SERCIA Constitution
SOCIETE D'ETUDES ET DE RECHERCHES SUR LE CINEMA ANGLOPHONE
September 2013
Article 1
SERCIA, a professional association to encourage research in, and the teaching of, English-speaking cinema, is hereby founded on the basis of the following constitution. It will operate under the terms of the French law of 1 July 1901 and the decree of 16 August 1901 dealing with the conduct of voluntary associations.
Article 2
This association aims at bringing together scholars (whether teachers or students) and promoting research and publications on English-speaking cinema.
A series of conferences will be organized at which members will be able to present their research in film history, film theory, film analysis or the ways in which the society and culture of the English-speaking world relate to cinema. Normally, the Annual General Meeting of SERCIA must confirm in advance the place of the annual conference and the name(s) of the organizer(s). The organizer(s) must consult the President of the association on a regular basis throughout the process of organizing the conference.
The association plans to publish the proceedings of these conferences in book form and to create an on-line journal. Film studies workshops will be organized by SERCIA members at the conferences of SAES, AFEA and other associations, and can also pave the way for publications. Publication depends on the decision of a reading committee composed of members of an editorial committee appointed by SERCIA’s elected committee. This editorial committee may also invite the collaboration of distinguished outside scholars.
Conferences will be organized by an academic institution, which will pay for part of the costs of organizing the conference. This has been the case since the first conference in Toulouse in 1994, which received funding from the research group of the UFR on English-speaking Countries of the University of Toulouse Le Mirail.
SERCIA’s elected committee is responsible for maintaining good relations with SAES, SERCIA’s mother association, AFEA and AFECCAV in France, as well as EAAS and SCMS and other organizations that promote English-speaking cinema across the world.
Article 3 Headquarters
SERCIA's headquarters are located at the Treasurer’s place of residence.
It can be moved by decision of the elected committee, subject to ratification at the next Annual Geneal Meeting.
Article 4
The association is comprised of:
(1) honorary members.
(2) active members. Students are entitled to a lower membership rate while enjoying the same advantages as other members (the right to vote, to give talks and publish, as defined by the SERCIA constitution).
Article 5 Admission
Membership of the association is ultimately decided by the elected committee, which can vet membership applications.
Article 6 Members
Honorary members are those who have rendered signal service to the association. They are not required to pay for membership.
Active members are those who have agreed to pay the annual membership fee of 30 euros; the rate for students, retirees and unwaged independent scholars is 15 euros. The membership fee can be changed by a vote of the Annual General Meeting.
Article 7 Cancellation of Membership
Membership is automatically cancelled for the following reasons:
(1) resignation;
(2) death;
(3) the non-payment of membership by the end of the year.
Article 8 Finance
The association’s funds include:
(1) the total amount raised through the payment of membership dues
(2) various State, regional and local grants, or funding from SAES or any other body interested in supporting SERCIA.
Article 9 Elected Committee
The association is governed by a committee, elected for two-year terms at the Annual General Meeting. Members may serve a maximum of three terms in the same office, with the exception of the Treasurer who can stand for an indefinite number of terms.
The eight elective positions are:
(1) a President
(2) a Vice-President
(3 & 4) a Secretary and an Assistant Secretary
(5 & 6) a Treasurer and an Assistant Treasurer
(7) a delegate in charge of external relations with other organizations
(8) a member in charge of the mailing list and/or the website
Honorary members having held office in the past are also members of the committee.
Any member of the association can run for one of these positions by informing the President in writing that s/he is a candidate. Should there be several candidates for the same office, the candidate with the majority of votes in the first round is elected. Should there be no candidates, the members of the association may propose candidates and submit their proposal(s) with the agreement of the candidates concerned to the Annual General Meeting.
If one of the positions becomes vacant, the elected committee can provisionally nominate a member to that position, subject to confirmation by the next Annual General Meeting. The powers of such temporary members of the committee are terminated at the time when the term of the elected position they hold comes to an end.
Article 10 Meetings of the Elected Committee
The elected committee meets at least once per year, usually during the association’s annual conference. The agenda for the Annual General Meeting is discussed during this meeting, though the President can wait until the beginning of the AGM to present the final agenda.
Decisions are made through a majority vote; in case of a tie, the President will have the casting vote.
Any member of the elected committee who, without adequate reason, misses three consecutive meetings will be deemed to have resigned.
Article 11 Annual General Meeting
The Annual Geneal Meeting comprises all the members of the association. It meets every year at the annual conference.
Notice of the Annual General Meeting is given by email at least fifteen days before the day of the meeting. Members must provide the Secretary and the member in charge of the mailing list with a valid email address.
The President, assisted by other members of the elected committee, presides over the AGM and reports on the association’s current state.
The Treasurer presents a statement of expenses and revenues and asks the Annual General Meeting to approve the association’s accounts.
Committee elections by secret ballot can take place only once the AGM has covered these matters.
Decisions at the AGM can be made only on points arising from the agenda.
Quorum: at least one third of the members must be present or represented by proxy for the Annual General Meeting to have the authority to deliberate and make decisions.
Decisions are taken through the votes of those members present or represented by proxy.
The number of proxies is limited to two per member present. Voting by proxy is allowed for any proposal or decision concerning the modification of the constitution, as well as for any decision concerning the points defined in Article 2 (the aims of the association), provided that the member concerned sends his proxy to the President or the Secretary.
Article 12
If necessary, or if one more than half the total number of members make an official request to that effect, the President can call for an extraordinary Annual General Meeting according to the terms described in Article 11.
Any decision to dissolve the association requires the approval of two-thirds of the members present at the Annual General Meeting. If such a decision is made, the association must designate one or more official receivers, and any remaining funds allocated according to Article 9 of the law of 1 July 1901 and the decree of 16 August 1901.
Article 13 Film Journal
The Film Journal editorial board is composed of 4 members: the editor in chief, the assistant editor, an editor of book reviews and an editor of occasional papers, all elected by the SERCIA General Assembly. Positions are renewable twice on a 2-year basis. The editor in chief proposes candidates to the three other positions. The applications will be examined by the Film Journal editorial committee before being submitted to the General Assembly. All the members of the editorial board have to be members of SERCIA but they cannot be elected members of the SERCIA committee.