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London gets cold weather pay-outs The cold snap has triggered pay-outs to millions of eligible people, including Londoners for the first time in a decade.
If you don't come you won't know what's going on and you don't have the chance to direct YOUR University and/or Union….
The second Union General Meeting (UGM) of this academic year.
Included in this email
1) Official notification
2) What is a UGM?!!
3) Who should attend?
4) What is a 'Motion'?
5) Deadline for National Conference Motions
1) Official Notification
Date: Wednesday 19th November 2008
Time: 4:30pm
Venue: JCR (Junior Common Room)
Please send any items that you may have for the UGM to ME at fin.com@soas.ac.uk.
Deadline: Friday 14th November by 3pm. You can also submit a motion to fin.com@soas.ac.uk I will then circulate them to all students so you all can have a chance to see them before the UGM and perhaps formulate a response, amendment or come and ask questions…
The full agenda and motions document will be sent to you all by Monday 17th November. If you wish to submit an amendment to any of the motions, please email to me by Tuesday 18th November 5pm. I will then be able to get copies printed off for the UGM.
2) Union General Meetings –WHAT???
Do you have a burning issue that you would like our union to support? Do you want to mandate us to lobby the school on an issue? If so, the only way to change things is to persuade other people to agree with you, 'pass a motion' and make it Union policy. In short, you need to come to Union General Meetings.
UGMs are held every half- term and are the policy- making arm of the Union. Emergency General Meetings (EGMs) can be called at other times. All societies must send one representative, student reps & Union officers must also attend (a register is taken) and, of course, the more students that attend from as many different backgrounds as possible, the more democratic our Union will be.
UGMs are naturally going to be an arena for some to boost egos and the silver tongues of budding politicians to increase their shine but this shouldn't put you off. In fact, it can be quite entertaining! NOBODY is a naturally great public speaker to start with – it takes practise and believe me, we couldn't care less if you stuff it up – we did, and do, many a time!!!
So if you have an issue that you want to debate, please come and see Nizam, Marya and Ben in the JCR offices to find out the procedure. The process of writing a motion will be available on the SU website or alternatively, if you already know how to write one, email it to fin.com@soas.ac.uk. This must be submitted before 3pm at least 3 working days before the UGM- Friday 14th November by 3pm.
The dates of this year's upcoming UGMs are:
Wednesday 19th of November
Tuesday 13th of January
Thursday 26th of February (Amended)
Wednesday 29th of April
3) Who should attend?
In short EVERYONE should attend!! This is a bit like a Council meeting but better!!
Also, EACH society MUST send at least one representative. As per the Societies Guidelines, funding will be affected if a representative does not attend. The rep does not have to be a member of the society's executive: the executive can nominate someone to attend on behalf of the society. They will need to present themselves to the registration desk to confirm attendance. Please contact sport.soc@soas.ac.uk for further information.
I would also urge all course reps, research reps to attend as this will help with your position. Course reps can then report back to their classes any information that might affect, help or hinder their fellow students' academic or even personal lives.
A good attendance also ensures that motions are passed as democratically as possible.
4) What is a 'Motion'?
5) Deadline for Motions to National Conference is 1st December 2008 at 12pm.
Each year each college gets to submit 4 (four) motions; one in each 'Zone'. Zones are: Education, Welfare, Society & Citizenship and Strong & Active Unions.
In late December we will then be sent the 'Motions document' by NUS, with all of the national submissions to which we can submit a further 4 amendments.
We have ONLY THIS UGM before this deadline, so if you have an issue you want to send to National Conference, make sure they are submitted in plenty of time. The final deadline for NUS Motions submission will be Fri Nov 14th 2008 at 3pm, 3 working days before the 2nd UGM.
Please see the NUS (National Union of Students) website at http://www.officeronline.co.
Hope to see you all there….
