Vascular Society of New Zealand

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Officers of the VSNZ

Mr Andrew Hill (Chairman) elected 2005, Auckland.
Mr Ian Thomson (Secretary) elected 2006, Dunedin.
Prof Justin Roake elected 2006, Christchurch.
Mr David Ferrar (ex-officio NZ member Board in Vascular Surgery), Hamilton.
Mr Chris Holdaway (ex-officio Past Chair NZSVS), Hamilton.
Mr Damien Mosquera elected 2008, New Plymouth.
Prof Tim Buckenham elected 2008, Christchurch.

The NEW ZEALAND VASCULAR SOCIETY (INCORPORATED).

CONSTITUTION

1. NAME

The Association shall be called The NEW ZEALAND VASCULAR SOCIETY (INCORPORATED).

2. AIMS OF THE SOCIETY

(a) To promote and represent the practice of Vascular Surgery and the associated activities in New Zealand.

(b) To provide a forum for all surgeons practising vascular surgery to discuss and comment on matters affecting their practice.

(c) To promote activities that provide for continuing education, peer review and research in Vascular Surgery.

To be closely associated with the Australian and New Zealand Society of Vascular Surgery and the New Zealand Association of General Surgeons.

(e) To undertake any work which may appear to the Society to be in accordance with the above aims and to do such things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of such aims,

3. MEMBERSHIP

Full membership shall be open to all Registered Specialist Medical Practitioners in New Zealand who are undertaking management of vascular conditions as a proportion of their work. Full membership shall be contingent on participation in the NZSVS audit. Full members shall have voting rights and are eligible for election to the Executive.

(b) Associate membership shall be open to other health professionals with a special interest in vascular disease, including vascular trainees, specialist vascular nurses, specialist vascular radiographers, and vascular technicians. Associate members annual subscription shall be set at one half the full membership rate.

(c) Honorary membership may be granted to those who are not eligible under 3.a or 3.b but have made an outstanding contribution to the practice of vascular surgery.

Senior membership may be offered to past or present members of the Society who have reached the age of 65years or who have retired from clinical practice. Senior members are exempt from annual subscription but do not have voting rights and are not eligible for election to the Executive.

(e) Membership may also be offered to Surgeons in other specialties who contribute significantly to the aims of the Society.

4. GOVERNANCE

(a) The governing body of the Society shall be the executive Committee.

(b) The Executive Committee shall consist of the Chairman and 4 other elected members, to be elected at the Annual General Meeting.
The Chairman.
The Past Chairman
The Honorary Secretary/Treasurer
The Executive Members
A representative of the ANZSVS who may be either an office bearer or executive member of the Committee

The Chairman, Honorary Secretary/Treasurer and Executive Members will be elected by postal ballot for a term of four years and be eligible for re-election in each office for up to two terms.

(c) If, in the opinion of the officers and members of the Executive Committee there is a need for a representative of a group not catered for by the electoral process, then the Committee shall have the responsibility to co-opt a member or members to fill that deficiency to ensure that the interests of all members of the Society are represented.

(d) Casual vacancies on the Executive Committee shall be filled by co-opted member representing the same geographical or co-opted group as that represented by the officer or member creating the vacancy until the next ballot.

(e) Meetings of the Executive Committee will take place either face-to-face or by telephone of times to be determined by the Committee apart from those meetings which will be held in conjunction with the meetings of the Association as detailed below.

(f) The Executive will commission subcommittee and/or working parties as it sees fit to further the aims of the Association, in particular an Audit Sub-Committee and a Research Sub-Committee.

5. MEETINGS

(a) Annual General Meeting: This will be held at a time to be determined by the Society, but will generally be held in conjunction with either the Vascular Weekend held annually in February or in conjunction with the N.Z. Annual Scientific Meeting of the RACS. Notice of the meeting will be sent out to all members and the associate members of the Society and will also be notified in the Newsletter of the N.Z. RACS. The business at the Annual General Meeting will include:

(i) The report of the Executive Committee-
(ii) The statement of Income and expenditure and the Balance Sheet for financial year.
(iii) The confirmation of the Election of Officers.
(iv) Consideration of Notices of Motion which have been duly notified Clause 6.
(v) Other business which the meeting wishes to consider.

