Rules and By-Laws

THE BRITISH ORTHODONTIC SOCIETY

RULES AND BYE-LAWS

made by the Board pursuant to Article 65
of the Articles of Association on 1^st January 2007

1. OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY APPOINTED BY THE BOARD

(i) The Board shall make the following appointments (each of whom shall be known as an Officer of the Society):-

1. A Chairman of the Clinical Governance Committee from among the Trustees of the Society. The chairman shall be reappointed annually.

2. A Chairman of the Clinical Standards Committee. The Chairman shall hold office for a term of three years and may be re-appointed for one further year.

3. A Chairman of the Ethics Committee. The Chairman shall hold office for a term of three years and may be re-appointed for one further year.

4. A Chairman of the Orthodontic Practice Committee. The Chairman shall hold office for a term of three years and may be re-appointed for one further year.

5. A Chairman of the Scholarship and Grants Committee. The Chairman shall hold office for a term of three years and may be re-appointed for one further year.

6. A Chairman of the International Committee. The Chairman shall hold office for a term of four years and may be re-appointed for one further term.

7. An Editor of the Journal of Orthodontics. The Editor shall hold office for a term of four years and may be re-appointed for one further year.

8. An Editor of the BOS News. The Editor shall hold office for a term of four years and may be re-appointed for one further year.

9. A Website Editor. The Website Editor shall hold office for a period of three years which shall be renewable.

10. A Curator, who shall hold office for a term of three years which shall be renewable. The Curator shall keep a register of all items of historic or scientific interest owned by the Society and shall be responsible for these items and for their exhibition in the Society Museum

11. A Treasurer of the British Orthodontic Conference. The Treasurer shall hold office for a term of two years and may be re-appointed for one further year.

12. A Director of the British Orthodontic Society Foundation. The Director shall hold office for a period of three years and may be reappointed for one further year.

(ii) The election of Officers shall be reported at the Annual General Meeting next following such election.

3. The reports of the current Officers shall be laid before the Society at the Annual General Meeting.

2. THE SOCIETY COMMITTEES

1. Each Society Committee shall report to and be responsible to the Board through a Trustee nominated by the Board for the purpose.

2. The Society Committees may co-opt members in addition to those identified below subject to the prior approval of the Board.

3. Working Groups may be established by the Board for specific tasks without further amendment of the Rules and Bye-Laws. Working Groups shall have a specific remit, a maximum lifetime of three years unless otherwise determined by the Board, and shall report to the Board unless otherwise directed.

4. The Board shall appoint the following Committees:-

1. The Finance Committee

The Finance Committee shall coordinate the management of the finances of the Society and its Groups

The following shall be members of the Finance Committee:-

1. the Treasurer (who shall be Chairman);

2. the Treasurer of the British Orthodontic Conference;

3. the Treasurers of each Group

2. The Conference and Meetings Committee

The Conference and Meetings Committee shall be responsible for organising the British Orthodontic Conference, and any other meeting held by the Society. The Committee shall be responsible for recommending to the Board the content of Society meetings, and shall co-ordinate meetings proposed by the Groups. It shall be report to the BOS Treasurer on the financial aspects of its activities.

The following shall be members of the Conference and Meetings Committee:-

1. the Chairman of the British Orthodontic Conference (who shall be its Chairman);

2. the Treasurer of the British Orthodontic Conference; and

3. such other members as shall be nominated by the Groups in consultation with the Chairman of the Committee, and approved by the Board.

3. The Clinical Governance Committee

The Clinical Governance Committee shall initiate and coordinate the clinical governance activities of the Society, in particular with regard to the work of the Clinical Standards Committee and Ethics Committee.

The Committee shall consist of a Trustee appointed by the Board (who shall be Chairman) and the Chairmen for the time being of the Clinical Standards and Ethics Committees

4. The Clinical Standards Committee

The Clinical Standards Committee shall be responsible for:

1. Production of clinical guidelines and advice documents on clinically related matters

2. Promotion of good practice in clinical audit and clinical governance

3. Allocation of awards from the Society’s clinical audit budget and overseeing the progress of audit projects funded by the Society

4. Any other related activity allocated by the Board

There shall be six members, one nominated by each Group. The members shall serve for three years, and may be re-appointed for a further year

The Committee may co-opt members with particular expertise when necessary and additionally may appoint an Audit Coordinator and an Editor of the Clinical Effectiveness Bulletin

5. The Ethics Committee

The Ethics Committee shall consider all matters relating to ethics and the ethical behaviour of members in the practice of orthodontics and other related matters identified by the Board.

