1. Name
The Name of the Society shall be -
The Otago Medical School Research Society
2. Objectives
The objectives of the Society shall be -
- To provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of medical and related research and scholarship;
- To publish an account of these meetings under the title: Proceedings of the University of Otago Medical School;
- To co-operate with organisations having similar objectives;
- To assist research students in developing the skills of presentation and discussion of their work.
3. Membership
Classes of Membership:
(i) Ordinary Members - Ordinary Membership shall be open to any person engaged in medical, biomedical or paramedical research, practice, teaching, or scholarship in connection with the University of Otago and associated hospitals; or any person having a bona fide interest in furthering the objectives of the Society.
(ii) Honorary Members - The Vice Chancellor, Emeritus Professors, Past Presidents of the Society, and other current and former members of the staff of the University of Otago as may be elected from time to time in General Meetings. Honorary Members shall be exempted from the payment of any annual subscriptions.
Membership of the Society shall consist of the Executive Committee, Honorary Members and Ordinary Members.
New Members
Each application for membership shall be considered by the committee. The committee may at its discretion require an applicant to provide additional information, or may seek independent information, or may decline or terminate membership.
Resignations
Any member may resign from membership of the Society by giving written notice to the Secretary and until such notice is received the member remains liable to pay subscriptions, if due.
4. Subscriptions
The amount of the annual subscription shall be determined from time to time by the Society in General Meeting. Such subscriptions shall be paid not later than the first meeting in each year.
5. Financial Year
The financial year shall commence on 1 January and end on 31 December.
6. Private Pecuniary Profit
No part of the income or other funds of the Society may be used for the private pecuniary profit of any member, trustee, person, persons or organisation associated with the Society, apart from usual professional, business, or trade charges in connection with services provided to the Society.
Notwithstanding clause 12 hereafter, this clause may not be altered or amended in any way or rescinded other than with the approval of the Commissioner of Inland Revenue.
7. Privileges
All members shall have the privilege of
- Inviting guests to a meeting, subject to the approval of the chairperson of the meeting;
- Introducing guest speakers.
8. Officers
The Officers of the Society shall be members elected by the members of the Society in General Meeting to the following offices for a two-year term but may be eligible for re-election: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer. The President will normally retire from the position after completion of a two-year term and fulfill a further two-year term as Immediate Past President before stepping down from the executive.
9. Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall comprise the Officers, the Convenor of the Editorial Panel of the Proceedings, the Meeting Secretary and six (6) members. Retiring members shall be eligible for re-election. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the administration of the Society and shall meet as frequently as the President shall decide or on the requisition of five (5) members of the Executive Committee. A quorum shall be five (5) members present. The Committee shall have the power to co-opt additional members.
10. Meetings
Meetings of the Society may be either Scientific or General.
Scientific meetings shall be held at least once in each Semester.
The Annual General Meeting shall be held before the last day of November in each year. Special General Meetings may be called at the direction of the Executive Committee or by the requisition in writing of fifteen (15) members. For General Meetings of the Society fourteen (14) days notice of such meetings must be given in writing and a quorum shall be fifteen (15) members present.
11. Editorial
An Editorial Panel shall be appointed by the Executive Committee to select papers for presentation at scientific meetings of the Society and to edit the Proceedings.
12. Constitutional Changes
Alterations in the constitution of the Society which have been notified to the members in writing may be made by the Society in General Meeting with a two thirds majority of those present and entitled to vote provided that any such alternatives are in accordance with the aims of the Society as stated in Clause 2. Furthermore no addition to or alteration or revision of the Rules shall be approved if it affects Clause 13 hereafter.
13. Winding Up
In the event of winding up or dissolution of the Society all funds assets and property of the Society shall be handed over to the University of Otago for the purpose of funding undergraduate student summer research scholarships at the Otago Medical School in Dunedin.
November 2010