Ulster Archaeological Society (UAS)
NIC No 101151
c/o Archaeology and Palaeoecology School of Natural and Built Environment Queen’s University Belfast Fitzwilliam Street Belfast BT7 1NN
ulsterarchaeolsoc@gmail.com
TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT 01-January 2022 to 31-December 2022
This report has been compiled with regard to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland statutory guidance:
The public benefit requirement , PBR1
The advancement of education supporting document , PBSD02
The advancement of the arts, culture, heritage or science supporting document PBSD07
It is laid out to conform to:
The trustees' annual report and public benefit reporting, CCNI ARR08, July 2016, Section 3.1.1
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1a Summary of the UAS's main activities to further its purposes for the public benefit :
In accord with the Commission’s guidance on public benefit, the UAS promotes the involvement and education of the general public in archaeological activity and awareness of our heritage by organising free open lectures supported by a series of workshops, field study excursions and site surveys for our members. We further promote research and engage the wider public through the publication and distribution of the Ulster Journal of Archaeology to members and institutions (e.g. libraries) across the world and the quarterly UAS Newsletter to our members.
The Society's beneficiaries are the Society's members, the institutional subscribers to the Ulster Journal of Archaeology , and the general public who attend the Society's lectures or other functions. Membership is open to all and there are no geographical area limitations. It is not considered that the purposes of our Society are harmful in any respect. No private benefit flows from the purposes of the charity.
1b Main achievements of the year 2022
2022 saw the Society start to return to the pre Coronavirus pandemic activities. The Ulster Journal of Archaeology and the UAS Newsletter continued to be published, together with our annual conference. Although live lectures restarted, we continued the use of Zoom for our lectures and internal meetings.
See Appendices 1 and 2 for details.
Education:
The annual Discovery 2022! conference was held live and online.
Research:
The Survey Group were involved in an excavation at Divis. A report of the Survey Group activities is given in Appendix 7 .
Dissemination of research, data and information to the public:
During 2022 the UAS sent four issues of the UAS Newsletter to each of its members advising of forthcoming events and providing a record of past meetings. The UAS also interfaced with the public through our own: Website [http://uas.society.qub.ac.uk/] ,
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Facebook site [https://www.facebook.com/The-Ulster-Archaeological-Society190943297657719/],
Twitter account [https://twitter.com/ulsterarcsoc].
Volume 77 of the Ulster Journal of Archaeology , our flagship, peer-reviewed, academic journal was published. See Appendix 5.
Social events:
Conventional social events were restarted with our annual dinner.
See Appendix 6
2 The financial position of the UAS at the end of 2022
Our auditor’s report on our finances is presented separate to this report.
The report of our treasurer to the AGM is attached as Appendix 3.
Financial performance in the year to 31[st] December 2022 has resulted in a £1,273 surplus of income over expenditure. The year-end balance was £50,583 compared with a 2021 balance of £48,866.
Income
Details of income are shown on page 16.
Printing costs for the Ulster Journal of Archaeology was £5,469. There was a subvention this year from the Historic Environment Division, Department for Communities.
Personal subscriptions were marginally down at £5,282 from £5,315.
Expenditure
Details of expenditure are shown on page 17.
Funds materially in deficit.
No fund held by the charity was materially in deficit at the end of 2022.
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3 The UAS Trustees
Trustees are solely those members elected to the General Committee by the AGM of that year.
- UAS charity trustees on date of report approval:
Anne MacDermott Eileen Murphy John Moore Ruairí Ó Baoill Gina Baban Barrie Hartwell Pat O’Neill Grace McAlister Cormac Bourke Malachy Conway Leo van Es Randal Scott Courtney Mundt Duncan Berryman David Craig Roisin McCaughan Brian Sloan Rena Maguire Lee Gordon
- All UAS charity trustees who served during the year 2022:
Anne MacDermott Ruairí Ó Baoill Eileen Murphy John Moore Barrie Hartwell Pat O’Neill Ken Pullin Malachy Conway Cormac Bourke Randal Scott Duncan Berryman David Craig Brian Sloan Judith Findlater Roisin McCaughan Heidi Johnston Grace McAlister Leo Van Es Rena Maguire Lee Gordon
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4 How the Society is constituted
The Ulster Archaeological Society was founded in 1947 to support the Ulster Journal of Archaeology and to promote the study of archaeology in Ulster. The constitution was revised in 2019 and this is the governing document. See Appendix 8.
