CONSTITUTION OF THE BRITISH SOCIETY OF GERONTOLOGY
1. NAME
The name shall be the British Society of Gerontology, hereinafter called the Society.
2. OBJECTS
The objects for which the Society is established are:
2.1 For the furtherance and promotion of gerontology in particular: to increase, disseminate and apply knowledge of the social and behavioural aspects of ageing in human beings by means of research, teaching and education, and to support, encourage and raise standards of research, service and teaching in gerontology, and to aid researchers, teachers and practitioners in their professional work by such methods as the Society may from time to time determine.
2.2 The care and relief of the aged
2.3 Research and study of the problems related to social and behavioural gerontology including: the means of relieving the infirmities and disabilities associated with ageing, and the publication of the results of research and study.
2.4 In furtherance of the said objects but not otherwise the Society shall have the following powers: to hold conferences, discussions, lectures and seminars and other sorts of meetings, and to publish books, journals, reports and other literature, and to give advice and information and to educate the public in the needs and welfare of older persons and the elderly infirm, and to co-operate with and to act as a co-ordinating body for professional and academic organisations, charitable institutions and organisations and local and public authorities working for the relief and care of the aged, and to work collaboratively with UK and International organisations relevant to the Society to take and accept gifts of property, whether subject to special trusts or not; to undertake and execute charitable trusts and to hold funds for charitable purposes; to raise funds and invite and receive contributions from any person or persons whatsoever by way of subscription, donation and otherwise; provided that the Society shall not undertake any permanent trading activities in raising funds in furtherance of the said objects; to support, financially or otherwise, other charitable institutions engaged in work which furthers the said objects; to borrow or raise money for the furtherance of the objects of the Society; to sell, let, mortgage, dispose of or turn to account, the assets of the Society; to invest the Society's funds in such ways as are permissible for charitable organisations; to employ all such officers and servants as shall be required and to provide for the payment of superannuation and pensions on retirement of such officers and servants; to do all other such things as shall further the attainment of the above subjects of the Society or any of them.
3. MEMBERSHIP
3.1 The Society shall consist of persons whose applications for membership have been accepted by the Executive Committee. Membership of the Society will normally be open to those who are interested in research into and understanding of human ageing processes and the contexts in which they occur.
3.2 Candidates for membership of the Society will be required to complete and return to the Membership Secretary a form of application.
3.3 On confirmation of membership, members shall pay a subscription. Each subsequent year on a date specified by the Executive Committee, members will be required to pay an annual subscription. The amount of such subscriptions shall be determined by the Annual General Meeting of the Society and continuing in force until changed at the subsequent AGM.
3.4 The Society through its Executive Committee shall have the right to terminate the Membership of any person if such termination is in the interests of the Society.
4. HONORARY MEMBERSHIP
From time to time the Executive Committee may determine that certain persons whom it deems to be of outstanding merit may be invited to accept Honorary Membership.
5. MANAGEMENT
5.1. The Society shall be managed by an Executive Committee (referred to as “the Committee” in this Section) as described in Paragraphs 5.2 to 5.17, subject to the transitional arrangements described in Paragraph 5.18.
5.2. The Committee shall prepare an Agenda for each Annual General Meeting of the Society, and between such meetings shall act as necessary on behalf of the Society. It shall report any such actions to the next meeting of the Society.
5.3. The Committee shall comprise not less than nine and not more than sixteen members each with full voting rights, and such co-opted members without voting rights as shall be determined from time to time in accordance with Clause 5.17.
5.4. The composition of the Committee shall be determined in accordance with Clauses 5.5 to 5.17. Decisions of the Committee shall be made by consensus as far as possible. At the President’s discretion, Committee decisions may be put to a majority vote. In the event of no majority then the President has the power to decide.
5.5. Apart from the Chair of ERA, all members of the Committee shall have been members of the Society for at least 2 years before standing for election.
5.6. Where provision is made in this Constitution for the election of Officers or members of the Committee, provided that the election is democratic, the Committee may decide the precise format. Wherever possible elections should take place at the Annual General Meeting.
5.7. The Committee shall consist of:
5.7.1. Up to six Honorary Officers determined in accordance with Clauses 5.8 to 5.12;
5.7.2. Up to three immediate past-Office holders determined in accordance with Clause 5.13.
5.7.3. The elected Chair of the BSG student body, Emerging Researchers in Ageing (ERA);
5.7.4. Up to six ordinary members determined in accordance with Clause 5.14;
5.7.5. Such co-opted members as shall be determined from time to time in accordance with Clause 5.17.
5.8. The Honorary Officers of the Society shall be a President, a Secretary and a Treasurer; and a President-Elect, a Secretary-Elect and a Treasurer-Elect; appointed in accordance with Clause 5.9.
5.9. The membership shall elect the President-Elect, the Secretary-Elect and the Treasurer-Elect for a term of two years. Following the end of their elected terms, the President Elect, Secretary Elect and Treasurer Elect shall be appointed President, Secretary and Treasurer respectively for a further term of two years.
5.10. In the event that the President, Secretary or Treasurer ceases to be a member of the Committee for any reason prior to the end of their term, the Committee must immediately appoint the Officer-Elect to that Office.
5.11. In the event that the office of President-elect, Secretary-elect or Treasurer-elect cannot be filled, or any of these Officers cease to be members of the Committee for any reason prior to the end of their elected term, the Committee may, until the next Annual General Meeting:
5.11.1. nominate a Committee member to act as Officer;
5.11.2. appoint an unelected member of the Society to act as Officer; or
5.11.3. continue to function with the post unfilled.
