with any matters that
may arise concerning the Committee.
6. Unless otherwise stated, the debating
procedures of the CDC will adhere to the Canadian University Society for
Inter-Collegiate Debate Rules.
Section XVI: The Art Committee
1. The organization of the Institute’s art
exhibits shall be directed by a Committee.
2. The Art Committee shall be responsible with
regard to finances and general activities to the Council of the Institute and
should hold at least one exhibition a year.
3. The Chair of this Committee shall report to
the Institute should the Trinity College Art Committee be restruck.
Section XVII: The Music
Committee
1. The organization of the Institute’s music
concerts shall be directed by an appointee of the Government Council.
2. The Music Committee shall be responsible
with regard to finances and general activities to the Council of the Institute.
Section XVIII: Awards
I. General
1. All recipients of awards shall be selected
by the Committee of Awards.
2. All recipients of awards shall be Active
Members of the Institute who have satisfied the eligibility requirements for
election to office in the year in which they receive the awards.
3. The Committee of Awards shall consist of the Deputy Speaker, who shall serve as Chairman, the Clerk of the House, and two other members, who may not be on the Executive, and who shall be elected at the first Ordinary Meeting of the second term. There must be at least one Woman of College and at least one Man of College on the Committee.
4. In any year, the Committee of Awards, at its
own discretion, may decide not to present any specified award; in this
eventuality, any sum of money to be used for the purchase of this award shall
be returned to the Treasurer of the Institute.
5. All awards shall be made at the Annual
Meeting of the Institute.
6. The Deputy Speaker shall be responsible for
all arrangements connected with the awards.
7. The nature of the awards and the criteria
upon which they are chosen shall be announced annually to the Institute, at the
first Ordinary or Business Meeting following the Christmas Vacation.
II. The Trinity College Literary Pendants
1. A Literary Institute Pendant may be awarded
to a member of the Institute, in his graduating year, who, in the opinion of
the Committee of Awards, has performed an outstanding service for the Institute
during the year.
2. No more than five pendants shall be awarded
in any one year.
3. The award shall be in the form of the
traditional pendant, made from the die in the possession of the Institute.
III. The 4T5 Debating Trophy
1. The 4T5 Debating Trophy, presented to the
Institute in 1948 by John Hadwen on behalf of a number of members of 4T5, is to
be awarded annually to the most effective debater among the Members of the
Institute, no restriction being placed on the year to which the Member belongs.
2. Primary emphasis is to be placed on
participation in the Literary Programme of the Institute, with some
consideration being given to speaking in other bodies.
3. The Award shall consist of temporary
possession of the permanent cup for one week, and of a book bearing the
appropriate book-plate.
4. A book-plate bearing the name of the award
shall be provided annually by the Institute.
5. A sum of not more than forty dollars shall
be provided annually by the Institute for the purchase of the book mentioned in
Subsection 3.
IV. The Literary Institute Trophy
1. This award shall be made annually to the
member of the Institute who, in the opinion of the Committee of Awards, has
shown most ability in debating and participation in all affairs of the
Institute during the year.
2. In the selection of the winner of this
award, the Committee shall place emphasis not only upon participation in the
Literary Programme of the Institute but also upon all other ways in which the
Member has contributed to the advancement of the Institute.
3. The award shall consist of temporary
possession of the permanent cup for one week, and of a book containing the appropriate
book-plate.
4. A book-plate bearing the name of the award
shall be provided annually by the Institute.
5. A sum of not more than forty dollars shall
be provided annually by the Institute for the purchase of the book mentioned in
Subsection 3.
V. The George Ignatieff Trophy
1. This award is to be given annually to the
male Member of the Institute in his graduating year who, in the opinion of the
Committee of Awards, has made the greatest contribution to the Institute during
his four years at the College.
2. In the selection of the winner of this
award, the Committee shall place emphasis not only upon participation in the
Literary Programme of the Institute but also upon all other ways in which the
Member has contributed to the advancement of the Institute.
3. The award shall consist of temporary
possession of the permanent cup for one week, and of a book containing the
appropriate book-plate.
4. A book-plate bearing the name of the award
shall be provided annually by the Institute.
5. A sum of not more than twenty-five dollars
shall be provided annually by the Institute for the purchase of the book
mentioned in Subsection 3.