5 Summary description of the purposes of the UAS
The UAS promotes the involvement of the public in local archaeological activity by organising meetings, classes, lectures, conferences, field survey and field study trips. It promotes and disseminates academic archaeological research to the wider public by publishing the Ulster Journal of Archaeology.
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Appendices Overview
App. 1-7
These reports on activities carried out by the UAS in 2022 were presented by Officers of the Society to the 2023 AGM of the Ulster Archaeological Society. Motions to accept were proposed, seconded and approved by the members present and by those members online by means of registering their votes by Zoom.
App. 8
This is the 2019 Constitution of the Ulster Archaeological Society and is available for our members to view on our website.
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Appendix 1:
Annual Report for 2022 presented to 2023 AGM 27th February 2023 Venue: Main Lecture Theatre, Elmwood Building, School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen’s University Belfast
This last year has seen the Ulster Archaeological Society (UAS) begin to return to preCovid levels of activity, with some face-to-face events, including lectures and workshops, recommencing in the autumn. Earlier in the year, lectures were presented by Zoom, but since October we have continued where possible in a hybrid format – live and Zoom - which has enabled people to enjoy our lectures, even when unable to come to Queen’s in person. Although none of us could have foreseen the long-term effects of the pandemic, one of the big positives of the restrictions placed on us, was the development of Zoom and other such platforms, enabling us to continue having lectures and meetings when we were unable to meet up, and also to have access to speakers who might otherwise have been unable to come to Belfast.
Despite the restrictions, the UAS continues to go from strength to strength with an ever increasing membership. Of course, the Society does not just run itself. It is down to the great teamwork of an enthusiastic and dedicated Committee. Particular mention must first be made of the society’s office bearers, and I thank them all:
The Vice Presidents, Ruairi O’Baoill, Eileen Murphy and John Moore for your support and advice, which have been especially appreciated during my first year in office as President.
The Hon Secretary, Ken Pullin, who has held this office for 20 years. He has worked unstintingly on our behalf, organising and recording our meetings, dealing with seemingly endless correspondence, circulating the membership and posting out the newsletters and journals. We are very grateful for his hard work and for his depth of knowledge of the society, thank you.
The Hon Treasurer, Lee Gordon who continues to keep the society’s financial affairs in good order in increasingly challenging times. Thank you for your dedication to the job and for your sage advice and support. We are also indebted to our Honorary Auditors, Baker Tilley Mooney Moore for ensuring our books are in order.
The Hon Editor of the UJA Cormac Bourke who, with the able assistance of the Hon Assistant Editor Grace McAlister, has produced the latest edition of the Ulster Journal of Archaeology, Vol 77, published in December 2022. This peer-reviewed academic journal is the foremost repository of excavation reports and other papers on archaeological research in Ulster and is our primary raison d’etre . Sincere thanks are due to Cormac and Grace for another excellent volume, and to our printers.
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The Hon Editor of the Newsletter, Duncan Berryman, for producing the quarterly Newsletter and for updating the website and social media, with the help of Courtney Mundt, and particularly for his vital IT expertise. Digital technology has enabled the membership to stay connected and for meetings and lectures to continue whether or not face to face meetings were permitted. Thank you, Duncan - we couldn’t have done this without you.
The Hon Fieldwork Coordinator, Malachy Conway. Despite difficult personal circumstances earlier in the year, Malachy has been working away to get things up and running again with some very exciting projects ahead. Thanks Mal, we are looking forward to getting our boots dirty again.
Thanks are also due to all the other members of the committee and the co-opted members who each contribute to the day to day running of the society and ensure everything is done to fulfil our obligations within the Charities Commission and our broader remit to educate and promote local archaeological knowledge and activity, bridging the gap between the academic discipline and the interpretation of our heritage to the general public. Your efforts on behalf of the society are greatly appreciated. It’s a real team effort.
