Constitution

Travel Medicine Society of Ireland (formerly known as "Irish Society of Travel Medicine")

1. Section 1
   Name and Objectives of the Society

   1. The Society shall be called 'Irish Society of Travel Medicine' and is an association of members.
      Amendment A.G.M. April 2010 to 1.1: 1.1a The Society shall now be called 'Travel Medicine Society of Ireland'
   2. The objectives of the Society shall be:
      1. To advance to discipline of travel medicine
      2. To facilitate communication with those interested in travel medicine
      3. To promote the wider dissemination of information relating to travel medicine
      4. To promote the development of resources for teaching and research in travel medicine
      5. To safeguard and promote the interests of those engaged in the practice of travel medicine

2. Section 2
   Membership

   1. Membership of the Society will be open to all those involved in providing healthcare for international travel including medical/nursing/pharmacy students, who may become student members until they attain their primary medical/nursing/pharmacy qualification, at which point they will become full members. Student members will not have voting rights.
      1. A candidate applying for membership must be proposed and seconded by two members of the Society. The candidate shall enter his/her name on a form supplied by the Honorary Secretary. The form shall be signed by the proposer and seconder and transmitted to the Honorary Secretary who will include it in the agenda for the next meeting of the Executive Committee. The candidate shall be declared elected if a three-quarter majority of those present and voting do so in favour.
         Amendment A.G.M. 2008 to 2.1.1
         2.1.1.a A candidate applying for membership shall enter his/her name on a form supplied by the Secretary. The candidate shall be declared elected by the Executive Committee.
      2. Newly elected members shall be notified of their election, given a copy of the constitution and asked to pay their annual subscription for the current year. The Executive Committee may, at its discretion, reduce the first subscription of the newly elected member by 50% for those elected after the sixth calendar month of the Society's financial year.
      3. The Honorary Secretary shall maintain a Register of Members which shall be revised annually before the AGM and made available to members at that meeting.
      4. The annual subscription shall be payable on the 1st April each year.
      5. At the end of the Society's financial year, or as soon as possible thereafter, the Honorary Treasurer shall bring the name of any member whose subscription is one year in arrears to the attention of the Executive Committee and to that member. Continued membership of the Society in these circumstances, shall be at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
      6. A member may resign by giving written notice to the Honorary Secretary. A member so resigning shall still be liable for payment of the annual subscription for the current year.
      7. The Executive Committee shall be empowered to recommend the removal of a members name from the Register of Members if in their opinion the interests of the Society requires it. Any such recommendation must be submitted to a General Meeting of the Society and three-quarters of those present and voting must be in support of the recommendation before action can be taken to remove the member from the Society.

3. Section 3
   Honorary Officers and other Members of the Committee

   1. The Executive Committee Membership
      1. The Executive Committee shall consist of a President, President-elect, Secretary/Treasurer and up to seven other of the further general elected members plus one (non-voting) student member for a maximum of two years. The membership of the committee will seek to reflect the variety of the overall membership both in terms of expertise and geographical location throughout Ireland. The position of Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer will be appointed by the Executive Committee from within their elected members. Sub committees to deal with specific issues shall be formed at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
   2. The President
      1. The President shall normally preside at all General Meetings and meetings of the Executive Committee and shall supervise and direct the business of the Society generally to ensure that the rules of the Society are properly executed.
      2. The President shall have an ordinary vote and also a casting vote if and when this becomes necessary.
      3. In the absence of the President or the President-elect another member of the Committee shall act for the President.
   3. The Honorary Secretary
      1. The Honorary Secretary shall be appointed by the Executive Committee. He/She will be eligible for re-election to the Executive Committee by the Members of the Society at the Annual General Meeting.
      2. Conduct all correspondence of the Society other than that specifically allocated to the Honorary Treasurer by the rules of this Constitution except in so far as the Executive Committee may from time to time otherwise decide.
      3. Take and keep the minutes of the General Meetings and of the Executive Committee.
      4. Maintain the Register of Members in accordance with the provisions laid down in Rule 2.1.3 of this Constitution.
      5. In the absence of the Honorary Secretary a Deputy Honorary Secretary shall be appointed by the Executive Committee.
   4. The Honorary Treasurer
      1. The Honorary Treasurer shall be appointed by the Executive Committee. He/She will be eligible for re-election to the Executive Committee by the Members of the Society at the Annual General Meeting.
      2. Receive the subscriptions of members and pay them into a bank approved by the Executive Committee to the credit of an account or accounts kept in the name of the Society.
      3. Pay the accounts of the Society.
      4. All cheques drawn on the Society's account or accounts shall be signed by the Honorary Treasurer.
      5. Cheques for sums in excess of €5000.00 shall be countersigned by another delegated officer of the Society.
      6. Notify members when their annual subscriptions are in arrears and deal with long-standing arrears in the manner outlined in Rule 2.1.5 of this Constitution.
      7. Furnish a statement of accounts which has been approved by the Auditors at the end of each financial year to the Executive Committee before the Annual General Meeting.
      8. These accounts shall be accompanied by a report from the Honorary Treasurer on the financial position of the Society including a review of the rates of subscription considered necessary for the future.
      9. After approval by the executive Committee the above documents shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting for ratification.
   5. In the absence of the Honorary Treasurer, a Deputy Honorary Treasurer shall be appointed by the Executive Committee.
   6. Honorary Member
      1. An Honorary Member shall be appointed by the Executive Committee. He/She will be accorded this title for distinguished service. He/She will not be eligible to vote in any ballots or elections.

