1. Construction
The Byelaws and Regulations shall be constructed so as not to conflict with the Rules.

2. Alteration of Byelaws and Regulations
The making, alteration or repeal of a Byelaw or Regulation shall be carried out in the following manner:
Any member of the Committee desiring to propose a new Byelaw or Regulation must give notice of motion to the Honorary Secretary at least one month previous to the Meeting of the Committee at which it is to be brought forward and the terms of the motion shall be placed upon the Agenda for that Meeting and circulated to all members of the Committee.
If the motion with or without amendment, is passed by that Meeting, the enactment or alteration shall become part of the Byelaws and Regulations or if repealed shall be removed from the Byelaws and Regulations.
Every enactment, alteration or repeal of Byelaws and Regulations shall be entered, together with the date, by the Secretary in a copy of the printed Byelaws and Regulations kept for that purpose and shall be initialled be the President and this copy shall be the authoritative copy until the next reprinting of the Byelaws and Regulations.

3. Quorum at General Meetings
Eight members personally present shall be a quorum for a General Meeting, and no business shall be transacted by any General Meeting unless the quorum requisite be present at the commencement of the business.

4. Chairman of General Meeting
The President shall be entitled to take the Chair at every General Meeting or if there be no Chairman, or if at any Meeting he shall not be present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for holding such meeting, the members personally present shall choose another member of the Committee to take the Chair.

5. When, if Quorum not present, Meeting to be Dissolved and when to be Adjourned
If within half an hour from the time appointed for the Meeting a quorum is not present, the Meeting, if convened upon the requisition of Full, Intern/Resident or Retired members shall be dissolved, but if not so convened, it shall stand adjourned to another day. If at such an adjourned Meeting a quorum is not present and five Full, Intern/Resident or Retired members who are personally present shall be a quorum any may transact the business for which the Meeting was called.

6. How Questions to be Decided at Meetings Casting Vote
Every question submitted to a Meeting shall be decided by a show of hands of the Full, Intern/Resident or Retired members present or by a poll when demanded (byelaw 7) and in the case of an equality of votes the Chairman shall, both on the show of hands or on a poll, having the casting vote in addition to the vote to which he is entitled as a Full, Intern/Resident or Retired member.

7. What is to be Evidence of the Passing of a Resolution where Poll not demanded
At any General Meeting, unless a poll is demanded by the Chairman or by at least five Full, Intern/Resident or Retired members personally present and entitled to vote at such meeting, a declaration by the Chairman that a resolution has been carried or carried by a particular majority, or lost or not carried by a particular majority, and an entry to that effect in the book of proceedings of the Association shall be conclusive evidence of the fact, without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favour or against such resolution.

8. Poll
If a poll is demanded as aforesaid, it shall be taken in such manner and at such time and place as the Chairman of the Meeting directs, and either at once or after an interval or adjournment or otherwise, and the result of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the Meeting at which the poll was demanded.

9. Power to Adjourn General Meeting
The Chairman of a General Meeting may, with the consent of the Meeting, ad same 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.

10. Business may proceed notwithstanding Demand to Poll: In what cases Poll is taken without Adjournment
The demand of a poll shall not prevent the continuance of the Meeting for the transaction of any business other than the question on which a poll has been demanded. Any poll duly demanded on the election of a Chairman of a Meeting or on any question of adjournment shall be taken at the Meeting without adjournment.

11. Election of Committee
One month prior to the Annual General Meeting in each year there shall be dispatched to each Full, Intern/Resident and Retired Member at his registered address a notice of the number of vacancies to be filled at the forthcoming election, together with a list of candidates nominated.

12. Election to Fill Vacancies in Committee
Every candidate for membership of the Committee shall be nominated in writing by at least two Full, Intern/Resident or Retired members of the Association.

13. Date for Sending in Nominations
Every nomination together with the candidates’ written consent to stand for election shall be sent to the Secretary of the Association so as to reach him not less than two weeks prior to the Annual General Meeting.

14. Votes for Election of Committee
Every Full, Intern/Resident and Retired member of the Association present at the meeting shall be entitled to give one vote in favour of each or any number of candidates not exceeding the number of members to be elected to the Committee. The candidates who receive the highest number of votes shall be deemed elected.

15. “Casual Vacancy “
A “casual vacancy” shall mean any vacancy in the membership of the Committee caused otherwise than by the retirement of a member in accordance with the Rules. The Committee shall have power to fill casual vacancies but any person appointed to fill a casual vacancy shall hold office only until the next Annual General Meeting of the Association following hisappointment.

16. Scrutineers
In the case of a Poll, the votes shall be counted by scrutineers appointed for that purpose by the Annual or General Meeting and the result of the ballot shall be announced to the Meeting.