Despite the ongoing restrictions of the pandemic in the earlier part of the year, we organized a full programme of lectures on Zoom, and latterly face to face, covering a diverse range of subject matter:
| 31 | Jan | Rena Maguire – An Introduction to Ireland’s Late Iron Age Equitation |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Feb | Cormac McSparron – The Dead in the Early Bonze Age, their rituals and the |
| society that made them. | ||
| 28 | Feb | AGM and a review of past field trips and study tours. |
| 28 | Mar | Finbar McCormick – Sacred Waters: cures, penance and holy fish. |
| 25 | Apr | Linda Boutoille – Bronze Age Metalworkers and their Tools…. |
| 30 | May | James O’Neill – Defence Heritage Register |
| 27 | Jun | Eve Campbell – Idols, Ards and Severed Heads, 3000 years old deposition |
| in a Roscommon Fen. | ||
| 25 | Jul | Ruairi O’Baoill - 40 Years a Digging. |
| 29 | Aug | Stephen Cameron – Larne Lough; A Forgotten Seascape. |
| 26 | Sep | Laura Patrick – Gaelic Ulster Landscape |
| 24 | Oct | Ruairi O’Baoill – Viking Age Ireland |
| 28 | Nov | Graeme Warren – The Archaeology of Hunter Gatherer Ireland |
| 12 | Dec | Eoin Parkinson - Lesser Spotted Europe: a bio-archaeological approach to |
| early farming lifestyles in southern Europe. |
We are very grateful to all of our speakers who shared their discoveries and recent research with us and we look forward to another varied selection of lectures in the coming year.
In March we had a very informative Zoom workshop on 'How to Use Online Maps for Discovery and Research' with David Craig. In June and August we had two face-to face workshops on ‘The Identification of Animal Bones’ with Judith Findlater assisted by Ryan Montgomery, and one in October on ‘Prehistoric Beadmaking’ with Liam og Magill, (with part 2 yet to come). We are very grateful to all of them for taking the time to provide such
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interesting insights into some of the specialist aspects of archaeology and some handson experience.
Regrettably, Covid restrictions curtailed many of our usual outdoor activities again in 2022. Our planned spring and summer outings and field trips were affected, as per my report circulated to the membership, but work is ongoing to get these up and running again in 2023. I have several potential study tours in the planning stages home and abroad, but finding suitable travel arrangements and appropriate accommodation at a reasonable price is becoming increasingly difficult. I will continue to work on your behalf as I believe these study tours and outings are vital to the cohesion of the membership as well as for their educational value. Thanks again to Duncan for his walk-and-talk in Newtownards, the first of our outdoor events in 2022. Our planned visit to the Ballyduggan Medieval Village in September had to be postponed until May due to the death of Her Majesty.
The Survey Group was also affected earlier in the year but some of the Survey Group members took part in an excavation on National Trust property at Divis Lodge in midSeptember and we met up at the end of that month at Rowallane to discuss future plans. Under the leadership of Mal Conway, our close relationship with the National Trust for Northern Ireland continues and an exciting programme of projects is underway, with activities including field walking, land surveys, monument condition surveys, geophysical surveys and excavations. Several new reports have been uploaded onto our website.
In November we also got together for our 6th Discovery! Conference, jointly hosted with the Centre for Community Archaeology, School of Archaeology & Palaeoecology (ArcPal). It was a hybrid event, taking place both face-to face and online. The conference started on the Friday evening with a wine reception followed by the launch of a new book by committee member Rena Maguire - Irish Late Iron Age Equestrian Equipment in its Insular and Continental Context . Congratulations to Rena for an outstanding volume.
As usual, we had a display of UJA s and Emanias for sale, but we also had a display of artwork by UAS member Seanna O’Boyle-Irvine on themes of Prehistoric Rock Art and the Iron Age Cult of the Head which drew a lot of admiration. The keynote address was given by Barrie Hartwell, an entertaining and informative talk entitled ‘A Giant at the Table, an Elephant in the Room’, dealing with the relationship between farming and archaeology, with particular reference to the landscape of the Giant’s Ring in Ballynahatty. At the end of the talk, we were delighted to confer Honorary Life Membership of the UAS on Barrie for his enormous contribution, both to the Society and the wider archaeological community in Ulster.
