The aim of the Society is to provide a common forum for those working in the publishing industry in and around Oxford. The forum will provide an opportunity to exchange ideas and information and to listen to speakers addressing topical issues in publishing. It will also offer an opportunity to network among industry colleagues.
There will be three or four events a year designed, as far as is practicable, to appeal across the industry. Each event will comprise a talk, by an individual or a panel, on a topic of interest to the publishing community in general. This will be followed by some discussion arising from the talk. At each event there will be an opportunity to network informally among colleagues over refreshments.
Membership is by subscription and is open to all organisations and individuals with an involvement in publishing. The society is intended primarily for those based in the Oxford area, although membership is open to individuals and organisations outside the area.
There is a scale of annual membership charges based on the size of the organisation. Membership entitles employees of the member organisation to attend meetings. Attendance at meetings will be open to all employees of member organisations regardless of their position or function. No entry charge is planned for individual meetings, although anyone planning to attend is asked to indicate in advance to enable planning.
From time to time it may be necessary to levy a nominal entry charge to cover exceptional costs and in the event of over subscription to a particular event we may reserve the right to limit the number of attendees from companies sending large groups of people.
The cost of annual membership is based on size, measured by numbers of Oxford-based employees. Individual members are also welcome. The scale will be reviewed by the Society from time to time.
Freelancers £15.75
1–10 employees £31.50
11–50 employees £131.50
51–150 employees £265.50
151–250 employees £367.50
251+ employees £682.50
The Society is run as a not-for-profit organisation by a committee of volunteers. An Annual General Meeting will be held at which the officers of the Society will be elected. Membership subscriptions will be used to cover administration costs, publicity, meeting costs and speaker expenses.
Founder Members include Blackwell Publishers, Butterworth-Heinemann, CAB International, Elsevier Science, Learned Information, Oxford Brookes Centre for Publishing Studies, Signpost Books.
The Society will be known as OPuS, Oxford Publishing Society. OPuS is a professional Society for Publishers and associated professions based in Oxfordshire and surrounding regions to meet, exchange views and ideas.
The objects of the Society are: -
a) To encourage meeting and networking between Oxford-based publishers.
b) To represent and promote the profession of publishing.
c) To provide the opportunity to learn from invited speakers.
d) To do all other things which the Committee, as defined in Section 9, considers it appropriate for the Society to do.
e) In furtherance of these aims and Objects, the society shall have Powers to publish journals, newsletters, websites, or pamphlets relating to the affairs of the society.
a) For the purpose of these regulations, “Publishers” are defined as those engaged in the publishing or related industries. Other groups will be allowed Membership of the Society at the discretion of the Committee.
b) “Member” is defined as the organisation, the individual representative of the organisation, or an individual.
c) Members must pay subscriptions due, as laid out in Section 3. Notice of subscription renewals will be given at the beginning of December each year. Payment of the renewal fee should be made within 2 months.
d) Members must declare to the Committee any relevant significant change in their organisation and will be required to declare annually their continued compliance with the conditions of Membership.
e) Membership may be terminated in either of the following ways
i) By a letter of resignation from the Member to the committee.
ii) If a Member’s subscription is more than three months in arrears, and
she/he has failed within sixty days of receipt of a notice from the Treasurer
requesting that her/his subscription be brought up to date, to pay the subscription
due.
f) No one shall be entitled to any of the rights or privileges of Membership until she/he has paid the amount of the subscription due upon admission as such.
g) Termination of membership, for any reason, shall not entitle the individual or organisation concerned to a refund of any subscription paid.
a) An Annual General Meeting shall usually be held in Oxford, in November of each year.
b) Not less than four weeks before the date set for the Annual General Meeting, the Secretary shall circulate a notice announcing the date and place of the meeting and setting out any business and formal resolutions proposed by the Committee. Any Member wishing to raise matters at the Annual General Meeting should provide details to the Secretariat within 14 days of receipt of the notice announcing the Annual General Meeting.
