Constitution : Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists

This Constitution (version 2012.1) replaces all previous versions

RULES

1. Title: The Association shall be called the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists.

2. In these rules where the context so admits

(a) “The Association” means “The Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists”.
(b) “The Committee” means the Executive Committee of the Association.
(c) Words importing males also include females.
(d) Words indicating the singular number include the plural number and vice-versa.
(e) “In writing” means written or printed or partly written or partly printed, or, with electronic means, specifically email or electronic voting systems

3. Vision: To be a global authority in veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia; promoting best practice and animal welfare through education and research.

4. The objectives of the Association shall be:-

(a) To promote and support the activities of all those engaged in veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia

(b) To provide a foundation society for members throughout the world and Diplomates of the European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia and other Anaesthesia and Analgesia related colleges and for those in training to become so

c) To promote, support and establish speciality qualifications in veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia

(d) To encourage worldwide collaboration between all those interested in veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia

(e) To encourage discussion and disseminate information to all those interested in veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia including the general public

(f) To provide an authoritative and accessible resource for all matters involving veterinary anaesthesia, analgesia and related animal welfare

(g) To do all such lawful things as may be necessary for the attainment of such objectives
The objectives shall be regarded as furthering the vision but not otherwise

5. Election to Membership of Association is open to any person with interest in veterinary anaesthesia.

All members shall have voting rights. Categories of members shall be defined in the Policies and Procedures

Honorary members shall be elected from distinguished persons who either as anaesthetists or in other spheres have contributed in an exceptional degree to the advancement of veterinary anaesthesia and on whom the Association desires to confer recognition.

6. Mode of election
The application forms of candidates shall be sent to the Honorary Secretary who shall submit them to the Committee following the date of receipt. The Committee shall consider every such application and, if satisfied that the appropriate conditions laid down in Rule 4 are fulfilled, then the candidate shall be granted membership on receipt of the applicable annual subscription fee. The names of the new members shall be subsequently formally ratified by the whole membership. In the case of applicants whose qualifications are not accepted by the Committee, the name of the candidate shall not be disclosed and his nomination will not again be considered until a period of two years has elapsed.
Honorary members shall be elected only on the nomination of the Committee and ratified by the general membership.

7. Privileges dependent on the payment of Subscriptions
No member (with the exception of Honorary members) shall enjoy any of the privileges of membership until he shall have paid his annual subscription. The rights and privileges of every member shall be personal to himself and shall not be transferred or transmitted.

8. Termination of membership
Membership shall cease in the following circumstances:-
(a) If by notice in writing to the Honorary Secretary he resigns his membership.
(b) If he be expelled under Rule 9 hereof.
(c) If he ceases to be a member under Rule 14 .
d) If the member dies

9. Expulsion of members
It shall be the duty of the Executive Committee, that if they are of the opinion that in the interests of the Association a member should be requested to withdraw from the Association within six weeks, notice should be given. In default of such withdrawal their membership shall be terminated. The process of appeal is outlined in Policies and Procedures.

10. General Meetings
These shall consist of General Meetings as the Committee may decide as per the Byelaws. The General Meeting shall be held in every year upon a date and at a place which may be fixed at the previous General Meeting or failing this, as the Committee may decide. Notice of the General Meeting shall be sent to members at least 6 weeks before the date of the meeting.
At the General Meeting the following business may be conducted:
(a) To ratify new members
(b) To elect Officers, and members of the Committee as appropriate.
(c) To elect Auditors annually.
(d) To receive the report of the Committee through the Honorary Secretary.
(e) To receive the report of the Honorary Treasurer
(f) To consider the date and place of the next General Meeting.
(g) To consider notices of motion which comply with Rule 10 hereof.
(h) Such other business as the Committee may decide.

11. Notices of Motion
Members with any matters that may require a decision from the membership shall give notice thereof in writing to the Honorary Secretary not less than four weeks before the date of such a decision being taken. The membership must be informed of the details of any such motion at least two weeks before a decision being taken

12. Vote of Members
All members have a single non-transferable vote. Voting shall be on a show of hands, a ballot or by electronic means

13. Proceedings at General Meetinqs
All such Meetings shall be adequately minuted and the minutes distributed to the membership, ratified and archived.

14. Subscriptions
The Annual Subscription for each member of the Association shall be decided by the members of the Association on the recommendation of the Committee and may be varied from time to time with the approval of the members of the Association. It shall be paid annually. It will become due on 1st January of each year.
Every notice to resign under Rule 8 shall take effect from the subsequent January 1st., but members are still liable to pay all arrears of subscriptions on the giving of such notice.

15. Trustees of the Association
The Trustees of the Association shall consist of a President, a Junior Vice President, a Senior Vice President, an Honorary Secretary, an Honorary Treasurer, a technician representative, another bound representative and two general members who shall be elected by the membership of the association. The bound representative shall be elected from any minority part of the membership as determined by the Committee from time to time.
The Officers of the Association shall consist of a President, a Junior Vice President, a Senior, Vice President, an Honorary Secretary and an Honorary Treasurer.

