Why is the Constitution so Important?

In days of old, rulers had too much power. They were not restrained by a constitution because there was none. They would set the rules for others to follow and these rules might change without notice. They themselves followed no rules, but their own whims and fancy.

Over the centuries people who have been persecuted and oppressed by their rulers gradually asserted themselves and if they succeeded, they were able to limit the powers of their rulers. In England they even succeeded in taking their monarch's head or made them figure heads with no real power. Power rests with a Prime Minister elected by the people and answerable to the people. In France they also managed to take off their emperor's head. And of course in 1911 the last emperor in China fell from his throne. In neighbouring South-east Asia, people revolutions forced their rulers to step down. Their successors were able to change the constitution.

In an association, the danger from arbitrariness is equally great. True, unhappy Members of an association could resign. But that is copping out! Why must they stand on the sideline when they have it in their power to compel the committee to follow the constitution? Or elect one that will work for the greater good?

Members need only to remember that they are the supreme authority and have the power to override the decision of the committee. For example, when on 18 Oct 02 at the EOGM the Troika¹ (namely the Secretary and the President and their strategist) tried to prevent one EA from becoming a Member of AEAS, they failed. The members who were present voted against them and checked mated them.

Members are only supreme if they are present and vote at a properly constituted general meeting. If a meeting is not properly constitued, decisions made are not valid!

For a meeting to be properly constituted:

1. Proper notice must be given (14 days for a General Meeting, 10 days for an Extraordinary General Meeting) to all who are entitled to attend. (The committee may cheat by "forgetting" to send the notice to some members who are "trouble makers"². This is hard to prove, but Members can thwart the cheats by informing the "trouble makers" of the meeting.

2. The business to be transacted must be stated in the Notice of Meeting, so that Members who have an interest in the matter will have time to think about it and take part in the debate that will take place.

3. Members must also have the right to ask for other matters to be discussed.