There shall be six members of the Ethics Committee. The members shall be nominated by the Groups and appointed by the Board.

One member of the Executive, nominated by the Executive, shall be an ex-officio member of the Committee.

The members of the Ethics Committee shall serve office for three years and may be re-appointed for one further year.

The Committee may co-opt one or more lay members or representatives of external organisations

6. The Communications Committee

The Communications Committee shall oversee and coordinate the external and internal communications of the Society including the Website, Newsletters, Journal and other publications.

The BOS Secretary shall be the Chairman of the Committee.

The ex-officio members of the Committee shall be the BOS Media Spokesperson, the Website Editor, the Editors of the Journal of Orthodontics, the BOS Newsletter and the Clinical Effectiveness Bulletin.

A maximum of two additional members may be appointed by the Board with a term of office of three years.

7. The Orthodontic Practice Committee

The Orthodontic Practice Committee shall, in the interests of improving patient care, be responsible for providing a unified voice in the Society’s contacts with external bodies on matters relating to orthodontic practice, it shall advise members on matters relating to the management of NHS and private orthodontic practice, and it shall foster the development of Local Clinical Networks and other forms of liaison between orthodontic providers.

The members of the Committee shall be:-

1. two members nominated by the Orthodontic Specialists Group;

2. one member nominated by the Consultant Orthodontists Group;

3. two members nominated by the Practitioners Group;

4. one member nominated by the Community Group;

5. one member nominated by the Training Grades Group.

The members of the Orthodontic Practice Committee shall serve for three years, and may be reappointed for one further year.

8. The Scholarship and Grants Committee

The Scholarship and Grants Committee shall supervise and administer all scholarships, prizes and academic awards and all research grants offered by the Society. It shall be responsible for raising funds to support grants and awards.

There shall be six members of the Committee nominated by the Groups and appointed by the Board. The members of the Committee shall serve office for a term of three years and may be re-appointed for one further year.

The President of the Society, the Treasurer of the Society and the Director of the British Orthodontic Society Foundation of the Society shall be a ex-officio members of the Committee.

The Committee may appoint Awards Panels as required to give advice on nominations for grants and awards.

The Committee shall manage the work of the British Orthodontic Society Foundation. The Foundation exists to promote improved patient care by raising funds to support the highest standards of research and teaching in orthodontics. The Director will be supported in raising funds by the President of the Society and may recruit additional members of the Society to assist in the work of the Foundation.

The monies raised by the Foundation shall be held in the restricted funds of the Society and used in fulfilment of the objectives of the Foundation. Regular reports shall be furnished to the Society by the holders of grants and the progress of projects funded by the Society shall be monitored by the Executive who shall have the power to terminate funding where progress is judged to be unsatisfactory.

9. The Nominations Committee

The Nominations Committee shall recommend to the Board the appointment of the Northcroft Memorial Lecturer, the President of the Society, Honorary and Life members and the award of Special Service and Distinction Awards. The following shall be members of the Awards Committee:-

1. the Chairman of the Society (who shall be Chairman of the Committee);

2. the President;

3. one member of the Executive;

4. two senior members of the Society (who shall be appointed by the Board);

The members of the Nominations Committee shall serve office for a term of three years and may be re-appointed for one further year.

10. The Editorial Board

The Editorial Board shall advise the Editor on the content of the Journal of Orthodontics. The members of the Editorial Board shall be appointed by the Editor, with the approval of the Board. One member of the Executive will be ex-officio a member of the Board.

11. The International Committee

The International Committee shall promote and foster the interests of the Society within the international environment and will liase and work with overseas societies.

In addition to the Chairman there shall be two committee members appointed by the Board in consultation with the Groups.

The members of the International Committee shall serve office for a term of four years and may be re-appointed for a further four years.

