Here is a link to an article in the Newsletter giving the background to the Standing Orders Review (please scroll to page 11).
LMS members were asked to vote at the Annual General Meeting on 29 November 2019 on proposed changes to the Society's Royal Charter, Statutes and By-Laws - collectively known as the Standing Orders. These three documents have not been comprehensively reviewed since 1965, since when there have been many changes in the Society and in the wider world.
Members received with their election ballot pack a document that outlined the rationale for the changes, which were included in the three schedules sent with the pack - one each for the Royal Charter, the Statutes and the By-Laws. Members could see the wording that is to be deleted and any proposed additions. Members could attend the LMS Annual General Meeting to vote on the resolutions to change the Standing Orders in person, as part of the AGM business. Papers for the AGM were distributed by the Society on 8 November 2019.
The resolutions that were voted on at the AGM were as follows:
Resolution 1: That the Society resolve, in accordance with clause 16 of the Society’s Royal Charter, to amend the Charter as set out in Schedule 1, subject to such amendments as the Privy Council may require which do not materially affect the intent and meaning and which are agreed by Council of the London Mathematical Society. This resolution is passed subject to the passing of both Resolutions 2 and 3.
Resolution 2: That the Society resolve, in accordance with clause 13 of the Society’s Royal Charter, to amend the Statutes of the Society as set out in Schedule 2, subject to such amendments as the Privy Council may require which do not materially affect the intent and meaning and which are agreed by the Council of the London Mathematical Society. This resolution is passed subject to the passing of both Resolutions 1 and 3.
RESOLUTION 3: That the Society resolve, in accordance with clause 39 of the Society’s Statutes, to amend the By-Laws of the Society as set out in Schedule 3. This resolution is passed subject to the passing of both Resolutions 1 and 2, to come into effect at the same time as the amendments to the Statutes and Charter come into effect.
Update on Standing Orders Revisions
The results of the Members' vote on the changes to the Society's Standing Orders were announced at the 2019 Annual General Meeting. Two thirds of those Members voting needed to be in favour for the resolutions to be carried. All three resolutions were carried by those Members who voted:
Resolution 1 - to amend the Royal Charter: For 399, Against 12
Resolution 2 - to amend the Statutes: For 401, Against 12
Resolution 3 - to amend the By-Laws: For 403, Against 12
The changes approved by the LMS Membership were put to the Privy Council, for formal approval, in early 2020. Unfortunately the Privy Council was unable to approve the changes for much of the year, as it dealt with the consequences of the global Covid-19 pandemic. The revised Standing Orders were finally approved by the Privy Council in December 2020 and are now in force. Many thanks to all those Members who voted.