17. Appointment of Trustees of the Educational Trust
The Trustees (excluding the President, treasurer and secretary) shall be appointed by the Committee from Full and Retired members of the Association. Trustees shall hold their position for 5 years and shall not be eligible for re-appointment until two years have elapsed after termination of their period as trustees. The Trust shall appoint its Chairman at its first meeting following the Annual General Meeting.

18. Quorum of Committee
The quorum for a Meeting of the Committee shall be there.

19. Agenda
For every Ordinary Meeting of the Committee an Agenda Paper shall be issued not less than ten clear days before the day of the meeting containing information as to the time and place of meeting and the business to be considered.

20. Voting at Committee Meeting
Unless otherwise provided for the Rules or by these Byelaws questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes and in the case of an equality of votes the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.

21. Chairman
The President shall take the Chair at such meetings of the Committee as he shall attend, but otherwise the members of the Committee present shall choose someone of their number to be Chairman at such Meeting.

22. Minutes
The Committee shall prepare Minutes of its meetings in a form that is open to the inspection of all members.

23. Motion for Censure and Removal of Officers
In the event of any motion being brought forward for the censure or removal of any Officer or servant of the Association the vote shall be taken by ballot.

24. Right to Demand Ballot
Except where otherwise provided the votes of members of the Committee shall be taken as the President or Chairman may think fit, but any three members present shall have the right to demand a ballot.

25. Unconfirmed Minutes
A copy of the unconfirmed Minutes of any Meeting of the Committee shall be issued to each member thereof as soon as practicable after the Meeting.

26. Inspection of Records etc.
All record books and papers shall at all times be open to the inspection of members of the Committee.

27. Appointment of Deputy Treasurer
In the case of emergency the President may appoint a deputy to act for the Honorary Treasurer and report his action to the next meeting of the Committee.

28. Committees and Sub-Committees
The Committees or Sub-Committees shall consist of members of the Association only. The President shall be ex-officio Chairman of any Sub-Committees but he shall have power to delegate the duties of Chairman of a given Committee to any other member of that Committee.
The Honorary Secretary shall likewise be an ex-officio member of all Committees.

29. The Committee shall not be entitled to co-opt additional members but all Sub-Committees shall be so entitled with the consent and approval of the President but such co-opted members of any Sub-Committee shall not exceed two.

30. Fixing or Time for Carrying out Business of Committee
In the case of Sub-Committees a time shall be fixed by the Committee within which the business entrusted to the SubCommittee shall be finished and reported to the Committee. When a Sub-Committee has made its final report to the Committee it is automatically discharged, unless the Committee shall otherwise determine.

31. Expenses Incurred by Committees
No expense shall be incurred by any Sub-Committee unless a sum of money has been voted by the Committee for the special purpose of that Sub-Committee.

32. Duties of Honorary Treasurer
The Honorary Treasurer shall receive subscriptions, pay all bills and present the Accounts yearly to the Committee. The Honorary Treasurer may pay without special order the current ordinary expenses of the Association but he may not disburse any other sum unless previously authorised to do so by the Committee.

33. Association Register
The Association Register shall contain:
(l) The names of all members with their addresses and the year of their election.
(2) Such reports of Sub-Committees or Memoranda or other matters of general interest to the
members as the Committee may determine.

34. The Association Register shall be considered as a correct list of all members of the Association and it shall be incumbent on each individual to ascertain that his name, address and all other particulars are correctly entered therein.

35. Notices
A Notice may be served by the Association upon any member either personally or by sending it through the post in a pre-paid letter, envelope, or wrapper, addressed to such member at his registered place of address as appearing in the Association Register.

36. Any notice sent by post shall be deemed to have been served on the day following that on which the letter, envelope, or wrapper containing the same is posted, and in proving such service it shall be sufficient to prove that the letter, envelope or wrapper containing the notice was properly addressed and posted.

37. Where a given number of days’ notice or a notice extending over any other period is required to be given, the day of service shall, unless it is otherwise provided, be counted in such number of days or other period.

38. All notices shall be signed by or have printed at the foot thereof the name of the Secretary or such person in his place, as the Committee shall appoint except in the case of a Special General Meeting, convened by requisition in accordance with the Rules and in that case shall be signed by or have printed at the foot thereof, the names of the Full, Intern/Resident or Retired members convening the Special General Meeting or a majority of them.

39. Any other notice required to be given by the Association to the members and not expressly provided for above, shall be sufficiently given by notice in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia or other appropriate journal.

[Constitution updated May 1995 to include alterations passed in the 1981, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995, 2009]