3. THE GROUPS OF THE BRITISH ORTHODONTIC SOCIETY

(i) There shall be the following Groups of the Society:-

1. The Community Group

Membership of the Community Group shall be open to the following:-

1. Members holding a Community Dental Services (or equivalent) Appointment who are listed in the Specialist List in Orthodontics held by the General Dental Council

2. Other members holding a Community Dental Services (or equivalent) appointment in which all clinical time is spent exclusively (or almost exclusively) in practising orthodontics, and who were members, at dissolution on 30th June 1994, of the Community Orthodontists Section.

2. The Consultant Orthodontists Group

Membership of the Consultant Orthodontists Group shall be open to the following:-

1. Members holding a contract as Consultant Orthodontist issued by a recognised health body or NHS Trust in the United Kingdom, and whose period of higher training has been approved by the relevant SAC, or who are deemed by the Committee to be trained to an equivalent level

2. Other orthodontists who spend substantially the whole of their time in hospital practice and possess an orthodontic qualification, may be elected on a named basis by the Committee

3. Associate membership shall be open to those members holding a contract as Senior Registrar or Fixed Term Training Appointee in orthodontics with a recognised health body in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, or as Senior Specialists in Orthodontics in the Armed Forces Dental Services and who are in an orthodontic higher training programme approved by the SAC in orthodontics.

3. The Practitioners Group

Membership of the Practitioners Group shall be open to the following:-

Members engaged in the practice of orthodontics in General Dental Practice or in the Community Dental Service who are not members of the Orthodontic Specialists Group or the Community Group.

4. The Orthodontic Specialists Group

Membership of the Orthodontic Specialists Group shall be open to the following:-

1. Members engaged in specialist orthodontic practice who are listed in the Specialist List in Orthodontics held by the General Dental Council

2. Other members engaged in orthodontic practice who were members of the Group at the end of the transitional period for establishment of the General Dental Council’s Specialist List in Orthodontics

5. The Training Grades Group

Membership of the Training Grades Group shall be open to members holding an appointment in an orthodontic training grade post approved by the relevant SAC (or equivalent body) or working on an approved course in the United Kingdom leading towards a recognised post-graduate qualification in orthodontics.

Members elected to the Group Committee before the end of their training may extend their membership of the group for up to two years after they complete their training and pay the postgraduate rate of subscription during this period provided they also join the Group appropriate to their current field of practice.

6. The University Teachers Group

Membership of the University Teachers Group shall be open to members holding a university teaching appointment or other teaching appointment recognised by the Group in the United Kingdom.

2. Groups may organise meetings, which may be open to all members of the Society. All such meetings shall be co-ordinated through the Conference and Meetings Committee.

3. The Group Officers, Committee Members, and Group Representatives shall be appointed by a simple majority of members of the relevant Group.

4. Each Group shall conduct all correspondence under its full title as a Group of the British Orthodontic Society.

5. Each Group shall refer to the Board all matters concerning negotiation with national bodies.

6. The authority of each Group shall be limited to those matters that directly affect the interests of that particular Group and shall not in any way extend to matters that may affect the interests of any other Group.

7. Each Group shall be responsible for managing its own finances within a budget agreed with the BOS Treasurer. Each Group shall make a financial report to the BOS Treasurer on a monthly basis, who in turn will report to the Board on a quarterly basis.

8. Any income generated by Groups becomes part of the Society’s central funds

9. If, exceptionally, a Group is unable to finance its activities in any financial year, it may apply to the Board through the BOS Treasurer for an increase in its yearly budget.

10. Membership of groups is only open to ordinary and life members of the Society. A group may at its discretion offer Associate Membership of the group to any member of the Society. Associate members of a Group may participate in its activities but are not entitled to vote or hold office in the Group.

4. GOOD STANDING AND DECLARATION OF INTERESTS OF SERVING MEMBERS

1. All members of the Board, all Society Committee members, all Group Committee members, and all members representing the Society on outside bodies, whether appointed, elected or co-opted (referred to as “serving members” throughout Rule (4)) must uphold the very highest standards of ethical care and professional conduct and be of “good standing”.

2. Members of the Board and all Society or Group Committees must declare any interests pertinent to the business of a committee to the chairman of the committee and must not participate in any discussion or vote on the award of a contract or other Society emolument from which they may benefit.