16. Election of Trustees
The President and the Senior Vice President shall not hold office for more than 2 years in succession. The Junior Vice President shall be elected from among the members and will normally hold office for 2 years. The remaining trustees shall be elected from among the general members. They shall hold office for up to three years and shall be eligible for re-election for one further term. Available committee positions will be advertised by the Nominations Committee or the Committee itself and nominations for trustees shall be sent to the Nominations Committee before distribution to the general membership for further consideration not less than two weeks prior to voting. The nominations shall be stated at the General Meeting.

17. The Executive Committee
The affairs of the Association shall be conducted by a Committee of Trustees consisting of the President, Junior Vice president, the Senior Vice-President, the Honorary Secretary, the Honorary Treasurer, technician representitive, another bound member and two other members, who shall be elected in the manner provided in the Bylaws. The President, and Vice Presidents shall hold office for two years. Other members shall normally hold office for three years but will be eligible for re-election for one further term. They will not be eligible to re-election to the same post within one year thereafter.
Other representatives will attend the committee by invitation of the executive committee. These representatives will not hold the privileges of Trustee. Election of these respresentatives shall be by the manner provided in the byelaws. This includes the Editor of the journal Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia.
The Committee may act despite any vacancies in their body.

18. The Educational Trust
The remit of the Education Trust is to manage the Educational Trust Fund (restricted fund) including augmenting the Fund as well as appropriately administering and distributing such funds to promote educational activities
The affairs of the Educational Trust shall be governed by the AVA Educational Trust that shall consist of the President, Secretary and Treasurer of the Association ex officio and a minimum of five appointed trustees who shall be appointed in the manner provided in the bylaws and shall hold office for a period of up to five years. Retiring Trustees shall not be eligible for re-appointment until two years have elapsed after the end of their period as Trustee. The Trust shall appoint its own Chairperson.

19. The office of a member of the Executive Committee shall ipso facto be vacated if:-
(a) He ceases to be a member of the Association.
(b) If they resign from office by notice in writing to the executive committee.
(c) It is deemed by three quarters of the executive committee that that person has acted in a manner inappropriate to the office held
The appointment of an elected member of the Committee to be an Officer of the Association shall be deemed to create a casual vacancy among the members of the Committee.

20. The Association may from time to time review the structure of the Executive Committee.

21. Meetings of the Executive Committee
The Committee may meet for the dispatch of business, as they think fit. The number of members to form a quorum shall be a number as shall from time to time be prescribed by the byelaws. They shall meet not less than twice yearly unless the President directs otherwise. A clear five days notice stating the purpose of a meeting shall be given to members of the Committee.

22. Powers of the Executive Committee
Provided that a quorum is present, the Executive Committee shall be competent to exercise all or any of the authorities, powers and discretions by or under the rules vested in or exercisable by the Executive Committee generally.

23. Sub-committees
a) Power to appoint. The Executive Committee shall have power to appoint standing or other Sub-committees as necessary.
b) Reporting of Subcommittees. Such Sub-committees shall report to the Executive Committee, The President and Honorary Secretary shall oversee the activities of all Sub-committees. In the case of emergency and it being impossible to summon a meeting of the Executive Committee or of the appropriate Sub-committee in time to deal with such an emergency, then the President shall take such immediate action as may seem necessary to him in the circumstances and shall report the matter to the next meeting of the Executive Committee or the appropriate Subcommittee as the case may be.
c) Proceedings of Sub-committees
The meetings and proceedings of any Sub-committee shall be governed by the provisions contained in the byelaws for regulating the meetings and proceedings of the Committee so far as the same are applicable thereto.
d) Chairmen of sub committees. The chairmen of any subcommittee shall be annually appointed by the members of the subcommittee and be eligible for reappointment for up to 3 years total tenure.
e) The Association shall appoint an Audit committee , elected by the membership and comprising 3-5 members . These may include members external to the Association. No member of the Audit Committee should have been a member of the Executive Committee within the preceding 3 years.

24. When Acts of the Committee are valid notwithstanding defective Appointment, etc. All acts done at any meeting of the Committee or by any person acting as a member of the Committee shall, notwithstanding that it shall afterwards be discovered that there was some defect in the appointment of such members of the Committee or person acting as aforesaid or that they or any of them were disqualified, be as valid as if every such person had been duly appointed and was qualified to be a member of the Committee.

25. Resolution without Meeting of Executive Committee
A resolution in writing signed by all members of the Executive Committee shall be as valid and effectual as if it had been passed at a meeting of the Executive Committee duly called and consulted.

