Are meetings free for anyone to attend?
Meetings are free to attend for both members of the society and anyone with a shared interest who also supports the aims of The OR Society.
Should non-members be encouraged to join The OR Society?
Committee members are encouraged to discuss the benefits of membership and the work that the society undertakes. Membership literature is available for those attendees who are not members of The OR Society.
Should refreshments be provided for meetings?
Groups are expected to provide refreshments (such as tea and biscuits) for attendees. These are provided free to attendees and covered by the central budget for SIGs and Networks. See Costs and Expenses for more information.
Will The OR Society pay expenses for speakers?
Speakers are normally assumed to give their time for free, but may have reasonable travel expenses (within the UK) reimbursed. See Costs and Expenses for more information.
Can a meeting room be paid for if a free one can’t be found?
The OR Society has a central budget for all SIGs’ and Network's activities which can include paying for low cost venues and providing refreshments (such as tea and biscuits) for attendees. Approval for expenditure needs to be sought in advance from the SIG point of contact in the office. See Costs and Expenses for more information.
Can The OR Society provide name badges?
The Society provides a number of administrative services which includes the production of name badges.
Does The OR Society provide promotional templates?
The society provides a number of branded templates for promoting events and guidance for using our brand. Please see the Branding and Assets folder on your SIG or Network's Basecamp.
Should attendance at meetings be recorded?
A list of attendees, preferably including email addresses, and particularly noting any non-members, should be provided to the point of contact in the office. Attendance will be noted in membership records, and non-members added to the database.
What actions should be taken following a meeting?
The Chair should email the speaker(s) to formally thank them for their time and contribution. The nominated committee member shall write a summary of the meeting for the SIG or Network’s page of the society’s website and provide a full write-up for Inside OR. The Secretary shall make speakers’ notes or presentation material from a meeting, if appropriate and not subject to copyright, and the full write-up of the meeting, available in The OR Society’s document repository. A full attendance list, where possible including email addresses and the attendee’s permission to be contacted by the society, and particularly noting any non-members attending, should be provided to the nominated point of contact in the society’s office.
How often should events be planned?
Most programmes consist largely of afternoon or evening meetings, each addressed by one or two UK-based speakers, held between two and four times a year. Alternatively, a SIG or Network may wish to organise a virtual meeting (video conference / webinar) using appropriate software. For more information see Putting on Your Programme
How is the membership list created and who holds it?
Members choose which SIG or Network they want to be included in when they join or edit their profile on the website. The email distribution list for each SIG and Network is updated from the membership database. Non-members can be added to the database when an attendance list is submitted or at the request of the committee. The officers may request a list of current members of their SIG or Network from the point of contact in the office.
How are new members added to the SIG or Network?
If the person to be added is a member of The OR Society, they will need to go online and edit their profile on the website to add themselves to the SIG or Network. Non-members can be added to the email distribution list by emailing membership [at] theorsociety.com
How do you add a meeting to the website?
Committee Officers will be given editing access to their respective SIG or Network page on the society’s website. To add a meeting to both the 'Upcoming Events' area of your SIG or Network's page, you must create the event on Eventsforce and make sure your SIG or Network’s box is ticked before making the event live.
To create an Event in Eventsforce, follow the guidance provided in this document. This document, titled ‘Eventsforce Guide’, can also be found in the Docs & Files folder of RS and SIG’s Basecamp folder.
How do you make changes to your website page?
Guidance on how to update your website page can be found here. This website editing guide can also be found in the Docs & Files folder of RS and SIG’s Basecamp folder.
How often should the committee meet?
The committee should meet at least once a year to plan the programme of meetings. Often, committees will meet when a SIG or Network meeting takes place.
Is there a specimen General Meeting agenda?
The business of the General Meeting shall be:
- to approve the minutes of the previous General Meeting.
- to receive reports from the Chair and Secretary.
- to elect a committee for the forthcoming year.
