A STANDING ORDERS
1. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
2. VOTING
3. BUSINESS
4. THE CHAIR
5. MOTIONS
6. AMENDMENTS TO MOTIONS
7. PROCEDURAL MOTIONS
8. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
9. QUORUM
10. ELECTIONS TO THE EXECUTIVE
11. ELECTIONS TO THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
12. CO-OPTED MEMBERS
B FINANCIAL REGUALTIONS
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All Annual, Extraordinary and Ordinary General Meetings of the Association shall be conducted in accordance with the Standing orders set out in this schedule.
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| 1.1 |
The Association shall hold an Annual General Meeting at
such time and place as the Management Committee may decide.
Notice of the AGM shall be sent by the Secretary to all
members by unalterable electronic media not less than 28 days
before the date of the AGM. Papers for the AGM shall be sent
to all members by unalterable electronic media not less than 7
days before the date of the meeting. Printed hard copies will
only be sent to members who have previously advised the ASRA
Administrator of their inability to receive electronic
communications.
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| 1.2 |
The function of the AGM shall be:
- To receive reports from Management officers;
- To elect members of the Management Committee;
- To consider motions proposed and seconded by named representatives and received before the AGM;
- To approve the annual subscription fees recommended by the Management Committee.
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| 2.1 |
Full members are entitled to vote on any motion put
to the AGM. In the absence of the named representative, the
vote will be cast by a nominated representative of the member
institution. The Chair shall have a single casting vote to be
used only in the event of an equality of votes on such
motion.
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| 2.2 |
Voting will be by show of voting cards issued immediately
prior to the start of the AGM; one card per member institution
and one card per proxy.
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| 2.3 |
No votes shall be recorded at any meeting on behalf of any
member institution not represented at the meeting, unless such
institution has nominated a proxy in writing.
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| 2.4 |
The proxy vote of any institution whose named
representative is absent from the AGM must be carried by
another employee of the same institution, if present. In the
event of no representative from an institution being present
at the AGM, the proxy vote can be carried by the named
representative of another institution. No person, other than a
Regional Representative, may carry more than four (4) proxy
votes.
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| 2.5 |
Persons appointed as proxies must be eligible to vote in
their own right. No person may hold more than four proxy
votes.
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At each AGM the minutes of the previous meeting and any
subsequent Extraordinary General Meeting shall first be
confirmed subject to any necessary amendments. Matters arising
from such minutes may then be discussed in the order in which
they appear therein. Reports, statements and motions duly
submitted and notified in accordance with the Constitution
shall then be considered in the order specified in the agenda
published by the Secretary.
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Whenever the Chair speaks s/he shall be heard in silence.
Speakers shall address the meeting solely through the Chair.
Beside responsibilities to control the meeting and to
determine the order of speaking, the chair shall have no other
cause to participate in the debate.
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All motions including amendments to the Constitution must
be proposed and seconded by named representatives of full member s of the
Association.
| 5.1 |
Notice of any motion to be proposed at the AGM together
with the names of the proposer and seconder shall be submitted
to the Secretary at least 42 days before the date of the AGM
and published by unalterable electronic media to the
Association’s members at least 28 days before the date of AGM.
Printed hard copies will only be sent to members who have
previously advised the ASRA Administrator of their inability
to receive electronic communications.
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| 5.2 |
The proposer or seconder shall move the motion; it being
open thereafter for debate and subject to withdrawal only with
the consent of the proposer. Those speaking for or against the
motion must stand and speak to the Chair. A maximum of five
minutes will be allowed. No person is entitled to speak more
than once to the same motion except the mover, who has the
right to reply to the discussion.
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| 5.3 |
The proposer or seconder of the motion shall have the right
to sum up the debate immediately prior to the vote being
taken. No new subject matter or information shall be
admissable during such summing up.
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| 5.4 |
Notice of any motion to be proposed at an Extraordinary
General Meeting of the Association, specifying the proposer
and seconder of such motion, shall be submitted by unalterable
electronic media not less than 21 days before such meeting to
the Secretary. Printed hard copies will only be accepted from
members who have previously advised the ASRA Administrator of
their inability to receive or send electronic
communications.
