Constitution

 

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1. The Society shall be called the British Society for Medical Dermatology.

2. Medical Dermatology is defined as the study and care of patients with:
i) Skin diseases that can have systemic manifestations including connective tissue diseases, vasculitis, sarcoid, graft versus host disease and severe drug reactions.
ii) Potentially disabling or fatal skin diseases usually treated with systemic therapy such as severe psoriasis, severe atopic eczema, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and autoimmune blistering diseases.
iii) Cutaneous manifestations of systemic disease.

3. The purpose of the Society is to promote academic and clinical interest in the practice and study of medical dermatology as well as collaboration between dermatologists and other medical specialists with the goal of improving the care of patients.

4. In furtherance of these aims, the Society may:
i) Promote and carry out or assist in promoting and carrying out research, surveys and investigations and publish the useful results thereof.
ii) Collect and disseminate information on all matters affecting the safe practice of medical dermatology, and exchange such information with other bodies having similar aims either in the UK or abroad.
iii) Promote education in medical dermatology.
iv) Provide guidance on the dermatological content of the core medical curriculum and the assessment of dermatological knowledge and skills (as relates to core medical training).
v) Organise scientific meetings to advance knowledge and practice of medical dermatology
vi) Produce and circulate such papers, books, periodicals and electronic or web based resources for dissemination of knowledge or other documents as necessary to further the said objects.
vii) Do all such other lawful things as are necessary for the attainment of the said objects.

President and Committee

5. The business of the Society shall be conducted by a Committee consisting of a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer and no more than five other elected members. At least one member of the committee will be a dermatology trainee. All the members of the Committee shall be elected in accordance with the procedure set out below and shall serve for the terms of office as set out below.

6.
(a) The President shall serve (subject to Sub-paragraph (d) below) for a term of office 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.

(b) The Secretary shall serve (subject to Sub-paragraph (d) below) as Secretary for a term of office not exceeding three 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.

(c) All other members of the Committee shall serve (subject to Sub-paragraph (d) below) for a term of not exceeding three years and shall be eligible for re-selection at the end of that term.

(d) 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.

7. 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.

8. The President, 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 months before the Annual General Meeting. Such nominations shall be circulated with a notice of that Meeting. Members unable to attend shall be entitled to vote by post. If other nominations are not received for the filling of vacancies, the Committee’s nominees shall be deemed elected.

9. Any vacancy occurring on the Committee other than by retirement may be filled by a member to be co-opted by the Committee

10. The Committee may co-opt other members as it sees fit.

Membership

11. Membership shall be available to anyone interested in Medical Dermatology, upon application to, and approval by, the Committee.
12.
(a) Ordinary Membership shall be available to any Consultant on the Specialist Register of the General Medical Council, any Associate Specialist in Dermatology or a medical specialty and any Dermatology or Medical Trainee holding a national training number. Ordinary members will have full voting rights.

(b) Associate Membership shall be available to interested Medical Practitioners, nurses, scientists and other professionals whose work is substantially devoted to Medical Dermatology. Applicants for Associate Membership must submit full Curriculum Vitae and must be proposed by two Ordinary Members, who have personal knowledge of the applicant. Associate Members will not have voting rights.

Subscriptions

13. Members shall pay an annual subscription, due on 1st February, the amount of such subscriptions being recommended by the Committee and ratified at an Annual General Meeting of the Society. Payment of such subscription shall be administered by the Treasurer, acting on instructions given to the Executive by the Society at its Annual General Meeting, for the furtherance of the purpose of the Society.


Meetings

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. Members wishing to present communications to the scientific meeting shall submit suitable abstracts to the Committee by a date determined by the Committee.

Guests

18. One or more official guests may be invited to attend scientific meetings of the Society.

19. Members wishing to invite visitors to scientific meetings must notify the Secretary.


Alteration of Constitution

20. 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.

21. 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 British Society of Medical Dermatology (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__"


22. 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 thereat) 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.