Natcon Standing Committee Rules

The following constitute the rules of the Standing Committee of the Business Meeting of the Australian National Science Fiction Convention.

0.1 Preamble

0.2 Under clause (iv) of the Constitution of the Australian National Science Fiction Convention a Standing Committee is to be appointed to assist the Australian National Science Fiction Convention Organising Committee in the administration of certain aspects of the convention (which are other than year-to-year).

0.3 A Standing Committee was established at the 2002 Natcon Business Meeting to deal with Natcon related issues that occur between Natcon Business Meetings and to make recommendations to the Natcon Business Meetings.

1.0 Membership of the Standing Committee

1.1 The Standing Committee shall comprise 4 members elected by each year’s Business Meeting and shall hold that position from the End of the Business Meeting in which they were elected until the end of the following Business Meeting.

1.2 The Standing Committee shall further comprise the current, future and past Chairs of the Natcons or their representatives.

1.3 A Natcon Business meeting may appoint other people to the Standing Committee as the Natcon Business Meeting sees fit to hold a voting or non-voting position as it sees fit.

1.4 The Standing Committee or the Standing Committee Chair may co-opt other persons to the Standing Committee for a specific period as seen fit. Such co-options shall be non-voting positions and shall not last longer than the end of the term of membership of the elected Standing Committee members. An appointment by the Chair alone is subject to approval of the Standing Committee.

1.5 The Standing Committee shall elect a Chair from its membership. In the absence of an elected Chair, the immediate past Chair of the Natcon Business Meeting shall act as chair until a new Chair is elected.

1.6 In the event of a resignation or other loss of a Standing Committee member, the Standing Committee may appoint a replacement until the next Natcon Business Meeting.

2.0 Role and Powers of the Standing Committee

2.1 The Standing Committee may be allocated business by the Natcon Business Meeting, and for purposes of that business the Standing Committee may act and/or make decisions as directed by the Business Meeting.

2.2 The Standing Committee may of its own volition investigate issues which are related to Natcons and Australian SF ("Ditmar") Awards and report to the next Natcon Business Meeting on the results of such investigations.

2.3 The Standing Committee shall provide advice and support to the Natcon organising committee and Australian SF ("Ditmar") Awards committee.

2.4 A Natcon organising committee or Australian SF ("Ditmar") Awards committee may ask the Standing Committee for a clarification or ruling on any matter appropriate for a Natcon Business Meeting. The Standing Committee may make an interim ruling on the matter which shall stand until the next Business Meeting. Decisions so made should be presented as a motion for ratification at the next Natcon Business Meeting. This power may only be exercised if the Standing Committee is requested for a ruling on a matter.

2.5 The Standing Committee shall discuss relevant issues and questions asked of it with a view to providing a consensus report or answer. If a consensus is not able to be obtained than a majority report or reply may be provided. This does not preclude minority reports from being provided.

2.6 The Standing Committee shall use its best endeavours to provide a timely response.