c) Members wishing to propose matters formal resolution as business for the Annual General Meeting must give formal notice to the Secretary to this effect not less than 14 days before the meeting.
d) The accidental omission to give notice of a meeting to, or the non-receipt of such notice by any person entitled to receive notice thereof shall not invalidate any resolution passed or proceeding had, at any meeting.
e) The Chair will preside at meetings but if at any meeting the chair is unable or unwilling to preside the role will fall to another officer.
f) At any General Meeting a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a show of hands. Unless a poll is, before or upon the declaration of the result by the Chair or by at least two Members present.
g) In the case of an equality of votes, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, the Chair of the meeting shall be entitled to a second or casting vote.
h) All Members shall be entitled to vote.
i) Proper minutes shall be taken of all Annual General Meetings and the signature of the Chair of the meeting to which they relate or the Chair of a subsequent meeting at which they are accepted shall be sufficient evidence of the facts reported.
a) Subscriptions shall be approved at the Annual General Meeting. This entitles the Member organisation to unlimited attendance of their employees at an OPuS event.
b) The committee reserves the right to offer, at its discretion, a discount-rate Membership fee where appropriate i.e. to students.
c) An associate Membership subscription is available for organisations and individuals meeting all the criteria for Membership but being located outside Oxfordshire or in parallel professions. Subscription shall be approved at the Annual General Meeting. The subscription entitles the Associate Member to attendance at meetings and events, and non-voting attendance at the AGM.
a) The subscriptions to be paid by Members shall be approved at the Annual General Meeting.
b) A budget for each year’s operations shall be agreed by the Committee in advance of the year and shall constitute a general authorisation by the Committee of the expenditure envisaged, subject to the discretion of the Committee Members to authorise reasonable additional expenditure or to restrict planned expenditure, in accordance with the resources and needs of OPuS.
c) A statement of Accounts in respect of each years’ operations shall be prepared and shall be audited by auditors elected by the Members at the Annual General Meeting and presented to the Committee and the Annual General Meeting for approval.
d) No expenditure or contractual obligations on behalf of OPuS may be incurred by any person, whether or not a Member of or employed by OPuS, without the authority of the Treasurer.
e) Members undertaking any activity on behalf of OPuS shall not be entitled to reimbursement of their expenses unless specifically agreed otherwise by the committee. Persons employed by or contracted by OPuS shall be reimbursed only in respect of expenses properly incurred in the course of business and duly authorised by the Treasurer.
a) Amendments to the Rules and Regulations shall only be proposed at the Annual General Meeting or at a Special Meeting and shall only be accepted if notified to all members in the notice calling the meeting.
b) Amendments will only be passed if voted for by a simple majority of Members at the Annual General Meeting or Special Meeting or, where appropriate and at the discretion of the Committee, by postal vote.
a) The Chair shall be elected for a two year period by the Members at the relevant Annual General Meeting.
b) A Chair-elect shall be elected at the start of the second year of a Chair’s term of office and by the Members at the appropriate Annual General Meeting.
a) The committee is elected by the Membership at the AGM. It will consist of a Chair, a Secretary and a Treasurer. Other Committee Members will be voluntarily responsible for suggesting and running each scheduled event. It shall consist of no fewer than 6 and no more than 12 Members and co-option rights will be reserved by the Committee.
b) All Members of the Committee apart from the Secretariat shall be volunteers. If there are more than twelve Members wishing to volunteer for Committee places, a ballot shall be held to determine who shall take those places.
c) All out of pocket expenses will be reimbursed for the position of Secretariat, and the post will be open to tender from time to time.
d) Except in exceptional circumstances, at least one Committee meeting per year or present a written report on their activities at least once a year.
e) No meeting of the committee shall be considered quorate unless at least four Members of the Committee are present
f) Committee Members may stand for 2 years and must be re-elected.