4. Section 4
   Election of Officers and Members of the Executive Committee

   1. The President-elect may be nominated by the outgoing Executive Committee.
      1. The President shall normally take up office at the Annual General Meeting of the Society and shall hold office for not more than two years unless requested to do so. On expiry of the President's term of office the President-elect shall succeed to the office of President and the name or names of the proposed President-elect shall be announced and voted upon by the Membership. Three-quarters of those members present and voting are required to be in favour of the candidate before they are appointed to the position of President-elect.
      2. The names of candidates for election as 'General Elected Members' shall be proposed and seconded by members of the Society at the Annual General Meeting with the consent of the candidate proposed.
      3. In the event of the number of candidates exceeding the number of vacancies for General Elected Members an election by select ballot shall be held. In the event of a tie for the remaining vacancy the successful candidate shall be decided by lot.
      4. General Elected Members shall hold office for two years but shall be eligible for re-election.
      5. Any vacancy, except that of the President, arising in the Executive Committee otherwise than by retirement at the end of office, may, at the discretion of the Executive Committee, be filled by another member of the Society being co-opted by the Executive Committee. The person so co-opted shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting of the Society and shall thereupon be eligible for election.
      6. With the exception of the Secretary/Treasurer, President and President-elect, no non-student member can serve on the Executive Committee for a period of more than four continuous years, unless the number of non-student members seeking election to the Executive Committee at the AGM, added to the number of existing non-student, non-office-holding Executive Committee members willing to continue serving totals no more than seven positions. Where more than seven positions are being contested, those existing non-student Executive Committee members with the longest duration of service beyond four continuous years will be obliged to step down for a period of at least one year, at which point they can seek re-election.

5. Section 5
   Other Powers and Responsibilities of the Executive Committee

   1. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the conduct of the Society's affairs in the intervals between General Meetings, including those issues dealt with specifically in sections 2, 3 and 4.
   2. Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be at the discretion of the President in consultation with the Honorary Secretary at such time and place as they may determine or at the request of at least three Executive Committee Members. All meetings of the Executive Committee must give at least a minimum of seven days' notice.
   3. At a meeting of the Executive Committee four members shall constitute a quorum.
   4. Any Executive Committee Member who, without reasonable excuse, has failed to attend 75% of the meetings of the Executive Committee during a calendar year should cease to be a member of that committee.
   5. All matters dealt with by the Executive Committee, except otherwise provided for in rule 2.1.1 of this Constitution shall be decided by a simple majority of the votes cast.
   6. The Executive Committee shall have the power to deal with all matters delegated to it by the Society. The Executive Committee shall review all matters to be dealt with prior to General Meetings to ensure that all the necessary information on the subject is available. The Executive Committee shall have the power to deal with matters of importance where time or other special circumstances do not permit a General meeting of the Society to be convened.
   7. The President, in consultation with the Honorary Officers, shall have power to deal with matters of an urgent character and report thereon to the next meeting of the Executive Committee.

6. Section 6
   General Meetings

   1. The Governing Body of the Society shall be the General meeting, either Annual or Special.
   2. An Annual General Meeting shall be held each calendar year on a date and at a place decided by the Executive Committee. The Honorary Secretary shall convene the meeting. Members shall be notified of the date of the Annual General Meeting at least two months in advance. Any resolution, other than those proposed by the Executive Committee, to be considered at the meeting shall be submitted in writing to the Honorary Secretary at least three weeks before the date of the meeting. The agenda for the Annual General Meeting shall be sent to the members at least one week before the meeting.
   3. At the Annual General Meeting the induction of the incoming President and Executive Committee, election of Auditors and such other business as may be determined by the President shall take place.
   4. The Executive Committee shall have the power to arrange for and to hold Special General Meetings at such time and place as may be decided and at all times on the requisition in writing of at least ten members of the Society who must specify, in the form of one or more resolutions, the object for which a meeting is being called. The notice convening a Special General Meeting must be sent to all members at least one week in advance of the meeting and must specify the business to be discussed at the meeting.
   5. The order of business at General Meetings shall be as follows:

      a Apologies for absence (submitted in writing to the Honorary Secretary before the commencement of the meeting)
      b Approval of the Minutes of the last General Meeting
      c Acceptance of the Agenda
      d Report by the Honorary Secretary (AGM only)
      e Report by the Honorary Treasurer (AGM only)
      f Announcement of the names of new members
      g Induction of the President (AGM only)
      h Election for President-elect and Executive Committee Membership (AGM only)
      i Election of Auditors
      j Motions
      k President's Business

   6. At a General Meeting 25% of the members shall constitute a quorum. Only members of the Society shall be allowed to attend General Meetings.
      Amendment A.G.M. April 2001 to 6.6
      
      1. At a General Meeting 20 members shall constitute a quorum. Only members of the Society shall be allowed to attend General Meetings.
      2. In the event of under 20 members attending the General Meeting, the quorum will be reduced to 10 members at the discretion of the President.
      3. To relieve the workload of the Hon. Secretary, a permanent secretary to be appointed to look after the day-to-day running of the society. The new secretary will liaise with the membership and the executive committee and will also record the executive committee meetings.
   7. The Constitution of the Society can be altered only at a General meeting of the membership. Such alterations must be approved by a three-quarters majority of those members present and voting at the meeting.
   8. Members may cast their vote through registering their preference in writing with the Honorary Secretary at least one week before any general meeting of the Society.