26. Minutes to be made
The Executive Committee shall cause Minutes to be duly entered in the books provided for the purpose:-
(a) Of all appointments of Officers;
(b) Of the names of the members of the Committee present at each meeting of the Committee
and of any Sub-committees of this;
(c) Of all orders of directions given by the Committees;
(d) Of all resolutions and proceedings of General Meetings of the Association and of
meetings of the Committee and any Sub-committees:
All such minutes of any meetings of the Committee or any Sub-committee or General Meeting as aforesaid if purporting to be signed by the Chairman of such a meeting or by the Chairman of the next succeeding meeting shall be received as prima facie evidence of the matters stated in such Minutes.

27. Travelling Expenses
Members of the Executive Committee shall be repaid from the funds of the Association for responsible expenses (as defined from time to time in the byelaws) incurred whilst engaged in Association business.

28. Accounts
The Committee shall cause true accounts to be kept of all sums of money received and expended by the Association and the matters in respect of which such receipt and expenditure take place and of the assets, credits and liabilities of the Association. The books of accounts shall be kept at such place or places as the Committee think fit.

29. Financial Year
The financial year of the Association shall end on the 31st day of December in each year to
which day the accounts shall be balanced.

30. Audit of Accounts
The accounts shall, as soon as practicable after the end of each financial year, be audited by the Auditors of the Association. The audit of such accounts shall be completed by April 30th of the year succeeding the financial year. The Committee may fill any casual vacancy in the office of Auditor but such person shall only hold office until the next Annual General Meeting when he shall retire and become eligible for election.

31. Inspections of Accounts
Subject to any reasonable restrictions as to the time and manner of inspecting the same that may from time to time be imposed by the Association in General Meeting, the books and accounts of the Association shall be opened to the inspection of the members at all reasonable hours.

32. Annual Report and Balance Sheet
At the General Meeting following the completion of the Auditors report, in each year the Honorary Treasurer shall lay before the Association the Balance Sheet containing a summary of the property and liabilities of the Association made up at the end of the last financial year.

33. Annual Report of the Committee
Every such Balance Sheet shall be accompanied by a report of the Committee as to the state and condition of the Association and the report and balance sheet shall be signed by the President, Honorary Treasurer and one other member of the Committee and countersigned by the Honorary Secretary.

34. Execution of Documents
All payments must be authorized by any two of the following: The President, the Honorary Treasurer the Honorary Secretary or the Association accountant.

35. Reference to the Association for Publicity
No member may make any use of his membership of the Association for the purpose of
personal publicity.

36. Amendments to the Rules
These rules may be added to, repealed or amended by resolution at any General Meeting provided that no such resolution shall be deemed to have been passed unless carried by a majority of at least three quarters of the members voting thereon. Notice of any proposal to repeal, amend or add to the existing Rules must be sent to the Honorary Secretary in writing not later than six weeks before the General Meeting and must appear on the Agenda of the said Meeting in the form of a Motion. This shall be done, provided that no amendment or repeal shall be made which shall cause the Association to cease to be a charity in law.

37. Dissolution of the Association
If at any General Meeting a resolution for the dissolution of the Association shall be passed by a 3/4 majority of members voting, such a resolution must be confirmed by at least 60% of the membership at a second General Meeting, no less than 6 weeks later. In those circumstances the Executive Committee shall thereupon or at such future date as shall be specified in such resolution proceed to realise the property of the Association, and after discharge of all liability shall give or transfer the same to some other charity or charities having objects similar to the objects of the Association. The Committee may, with the sanction of a resolution passed and confirmed as aforesaid, transfer the whole or any part of the property of the Association, subject to the liabilities thereof, to any body corporate formed for the purpose of taking over the same and established for charitable purposes altogether or in part similar to those of the Association.

38. Indemnity
Any Secretary or other Officer or Servant of the Association whether Honorary or otherwise shall be indemnified by the Association against, and it shall be the duty of the Executive Committee out of the funds of the Association to pay, all costs, losses and expenses which any such officer or servant may incur or become liable for by any reason of any contract entered into or act or deed done by him in the proper course of his duties as such officer or servant or in any way in the discharge of his duties including travelling expenses.

39. Restriction of Liability of Members of the Committee and Officers
No Officer or member of the Committee of the Association shall be liable for the acts, receipts, neglects or defaults of any other Officer or member or for joining in any receipt of other acts of conformity or for any loss or expense happening to the Association through the insufficiency or deficiency of any security in or upon which any of the moneys of the Association shall be invested or from any loss or damage arising from bankruptcy, insolvency or tortious act of any person with whom any moneys, securities or effects shall be deposited or from any loss or damage occasioned by error of judgment or oversight on his part or from any other loss, damage or misfortune whatever which shall happen in the execution of the duties of his office or in relation thereto unless the same shall happen through his own dishonesty or wilful neglect or default.

40. Byelaws
The Committee shall from time to time make, repeal and amend all such byelaws, policies and procedures and regulations (not inconsistent with these Rules) as they shall think expedient for the internal management and well-being of the Association. All byelaws, policies and procedures and regulations made by the Committee under this Rule shall be binding upon members until repealed by the Committee or set aside by a resolution of a General Meeting of the Association.