The conference continued on the Saturday with 14 short talks, divided into 4 Sessions: Heritage Past and Future, Excavations, Community Archaeology and Research. Our thanks to all the contributors for a very full and fascinating day covering an extraordinary wealth of topics. It would be remiss of me not to mention the organisers of the conference, particularly Ruairi O’Baoill, Eileen Murphy and Duncan Berryman and the rest of the committee who ensured that the event went off smoothly. Sincere thanks also to the army of students who were an enormous help, fetching and carrying, manning the refreshments breaks and clearing up afterwards. We acknowledge and appreciate your cheerful assistance.
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We celebrated the 75th Anniversary of the UAS at our Annual Dinner in November at The Royal Belfast Golf Club where an excellent dinner was followed by a fascinating talk by Prof Alun Evans on the life and career of naturalist and anthropologist John Grattan. As many of you will know, Alun is the son of Estyn Evans, one of the original members of the UAS, indeed, one of those responsible for its very existence, so it was particularly fitting for Alun and his wife Kate to celebrate with us.
As mentioned earlier, Vol 77 of the UJA was published at the end of the year, keeping us fully up to date. In addition to thanking the Hon Editor and Hon Assistant Editor, I would like to thank all the contributors of papers and reviews. I would also like to express our gratitude to the Historic Environment Division, Department for Communities, for contributing a subvention towards the publication costs of two of the articles – it is greatly appreciated – and to Claire Foley for pursuing it.
It is important to acknowledge our ongoing, close relationship with QUB. It provides, at no charge, meeting rooms, lecture facilities, rooms for workshops and storage space for copies of the Ulster Journal of Archaeology etc. The Centre for Community Archaeology (CCA) at the School of Natural and Built Environment also gives freely of its time and expertise to support the society through research and community-based projects- a tradition that dates back many years and provides a pool of excellent lecturers. I would like to formally congratulate The CCA who have recently been awarded a development phase grant from the National Heritage Lottery Fund for their Community Archaeology Programme Northern Ireland (CAPNI) project. This project aims to inspire and engage diverse communities with their local archaeological heritage through a range of outreach activities designed to enable the public to learn about, appreciate and participate in archaeological fieldwork and associated activities. I am sure there will be ample opportunity for UAS members to get involved in these.
Last but not least, I wish to thank you all of for attending this evening, in person and online and for your continued support for and participation in our events. It is your society and the committee will always welcome input from the membership so please feel free to contact us with any suggestions. All will be discussed and considered. And so we have come full circle again to our February AGM, reflecting on the past year of UAS activities, and looking forward to a full programme of events for 2023, hopefully without any future restrictions. Thank you all.
Anne MacDermott President, Ulster Archaeological Society 27 February 2023
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Appendix 2:
The Hon Secretary’s Report for the Year 2022 presented to 2023 AGM on 27th February 2023
In the past year we have started to recover from the effects of the Covid Pandemic although we still had nine of our lecture series and the AGM and David’s workshop online by Zoom, we at last managed to have Judith’s animal bone workshops and two lectures and the Conference face-to-face.
We also managed one fieldtrip, Duncan’s Newtownards walkabout.
The publication of the Ulster Journal of Archaeology and the Newsletter continued as normal, unaffected by the Virus.
A return to normal is expected for the Fieldwork and Fieldtrip programmes.
Our President, Anne, has now completed her first year very successfully and John Moore’s return to the Committee is welcome.
We still have about 300 members, it hovers around 300 to 320. There is a steady influx of new members, mostly paying by PayPal and so probably via the Website.
One unusual event was that one of the Zoom lectures was originally to be face to face and as the change could not reach members not on line, Duncan set up the meeting on the big screen at Queen’s. About half a dozen came here and this was so successful that we might do this again.
As usual I would ask anybody not getting my email reminders to let me have their email address.
