Constitution change and new Management team

Hi Everyone,

On Friday evening the 1st of March a new constitution for Sydney Atheists Incorporated was voted on.  The 2013 constitution is now effective. In line with the 2013 constitution office bearers and committee members were elected. They are:

President - Steve Marton
Vice President - Morgan Storey
Secretary - Thomas Kraemer
Treasurer - Murray Love
Public Relations Officer - Carolynn Valbuena
Public Officer - Peter Cartledge
Assistant Secretary / Treasurer - David Killingly

The new management committee is closely linked to and fully supports the Sydney Atheist Meetup group.

If there are any questions or queries they can be addressed to contact@sydneyatheists.org

There are several sub-committees that we are looking for organisers for and volunteers for each. We would ask that you join the incorporated via www.sydneyatheists.org

I have put a # in the front of subcommittees that have no convenor(organiser) as yet.

#Helping Non-believing Refugees; this group will be setting up an outreach service to offer support to refugees that are non-believers, working with them to assist in gaining a working visa, and offering assistance in getting references and finding their feet.

Conference; Looking to run various un-conferences, mini-conferences with a plan to something bigger in future. Convenor: *Carolynn Valbuena

Debates; This committee is already running, but always looking for more volunteers, we are scheduled for a debate in June, but also looking to run our own series in the near future. Convenor: *Morgan Storey

Ask an atheist stall; group to run outreach into the community on a semi-regular basis. Simply a pressence ala the scientology stand near town hall. Convenor: *David Killingly

IT; facebook, google+,twitter,website/blog, email, statistics, social media outreach, petitions. Convenor: *Morgan Storey

Advertising; Convenor: *Carolynn Valbuena

Secular assembly ; to ensure good relationships with other coalitions and groups. Convenor: *Carolynn Valbuena

#Fundraising

#Policy; to develop and write policies and codes of conduct. The first policy we will work on is around inclusion and discrimination.

Upcoming Events and videos

Well Darrel Ray was a big hit, to all who missed it, you missed an awesome evening but the video should be up in the next month or so. There should be other videos coming up as presenters approve them to tide you over, see the youtube link over on the right.

We are moving to a new location for next months talk and to get a feel for the place we have been offered a free concert by the wonderful atheist Singer/Songwriter Shelley Segal. So on Saturday, February 23rd at 7pm come along to the Sydney Unitarian chapel (a secular religion if ever there was one) and rock out with Sydney atheists and Shelley Segal. Then join us after at MD Thai for dinner and discussions with our guest. Details below;
http://www.meetup.com/sydneyatheists/events/103295002/

We also have a lot of Mardi Gras event in the lead-up to Mardi Gras (check the meetup), and our talks next month are going to be some very interesting ones on the continuation of human evolution and grass roots secular/skepitcal web activism.

More about Darrel Ray

Dr. Darrel W. Ray is the founder of Recovering From Religion, as well as the author of four books, two on organizational team issues as well as The God Virus: How Religion Infects Our Lives and Culture and Sex and God: How Religion Distorts Sexuality. He has been a psychologist for over 30 years, practicing counseling and clinical psychology for 10 years then moved into organizational psychology and consulting. He has been a student of religion most of his life and holds a MA degree in religion as well as a BA in Sociology/Anthropology and a Doctorate in psychology.

Darrel Ray coming to Sydney Atheists Friday

Hi Everyone. Author and speaker Darrel Ray is in Sydney and coming to do a talk to Sydney atheists at UTS, come along and have a laugh and support Sydney atheists;
Talk: http://www.meetup.com/sydneyatheists/events/86992572/

Darrel will have books and will be signing as many as he can. There will be a dinner afterwards but there will not be enough seats for everyone, so RSVP to both events as soon as possible.

New site and study says non believers more compassionate

Hi everyone, I have done a fair bit of work to move this blog across to this new platform if you want to post to this blog you will need a google account and just send it through to the contact address in the contact page above.

I hope to post here a little so here is something to get you started, are atheists and non-believers more compassionate than believers, a new study mentioned here says yes.