3. In the case of the Chairman of a Committee declarations of interest shall be made to the Chairman of the Society.

4. No person suspended from membership of the Society may be a serving member during the period of suspension

5. No person may act as a serving member if erased or suspended from the Dentists’ Register by the General Dental Council (GDC) or if currently under consideration by the disciplinary committees of the GDC except with the agreement of the Chairman of the Society and the Chairman of the Ethics Committee.

6. A serving member who comes under investigation by the GDC shall temporarily withdraw from office pending the outcome of the investigation.

7. A serving member against whom a civil or criminal action is brought must inform the Chairman of the Committee to which the member is elected or which made the appointment or on which the member serves. The Chairman of the Society and the Chairman of the Ethics Committee must be jointly consulted and may impose a temporary withdrawal from office.

8. When temporary withdrawal from office under paragraphs (4)(vi) or (vii) is required it shall not carry any implication of guilt.

9. All members have a duty to inform the Chairman of the Society if they have reason to believe a serving member is not of “good standing” or has failed to declare an interest.

10. The Chairman of the Society and the Chairman of the Ethics Committee shall jointly decide questions relating to the “good standing” and declarations of interest of serving members.

5. FINANCES

1. The Society’s financial year, and that of all Groups, shall commence on 1^st January. The Society shall maintain a bank account with a United Kingdom clearing bank approved by the Board.

2. Cheques drawn on the Society’s accounts may be signed by any one of the Treasurer, the Secretary, the Chairman or the Society Administrator, save that cheques in excess of £12,000 must be signed by any two of them.

3. The Treasurer shall obtain prior approval of the Board before authorising anything other than minor changes in the Society’s investments.

4. The Treasurer shall present the Society’s accounts together with supporting documentation to the Society’s Auditor.

5. The Treasurer shall present a written summary of the Society’s financial situation to each Board meeting.

6. SUBSCRIPTIONS

1. The Treasurer shall advise the Board on the level of subscription rates.

2. The annual subscription shall be set at a rate which will produce an income appropriate for maintaining the activities of the Society as whole and ensuring its financial independence.

3. The subscription to be paid by each member shall comprise the following:

1. an amount to support the Board and its activities through the Society Committees;

2. an amount to support the Groups of the Society

4. The Treasurer shall collect all subscriptions and disburse the funds as required to sustain the activities of the Society and its constituent Groups

7. SPECIAL SERVICE AWARDS

1. A member who has given exceptional service to the Society may be honoured by a Special Service Award.

2. The Nominations Committee shall nominate to the Board any member or members that it considers should be granted a Special Service Award. If the Board thinks fit, it shall recommend to an Annual General Meeting of the Society that the individual or individuals nominated by the Awards Committee be granted such an Award, which shall be awarded if a simple majority of members present and entitled to vote at the Annual General Meeting vote in favour.

3. Receipt of a Special Service Award shall not alter a member’s category of membership.

8. DISTINCTION AWARD

1. A member of the Society who has not necessarily been active in the affairs of the Society but has nevertheless made an outstanding contribution to the speciality of orthodontics, may be honoured by a Distinction Award.

2. The Nominations Committee shall nominate to the Board any member that it considers should be granted a Distinction Award. If the Board thinks fit, it shall recommend to an Annual General Meeting of the Society that the individual be granted such an Award, which shall be awarded if a simple majority of members present and entitled to vote at the Annual General Meeting vote in favour.

3. No more than one Distinction Award shall be made in any one year.

4. Receipt of a Distinction Award shall not alter a member’s category of membership.

9. APPLICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP

1. Applications for membership shall be addressed to the Secretary who shall forward them to the relevant Groups for consideration

2. Each application shall be supported by two members of the Society to whom the applicant is known

3. In exceptional cases the Board may on the recommendation of the Secretary waive the requirement in section (ii)

4. Applications shall normally be decided by the Secretary but shall be referred to the Board in cases of doubt.

-oOo-

THE BRITISH ORTHODONTIC SOCIETY

RULES AND BYE-LAWS

made by the Board pursuant to Article 65
of the Articles of Association on 27^th October 2006