|
1. Title 2. Aims 3. Membership 4. Executive Committee and Sub-Committees 5. Vocational Matters 6. Finance 7. General Meeting 8. Changes in Constitution 1. Title1.1 The name of the associtaion shall be the Association of Physical Scientists in Medicine 2. Aims2. 1 The aims of the Association include (a) promotion of the application of the physical sciences in medicine
(b) establishing and maintaining professional standards
(c) promoting professional development and its members’ interest 2.2 The application of the physical sciences to the development of weapons technology, or to technology which might be otherwise injurious to human health, is contrary to the aims of the Association. 3. Membersip3.1 Membership of the Association comprises the following categories: (a) Register Members
(b) Ordinary Members
(c) Associate Members
(d) Student Members 3.2 Registered membership shall be open to those who are registered as physical scientists in medicine with the national registration committee and who support the aims of the Association. 3.3 Ordinary membership of the Association will be open to those who fulfil (a) and (b) and who support the aims of the Association. (a) Hold a third level qualification in the physical sciences. For the purpose of applications for membership the definition of the term ‘physical sciences’ shall be at the discretion of the Executive Committee of the day.
(b) Are working on the application of the physical sciences to clinical problems. 3.4 In exceptional circumstances, Ordinary membership may be granted to those persons not satisfying the condition 3.3 if such persons have made or are making an exceptional contribution to the development of the profession. 3.5 Associate membership is open to persons who are ineligible for Registered or Ordinary Membership and whose interest lies in the field of the physical sciences as applied to medicine. 3.6 Students membership is open to persons who as yet do not meet the conditions set out in 3.2 or 3.3 but who are seeking appropriate qualifications and employment. 3.7 Only Registered and Ordinary members shall have voting rights at business meetings of the Association but all other members do not have voting rights. 3.8 Voting rights will not be granted to members who have not been paid up members six months before annual or extraordinary general meetings 3.9 Only Registered APSM members can vote on issues relating to the Registration Committee. 3.10 Only Registered members can be considered for nomination to the Registration Committee. 3.11 Application for membership must be supported by a proposer and a seconder who are registered or ordinary members of the Association. 3.12 The Executive Committee of the Association shall evaluate all membership applications and grant or withhold membership in accordance with Constitution and Rules 3.13 An applicant who is refused membership by the Executive Committee shall have the right to appeal in writing to the next General Meeting of the Association. The General Meeting may decide by a simply majority of the Registered or Ordinary members attending to grant withhold membership. 3.14 The annual membership fee must be paid, before the 30th April of the year in which the subscription is due. A member who is in breach of this rule, and who has been issued a further 6 weeks written notice to this effect, shall, providing the Executive Committee so approves, forfeit all rights to membership of the Association. 3.15 A member whose employment has changed so that he/she no longer complies with the requirements for Registered or Ordinary membership may, at the discretion of the Executive Committee, continue to hold full membership rights. 4. Executive Committee and Sub-Committees4.1 The affairs of the Association will be conducted by an Executive Committee which shall consist of (a) Five Officers 1) a Chairman; 2) a Vice Chairman; 3) a Secretary; 4) a Treasurer); and 5) a Registration Officer who all shall be registered or ordinary members and (b) two registered or ordinary members, (c) a representative from each active Special Interest Group of the APSM, who shall be a registered or ordinary member. 4.2 The Executive Committee, with the exception of the representatives of the active Special Interest Groups of the APSM, shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Association in accordance with the procedures laid down in the Constitution and Rules of the Association.
4.3 The Executive Committee representatives from each of the association’s Special Interest Groups shall be elected by the SIG at a general meeting of the SIG members to be held as soon as reasonably possible after the AGM of the association.
4.4 No member of the executive elected at the Annual General Meeting of the association can hold the position of a Special Interest Group representative and vice versa.
4.5 A Special Interest Group will be deemed to be active on the basis of criteria developed and maintained by the executive committee, and accepted by the membership of the association at the Annual General Meeting of the association.
4.6 The term of office of a member of the Executive Committee shall be two consecutive years.
4.7 The term of an officer of the Executive Committee shall be two consecutive years.
4.8 No member of the Executive Committee can serve for more than four consecutive years.
4.9 The immediate past Chairman of the Association is, ex officio, a member of the Executive Committee for a term of one year.
4.10 The Executive Committee may act not withstanding any vacancy in their body; provided always that in case the members of the Executive Committee shall at any time be reduce in number to less than the minimum number prescribed in Article 4.18, it shall be lawful for them to act as an Executive Committee for the purpose of admitting persons to membership of the Association, filling up vacancies in their body or of summoning a Business Meeting, but not for any other purpose.
4.11 In the absence of the Chairman or Vice-Chairman, the meeting of the Executive Committee may elect its own Chairman.
4.12 All acts bone fide done by any meeting of the Executive, or any committee or sub-committee of the Association, or by any person acting as a member of the Executive, shall not withstanding it be afterwards discovered that there was some defect in the appointment or continuance in office of any member, be as valid as if this person was qualified to be a member of the Executive.
