Constitution of the British Society for Gene and Cell Therapy

 

The Society's governing instrument is its memorandum and articles of association. These rules are made under article 53.

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1. The Society members shall be elected to the Board as in articles 2, 3, & 4. Members shall be members of the British Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (BSGCT) Company, with a limited liability of £1. All members of the BSGCT at the time of its incorporation shall continue to be members with the same status (Ordinary or Associate) as before with the same rights, privileges and duties as set out in this constitution.
    

2. Applicants for membership shall send to the General Secretary their name and qualifications on a special form provided for the purpose (https://www.bsgct.org/become-a-member). Applicants must accept the Constitution of the Society, and must have appropriate qualifications, experience or interests, within the remit of the Society. All applications for membership must be approved by the Board, before the benefits and privileges of membership are granted.
    

3. Each member shall pay an annual subscription but the Board may waive membership fees for certain member categories. The level of subscription shall be set by the Board and shall be payable in advance. No applicant shall be admitted to membership until the first annual subscription has been paid.
    

4. Resignation of membership must be made in writing to the Company Secretary, and the member resigning shall be liable for the payment of the annual subscription for the current year, together with any arrears or monies owing up to the date of resignation. Any member whose subscription is more than one year in arrears and who has been duly notified of the fact shall, if the Board sees fit, cease to be a member of the Society and of the company. Persons having ceased to be members because of subscription arrears shall be eligible to re-apply for membership to the Society as in Article 2.
    

5. Commercial companies having an interest within the remit of the Society may apply for Corporate Partnership with the Society. The benefits conferred by Corporate Partnership and the level of Corporate Partnership shall be as decided by the Board on an individual basis. Applications for Corporate Partnership shall be considered and approved by the Board.
    

6. The President, Treasurer and General Secretary are the Directors (Companies House) and Trustees (Charities Commission) of the Society. There are a maximum of eight other Board members elected by the membership of the Society. The Board shall have the power to co-opt persons to the Board in the event of an unforeseen vacancy, or to support the work of the Board. Persons eligible to be co-opted shall usually be representatives of other Societies or Associations whose work is relevant to the aims of the Society. The Board shall generally meet on a monthly basis and one of the meetings is to be held at the same time as the Annual Conference where feasible.
    

7. The President shall be elected by the Board for a period of three years, and shall not be eligible for re-election within one year of the completion of their term of office.
    

8. The Treasurer shall be elected by the Board for a period of three years. A member serving as Treasurer shall not be eligible for re-election within one year of the completion of their term of office.
    

9. The General Secretary shall be elected by the Board for a period of three years. A member serving as General Secretary shall not be eligible for re-election within one year of the completion of their term of office.
    

10. The President-elect shall be elected by the Board for a period of two years before assuming the role of President.
     

11. Election of an incoming President, President Elect, General Secretary or Treasurer can occur in the last 12 months of tenure of the serving member.
     

12. Board Members shall be elected by the membership for a period of three years. A member of the Society serving as a Board Member is eligible for re-election for a further period of 3 years, but thereafter shall not be eligible for re-election within one year of the completion of their term of office.
     

13. Each year, not less than two months before the Annual General Meeting, the General Secretary shall circulate to the Society membership the names of the existing Board and seek nominations to replace any retiring Officer and Board Members. Nominations for Board Members must be supported by two members, and each nomination must be accompanied by a written statement from the nominee that he or she is willing to serve, together with a short curriculum vitae. Candidates for election to the Board must be members of the Society. The closing date for nominations shall not be less than 4 weeks from the date of the call for nominations.
     

14. The Board reserves the right to call for applications for Early Career Representatives to join the Board. To be eligible Early Career Representatives should be current members of the Society and currently matriculated as a PhD student or be a post-doctoral researcher within 3 years of being awarded their PhD. Election of Early Career Representatives from received applications will be made by the Board. The Board reserves the right to appoint a minimum of one and a maximum of three Early Career Representatives. A member of the Society serving as an Early Career Representatives serves on the Board for two years and is then eligible for re-election for a further two years. Thereafter they shall not be eligible for re-election as an Early Career Representative. Early Career Representatives are eligible to apply for Election to the Board at the end of their tenure.
     

15. In matters concerning the interpretation of the Constitution the decision shall rest with the Board.
     

16. The Society may establish Committees with a remit to manage specified aspects of the Society's activities. Each Committee shall have a chairperson and members appointed by the Board, taking into account their interests and expertise. The responsibilities of the Committees and of the Committee chairpersons shall be set out as specified by the Board. No Committee shall act independently of the Board of the Society and all financial matters will remain with the Board. Each committee shall include at least one member of the Board who shall report to the Board on the activities of the Committee.
     

17. The Society shall hold an Annual Conference where members shall have the opportunity to discuss their research and any scientific, clinical or other matters of relevance. A non-member may submit a scientific communication to the conference.
     

18. There will be a time specified at the Annual Conference for the Annual General Meeting of the Company and for a business meeting of the Society. The AGM and the business meeting of the Society shall only be open to Company Members.
     

19. The proceedings of meetings may only be communicated to the press or media with the consent of the Board.
     

20. The Constitution may be altered only at a general meeting (Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting) and only after notice has been given in writing to all the members at least two months previously. No alteration shall be made unless two-thirds of those voting are in favour. Any alteration must accord with the regulations set out in the Companies Act of 1985.