Finally, I want to thank the committee for their valuable assistance.
Ken Pullin Hon. Secretary, UAS
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Appendix 3:
The Hon Treasurer’s Report for the Year 2022 presented to 2023 AGM on 27th February 2023
Good evening.
I have the pleasure of presenting an extract from the accounts of the Society for the year ended 31st December 2022. The statutory accounts provided to the Charity Commission run to about six pages, but I only want to present the relevant figures.
First, the Income-Expenditure Account .
I will not go through all the items but will highlight a few particular figures.
Personal Subscriptions at £5,282 have remained stable during 2022.
Institutional Subscriptions at £5,553 show an increase of 77%, however, this is largely due to delayed orders for the previous Volume 76 of the UJA .
After a period of near zero interest rates our Bank Deposit Interest was £412.
The Discovery22! conference collected £1,290.
The welcome return of our Annual Dinner resulted in a receipt of £1,091.
Continuing concerns about Covid-19 have resulted in no Field trips.
Turning to Expenditure ,
Printing Costs: Ulster Journal of Archaeology
Publication of Volume 77 of the Ulster Journal of Archaeology cost £5,469. This lower cost reflects receipt of a one-off subsidy from the Department for Communities (D.F.C.) and the reduced page count for Volume 77 (150 pages c.f. 214 pages for Volume 76.)
Postage & Stationery present as £2,769. This includes the postal costs for distributing Volume 77 of the Ulster Journal of Archaeology , and four Quarterly Newsletters.
Turning to our Balance Sheet , the Society had a surplus of £1273 of Income over expenditure at the end of 2022.
Our Liabilities at £4,194 include payments in advance towards the cost of future study tours and from Subscriptions paid in Advance amount of £672.
It has been necessary to raise the 2023 subs. May I thank all members who have paid their subs. In particular members who set up a Standing Order with their bank do not have to remember to pay. Anyone wishing to pay by Standing Order can contact the Hon. Secretary or myself for the necessary paperwork.
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I wish to acknowledge:
the grant of a subvention to production of Volume 77 of the UJA from the D.F.C.; the help from Claire Foley in securing that subvention; the work of our auditors Baker Tilley Mooney Moore; the work our bankers Ulster Bank and the assistance given by John Moore in the preparations of the accounts.
Ladies and Gentlemen, if there are any questions, I will try to answer them. If I cannot, I will contact you later with the information you require.
Lee Gordon U.A.S. Hon Treasurer 27/02/2023
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Appendix 4:
Report of Hon. Editor UAS Newsletter to 2023 AGM for 2022
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As 2022 saw a return to more regular Society activities we also returned to the previous pattern of four printed Newsletters throughout the year. These continue to be made available on the Society's website. We did not produce any online-only Newsletters as we had during lockdown, this is something that will be reviewed by the committee to produce more timely notifications of upcoming events.
I am very grateful to all who have provided material for inclusion in the Newsletters, particularly the lecture reports. I'd also like to acknowledge our printers, Northside Marketing, for quickly and reliably producing the hard-copy version.
I always welcome material for inclusion in the Newsletter. If you have something of interest to members, send it to duncan@ulsterarchaeology.org
Dr Duncan Berryman FSAScot
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Appendix 5:
Report of Hon. Editor Ulster Journal of Archaeology for 2022 to 2023 AGM
Volume 77 (2022) of the Ulster Journal of Archaeology was published in November 2022, containing eight articles and amounting to 150 pages. A subvention from the Historic Environment Division, Department for Communities, was received in respect of two papers and the journal was typeset, as before, by Jake Campbell.
Volume 78 (2023) is now being planned. At least three submissions are already contemplated, further submissions are invited and it is our intention to publish within this calendar year.
The support of the Hon Assistant Editor, Grace McAlister, is gratefully acknowledged.
Cormac Bourke 21 February 2023
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Appendix 6:
Report of Assistant Secretary, Events to 2023 AGM
2022 was a challenging year again as the effects of the Covid pandemic still dictated our ability to get together. We had to abandon plans for the usual Irish County trip and week-long British study tour. However, as restrictions were gradually lifted we were able to restart planning some of our activities.
