INTERNATIONAL MAP COLLECTORS’ SOCIETY CONSTITUTION – 2026
As approved at the AGM held in London
on Saturday 6th June 2026
A. Name, Purpose, Independence
The name of the Society, formed in England in 1980, shall be The International Map Collectors’ Society.
The purpose of the Society is to promote, foster, and encourage, on a non-profit making basis, the activity of map collecting and the study of the history of cartography in accordance with the Objectives of the Society.
The Society is a worldwide international membership organisation, independent of any commercial institution or organisation, operated within and governed by the laws of England.
B. Objectives
The principal objectives of the Society shall be:
- To promote, foster, and encourage the activity of map collecting and the study of cartography and its history.
- To provide an international forum for people interested in map collecting and the study of cartography and their history, to meet, discuss, and share their interests.
- To provide activities for, and cater for the interests of, all members of the Society from beginners to specialist collectors, dealers, librarians and academics.
- To provide information to assist members and to share and extend their knowledge.
- To encourage the preservation of maps for future generations and to provide practical information to assist this process.
- To facilitate communication and the exchange of information and ideas between members and, when practical, with others.
- To develop, update and pursue clearly defined goals that are designed to further the Society’s objectives
C. Membership
The membership of the Society shall consist of Ordinary Members, Premium Members, Junior Members, Institutional Members and Honorary Members.
Ordinary or Premium Membership may be conferred upon any individual person, or Junior Membership may be conferred upon anyone who will not attain 35 years of age in the current calendar year, following acceptance of a completed membership application form and payment of the current subscription fee. A Junior Member shall become an Ordinary Member during the calendar year in which the age of 35 years is attained.
Institutional Membership may be granted by the Executive Committee to any institution deemed suitable for Institutional Membership and upon payment of the required subscription.
Honorary Membership may be conferred by the Executive Committee upon anyone who has rendered the Society a particular or noteworthy service and who is deserving of this honorary title, following written nomination by one or more Executive Committee members.
An Ordinary, Junior or Institutional Member is defined as one paying a subscription for a period of one year. A Premium Member is defined as one paying a subscription for a period of three years. An Honorary Member shall not be required to pay a membership subscription and shall be a member for life.
All classes of membership shall be entitled to all rights and privileges of membership of the Society except that only Ordinary, Premium Members and those Junior Members who are not less than 18 years of age shall have the right to vote and to hold office on the Executive Committee.
Application for Ordinary, Premium, Junior, and Institutional Membership shall be on the prescribed form online or sent to the Membership Secretary who, if finding no objection to admitting the applicant, shall process payment of the membership fee. Should the Membership Secretary have reason to question an applicant’s eligibility, the application shall be referred to Executive Committee for final decision.
D. Membership Fees
Membership fees for each financial year shall be approved at the Annual General Meeting in the preceding financial year. The subscription for Junior Members shall be 50% of the current Ordinary Member fee. Membership starts on the date subscription payment is received and is due for renewal on the anniversary of this date for ordinary and junior membership and the third anniversary for premium membership.
Non-payment of fees by the membership renewal date shall result in suspension of all rights and privileges. Members suspended for non-payment of fees may apply for reinstatement upon payment of the full current membership fee. Failure to pay a membership fee three months after renewal date is be deemed resignation from the Society. If a person who has so resigned wishes to re-join, a new membership application must be submitted, and the appropriate fee paid as a new member.
E. Financial Year and Annual Accounts
The Society’s financial year shall be from 1 January to 31 December.
Accounts for the preceding financial year shall be examined independently by an organisation or person designated by the Executive Committee and then be submitted by the Treasurer for approval by the Executive Committee; the approved accounts shall then be presented for acceptance at the next Annual General Meeting.
F. Suspension and Expulsion
Any Member committing any unfair or unethical act in dealings with fellow members or cartographic societies or institutions shall, by a majority vote of Executive Committee, be suspended and/or expelled from membership.