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| 5.5 |
Notice given by the Secretary of an Extraordinary General
Meeting shall specify any motion to be proposed thereat and
the names of the respective proposer and seconder in addition
to the names of at least eighteen other full members who have
called the meeting.
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All amendments to motions must be proposed and seconded by
named representatives of full members of the
Association.
| 6.1 |
All amendments to motions duly proposed and seconded must
be notified both in print and by other electronic media to the
Secretary at least seven days before the said meeting. Those
speaking for or against the amendment must stand and speak to
the Chair. A maximum of five minutes will be
allowed.
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| 6.2 |
Only one amendment to any motion shall be open to the
meeting. The person who moves an amendment has no right to
reply to the discussion which it engenders.
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| 6.3 |
If any amendment is carried, the original motion
incorporating the amendment shall become the substantive
motion to which any other amendments shall then refer. In the
event of an amendment being carried which is not then accepted
by the mover of the original motion, the original motion then
falls, being superseded by the substantive motion which then
becomes the amender’s motion and s/he shall have the right to
reply to any further debate on that motion.
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Any of the following procedural motions may be put to any
meeting by named representatives of full members,
namely a motion:
| 7.1 |
Of no confidence in the Chair |
| 7.2 |
Challenging the Chair’s ruling of any matter |
| 7.3 |
“That the question be now put” |
| 7.4 |
“That the question be not put” |
| 7.5 |
To postpone the motion to a later specified meeting |
| 7.6 |
To refer the subject matter to a committee of sub-committee for investigation and report |
| 7.7 |
That the motion be voted upon in specified parts |
| 7.8 |
For an adjournment for a specified time |
| 7.9 |
“That the meeting be adjourned” |
| 7.10 |
To suspend a standing order |
| 7.11 |
To reintroduce a standing order |
| 7.12 |
That an Executive Officer be censured. Such censure to relate only to said Officer’s conduct in her/his official capacity |
A procedural motion requires both a proposer and seconder.
The procedural motions specified in 1, 2, 8, 9 and 10 above
shall be moved on a point of order. All other motions may only
be moved by members called upon to speak by the Chair.
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The Management Committee may, on their own resolution, or
at the request of at least 20 named representatives of
full-members of the Association, call an Extraordinary General
Meeting. At least 14 days notice with the specified object,
time and place of the meeting shall be sent both in print and
by other electronic media to every member. Major changes of
policy and major constitutional changes must be approved by a
minimum of 10% of themembership. Where appropriate the
Management Committee reserves the right to hold a postal
ballot of all members.
Extraordinary General Meetings shall consider only the
business permitted by the Constitution.
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| 9.1 |
The quorum for any Annual, Extraordinary or Ordinary General Meeting shall be twenty five per cent (25%) of current full membership. |
| 9.2 |
If, within fifteen minutes of the time appointed for any
Annual, Extraordinary or Ordinary General Meeting (or such
longer time as the Chair of the meeting shall think fit to
allow) a quorum is not present, the meeting shall stand
adjourned to such day and at such time and place as the Chair
may determine; and if at such adjourned meeting a quorum is
not present within five minutes from the time appointed for
holding the meeting, the full members present in person shall
be a quorum. |
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| 10.1 |
Under normal circumstances members of the Executive who
intend to resign at the next AGM should notify the Secretary
of their intention of doing so at least three months prior to
the relevant AGM. |
| 10.2 |
Notice of intent to stand for a vacant post to be with the
Secretary by hard copy, electronically or fax at least 43 days
in advance of the AGM to then be acknowledged by the Secretary
with nominee. Nominations for posts together with the names of
proposer and seconder must be received by the Secretary at
least 42 days before the date of the AGM to then be
acknowledged by the Secretary with nominee. Proof of posting
is not acceptable as proof of receipt, however a faxed copy
will suffice with original being handed to Secretary prior to
the election. |
| 10.3 |
An election manifesto of not more than 500 words from any
candidate for election to an Executive Officer post must be