Our first event was a walk-and-talk evening event led by Dr Duncan Berryman around his home town of Newtownards on 22 August. Duncan talked us through its prehistoric beginnings, the development of the settlement from the early medieval period to the17th century, through to the late 18th and 19th century town that largely exists today. So much history in a small area!
The visit to Ballydugan Medieval village planned for 10 September had to be postponed due to the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. It will now take place on 13 May.
The Annual Dinner took place on 25 November with an excellent dinner in the lovely setting of The Royal Belfast Golf Club. Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the UAS, we also enjoyed an after dinner talk by Prof Alun Evans on the subject of the life and career of naturalist and anthropologist John Grattan.
There seems to be a general enthusiasm for getting out and about together again, so plans are in place to resume our traditional programme of outings including the county study tour, the summer day and evening field trips and hopefully, a week-long study tour in the autumn. Suggestions for outings or events are always welcome.
Anne MacDermott, Hon Assistant Secretary, Events
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Appendix 7:
Report of Hon. Fieldwork Co-ordinator for 2022 to 2023 AGM
Survey group activities were limited in 2022 in part due to the personal circumstances of the Survey Group Coordinator which inhibited more active facilitation for much of the first half of the year. During the summer months National Trust required mandatory training to be completed by group members who were signed up as Trust volunteers for any survey work to be carried out on its properties. A new role profile for fieldworkers was also initiated, in part mandated to ensure awareness of and compliance in areas such as safeguarding and Health and Safety, some of which were in direct response to the covid19 restrictions and other measures which had curtailed fieldwork for much of 2020-21.
Even with these limitations, some fieldwork was undertaken. An 8-day excavation at Divis and The Black Mountain in early September 2022 saw the excavation of two 6m square trenches in an area just north of the abandoned Divis Lodge. The team were seeking to further explore the extent of a prehistoric artefact scatter and associated remains of an 18[th] century ruined building, previously uncovered during excavations in 2013. Whilst further prehistoric flintwork, including tools, were revealed the most surprising discovery made was through a series of linear features which appear to present evidence for flax retting being carried out in the area of Divis Lodge in the 19[th] century. While this industrial activity was common at the time, it was previously unknown to have taken place at this site.
A survey of a decorative garden shell-house, of late 19[th] and early 20[th] century date at the walled garden at Springhill, Co. Londonderry was planned for early in the year, but was completed in December 2022 through photogrammetry and sketch-fab model of the shellhouse generated by David Craig.
The 2023 survey programme is hoped will make up for the limited opportunities that were available in 2022. The first field outing for the survey group in 2023 is planned for 25th March and will be at Ballygomartin townland located on the northeast side of Divis Mountain. The townland is an area which the National Trust has recently purchased and among the field monuments located within the lands are two scheduled ringforts, the site of a megalithic tomb and numerous abandoned farmsteads, many of which are of at least 19th century date. The 2023 fieldwork will take place each month with field walking and detailed site surveys, and we also plan to carryout geophysical surveys at Lisnabreeny off the Rocky Road in south Belfast and at Mount Stewart, Co. Down.
National Trust are providing new equipment for use in fieldwork including a Bartington handheld twin gradiometer, another twin-probe resistivity kit, a portable hand-held 3D scanner and Arrow 100 GNSS. The new equipment is hoped to be available from May and training sessions will be arranged in how to operate the new kit.
Malachy Conway MIAI Fieldwork Coordinator
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Appendix 8:
Rules and Constitution of the Ulster Archaeological Society incorporating amendments up to and including 2019.
1. TITLE:
The Society shall be called "The Ulster Archaeological Society".
2. OBJECTS:
The objects of the Society shall be to advance the education of the public in archaeology and history particularly in regard to Ulster. In furtherance thereof but no further or otherwise the Society may
i. Organise meetings, classes and lectures,
ii. Publish the Ulster Journal of Archaeology ,
iii. Promote the involvement of the public in local archaeological activity, iv. Do all such other things that shall further the objectives of the Society or any of them.
