What has happened?
As many of our members are aware, GUGS was refused SRC affiliation this year, thanks to our membership numbers being unacceptably weighted towards non-student members. This has not only meant that we were refused a Fresher's Faire stall, but also that we need to demonstrate to the QMU that we are willing to bring the ratio of our members back into the 80%/20% students/non-students ratio that they specify. To achieve this, the committee has agreed to follow a plan proposed by James Thornbury.
The Plan
When memberships are handed out, GUGS will only grant membership to currently matriculated Glasgow University students. Thus the society will become 100% student-membership. At the same time, a new society is to be formed, one composed exclusively of non-student members, entitled Glasgow Gamers Association. GGA will exist for the stated purpose of fundraising for GUGS, which it will do in the main by progressing membership dues from its own members to the main GUGS fund. In return, GGA members will attend GUGS events and games, abiding by the rules and decisions of the GUGS committee. They will be guests of GUGS, which in practice means that GUGS members will have to sign them into the QMU (which is something that was commonplace at GUGS not very long ago), but otherwise isn't envisaged as actually changing the day-to-day running of games at GUGS in any way.
This new society will elect its own executive committee, have its own constitution, and hold its own AGMs and EGMs as normal. It is currently envisaged that it will do these things at the same time that GUGS does the same, requiring space timetabled at the AGM for their elections.
This new society will elect its own executive committee, have its own constitution, and hold its own AGMs and EGMs as normal. It is currently envisaged that it will do these things at the same time that GUGS does the same, requiring space timetabled at the AGM for their elections.
What does this Achieve?
In short, it allows GUGS to continue to exist as a student society, while permanently removing the membership quota issue. (Other solutions mainly involve us enforcing the SRC membership quota limit ourselves, which will result in current members not being allowed to attend GUGS in the future.) This solution also ensures that non-student members have say over their own society, even if that society is explicitly subservient to the main society.
When will this take place?
In terms of membership, only students are going to be allowed to join GUGS at this time. Non-student members will simply have to be signed into the building for the meantime. GGA itself will come into being during the next GUGS AGM, at which point the prospective members of this society will be solicited to run for its executive positions.
Where is the Constitution for this new Society?
James Thornbury has provided a draft constitution, based upon the SRC's guidelines to societies, which can be found here. This will need to be ratified at the AGM, along with the very existence of the society, but in the meantime comments and suggestions should be directed to him (@jamesthornbury on Twitter).
Didn't you mention Committee Minutes?
You can find the minutes for today's committee meeting here, with discussion both of the above issue, our attempts to increase our student numbers, and Magic the Gathering.
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