G. The President
The Society shall have a President who shall preside over the Society and be an ex officio member of Executive Committee and of any Sub-Committees set up by Executive Committee.
The President shall be a Member of the Society and be elected for a period of three years at an Annual General Meeting by those present and eligible to vote at such meetings. A President may be elected for successive three-year periods.
If the position of President becomes vacant, Executive Committee may appoint an Acting President to serve until the next Annual General Meeting.
H. The Executive Committee
The Society shall have an Executive Committee, comprising up to nine, but not less than five, Members, which shall manage and direct the Society’s affairs on behalf of the membership worldwide. No less than two Executive Committee members shall be citizens of the United Kingdom.
The Executive Committee shall include the following named Executive Officers: Chair, General Secretary and Treasurer. These Officers and all other Executive Committee members shall be elected individually at an Annual General Meeting to serve a term of four years. An Executive Committee member (including named Officers) may be re-elected to serve a second, or subsequent, term. Apart from the Chair and Treasurer, one individual is not precluded from fulfilling the roles of two of the designated Offices.
Any Executive Committee position that becomes vacant shall be the subject of an election at the next Annual General Meeting. The Executive Committee shall have the power to fill a vacancy on a temporary basis until the next Annual General Meeting.
In the event the Chair or other Executive Officer is, for any reason, temporarily unable to undertake any or all duties, the Executive Committee may appoint one of its number to deputise for any other Officer.
The Executive Committee shall have the power to appoint and dismiss Ordinary, Premium or Junior Members of the Society to assist in running the Society’s affairs on an ex officio basis
The Executive Committee shall enunciate the Society’s short- and long-term goals and keep them updated; the Committee may delegate specific duties to one or more sub-committees chaired by a designated Ordinary, Premium, or Junior Member.
The Executive Committee shall meet on at least four occasions per annum, one of which shall be the Society’s Annual General Meeting. The quorum for meetings shall be three, of whom at least one shall be the Chair, General Secretary, or Treasurer. Executive Committee meetings may be held as face to face or virtual meetings by video link.
Any matter brought by a Member of the Society to the attention of the General Secretary in writing (including electronically transmitted) shall be laid before the Executive Committee at its next meeting or be reported and minuted at such meeting if the matter has been addressed prior to that meeting.
Executive Committee decisions shall be made on the basis of a simple majority, with the Chair having a second casting vote in the event of a tie. Minutes shall be prepared by the General Secretary (or surrogate) and confirmed at the next Executive Committee meeting.
Original confirmed Minutes of the Executive Committee and of any sub-committee meetings (with the omission of occasional confidential items) shall be available for review in a location convenient to Society Members.
I. Finances and Expenditure
The Executive Committee shall conduct the financial affairs of the Society so as to meet all expenses and make provisions for all known liabilities, reserves for future contingencies, and depreciation of assets. Events of a local or regional nature shall normally be planned on a break-even cost basis in anticipation of there not being a charge on general Society funds, while profits arising from such events shall accrue to the Society. No money or property of the Society, or any gain arising from the carrying on of the Society, shall be applied otherwise than for the benefit of the Society and/or the promotion of the standing of map collecting.
The Executive Committee shall have the power to appoint, pay, and dismiss such individuals, contractors, and companies as it may deem necessary to accomplish specific tasks.
At least three of the Society’s Officers (including the Treasurer) shall be delegated by the Executive Committee to have signature authority for the Society’s bank accounts. The Executive Committee shall decide the approval and signature procedures for each account, set a limit above which two signatures shall be required, and define procedures for approving invoices for payment.
J. National Representatives
The Executive Committee shall nominate National Representatives in each country where this is feasible. In large countries more than one National Representative may be nominated, provided the number of local IMCoS Members is considerable and the area of each National Representative is defined in geographical terms.
K. Amendment of the Constitution
The Constitution of the Society cannot be altered except by 60% majority vote of those present in person or by video link and eligible to vote at an Annual General Meeting.