3. MEMBERSHIP AND SUBSCRIPTION:
The Society shall have the following categories of membership:
(a) Ordinary membership; payment of the appropriate subscription shall entitle ordinary members to receive the Journal of the Society, occasional Newsletters and to take part in all the activities of the Society and to vote at any meeting of the Society.
(b) Honorary membership; as for (a) but no charge. Not more than one may be elected in any one year.
(c) Retired membership; as for (a) but no Journal.
(d) Family membership; this may comprise two parents and all their children under twenty-one years. All can take part in the activities of the Society but the family shall receive only one copy of each Journal and each Newsletter and be entitled to only one vote at any meeting of the Society.
(e) Institutional membership; payment of the appropriate subscription and appropriate post and packaging charge shall entitle the Institution to receive the Journal and Newsletter of year of payment.
( f) Retired family membership; this may comprise of two retired people, living at the one address. Both can take part in all the activities of the Society. They will not receive the Society’s Journal but will receive the printed newsletters and be entitled to one vote at any meeting of the Society.
(g) Student membership; payment of the appropriate subscription shall entitle student members to take part in all the activities of the Society. This will apply to students of any age over 16 years. Student members will not receive the Society’s Journal or printed newsletters and will be directly contacted by the Society by email only.
The subscription rates for the various categories of membership shall be determined by the General Committee, which is empowered to change the rates from time to time as it sees fit. Subscriptions shall be due and payable on 1st January each year.
4. FINANCE:
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The financial year shall be from 1st January to 31st December.
All monies received on behalf of the Society or the Journal shall he paid into a banking account in the name of the "Ulster Archaeological Society". Withdrawals from the account shall be made only over the signatures of the Honorary Treasurer and one other officer of the Society.
5. OFFICERS:
The officers of the Society shall be:-
a. President (whose term of office shall be for a maximum of six consecutive years). b. Not more than three Vice-Presidents (whose term of office shall be for a maximum of six consecutive years).
c. Honorary Editor of the Journal.
d. Honorary Secretary.
e. Honorary Treasurer. f. Honorary Editor of the Newsletter.
g. Honorary Fieldwork Coordinator.
All officers shall offer themselves for re-election each year.
6. EDITORIAL BOARD
The Editorial Board shall consist of four Members of the Society who shall be co-opted annually to the General Committee, in addition to the Honorary Editor.
7. GENERAL COMMITTEE:
a. The General Committee shall consist of
i. The Officers,
ii. The Editorial Board, and iii. Six Ordinary Members of the Society.
iv. Each newly elected President of the Archaeological society at Queen’s University Belfast or their nominee shall be automatically offered a place on the UAS committee, conditional on their being a member of the UAS in good standing.
b. Standing members of the General Committee will serve for a term of three years; those retiring being ineligible for re-election for one year.
c. The General Committee shall have the power to fill casual vacancies by co-option, to add to its membership by appointment of such assistant officers as may be desirable, and to recommend to Annual General Meetings suitable persons to be elected as Honorary Members.
8. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING:
a. The Annual General Meeting shall be held not later than the 28th February in each
year.
b. The business shall consist of:-
i. Minutes of the previous AGM;
ii. Reports of the past year from the Secretary, Treasurer and Editor; iii. Election of Officers;
iv. Election of Ordinary Members to the General Committee; v. Election of an Honorary Auditor vi. Any other competent business.
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9. ALTERATION OF THE RULES:
Alteration of the Rules of the Society may only be made at the Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting provided that notice of the motion to alter the Rules be delivered in writing to the Honorary Secretary at least thirty days before the date of the meeting and that notice of such alteration be given in the notice convening the Meeting. No alteration shall be made to the Rules of the Society unless two-thirds of the Members present entitled to vote and voting shall vote in favour, provided that no amendments shall be made to the Constitution which would cause the Society to cease to be a charity at Law.
10. DISSOLUTION:
In the event of the dissolution of the Society for whatever reason any assets remaining after the satisfaction of any outstanding debts and liabilities shall be transferred to some other charity or charities having objects similar to the objects of the Society.
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