An election must be held for the vacant position at the next Annual General Meeting.
5.12. In the event that there is no President-elect, Secretary-elect or Treasurer-elect to be appointed to the Offices of President, Secretary or Treasurer respectively then these Offices shall be considered open for election at the Annual General Meeting.
5.13. The immediate past President, Secretary and Treasurer of the Society shall serve as ordinary Committee members for a further term of two years after their term of office.
5.14. The membership shall elect not more than six further ordinary members of the Committee, each for a three year term.
5.15. Any period in which someone is appointed or nominated to a position of Office in accordance with Clause 5.10 or 5.11 shall not be counted for the purposes of calculating any maximum term of office for any person serving on the Committee as set out in Clause
5.16. The maximum terms of office for service on the Committee shall be as follows:-
5.16.1. Following their final term on the Committee in accordance with Clause 5.13, the past-Officers may not put themselves forward for re-election to the Committee (whether as Officer or otherwise) for a period of one year.
5.16.2. Ordinary members of the Committee may stand for re-election for a further three year term or as Officers of the Society. Following service of two consecutive terms, past ordinary members of the Committee may not put themselves forward for re-election to the Committee (whether as Officer or otherwise) for a period of one year.
5.16.3. Nothing in Clause 5.16.1 or 5.16.2 shall prevent a past Officer or Committee member from being nominated to fill an unexpected vacancy among the Officers of the Committee in accordance with Clause 5.11.2 above.
5.17. The Committee may from time to time co-opt members of the Society to the Committee for specific ad-hoc purposes. Co-opted members shall not acquire voting rights, and shall attend and contribute to meetings at the discretion of the President. Co-opted members may increase the number on the Committee to more than sixteen.
5.18. Transitional Arrangements
5.18.1. The Executive Committee shall use its best endeavours to progress from the existing structure to the structure set out in Clauses 5.3 to 5.17 above as fast as is reasonably possible without requiring the early resignation of any Committee members.
5.18.2. The Committee shall in any event comply with the structure set out in Clauses 5.3 to 5.17 no later than 1 January 2010. For the purposes of these transitional arrangements only, the President shall have the power to require the early resignation of the longest serving ordinary committee members immediately prior to the 2009 Annual General Meeting. Any committee member required to so resign may immediately offer themselves for re-election to any vacancy notwithstanding the provisions of Clause 5.16.
5.18.3. Pending full compliance with this structure the immediate past office holders and the chair of ERA shall forthwith be invited to sit as ad-hoc members of the Committee in accordance with Clause 5.17.
5.18.4. As vacancies on the Committee become available through the natural expiry of second terms of office of ordinary members or through any ordinary member being no longer able or willing to serve on the Committee, these vacancies shall be filled by the acquisition of full Committee membership and voting rights in the following order:
5.18.4.1. Past President
5.18.4.2. Past Secretary
5.18.4.3. Past Treasurer
5.18.4.4. Chair of ERA.
5.18.5. The Committee shall not be required to hold elections for any vacancies that are filled in accordance with Clause 5.18.4.
6. MEETINGS OF THE SOCIETY
6.1 The Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held in September or at such other time as the Committee deems desirable, but not more than fifteen months shall elapse between two successive Annual General Meetings. Members of the Society shall be given not less than two calendar months notice of the date of the Annual General Meeting.
6.2 Scientific meetings, one of which may be associated with the Annual General Meeting, shall be arranged by the Executive Committee and shall be relevant to the aims of the Society. If possible, the date of an Annual General Meeting shall be agreed at a previous Annual General Meeting.
7. FUNDS OF THE SOCIETY
7.1 The Executive Committee shall have power to receive annual subscriptions, donations, gifts, legacies and grants, and shall determine the maintenance of such monies in such bank accounts as they shall specify.
7.2 The income and property of the Society whencesoever derived shall be applied by and at the direction of the Executive Committee solely towards the promotion of the objects of the Society as set forth in this Constitution, and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividend, bonus or otherwise by profit to any Member of the
Society or Executive Committee, provided that nothing therein shall prevent the payment in good faith of reasonable and proper remuneration to any officer or servant of the Society (not being a member of the Executive Committee) or the repayment of out-of-pocket expenses incurred as the direct result of the carrying out by any officer or servant of his duties as such or by the discharge of any member of the Executive Committee of the Society's business.
7.3 The accounts of the Society shall be audited annually and a report made by the Honorary Treasurer to the Annual General Meeting.
8. ALTERATION OF RULES
8.1 Alteration of any rule of the Constitution of the Society shall be made only at an Annual General Meeting of the Society provided that not less than two months notice of such alteration has been given on the Agenda of the Meeting and two-thirds or more of those voting in person on the alteration signify their assent.
8.2 No resolution shall be accepted which alters the charitable status of the Society, and any amendments to the objects of the Society must first be referred to the Charity Commissioners.
9. DISSOLUTION
The Society may, at any time, be dissolved by a resolution, properly proposed and accepted in accordance with Clause 8 of the Annual General Meeting. Such resolutions shall give instructions for the disposal of any assets held in or by the Society provided that, if any property remains after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities incurred by, or on behalf of the Society, such property shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of that Society but shall be given or transferred to such other charitable institutions at the Annual Genera Meeting with the approval of the Charity Commissioners or other authority having charitable jurisdiction, may determine. NOTE: This version of the Constitution incorporates those amendments made and agreed at the AGM, Keble Oxford, September 1979, which were acceptable to the Charities Commission. Also changes made on 24th February 1994.