Stempra constitution

1 NAME

The name of the association shall be Stempra (Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine Public Relations Association). Hereafter it will be referred to as the Association.

2 AIMS

The Association shall:

(a) encourage the free flow of accurate information from organisations and individuals working in science, technology, engineering and medicine to appropriate and various publics in order that their disciplines are better known;

(b) provide a forum for discussion and dissemination between its members on pertinent issues;

(c) provide opportunities for its members to receive and develop training seminars and workshops, as well as professional development events in order to improve their professional skills and knowledge;

(d) provide opportunities for skill transfer between its members, and encourage individual members to disseminate best practice to others within the Association.

3 MEMBERSHIP

The Association shall be open to any person working within or on behalf of a learned and or professional organisation, as defined by paragraph 2(a) above, in the areas of press relations, public relations or communications, whether they be elected Honorary Officers, full or part-time members of staff, freelancers or consultants.

(a) No individual will be deemed to be a member until the annual fee has been paid.

(b) The Association shall have the power to elect Honorary Members, who shall be members for life and who shall pay no annual membership fee. The sole criteria for election to Honorary Membership shall be that the person elected, in the opinion of the membership, has significantly contributed to work within the areas outlined within the Associations' aims.

4 FEES

The annual fee for membership of the Association shall be determined by the AGM on the recommendation of the Treasurer and the Committee. In the first year the recommended fee shall be £15.

(a) The Association's committee and or general membership shall have the power to waive the membership fee or part thereof, e.g. where a new member is joining in the last 3 months of the Association's year.

(b) The Association's financial year shall run from 1 January to 31 December.

5 A.G.M.

The Association shall have an Annual General Meeting normally to be held not later than the last day of March.

(a) At least six weeks notice shall be given to the membership of the date, time and place of the A.G.M.

(b) At least 21 days notice shall be given to the membership of the agenda for the A.G.M.

(c) The A.G.M. shall: (i) elect the officers, ordinary committee members and two Honorary Auditors; (ii) receive a report from the chair; (iii) receive the audited accounts and a report from the Treasurer; (iv) conduct such other business as is deemed appropriate.

(d) Individual members may place business before the A.G.M. by placing the motion or the nomination before the Secretary, in writing, at least 4 weeks before the date of the A.G.M. All motions and nominations require the signature of a proposer and a seconder.

6 SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS

The Association may hold Special General Meetings. (a) At least 21 days' notice shall be given to the membership of the date, time, place and business for the meeting. No other business except that notified may be carried out a Special General Meeting. (b) A Special General Meeting may be convened:- (i) at the decision of the Committee; (ii) at the written request of 10 individual members. (c) On receipt of a valid request the Secretary shall convene the meeting within 8 weeks.

7 THE COMMITTEE

The Association shall elect a committee at its A.G.M. each year.

(a) The Committee shall have the power to act on behalf of the Association between meetings of the A.G.M.

(b) The Committee's responsibility is to run the Association in the pursuit of its aims as efficiently and effectively as possible.

(c) The Committee shall reflect the variety of backgrounds by the membership. (It is hoped that at least two of the Committee members will be Honorary Officers.) The Committee shall comprise: - a Chair - a Secretary - a Treasurer - an Events Coordinator - plus four ordinary members

(d) The Association's Officers (Chair, Secretary, treasurer and Events Coordinator) shall be elected for a two-year term of office, and may be re-elected.

(e) The four ordinary members of the Committee shall be elected for a two year term with two of them being elected at each A.G.M. All ordinary Committee members may be re-elected.

(f) The Committee shall have the power to co-opt individuals for either specific projects or periods of time Co-optees shall have not voting rights on the Committee.

(g) The Committee shall have the power to set-up sub-committees, working parties, and/or project groups in pursuit of the Association's aims.

(h) The Chair shall be the titular head of the Association and shall normally Chair each meeting of the Committee and Chair the Association's A.G.M. (In the absence of the Chair the Committee shall appoint a temporary Chair from amongst its number.)

(I) The Secretary, as a minimum, shall ensure the proper notice is given to all members of the A.G.M.; shall act as secretary to the Committee and to the A.G.M.; and be the principal contact for both members and external bodies.

(j) The Treasurer, as a minimum, shall ensure that membership fees are collected and suitably banked, ensure that appropriate fees and expenses are disbursed, provide a written report (accounts) to the A.G.M. each year.

(k) The Events Coordinator, as a minimum, shall ensure that all 'events' which are held under the auspices of the Association are effectively and efficiently administered.

(l) The Committee shall meet as often as required, but not less than four times during the year. (m) Committee members will be entitled to receive expenses from the Association's funds for any duties duly authorised. Expenses will be repaid on the basis of actual costs incurred.

8 DECISION MAKING

All decisions within the Association shall be made by a simple majority of those present and eligible to vote.

9 NOTES

The founding members of the Association wished the following points to be noted:

(a) the Association is to be a voluntary self-help grouping of both professional communicators and voluntary/honorary office holders all of whom will be expected to work for the furtherance of good communications practice;

(b) the ethos of the Association will be informal and helpful;

(c) the Association will strive to organise events for its members as cost effectively as possible;

(d) the Association will aim to publish a list of its members, for its members, on an annual basis;

(e) the Association, being a voluntary body, will assume that members will give of their time, effort, enthusiasm and knowledge to the Association for no profit to themselves;

(f) the Association hopes that the annual membership fee and any fees payable by individual members to attend events will be paid, in full or in part by their employers or for Honorary Officers by their Society/Organisation;

(g) the Association, being an association of members rather than a professional body, sees no need to have a Code of Conduct for its members. However, it expects its members to behave in such ways so as not to bring into disrepute either the Association or the 'profession' of scientific public relations and communications;

(h) the Association may be dissolved at a General Meeting of the Association and that meeting shall decide on how any monies in the name of the Association shall be disbursed.

<< Back to
join page