Guidance for Council elections
Positions on Council are nominated and elected by the Fellowship and bring with them the responsibilities of a Trustee of the Society. Elections take place in June at the Society’s Annual General Meeting.
It is normally expected that Council members will also serve on (and chair in the case of Vice Presidents and Honorary Treasurer) the Committee of Council relevant to the position to which they have been elected. Only Fellows of the Society may stand for positions on Council and only Fellows may propose candidates for election (this includes Associate Fellows).
If you wish to stand for election to Council, you should be able to demonstrate:
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a good working knowledge of the Society
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an understanding and support for its breadth of activities and audiences
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experience and seniority relevant to the position that you are standing for
Each position also requires a sound working knowledge, as appropriate, of geographical education, expeditions and fieldwork, research and higher education. In addition, Council has provided guidance to nominees and proposers on the skills, expertise and experience that it feels would be most helpful at the present time. It is not a requirement that nominees fill identified skills gaps but it is highly desirable.
In terms of time commitment, you must be available to read papers for, and attend, four Council meetings per year and at least two Committee meetings per year. If you wish to stand for a Research and Higher Education position, you must also currently hold a related post in a further or higher education institution, or be a person of similar standing.
Guidance more generally on the role and responsibilities of charity trustees can be found here.
Guidance for committee elections
If you wish to stand for election to a committee of Council, you should be able to demonstrate:
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a good working knowledge of the Society
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an understanding and support for its breadth of activities and audiences
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experience and seniority relevant to the position that you are standing for
Each position also requires a sound working knowledge, as appropriate, of geographical education, expeditions and fieldwork, research and higher education or professional practice
You can find out more about each of the committees of Council and the commitment required of committee members here.
Nomination process for all elections
Nominees should:
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Indicate the position for which they are standing - candidates are only able to stand for one position.
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Provide their Fellowship number.
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Provide a maximum 150 word summary note that will accompany the ballot papers: 75 words to be given over to biographical details, and up to a further 75 words can be used to demonstrate how you meet the skills and expertise the Council feels would be most helpful for that position. If the word length exceeds this, only the first 150 words will be included. One link to a website may be added if desired.
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Include the names of five proposing Fellows.
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Download, complete and submit the Trustee eligibility form (only needed for Council elections).
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Download, complete and submit the Conflicts of interest form.
Proposing Fellows should send separately the following information to the Director:
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Their own Fellowship number.
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The name of the Fellow they are nominating and for which position on the Council.
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A brief summary of why the candidate is considered suitable by them, for the chosen position, including how they meet the skills and expertise gaps most helpful to fill.
Proposers may only support one candidate for any single position.
All nominations should be sent to the Director, preferably via email: director@rgs.org
The deadline is 9.00am on Thursday 23 March 2023. Please contact the Director's Office with any queries.
Positions on Council to be elected in June 2023
Nominations are invited from Fellows for the following positions to be elected in June 2023.
All positions are for four years unless stated otherwise.
Honorary Treasurer
Expeditions and Fieldwork - Vice President
Research and Higher Education - Councillor
Membership - Vice President
Professional - Vice President
Positions on committees to be elected in June 2023
Nominations are invited from Fellows for the following positions to be elected in June 2023.
Expeditions and Fieldwork Committee - Member
Research and Higher Education Committee - Chair of the Annual Conference 2024
Research and Higher Education Committee - Member