What is a Special Interest Group (SIG)?

How do they work? How do you go about creating one? ​

SIGs are a benefit of membership in the Oral History Society, which provides tools and resources to enable members of the Society to liaise, network, explore and work together with other members of the Society to learn and share information and ideas around a particular area of interest. These tools and resources include a dedicated email-based discussion and community-building forum; the use of the Zoom Pro account for Groups; an annual budget allocation of £250, to which the SIG itself can add; potential involvement in the Society’s international conference, and oral history festival; representation in the Society’s social media and publicity, including the Society’s YouTube facility.

They are projects of and by members of the Society. They can be proposed and created by any paid-up member of the Society, and any paid-up member of the Society can belong to as many SIGs as they choose.

Are you interested in creating a new Special Interest Group?

  • Read what we have to say about SIGs below;
  • Get in touch with the Special Interest Group Facilitator, currently Dr. Craig Fees, who will liaise and consult with you throughout;
  • Read the descriptions and terms of reference of existing SIGs on the Society website, and using these as a model, draw up a draft description and terms of reference for the SIG you would like to set up;
  • Consult with other Oral History Society (Society) members through the members’ Groups.io Forum, and gather four or five who wish to join and support the development of the Special Interest Group;
  • When you and it are ready, the Special Interest Group Facilitator will take your proposal to the Trustees.

Creating a Special Interest Group

What is a Special Interest Group ?

A SIG in summary:
  • is a benefit of membership in the Oral History Society, which is made up of members of the Society who take leadership and management roles within it;
  • takes responsibility for developing ideas, strategies, programmes of work, projects etc. within the SIG’s terms of reference as agreed by Trustees;
  • has no delegated powers, which is to say, it has no direct responsibility or competence in relation to the governance of the charity, its finances or similar matters related to the management and running of the charity as such (i.e., you can simply get on with running the SIG!);
  • has £250 available annually from the Society, and can have a separate budget, where appropriate, to enable its activities and meetings to take place (the budget has to be agreed with the Society’s Treasurer for inclusion in the overall Society Budget);
  • keeps minutes of meetings and records of events, which are stored in the SIG’s Groups.io where they are accessible to members of the SIG, Trustees and other members of the Society.

What are the responsibilities of a SIG?

SIGs are governed by the same rules and conventions of record-keeping and management of committees as set out in the Oral History Society’s Constitution. SIGs have in addition particular responsibilities and these are as follows:

  1. SIGs shall promote the objectives of the Oral History Society as set out in the Society’s constitution;
  2. SIGs shall act in the best interests of the Oral History Society, with significant autonomy to operate and develop programmes of work;
  3. Each SIG will contribute a report each year on its work and activities for the Society’s Annual Report;
  4. Each SIG will be expected to play a part in the Society’s annual conference where possible: by
    1. Liaising with the conference organising group, which will reach out to the SIG at the beginning of the conference organising cycle, and gather feedback after;
    2. Contributing a panel to the conference;
    3. Organising and taking part in an All-SIG session during the event.

Creating a SIG

One or more members of the Society can propose the creation of a SIG to the Trustees.

Trustees may accept the creation of a SIG if the Oral History Society’s Committee of Trustees agrees that:

  • The terms of reference of the SIG support and contribute to the Aims and Objects of the Society; and
  • The terms of reference of the SIG do not duplicate or significantly overlap with those of an existing SIG.

Although they are not committees of the Society, SIGs are part of the work of the charity, and to ensure good governance under charity law will function under the constitutional provisions, guidelines and byelaws relating to committees set out in the Society’s constitution. The terms of reference of the SIG will be clearly set out, and will act as a record of powers and functions delegated from the Trustees to the SIG.

Governance

SIGs determine their own approach to organisation, with the proviso that each SIG shall have a Chair and a Secretary or their equivalent, who shall be elected annually by the membership of the SIG at the SIG’s General Meeting, and work with other SIG leads on shared matters, and in communicating with the Trustees.

Except where provision is made for a member of the Society who does not have regular and ready access to the Internet, membership in the SIG is determined by membership in the SIG’s Groups.io.

Within their terms of reference SIGs shall determine their own programmes of work and development and, as well as meeting live, may meet or work virtually online or through another appropriate communication media:

  • provided a record of the work and minutes of any actual or virtual meetings are kept as required by the constitution, stored permanently and electronically within the SIG’s Groups.io where they will be available to Trustees and other members of the Society
  • with the proviso that at least one meeting shall be held each year which shall be a General Meeting of the SIG, which shall be notified to members of the SIG and Trustees at least six weeks in advance, which takes items for the agenda from its members (who are members at the time the notification is sent out), and which shall be notified to and open to all members of the Society.

Finance

A SIG can commit up to £250 annually on behalf of the Society, through its work. A SIG can apply to the Trustees through the Society’s Treasurer for additional funding.

A SIG can raise funds through events, publications, and other activities related to its work within its terms of reference.  Any other fundraising proposals must have the agreement of the Trustees, and grant and similar applications shall be in the name of the Society.

All funds received by the SIG should be payable to the Society and should be sent to or remitted to the OHS through the Society’s Treasurer. The Society’s Treasurer will pay all expenditure incurred in line with the agreed budget. The Society’s Treasurer will prepare separate income and expense accounts for each SIG for presentation at their General Meetings.

If a SIG is dissolved, any funds which may have accrued for and from its activities shall be absorbed into the general funds of the Society.

Dissolving a SIG

A SIG can and shall be dissolved if in the view of the Trustees

  • it has brought the Society or the work of the Society into disrepute;
  • if it is no longer adhering to its terms of reference or governance;
  • if it is no longer contributing to the work, aims and objects of the Society;
  • if it exceeds its terms of reference, powers and functions (including spending) to the detriment of the Society;
  • if it falls below five members for two consecutive reporting years.
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