4.13 The Executive Committee shall cause proper minutes of the Executive, or any committee or sub-committees. Any such minutes if signed by the Chairman of such a meeting, or by the Chairman of the next succeeding meeting, shall be sufficient evidence of the facts contained therein.
4.14 The Executive Committee shall establish such subcommittees with such terms of reference as may be desirable. Membership of sub-committees is not restricted to members of the Executive, but the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer are ex-officio members of all sub committees. Such Committees will report through a Convenor to the Executive Committee.
4.15 The office of a member of the Executive shall be vacated if (a) he/she is of unsound mind.
(b) he/she ceases to be a member of the Association.
(c) he/she resigns their office in writing to the secretary of the Association.
(d) he/she becomes prohibited from holding office by reason of any order made under the companies Act 1963 4.16 APSM nominated members of committees, both internal and external, can be requested by the executive to resign and stand for re-election to that committee. This can happen after two years or in the case of the RPII representative every three to five years or as a result of a request from an extraordinary general meeting. 4.17 Candidates for vacancies on the Executive Committee must be proposed and seconded by two registered or ordinary members of the Association Notification of vacancies on the Executive Committee will be forwarded to the members along with the meeting notice at which the election is to be held. 4.18 Election of an Executive Committee must take place at the Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting of the Association. 4.19 Each vacant position on an Executive Committee shall be voted on separately and each registered and ordinary member of the Association shall have a single vote for each position. 4.20 The member receiving the most votes will be deemed to be elected. 4.21 Vacancies occurring on the Executive Committee between elections may be filled by co-option until the next AGM or EGM at which time the vacancy shall be filled in accordance with the constitution. 4.22 The quorum for the Executive Committee meetings will be five members of the committee and shall include one of the officers of the Executive Committee. 4.23 All communications with outside bodies, in which the opinions of the Association are expressed, shall be signed by either the Chairman or the Secretary of the Association. 4.24 Voting at a general meeting shall take the form of a secret ballot. 4.25 Arrangements for voting by proxy at general meetings may be made at the discretion of the Executive Committee. 5. Vocational Matters5.1 A subsection of the Registered and Ordinary members of the Association employed by Health Agencies or similar bodies may form themselves into a Vocational Group. 5.2 The criteria for membership of the Vocational Group will be agreed by the Executive Committee of the Association and the appropriate Trade Union. 5.3 The Vocational Group’s affairs will be managed by a sub-committee of the Association. 6. Finance6.1 Each member of the Association will pay an annual subscription as set out in the Article 6.6. 6.2 Monies other than Member’s subscription may not be accepted on behalf of the Association without the consent of the Executive Committee. 6.3 The treasurer shall submit to the Executive Committee statement of the financial position of the Association as at one calendar month before the Annual General Meeting. After their approval, the statements shall be presented to the membership by the treasurer at the Annual General Meeting. 6.4 The financial statement shall be examined by two members of the Association acting on behalf of the Association. These two members shall receive the statements following submission of same to the Executive. 6.5 Changes in the annual subscription must be submitted for approval to the Annual General Meeting. 6.6 The levels of subscription are as follows Registered members 100%
Ordinary members 100%
Associate members 70% 6.7 Levels of subscription for unwaged members shall be at the discretion of the Executive Committee. 7. General Meeting7.1 The Executive Committee will call a General Meeting of the Association at least once per calendar year. The Executive may call a General or extraordinary meeting at any time, as required, in accordance with the constitution and rules of the Association. 7.2 An Extraordinary General Meeting of the Association must be called by the Executive Committee on receipt of a written request to do so signed by 25% of the Registered and/or Ordinary membership. 7.3 Members are required to receive at least 14 days notice of any Business Meeting General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting. In the case of an Extraordinary General Meeting the notice calling the meeting must be accompanied by an explicit statement of the subject(s) to be discussed: no other subject may be discussed at such a meeting. Members are also entitled to receive the Agenda for any Business Meeting at least 7 days before the meeting. 7.4 The Notice of any Business Meeting shall consist of the venue, date and time of such a meeting. This notice will be in writing. The accident omission to give notice of the venue, date and time of such a meeting
to, or the non-receipt of notice of a meeting, by any, but not all, members shall not
invalidate the proceedings at that meeting. 7.5 The Chairman may, with the consent of the meeting, adjourn a Business meeting from time to time and from place to place, but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place. When a business meeting is adjourned for thirty days or more, notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given as in the case of an original meeting. Save as aforesaid, it shall not be necessary to give any notice of an adjournment or of the business to be transacted at an adjourned meeting. 7.6 In the case of an equality at any business meeting of the association the Chairman of the meeting shall be entitled to a second or casting vote. 7.7 The quorum for any business meeting shall be 25% of the current registered and ordinary membership. 8. Changes in Constitution8.1 No article or Rule in this Constitution shall be adopted or altered, and no new Article or Rule shall be made save by the consent of a simple majority of the voting at a General Meeting of the Association. The voting may include a postal ballot at the discretion of the Executive Committee. 8.2 For a change in the constitution, article 7.3 shall apply with the meeting notice to include the motion(s) for change and voting slip where a postal ballot is held. Constitution last updated May 2002
|