L. Dissolution of the Society
If, at any Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting, a resolution (of which proper notice has been given) for the dissolution of the Society shall be passed by a 60% majority of those present and eligible to vote and by a similar majority at an Extraordinary General Meeting held not less than three months later, the Executive Committee shall immediately, or at such date as specified in such resolution/s, proceed to realise the Society’s property (including the Library). To the extent that IMCoS funds exist, after discharge of all liabilities and as directed by specific vote at the meeting, the Executive Committee shall distribute residual assets in accordance with the Objectives of the Society to one or two institutions in the field of cartography which reflect the locations of the majority of the Society’s membership.
M. Annual General Meeting and Election Procedures
The Society shall hold an Annual General Meeting every year at a time and place selected by the Executive Committee at which the election of the President, Chair, and Executive Officers shall take place (when terms of office have ended or a vacancy has occurred), the membership-subscription rates for the next financial year shall be approved, the accounts for the preceding financial year (that have been approved previously by the Executive Committee) shall be received, and such other appropriate business as determined by the Executive Committee shall be transacted
The quorum for the AGM will be those present in person and via video link.
At least four weeks in advance, all Members shall be notified by the General Secretary of the date of the Annual General Meeting and the full Agenda, including details of all elections and the nominees. Publication in the Society’s Journal and/or website shall be deemed appropriate notification. Only those items in the Agenda shall be taken at Annual General Meetings. Ordinary, Premium and Junior Members who are not less than 18 years of age shall be eligible to vote at such meetings and elections. Unopposed nominees shall be deemed elected at the Annual General Meeting without vote.
Nominations for members of the Executive Committee shall be proposed and seconded and may be received either before or at the Annual General Meeting.
The Minutes of the Annual General Meeting, recording the numbers who attended and prepared by the General Secretary (or surrogate) shall be available for approval at the next Annual General Meeting. A summary of each Annual General Meeting shall be published promptly online and in the Society’s Journal.
N. Extraordinary General Meeting
Any Ordinary or Premium Member of the Society shall have the right to call an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Society provided that the request, stipulating specific agenda items, is made in writing to the General Secretary and is signed by that member and fifteen other Ordinary and/or Premium Members; such written requests may be transmitted electronically.
Upon the receipt of a properly formulated request, Executive Committee shall decide upon a time and venue for the Extraordinary General Meeting, provided that it is held not more than four weeks after the request was received. The Agenda for such meeting shall be distributed by the General Secretary to all members by email and be available on the Society’s website. Only those items in the Agenda shall be taken at such Extraordinary General Meeting. Minutes of such meetings shall be dealt with as for Annual General Meetings.
O. Proxy Voting
Proxy voting at Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings is not permitted. Those Members entitled to vote, but not attending such meetings, may indicate their vote preferences in writing to the General Secretary, who shall report a summary of such preferences before each vote at the relevant meeting.
P. Limitation of Society
Members, their guests, and visitors use the Society and all facilities provided by the Society entirely at their own risk and impliedly accept that:
(a) The Society shall not be liable for any damage to or loss of property belonging to Members, their guests or visitors to Society activities or functions, howsoever caused.
(b) The Society shall not be liable for personal injury arising out of the use of Society facilities and activities, either sustained by Members, their guests, or visitors, or caused by said Members’ guests or visitors, whether or not such damage or injury could have been attributed to or was occasioned by the neglect, default, or negligence of any of them, the Officers, Executive Committee, or servants of the Society.
Q. Limitation of Members Liability
The Executive Committee, or any person or sub-committee delegated by Executive Committee to act as agent for the Society or its Members, shall enter into contracts only so far as expressly authorised, or authorised by implication, by the Members. No one who is not a member of the Executive Committee shall, without the express authority of the membership in a General Meeting, pledge the credit or obligation of the membership of the Society.