Sydney Atheist Inc's Annual General Meeting for 2012 concludes

The continued meeting will be held on Sunday, November 18 2012, at 2p.m. in Room CB01.03.18 at University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) Broadway, Ultimo.
(Note this is a DIFFERENT ROOM from the previous meeting, but is in the same building. The room is also described as Room 318, Tower Building and as "the room behind the Students' Association.") (Note also the previous part of the A.G.M. was held on Sunday October 14th 2012.)
Any member is welcome to attend, vote and nominate for an officebearer position or to chair the meeting. As there has been some confusion about membership of the Incorporated body as opposed to the Meetup, come along and we'll work it out.

The agenda will be as follows:
Welcome, Attendance, Apologies
Determining proxies and Chair
Minutes of the 2011 AGM
Reports on the activities of the Sydney Atheists Inc throughout the last financial year
Reception and consideration of the financial statement
Special Resolutions
Calling for nominations and electing Officebearers
Close.

No further business is allowed as part of the AGM, but there will be a regular Committee meeting directly after, where you are all welcome to discuss other business.

The Special Resolutions are about changing the Objects and Rules (Constitution) and so must be dealt with in a General Meeting. If the first resolution passes then the others will be withdrawn, but to make some changes and not others, we will have to go through one by one.

Note that the elections will vary depending on the outcome of the resolutions. If the aspects in question pass, we will be electing a Membership Secretary, a Minutes Secretary, a Correspondence Secretary and a Treasurer. If they do not pass, we will merely be electing a Secretary and a Treasurer. Please think about whether you can contribute to Sydney Atheists by standing for one of these positions. Nominations will be sought at the meeting

If you can't make it and would like to send a proxy to vote for you, the form can be found on the last page of the current Objects and Rules. Proxies must be received by the Secretary secretary@sydneyatheists.org and Public Officer hanaleah@gmail.com before 2pm on Saturday, October 13. Note that one member cannot hold more than five proxies.

Special Resolutions:

Special Resolution 1: Adopt all change

That Sydney Atheists Incorporated adopt the attached Proposed Constitution 2012 as the Constitution of Sydney Atheists, Version 3.

Special Resolution 2: By-laws

In subclause 11(1), insert after the word ‘association’ the words ‘and shall have the power, subject to this constitution, to make by-laws for that purpose’.

Special Resolution 3: Financial year

In sub-clause 23(1), before the word ‘convene’, insert the words, ‘that being the year ending on 30 June,’

Special Resolution 4: Spent provisions

Delete sub-clause 23(3).

Amend Rule 13(5) by deleting the words ‘to be reviewed at AGM’.

Special Resolution 5: Proxy form

Amend Appendix 1 to the form at the end of the Proposed Constitution 2012

Special Resolution 6: No seal

Delete clause 40 and renumber subsequent Rules.

Special Resolution 7: General Meeting Notice

Amend Rule 25 (2) by adding ‘the text of the resolution and’ before the words ‘the intention’.

Special Resolution 8: New Act, Regulation and Model Constitution

Amend Rule (1) by substituting for the figures ‘1984’ and ‘1999’ the figures ‘2009 no.7’ and ‘2010’.

Amend Rule 9(1a) by adding the words ‘or the Act’ after the words ‘these rules’.

Amend Rule 26(d) by deleting the words ‘section 26(6) of’.

Amend every mention of ‘the Rules’ to ‘the Constitution’

Special Resolution 9: Provision of information to public officer

amend Rule 18(2c) by inserting after the word ‘to’ the words ‘the public officer and’.

Special Resolution 10: Separation of roles

Insert the following at the end of Rule 16:

(3) Any one member may not be elected or appointed to hold all offices simultaneously.

Special Resolution 11: Delegation

Insert the following at the end of Rule 15:

(4)       The committee may by resolution designate any member of the committee to discharge any or all of the duties of any office-bearer for any stated period whenever the committee considers it necessary to do so, because of the absence of the office-bearer or for any other cause, in order to ensure that those duties are performed; provided that any such resolution by the committee shall not affect the validity of any action taken by the office-bearer and that any such resolution by the committee may be amended or rescinded by a general meeting.

Special Resolution 12: Streamlining membership and exclusion

Amend Rule 3(c) by inserting after the word ‘committee’ the words ‘within 6 months after the fee is due’.

Amend Rule 12 to read:

‘12. Committee Membership

(1) Membership of the committee will be offered to any member of the association at the third Committee meeting that he or she attends within twelve months, unless excluded by a resolution of the committee. provided that any resolution by the committee to exclude a member from the committee may be rescinded by resolution of a general meeting.’