VI. The Seaman Trophy
1. This award is to be given annually to the
female Member of the Institute in her graduating year who, in the opinion of
the Committee of Awards, has made the greatest contribution to the Institute
during her four years at the College.
2. In the selection of the winner of this
award, the Committee shall place emphasis not only upon participation in the
Literary Programme of the Institute but also upon all other ways in which the
Member has contributed to the advancement of the Institute.
3. The award shall consist of temporary
possession of the permanent cup for one week, and of a book containing the
appropriate book-plate.
4. A book-plate bearing the name of the award
shall be provided annually by the Institute.
5. A sum of not more than forty dollars shall
be provided annually by the Institute for the purchase of the book mentioned in
Subsection 3.
VII. The 1st Year Trophy
1. This award is to be given annually to the
Member of the Institute in his first year who, in the opinion of the Committee
of Awards, has given the best debate at a Meeting of the Institute.
2. The award shall consist of temporary
possession of the permanent cup for one week, and of a book containing the
appropriate book-plate.
3. A book-plate bearing the name of the award
shall be provided annually by the Institute.
4. A sum of not more than ten dollars shall be
provided annually by the Institute for the purchase of the book mentioned in
Subsection 2.
VIII. The Provost’s Cup
1. This award is to be given annually to the
Member of the Institute who, in the opinion of the Committee of Awards, has given
the best floor speech at a Meeting of the Institute.
2. The award shall consist of temporary
possession of the permanent cup for one week, and of a book containing the
appropriate book-plate.
3. A book-plate bearing the name of the award
shall be provided annually by the Institute.
4. A sum of not more than forty dollars shall
be provided annually by the Institute for the purchase of the book mentioned in
Subsection 2.
Section XIX: Elections
1. a)
The Chief Returning Officer shall post a list of all nominations in the
College Hall and at St.
Hilda’s, together with the date and hour of the elections, within
twenty-four hours of receiving
such nominations.
b) A member may not run for
more than one office in any one election.
Failure to comply with this regulation shall disqualify a Member as a
candidate at that election.
c) A Member already holding an
office in the Executive of the Institute who is nominated for another office
and who desires to run for the same must resign to the Speaker in writing from
the office he already holds not later than 5:00 PM on the day previous to the
balloting, as well as fulfill the conditions in paragraph (b) above. This ruling shall not in any way affect
Members nominated for office in the Annual Elections.
d) Two elections shall be held
in March within one week of each other, before the Annual
Meeting of the Institute. The
first election shall be for the offices of Speaker, Deputy Speaker,
Treasurer, and Clerk of the House.
The second shall be for the offices of the Council and the Opposition
Committee.
e) No member shall stand for
more than one office, nor may these offices be occupied by more
than one member of the Institute.
2. All nominations shall be made singly; no
blanket nominations of a group of Members shall be received.
3. All elections shall be held one week
following the meeting at which the nominations are made, unless in the opinion
of the Chairman of such meeting the holding of a ballot at that time is not
feasible. Under these circumstances the
Chairman shall designate the day for such an election.
4. All elections shall be in the charge of the
Chief Returning Officer.
5. a) No Member shall vote in any elections unless
he has attended at least two Ordinary Meetings of the Institute, and has paid
his fee to the Institute.
b) No Member shall be a
candidate for office at any elections unless he has attended at least two
Ordinary Meetings of the Institute, has taken part in at least one debate
during the year (either as a debater
appointed by the Council or from the floor of the House), and has paid his fee
to the Institute.
6. By-elections shall be held to fill vacancies
on the Council or Opposition Committee. Notice of such a by-election must be
posted by the Clerk of the House four days in advance. Members currently on the Executive may not
run in such by-elections. If there is
more than one position to be filled in any one by-election, no Member may run for
more than one position.
———————————
Rules of Order
I. At the discretion of the Speaker the
following shall be the Order of Business to be observed at the Ordinary
Meetings of the Institute:
1. The Minutes of the previous
meeting shall be read, and upon approval signed by the Speaker or Deputy
Speaker.
2. Business arising out of the
Minutes.
3. Candidates for admission
shall be admitted at the hands of the Speaker.
4. Reports of Committees.
5. Communications received
since the last meeting shall be read by the Clerk.
6. Council and Government
Business shall be transacted.
