Tyne and Wear Branch
Tyne and Wear Branch The Management of the Branch shall be the responsibility of the Executive Committee. It shall consist of:
The member(s) of the executive elected by the Branch in accordance with Article 41(a) shall, during their term of office, serve on the Branch Executive Committee in an ex-officio capacity.
The Branch Chairman and Branch Treasurer shall be ex-officio members of District and Specialist Sections Executive Committee.
Nominations shall be made with the consent of the Nominee and be properly proposed and seconded by members of the Branch. Nominations for the Principal Officers and Executive Committee shall be given in writing to the Branch, District or Specialist Sections secretary as appropriate. Normally this shall be twenty-eight days before the relevant Annual General Meeting.
In the event of insufficient nominations being received twenty-eight days before the meeting, the relevant Chairman will accept nominations up to the day before the meeting. If there are still insufficient nominations he may accept nominations at the relevant Annual General Meeting.
The Secretaries shall check as soon as possible after receiving each nomination that nominees are in good standing with the Institution.
Specialist Sections shall elect their own officers and committee members in accordance with the rules and articles of the Institution appertaining to the formation of such Sections
Each such elected member, if not already a member of that Committee, shall be co-opted to it and if a Chartered Member shall have power to vote on that Committee.
The member elected to represent each Specialist Sections on the Branch Executive Committee shall, where appropriate, also be nominated to represent the Branch on the relevant National S.G. Committee, although such nomination/s is subject to acceptance under the rules of the Institution for such Groups.
Principal Officers of the Branch, District or Specialist Sections and Auditors shall hold office for one year from the relevant Annual General Meeting and shall be eligible for re-election as provided below.
Committee members may hold office for a period of two years. One half of the members shall retire annually and they shall be eligible for re-election as provided for below.
Principal Officers or committee members of Branch, District and Specialist Sections Committees, other than the Secretary or Treasurer, shall not hold the same office for more than four consecutive years.
The Branch Executive Committee shall have power to appoint Sub-Committees for such purposes and with such powers as they decide.
The Branch Executive Committee shall appoint a chairman of the Sub-Committee who, if not already a member of the Branch Executive Committee, shall be co-opted to it for the period of his office and shall, if a Chartered Member, have power to vote thereat.
The Branch Financial Year shall correspond to the financial year of the Institution.
The Branch shall prepare budgets and keep such accounts as are directed by the Institution. Where Branches have Districts and Specialist Sections the budget and accounts shall identify financial aspects of their operations. All accounts shall be audited and submitted in a prescribed manner for approval by the Executive Committee.
The Branch and, where appropriate, District and Specialist Sections Annual General Meetings shall be held not later than two months after the end of the Financial Year. The business at the meeting shall be to elect the Principal Officers and committee members in accordance with paragraph 4; to receive the Annual Report of the relevant Chairman; the Accounts; and to transact any other competent business.
District and Specialist Sections Annual General Meetings shall be held before the Branch Annual General Meeting.
The dates of Ordinary and Annual General Meetings of Districts and Specialist Sections shall be notified to the Branch Secretary in sufficient time to be included in Branch programmes.
All members whose name appears in the Branch membership list and who shall be in good standing with the Institution shall have one vote. The Chairman shall have and exercise a second or casting vote in the event of an equality of votes.
Voting shall be by secret ballot or by show of hands as may be agreed by those present.
A quorum shall be at least ten members of the Branch, District, Specialist Sections of whom at least one shall be a Principal Officer and at least six Chartered Members.
If within 30 minutes of the time appointed for the commencement of a General Meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting shall be adjourned to a date to be notified.
No insertions in, additions to, or amendments of, this constitution shall be made except at a Branch Annual General Meeting and shall not be effective until approved by the Branch Executive following a vote by the membership present at the AGM.
At least twenty-eight days notice of any proposed amendments for consideration at a Branch General Meeting shall be given to the Branch Secretary in writing.