South African Society for
Dermatologic Surgery

Constitution

Saturday, September 1, 2018 6:08:00 AM

About SASDS

About us

Constitution

1. The Society shall be called the South African Society of Dermatologic Surgery (SASDS)
2. The purpose of the Society is to promote for the public benefit interest in and knowledge of Dermatologic Surgery. In furtherance of the above object but not further, or otherwise the Society may:
  • Promote and carry out or assist in promoting and carrying out research, surveys and investigations and publishing the useful results thereof.
  • Collect and disseminate information on all matters affecting the said objects and exchange such information with other bodies having similar objects, whether in this country or internationally.
  • Bring together in conference representatives of voluntary organisations, Government Departments, statutory authorities and individuals.
  • Cause to be written and printed or otherwise reproduced and circulated, gratuitously or otherwise, such papers, books, periodicals, pamphlets or other documents as shall further the said objects.
  • Do all such other lawful things as are necessary for the attainment of the said objects.

The objectives of the society are:

3. The business of the Society shall be conducted by an EXCO committee consisting of a President, a Past-President who will be Past-President for a year, the President-Elect for a year prior to being President, the Treasurer, a Secretary and two to three other elected members. The Past-President will be an ordinary EXCO member after the end of his/her one year Past-President term and the President-Elect will either be elected onto EXCO or if he/she is elected from EXCO would serve the first year as an EXCO member and then the second year as President-Elect.
4. The President shall serve (subject to sub-paragraph below):
  • As President Elect for a term of office not exceeding 1 year prior to serving as President for a term not exceeding two years. Thereafter the President shall not be eligible for immediate re-election as President or a member of the committee but may be re-elected after one year from the end of his/her term of office.
  • The Secretary shall serve (subject to sub-paragraph (d) below) as Secretary for a term of office not exceeding two years and shall be eligible for re-election at the end of that term. The Secretary may be elected as Treasurer to hold that office at the same time as the office of Secretary save that after the term of office as Secretary has ended the Secretary may continue as Treasurer to serve the full term as Treasurer.
  • All other members of the Committee shall serve (subject to sub-paragraph (d) below) for a term of not exceeding two years and shall be eligible for re-selection at the end of that term. A member of the Committee may retire at any time during his or her term of office by notice in writing to either the President or the Secretary.
5. The Committee shall prepare the Agenda for meetings of the Society and between meetings will act on behalf of the Society; it will report any such actions to the next meeting of the Society.
6. The President, President Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and other ordinary members of the Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. Nominations may be made by the Committee or by any two members and shall be sent, together with the written consent of the Nominee, to the Secretary not less than two weeks before the Annual General Meeting.
7. Any vacancy occurring on the Committee other than by retirement may be filled by a member to be co-opted by the Committee.
8. The Committee may co-opt other members as it sees fit.

9. Membership shall be available to anyone interested in Dermatologic Surgery, upon application to, and approved by, The Society and Committee.
10. Membership of the Society shall be in the following categories:
  • Ordinary Membership shall be available to any Consultant on the Specialist Register of the HPCSA. Ordinary members will have full voting rights.
  • Trainee Membership shall be available to any Trainee Dermatologist holding a national training number. When the Trainee is included on the Specialist Register of the Health Professions Council, he/she will automatically become an Ordinary member and must notify the Secretary. Trainee members will have full voting rights.

11. The Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held at a place and time decided by the Committee. The Secretary shall circulate the Agenda to all members at least one month before the meeting.
12. A scientific meeting relating to the objects of the Society shall be arranged at least once a year by the Executive Committee. One such meeting shall be held in association with the Annual General Meeting. Contributions to scientific meetings shall be regarded as private unless permission for publication is given specifically.
13. Members wishing to present communications to the scientific meeting shall submit suitable abstracts to the Committee by a date determined by the Committee.

14. One or more official guests may be invited to attend scientific meetings of the Society.
15. Members wishing to invite visitors to scientific meetings must notify the Secretary.

16. Any alteration to this constitution shall receive the assent of not less than two-thirds of the membership of the Society who are present and voting or whose representative is present and voting at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting PROVIDED THAT notice of any such alteration shall have been received by the Secretary in writing not less than 21 clear days before the meeting at which the alteration is to be proposed. Members who are not present at the aforementioned meeting, may nominate the Secretary or other member as their representative by completion and signature of a proxy voting form indicating their voting intentions and the name of the nominated representative, which must be produced at the meeting. At least 14 clear days’ notice in writing of such a meeting, setting forth the terms of the alteration, shall be sent by the General Secretary to each member of the Society together with proxy voting forms. No alteration shall be made to Clause 2, Clause 19 or this clause until the approval in writing of the Charity Commissioners or other authority having 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 at law.
17. An instrument appointing a proxy shall be in the following form, or as near thereto as circumstances will admit: “I ___________________of ________________________ a member of the South African Society of Dermatologic Surgery (herein called “the Society”) are entitled to one vote, hereby appoint ____________________ of ________________________another member of the Society, and failing him ____________________of _________________________another member of the Society to vote for me on my behalf at the General Meeting of the Society to be held on ________ day of ____________ and at any adjournment thereof. AS WITNESS my hand this _______ day of _____ 20__”.
18. If the Committee by a simple majority decide at any time that on the ground of expense or otherwise it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the Society, it shall call a meeting of all members of the Society who have the power to vote, of which meeting not less than 21 days’ notice (stating the terms of the Resolution to be proposed there at) shall be given. If such decision shall be confirmed by a [two thirds] majority of those present and voting at such meeting the Committee shall have power to dispose of any assets held by or on behalf of the Society. Any assets remaining after the satisfaction of any proper debts and liabilities shall be given or transferred to such other charitable institution or institutions having objects similar to the objects of the Society as the Committee may determine and if and in so far as effect cannot be given to this provision then to some other charitable purpose.