(2) Membership of the committee will lapse if the member is absent without the consent of the committee from all meetings of the committee held during a period of 6 months. A lapsed committee membership shall be reinstated at the first committee meeting attended while the member is eligible for committee membership as of Rule 12(1).’

Insert the following at the end of Rule 13:

(9)       Any member of the association may attend and speak at any meeting of the committee.

Amend Rule 19(f) by substituting for the figure ‘6’ the figure ‘3’.

Special Resolution 13: Secretarial role division

Amend Rule 15(1) to read:

‘The office-bearers of the association are to be:

            (a)       the membership secretary

            (b)       the correspondence secretary

            (c)        the minutes secretary

            (d)       the treasurer.’

Replace the whole of Rule 17 with the following Rules and renumber accordingly:

17.       Membership secretary

Duties of the membership secretary include

(1) lodging notice with the association and with the Public Officer of his or her address for correspondence as soon as practicable after being appointed as membership secretary

(2) keeping the register of members and keeping the public officer informed of any changes to it

(3) handing over records to the next membership secretary

18.       Correspondence secretary

Duties of the correspondence secretary include

(1) lodging notice with the association and with the Public Officer of his or her address for correspondence as soon as practicable after being appointed as correspondence secretary

(2) receiving correspondence and ensuring that it is reported promptly to the committee

(3) ensuring that notice of all general meetings and committee meetings is given as required by these rules

(4) ensuring that correspondence is prepared and despatched as required by any resolution of the committee or a general meeting

(5) handing over records to the next correspondence secretary

19.       Minutes secretary

Duties of the minutes secretary include

(1) lodging notice with the association and with the Public Officer of his or her address for correspondence as soon as practicable after being appointed as minutes secretary

(2) keeping minutes of all general meetings, including the names of those present, and ensuring that they are tabled at the next subsequent general meeting

(3) keeping minutes of all committee meetings, including the names of those present, and ensuring that they are tabled at the next subsequent committee meeting

(4) keeping records of committee meeting attendance and of elections and appointments of office-bearers and ensuring that the committee is kept informed of any changes in committee membership and office-bearers

(5) handing over records to the next minutes secretary

Amend Rule 1(1) by removing the words ‘Secretary means the person holding office under these rules as secretary of the association, or if no such person holds that office, the public officer of the association.’

Insert the following at the end of Rule 19:

‘(2)      While a vacancy exists, the role is to be held by the public officer of the association.’

Amend Rule 2(1) and Rule 3(b) by substituting for the words ‘the secretary’, in each case, the words ‘the public officer, the membership secretary, the committee, or any member of the committee designated by the committee for that purpose’.

Amend Rule 5(1) by substituting for the words ‘the secretary’ the words ‘the membership secretary’.

Amend Rule 10(1) by substituting for the words ‘the secretary’, the words ‘the correspondence secretary, committee or public officer’.

Rule 13(3) and Rule 13(4) by substituting for the words ‘the secretary’, in each case, the words ‘the correspondence secretary, the committee, or any member of the committee designated by the committee for that purpose’.

Amend Rule 24(2c) by substituting for the words ‘the secretary’ the words ‘the public officer, the correspondence secretary, the committee, or any member of the committee designated by the committee for that purpose’ and amend rule 24(3) by deleting the words ‘with the secretary’.

Amend Rule 25 and Rule 29 by substituting for the words ‘the secretary’, wherever appearing, the words ‘the correspondence secretary’.

Amend Rule 33 by substituting for the words ‘the secretary’, the words ‘the public officer, the minutes secretary, the committee, or any member of the committee designated by the committee for that purpose’.

Special Resolution 14: Numbering

Remove the Part numbering and renumber all Rules according to changes made.

Originally posted by Ian Woolf

Atheism across Sydney grew by about 33 per cent, according to 2011 Census results [Wentworth Courier]

Atheists on the rise in the Woollahra and Waverley council areas, according to 2011 Census results

The number of people listing no religion in the Woollahra and Waverley council areas grew by about 7500 - or 39 per cent - in the past five years, according to census figures released in June.
Atheism across Sydney grew by about 33 per cent.
- Wentworth Courier

Originally posted by Ian Woolf