The British Society of Prosthodontics Constitution

1. NAME

1. The Society shall be called the British Society of Prosthodontics generally referred to as BSSPD.
2. The name of the Society may be changed by a majority decision at an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting, subject to approval by the Charity Commission.

2. OBJECTS

1. The Society is established to promote and advance, for the benefit of the public, education in the science and practice of prosthodontics (including fixed, removable, implant and maxillofacial prosthodontics) by:
2. Supporting and promoting:
   - High quality of prosthodontic care.
   - Prosthodontic research, surveys and investigations.
   - Undergraduate and postgraduate education in prosthodontics
   - The maintenance and improvement of standards in patient care and the facilitation of lifelong education in prosthodontics

3. MEMBERSHIP

1. The Society shall consist of Ordinary, Honorary and Affiliate Members
2. Ordinary Membership shall be available to those dentists, doctors, scientists and other dental care professionals who have an interest in prosthodontics. Members must be registered in the Medical or Dental Professions Register or hold such other qualification as Council approve, be registered as a dental undergraduate, or be members of an affiliated Society.
3. Application for Ordinary Membership must be sent to the Honorary Secretary together with the subscription. There are no requirements for nomination.
4. On the recommendation of Council, Honorary Membership may be conferred upon any person of high standing in the profession by unanimous vote at the Annual General Meeting, or Extraordinary General Meeting called for that purpose.
5. On the recommendation of Council, Affiliate Membership may be conferred on members of other societies who support the objects of the BSSPD. The terms of Affiliate Membership will be
   at the discretion of and determined by Council.

4. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION

1. An annual subscription shall be payable on admission to the Society and then in the January of each subsequent year. The subscription rate shall be proposed by Council and shall be approved by Members at the Annual General Meeting.
2. Honorary Members shall be exempt from payment of annual subscriptions.
3. Failure to pay subscriptions shall be dealt with as thought best by the Council.

5. OFFICERS

1. The Officers of the Society shall be a President, Immediate Past President, President Elect, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Assistant Secretary and Honorary Curator.
2. Officers shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and shall be eligible for reelection with the exception of the President, the President-Elect and the Immediate Past President.

6. DUTIES OF OFFICERS

1. The President shall preside at all meetings and supervise their arrangement, shall be chairman of Council and shall act in the best interests of the Society at all times. The term of office for the President shall be one year, commencing at the conclusion of one Annual Conference and ceasing at the conclusion of the following Annual Conference.
2. The President-Elect shall assist the President and preside in his/her absence. The term of office for the President-Elect shall be one year and will precede that of the President they will succeed.
3. The Honorary Treasurer shall receive all money due to, and pay all monies owed by the Society, keeping particular account of all such receipts and payments, shall conduct the finances of the Society in close co-operation with the President and Honorary Secretary and shall refer to Council any expenditure which may be considered excessive by Members. An audited report of the finances of the Society shall be given at the Annual General Meeting. All cheques must be signed by not less than two members of the Council. The term of office for the Honorary Treasurer shall be 5 years.
4. The Honorary Secretary shall keep minutes of the business of the Society, conduct all correspondence of the Society, work with the President in the organisation of meetings of the Society and shall submit a report on the work of the Society to the Annual General Meeting. The term of office for the Honorary Secretary is linked to that of the Honorary Assistant Secretary, with that person being first elected Honorary Assistant Secretary. In this way, the elected Honorary Assistant Secretary/ Honorary Secretary shall serve for 1 year as Honorary Assistant Secretary before moving into the office of Honorary Secretary on retirement of the incumbent Honorary Secretary. The term of office for the Honorary Secretary shall be 3 years.
5. The Honorary Assistant Secretary shall become familiar with the duties of the Honorary Secretary, provide assistance as required and take over the post of Honorary Secretary when the Honorary Secretary retires. The term of office for the HonoraryAssistant Secretary (1 year) and its relationship to the office of Honorary Secretary is outlined above. It is implied in this that there will not always be an Honorary Assistant Secretary on Council - rather this post shall be filled so that a person is in postduring the final year of office for an existing Honorary Secretary
6. The Honorary Curator shall arrange for the publication of the transactions of the Society in the best possible manner, shall keep a register of all material forwarded to the Society and superintend its storage or return, and shall submit areport to the Annual General Meeting. The term of office for the Honorary Curator shall be 5 years.

