The relevant extract from the Byelaws (revised 2025), copied below, sets out the role for the President and Vice Presidents.
SECTION V of the Byelaws (revised 2025) - Conduct of Meetings
17.2 The President shall preside as chair of General Meetings. At a General Meeting where the President is absent, the President-elect shall take the chair. In the case of the absence of the President-elect, one of the Vice-Presidents shall take the chair. In case of the absence of all these, the meeting may elect any Council Member present to take the chair.
17.3 The President, or other Fellow in the chair, may accept amendments to any questions to be decided at the General Meeting if such amendments do not, in the opinion of the chair, materially vary the intention of the proposals.
17.4 If the whole of the business cannot be completed on the day appointed the Meeting may adjourn to another day without the necessity of a fresh summons
Specific Duties:
- In their first year of service the Vice Presidents are required to serve on an Awards Panel (A or G) and then to Chair the relevant Awards Panel during their second year. This involves 4–6 days’ work and much correspondence by email.
- They are also required to serve on an Awards Subcommittee, which exists to facilitate the nomination of RAS Fellows for external awards and for national honours. This involves 1–3 days, mostly carried out by email correspondence.
- The President may invite the Vice Presidents to Chair any of the three discussion forums (Astronomy/Solid Earth Geophysics/External Geophysics).
- The President may invite the Vice Presidents to assist in their representational duties throughout their terms of office.