received by the Secretary at least 28 days before the date of
the AGM by unalterable electronic media then published and
sent to the Association’s members by electronic media at least
7 days before the date of the AGM. Printed hard copies will
only be sent to members who have previously advised the ASRA
Administrator of their inability to receive electronic
communications. |
| 10.4 |
In the absence of nominations for any post requiring an
election, the Secretary may accept nominations, proposed and
seconded, at the AGM. |
| 10.5 |
Any election will conducted by ballot at the AGM. |
| 10.6 |
The Secretary will appoint tellers for the ballot and the
tellers will undertake the counting of the vote and report the
result to the Secretary. The candidate for each post who has
the greatest number of votes shall be elected. |
| 10.7 |
The result of any election will be announced by the
Secretary at the AGM. |
| 10.8 |
In the event of an equal number of votes being cast for two
or more candidates the Chair shall have the casting
vote. |
| 10.9 |
In the event that the Secretary is a candidate in the
election to the Executive posts, the above duties ascribed to
the Secretary will be assigned to another member of the
Management Committee appointed by the Management
Committee. |
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| 11.1 |
Regional representatives will be elected by each region under the terms of 10.2 and confirmed at the AGM. |
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| 12.1 |
The Management Committee may co-opt a maximum of three additional members for specific duties. |
| 12.2 |
In the event of vacancies or Management Committee posts, the Committee may co-opt members to fill those vacancies until the next AGM. |
| 12.3 |
At any one time, there should be no more than three co-opted members on the Management Committee. |
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| 1 |
The Association shall keep a detailed record of income and expenditure which shall be reconciled regularly with the Association’s bank account. |
| 2 |
All income shall be promptly banked on receipt and any surplus funds generated by the business of the Association shall be used to further the work and activities of the Association. |
| 3 |
All expenditure shall be promptly dealt with and authorised by two (2) out of four (4) of the association’s bank account signatories, these being the Chairman, the Treasurer and the Secretary or Administrator. |
| 4 |
Annual accounts of income and expenditure and a Balance Sheet shall be prepared for the AGM. |
| 5 |
The annual accounts shall be independently audited. |
| 6 |
Regular reports on the Association’s financial position shall be prepared for the Management Committee. |
| 7 |
Annual budgets and recommendations for expenditure shall be prepared for the Management Committee. |
| 8 |
Interest shall be maximised on any balances held. |
| 9 |
Any individual item of expenditure shall be reported to the
Management Committee which is in excess of an agreed limit to
be determined from time to time by the Management
Committee. |
| 10 |
The expenses of Management Committee members or any member
of the Association incurred on Association business shall be
reimbursed as either actual expenditure incurred or, in the
case of mileage/subsistence, in accordance with rates agreed
from time to time by the Management Committee. Every endeavour
shall be made to refund personal expenditure within seven (7)
days of receipt of any agreed and supported claim.
Notification of any challenge or query of or to a claim for
reimbursement will be made by the Treasurer or other signatory
within 7 days. |
| 11 |
All appropriate steps shall be taken to recover sums due to
the Association, e.g. outstanding membership subscriptions or
other monies. |
| 12 |
All primary financial records (receipts, bank statements,
etc.) shall be retained for a period of 7 years. |
| 13 |
Each region will be allocated a sum from central funds, the
amount to be recommended by the Treasurer and Training Officer
and agreed annually by the Management Committee, to use
towards regional meeting expenses. |
| 14 |
The annual budget and account statements prepared by the
Treasurer shall identify annual conference income and
expenditure under a separate budget heading for the purposes
of clear identification of costs and effective yearly
comparison between these events. |
| 15 |
The Conference Working Party or Sub-Committee when
constituted shall include the Treasurer or shall be monitored
by and receive advice from the Treasurer on all financial
matters directly relating to the Conference. |
| 16 |
The Conference Working Party or Sub-Committee when constituted shall include the Training Officer or shall be monitored by and receive advice from the Training Offer on all training matters directly relating to the Conference. |
May 2006
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