(b) General Meeting: This will be held after due notice at a time to be agreed by the members to consider specific general or constitutional matters-

(c) Special Meetings: May be called when a remit is supported in writing by 10% of the full membership or by the majority of the Executive Committee.

(d) The quorum shall be the members at the meeting, not counting the Executive Members present, provided the number of the members exceeds the number of the Executive Committee at that time.

(e) The Chairperson of the meeting shall be the Chairman of the Association, or in his absence by his nominated Deputy or a member of the Executive Committee, or in the absence of a nomination, by a member elected by the members present at the meeting.

(f) All Full Members shall be entitled to one vote by show of hands, by proxy or in writing. The Chairman of the meeting will have the casting vote in the event of an equality of voting.

6. NOTICES

(a) Nominations for Officers and Members of the Executive Committee will close two months before the Annual Meeting with ballot results finalised two weeks before the Annual General Meeting.

(b) Ordinary notices of motion must be in the hands of the Secretary two weeks before the relevant Annual General Meeting or General Meeting to be placed on the agenda for that meeting-

(c) Emergency remits will only be considered after a ballet taken at the meeting at which they are presented,

(d) Notices will be sent to Members' last notified address and will be deemed to have been received within four working days.

7. RESIGNATION AND EXPULSION OF MEMBERS

(a) Members and Associate Members may resign at any time with notice in writing to the Secretary. Liability for subscription arrears remains to the date of receipt of resignation.

(b) Members of any category will be expelled from the Society for any breach of behaviour which results in that member's removal or suspension from the General and/or Specialists medical register.

(c) Members may be suspended or expelled for behaviour which compromises the aims of the Society.

(d) Members may be removed from the register of members if their subscription remains unpaid for six months from the due date.

8. FINANCES

(a) Subscriptions will be set at a level proposed by the Executive Committee and confirmed by the Annual General Meeting.

The membership may decide to set different subscription levels according to the membership status.
The Society will deposit such subscriptions to the credit of the Society into Trading or Savings or Investment accounts approved by the Executive Committee and ratified by members at the Annual General Meeting.

(d) The Executive Committee may invest some of the Society funds elsewhere according to reputable independent advice.

(e) The Treasurer will keep books of accounting according to accepted accounting practice and will submit audited statements to the Annual General Meeting of the Society for approval.

(f) No part of the funds may be used for the private use or benefit of any member of the Society.

9. ALTERATION OF CONSTITUTION

(a) The constitution may be altered to, added to, rescinded or otherwise amended by resolution passed by two thirds majority of those members, proxies and written votes present aft duly notified special meeting called in accordance with 5.a, b or c.

(b) Every such remit shall set forth the purpose of the proposed alteration, addition, rescission or other amendment and will be sent to the Honorary Secretary four weeks before the meeting at which it is to be considered.

(c) Duplicate copies of every such alteration, addition, rescission or other amendment shall forthwith be delivered to the Registrar of Incorporated Societies in accordance with the requirements of the Act.

(d) Providing always and notwithstanding anything contained herein there shall be no alteration to the Constitution which would enable the income or other funds of the Society to be used for, or be available for, the private pecuniary profit of any Member or which would occasion the income of the Society to lose its tax exempt status.

10. WINDING UP

(a) The Society may be wound up by the majority of its members at a properly constituted Annual, Genera[ or Special Meeting.

(b) Residual funds after payment of the Societies' liabilities and expenses shall be applied to the furtherance of the Societies' objectives or to a charity approved by the Commissioner of Inland Revenue, according to the Income Tax Act 1976.