7. THE COUNCIL

1. The authority of the Society will be vested in a Council consisting of the Officers of the Society and six ordinary members. Council shall conduct the affairs of the Society with equity and arrange for its meetings. Council shall meet prior to the Annual General Meeting and refer to it any matters which may affect the welfare of the Society. The term of office for ordinary Council members will be three years after which such an elected Council member will be ineligible for re-election for a period of one year except under circumstances approved by Members. Not more than two ordinary members shall be elected each year to fill the vacancies occasioned by the retirement of the longest serving ordinary members.
2. The Honorary Secretary shall invite nominations from Members for vacant positions on Council. Nominations proposed and seconded by Members shall be sent to the Honorary Secretary at least four weeks before the Annual General Meeting. When necessary, a postal or electronic ballot of all Members that are eligible to vote will be arranged by the Honorary Secretary. The nomination by Council for the President Elect together with the results of any elections shall be announced at the Annual General Meeting for its approval.
3. If a vacancy occurs on the Council, Council shall be empowered to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the current year by co-option. The proceedings of the Council shall not be invalidated by any vacancy among their number nor by any failure to appoint or any defect in the appointment or qualification of a Member. The Council shall have the power to co-opt not more than six additional members as required. These co-opted members will not have voting rights.

8. MEETINGS

1. The Society shall meet as and when the Members consider best.
2. The quorum for meetings of the Society shall be twenty, and for Council meetings three or one-third of Council membership, whichever is the greater.
3. From time to time groups relating to the interests of the BSSPD may be established byits Members. These may be endorsed by Council.
4. The Annual General Meeting shall take place during the Annual Conference of the Society. The following agenda should be used as a guide:
   1. The minutes of the preceding meeting.
   2. The result of the election for Council Members shall be announced.
   3. President's Report.
   4. The report of the Treasurer.
   5. The report of the Secretary.
   6. The report of the Curator.
   7. Any other business.
5. The President Elect having been confirmed at the previous Annual General Meeting shall be installed as President for the succeeding year at the end of the Annual Conference.
6. Extraordinary General Meetings may be called by the Council or when requested by twenty members if they shall so notify the Hon. Secretary in writing - such meeting must be convened within six weeks of the request in accordance with Clause 9 below.The quorum for an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be 20 Members, such number to include three Members of Council.

9. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

1. Amendments to this Constitution shall receive the assent of two-thirds of the Members present and voting at an Annual General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting convened for that purpose. A resolution for the alteration of the Constitution must be seconded and received by the Honorary Secretary at least 21 days before the meeting at which the resolution is to be brought forward.
2. At least 14 days' notice of such a meeting must be given by the Honorary Secretary to the membership and must include notice of the amendment proposed.
3. No alteration shall be made to Clause 2 (Objectives), Clause 10 (Dissolution) or this clause without the prior approval in writing of the Charity Commissioners or other authority having a charitable jurisdiction shall have been obtained; and no alteration shall be made which would have the effect of causing the Society to cease to be a charity in law.

10. DISSOLUTION

1. The Society may be dissolved by a Resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting at an Extraordinary General Meeting convened for the purpose of which 21 days' notice shall have been given to the members. Such resolution may give instructions for the disposal of any assets held by or inthe name of the Society, provided that if any property remains after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities such property shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of the Society but shall be given to transferred to such other charitable institution or institution having objects similar to some or all of the objects of the Society as the Society may determine and if and in so far as effect cannot be given to this provision then to some other charitable purpose.

Voted on at AGM in April 2012.