Moorfields Association Constitution

Name        

The name of the Association shall be the Moorfields Association, (MA)

 

Mission 

The Association will promote educational and social activities for current and past clinical staff at Moorfields Eye Hospital.

 

 Objectives

  • To ensure continuity.
  • To maintain communications between the Association, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Trust (The Trust) and its alumni by:-
    • Maintaining an up-to-date mailing list
    • Maintaining an up-to-date internet web-page.
    • Publishing a twice yearly newsletter.
    • Representing the Association at Trust/Institute events, meetings, etc.
  • To support appropriate educational and social activities.

 

Membership

  • Membership of the MA shall be open to the following:-
    • All past and present Healthcare Professionals confirmed as having had, or having, at least a six-month contract with The Trust, either honorary or paid, on the payment of an annual subscription.
    • Benefactors and/or other individuals who may be elected as Honorary Members at the discretion and with the consent of the Management Committee.
  • A record of Members shall be kept.
  • A Member of the MA shall cease to be a member, if his or her subscription shall remain unpaid not less than three months after the due date and if the Management Committee shall so resolve.

 

Officers of the Association 

Those Members of the Management Committee who serve as Officers of the MA shall be elected by and from the Ordinary and Honorary Members of the MA.

President 

  • The post of Honorary President shall be open to all Members of the MA.
  • The President shall normally serve for a period of three years and may be re-elected for one further period of three years.

Secretary

  • The post of Honorary Secretary shall be open to all Members of the MA.
  • The Secretary shall normally serve for a period of five years and may be re-elected for one further period of five years.

Treasurer   

  • The post of Honorary Treasurer shall be open to all Members of the MA.   
  • The Treasurer shall normally serve for a period of five years and may be re-elected for one further period of five years.         

 

Management Committee 

The Management Committee shall be responsible for the management of the MA and its composition shall be as follows:-

The officers:

  • Honorary President
  • Honorary Secretary
  • Honorary Treasurer

 

Those holding the following posts in the Trust shall be, ex officio, Members of the Management Committee:

  • The Medical Director                          
  • The Chief Executive Officer
  • The Chairman of the Medical Committee                                    
  • The Director of Education                         
  • The Scientific Meeting Representative                          
  • The Honorary Archivist                                         
  • The Communications Manager    

 

Ordinary Members

Not more than eight Ordinary Members of the Management Committee shall be elected by and from the Ordinary and Honorary Members of the MA.  These can comprise active or retired members from the London area or outside. They shall normally serve for a period of three years and be eligible for re-election for one further period of three years.

 

Terms of Reference of the Management Committee

 The Management Committee, amongst other things, shall:-

  • Oversee the activities of the MA.
  • Advise on matters relating to the development and administration of the Association.
  • Monitor the management of subscription funds and their allocation.
  • Encourage active participation and contact by members of the Association in Hospital/Institute activities, where appropriate.
  • From time-to-time review and set the Annual Subscription.

 

Meetings of the Management Committee

  • The Committee shall meet three times  a year, firstly during the Annual Scientific Meeting, secondly normally on the second Thursday in July and thirdly on the last Thursday in October.
  • An extraordinary meeting of the Management Committee may be called when appropriate at the written request of at least three Members of the Committee.
  • The Management Committee shall normally be chaired by the Honorary President. In the absence of the Honorary President the Members present shall appoint a Chairman for the meeting. A minimum of four Members shall constitute a quorum.
  • A meeting shall be convened by the Honorary Secretary, who shall authorise the keeping of the minutes.    

 

General meetings

  • There shall be an Annual General Meeting of Members of the MA, which will normally be held at the time of the Annual Scientific Meeting.
  • A special General Meeting may be called by the Management Committee or at the written request of at least five Members of the MA. Members shall be notified of a special General Meeting not less than one calendar month in advance.
  • A quorum for a General Meeting shall be five Members.
  • There shall be an Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be the responsibility of one or two Members of the current consultant staff of the Trust. The organiser of the meeting will be an ex officio member of the MA Management Committee.
  • No meeting of the MA or resolution passed thereat shall be invalid by reason only of the omission to give notice thereof to any member of the MA.

 

Conduct of elections

  • The Honorary President and other Honorary Officers of the MA and Ordinary Members of the Management Committee shall be elected at a General Meeting by a simple majority of those present and voting.
  • In the event of an equal number of votes being cast for any candidate, the Honorary President shall have a second and casting vote.
  • Call for nominations for those posts for which elections are due to be held, shall be published in the MA web-page, not less than two calendar months before the date of the meeting.
  •  Nominees shall be proposed and seconded by Ordinary or Honorary Members of the MA and nominations must be received by the Secretary by the start of the General Meeting at which the election is to take place. 

 

Financial matters 

  1. The Honorary Treasurer shall be responsible for the proper financial management of the MA and shall prepare or cause to be prepared annual financial statements in accordance and consistent with generally accepted accounting principles.
  2. The funds of the MA shall be used to further the Mission and Objectives of the MA, including the payment of reasonable expenses to Committee Members, as the Management Committee may from time-to-time determine.
  3. The MA’s funds shall be administered by the Honorary Treasurer in accordance with the arrangements approved by the Management Committee, such arrangements to specify the number and names of signatories to the MA’s Bank or Building Society accounts.
  4.  At the Annual General Meeting, the Honorary Treasurer shall present the annual accounts of the Association prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and verified by an independent check
  5. The financial year shall be 1st January to the 31st December.
  6. The MA may take out such indemnity insurance, as the Management Committee may deem appropriate.

 

Constitution

  • Changes to this Constitution may be made only at a quorate General Meeting and must be set out in full with the Agenda papers for the meeting.
  • No addition or other alteration to the Constitution shall be made unless two thirds of those voting at the meeting are in favour of such addition or other alteration.
  • The Management Committee acting unanimously shall have power to revoke this Constitution and to wind up the MA and thereupon after discharge of, or provision for, all the debts and liabilities of the MA to transfer the residue of the funds to such charitable purposes as the Members of the Management Committee choose.