7. Question Time.
8. Literary Programme:
a) The Literary Programme shall
consist of a party debate on the resolution submitted by the Executive.
b) The time allotted to the
speakers on each side of the motion will be ten minutes. The leader of the affirmative shall have
five minutes to reply.
c) On the conclusion of a
debate, there shall be a beer break, to be followed by floor speeches. Upon the conclusion of floor speeches, a
vote shall be taken of the Members present.
Before a member can be entitled to vote he must have heard at least two
speeches from the floor of the House, not including the reply of the leader of
the affirmative.
d) An appeal from the Chair
during the debate shall be decided without discussion by a vote of the
House. A majority of two-thirds is
necessary to the success of the appeal.
e) A motion of closure shall be
ruled out of order by the Chairman unless by the Senior Member of the Council
present at the meeting.
9. Notices of Motion.
10. Transaction of other
business.
II. The following shall be the special Order of
Business at the Annual Meeting:
1. Minutes of the previous
meeting shall be read and adopted.
2. Communications received
since the last meeting shall be read.
3. Reports of officers.
4. Reports of committees.
5. Results of elections to fill
offices for the ensuing year.
6. Valedictory addresses.
III. The Order of Business Meetings shall be the
same as those followed at Ordinary Meetings except that subsection 8 shall be
omitted.
IV. In order for a meeting of the Institute to
begin, the mace or the mace designate must be placed on the table of the Clerk
of the House.
V. Every Member shall address the Chair and
shall confine his remarks to the subject under discussion, avoiding all
personalities.
VI. Any Member addressing the Meeting shall stand
for the purpose, after he has been recognized by the Chair.
VII. Active
Members of the Institute shall appear in academic dress and the Chair shall
wear his cap while presiding.
VIII. Except when the House is in Committee of the
Whole House no Member shall be allowed to speak more than once on any question,
except the mover of the motion, who shall have the privilege of replying once
before the motion is put to a vote.
IX. Any Member shall be permitted to rise and
correct misinterpretations of any statement he has made.
X. Any Member on entering, leaving, or crossing
the floor of the House shall acknowledge the Chair.
XI. No Member shall interrupt a speaker except
on a point of order or misrepresentation, and all unseemly interruptions shall
be stopped by the Chair. At the
conclusion of a speaker’s remarks, a Member may rise on a point of information.
XII. A speaker on being called to order shall at
once resume his seat until the point in question shall be decided by the Chair,
which decision shall be received without discussion. If the decision is appealed, the reason for the decision and the
appeal having been stated, the question shall be put as follows, without
debate: “Shall the decision of the Chair
be upheld?” For such overruling of the Chair’s decision, a vote of two-thirds
of the Members present shall be necessary.
XIII. All motions shall be seconded and read from
the Chair before they are discussed.
XIV. No motion for adjournment shall be allowed
at an Ordinary Meeting until Orders of Business 1 to 10 have been dealt with
seriatim to the satisfaction of the Members present.
XV. Notice of any business to be introduced at
an Ordinary Meeting shall have been handed at least four days previously to the
Clerk of the House, who shall post them at Trinity and at St. Hilda’s at least
four days previous to the Meeting at which the business is to be
introduced. This notice shall be given
to the Speaker immediately before the said meeting.
XVI. A Rule of Order may be suspended at any
meeting upon a two-thirds vote of the House.
XVII. The mover of a motion may have the said
motion withdrawn upon his own refusal to proceed with it.
XVIII. No Member shall speak continuously for more
than ten minutes on any motion, but the mover may have five minutes to reply.
XIX. In order to vote on a motion of want of
confidence, a Member must have heard at least two speeches on that motion.
XX. Questions which do not come under the
foregoing rules shall be decided by the Chair according to the traditional
usages and customs of the Trinity College Literary Institute, and, failing a
precedent, according to the traditional usages and customs of the House of
Commons of the Dominion of Canada.
XXI. If any Member be charged with infringing any regulation or Rule of Order of the Institute, the delinquent upon conviction decided by ballot, shall be liable to a public censure from the Institute. For a second offence a motion of expulsion may be introduced, and if on a vote by ballot two-thirds of the Members present vote for his expulsion, the delinquent shall thereby be expelled from all privileges of the Institute. Any member having been expelled is thereby disenfranchised.