British Teledermatology Society - The Constitution

1. That the society shall be known as "The British Teledermatology Society”

2. The objectives of the Society shall be:-

• Advisory to the BAD executive, individual dermatologists, dermatology nurses and GPs
• Focus for education, research and training
• The group should have a practical emphasis in order to assist clinicians in this field

In order to fulfil its objectives, the Society may:-

b) Hold meetings in United Kingdom or abroad where persons (whether or not members of the Group) interested and concerned with such objectives may discuss them.

c) Procure to be written, print, publish, issue and circulate, or cause to be printed, published, issued and circulated, the official or any other journal, periodicals, books, reports, pamphlets, leaflets or other document.

d) Engage in any other activities which in the opinion of the Society might further its objectives.

3. The Society shall be composed of registered Medical Practitioners, Health Professionals and Scientists who have been duly elected Ordinary Members and Honorary Members. Honorary Life Fellowship may be conferred on persons, including those not medically qualified, who have given distinguished services to the Society.

4. The nomination of candidates for election to the Society shall be made in writing, signed by one member who shall have personal knowledge of the candidate, and accompanied by a single page relating to relevant experience and interest and sent to the Secretariat who shall submit the name for screening at the next Council Meeting before the proposal is submitted to the members of the Society at the next Annual General Meeting at which the proposal shall be disposed of by ballot.

If deemed necessary by the Council, the proposer of the candidate may be requested to provide information required by the Council. No candidate shall be declared elected unless 80 percent of the votes at a General Meeting be cast in his or her favour.

Every member must, from time to time, notify the Secretary of a place of business or residence as his address and that place will be deemed his address.

5. Any notice to be served by the Society upon any member may be served either
personally, by electronic mail or by sending it through the post in a pre-paid envelope addressed to him at his address.

Any notice, if served by post, is deemed to have been served at the time when the letter containing the notice would be delivered in the ordinary course of post and a certificate signed by the Secretary or the person employed by him to post the notice is conclusive evidence of the notice having been duly posted.

6. The Society shall be governed by a Chairman, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Secretary, and two ordinary members forming the Council of the British Teledermatology Society (BTS). The Chairman shall be elected for two years. The other office bearers, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Secretary shall be elected for the same period. The Council will be composed of medical doctors and other health care professionals or scientists in equal numbers as far as possible to reflect the multi-disciplinary nature of the Society. Nominations for office may not be made by the Chairman.

Members of the Council may not serve for more than two consecutive terms but may stand for re-election after a further four years.

The request for nominations shall be sent out in January. All nominations must be received by the end of April. A list of nominees will be forwarded to all members of the Society for the agenda of the meeting with a request for their selections to fill the vacancies, the result to be declared at the Annual meeting. The scrutineers shall be nominated by the Council.

7. Four members of the Council shall form a quorum.

8. The Chairman and Secretary shall nominate a deputy to act when necessary.

9. The Council shall regulate the business of the Group, including the annual subscription, and shall have the direction and management of its funds.

10. The annual subscription is payable in advance on or before 1st August in each year and members whose subscriptions are not paid before 15th February following will be regarded as in arrears.

Any member whose subscription is declared by the Council to be in arrears shall, after receiving a notice from the Honorary Treasurer, ipso facto cease to be a member of the Society. Prospective members who are resident in the United Kingdom are required to pay their subscription by direct debit.

11. The financial year of the Society shall end on 31st December.

12. The Society may, if so resolved, publish a journal for the conduct of which special office bearers shall be appointed and special rules formulated by the Council of the Society.

13. Any member wishing to resign shall notify the Honorary Secretary in writing of his or her intention prior to the General Meeting.

14. If any member is accused of any dishonourable, improper conduct on grounds which the council, after investigation deem sufficient, an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Society must be convened to consider the accusation (of which meeting the member accused must have 14 clear days notice) and the member may, after he or she has had the opportunity of explaining his conduct, for which purposes he or she may use an Advocate, by vote of three quarters of the members present and voting on the question (there being not less than 30% of the registered membership being present) be expelled from the Society and will then immediately forfeit his or her interest and privileges in the Society without further claim for cause or for any other money paid to the Society, but he or she will remain liable to pay any cause or other money outstanding at the date of expulsion.

15. No alteration or addition to these rules shall be made except by a resolution carried by a majority of at least two-thirds of the members present and voting at a General meeting of the Society, notice of which shall have contained particulars of the proposed alteration or addition. The quorum shall be 30% of the registered membership.

The constitution is subject to review every six years.

16. The General Meeting shall be held during annual Scientific Meetings.

17. Subject to the approval of the Council, special interest groups may be set up. Each member of the Society will be encouraged to join a special interest group which will hold meetings for the discussion of matters of clinical and research interest (subject to Rule 2).

18. A Special General Meeting of the Society may be called at any time by the Council (or on request of ten members by agreement with the Council). At least seven days' notice shall be given of the time and purpose of such meeting.

19. In the event of the Society being dissolved the property and assets of the Society remaining, after the satisfactory allocation of all debts and liabilities, shall be paid or transferred to a charitable institution or institutions having similar objectives to those of the Society.