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The Society for Underwater Technology
Membership Regulations
Introduction |
| A. |
The Society's
Articles of Association provide for two categories of membership,
viz Member and Associate. |
| B.
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The Member
category comprises three classes, viz: Fellow;
Individual Member; and
Corporate Member representative
and members of these classes are known collectively as
Members. |
| C.
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There are also
three other classes of member, viz:
Associate Member;
Student Member; and
Corporate Member nominees; and members of these classes are
known collectively as Associates. |
| D.
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Associates are
those to whom privileges in relation to the Society are granted by
the Council subject to the provisions of the Articles of Association
and to the Membership Regulations. Members also enjoy the privileges
referred to above, but because they have given an undertaking to
contribute, in the circumstances envisaged in Clause 7 of the
Society's Memorandum of Association, to the capital funds of the
Society and are therefore 'Members' within the meaning of Section
110 of the 1948 Companies Act, it is the Member category only who
have a voice in matters pertaining to the constitution, affairs,
business, direction and management of the Society. The Member
category only has the right to attend, be heard and to vote at
Annual General Meetings and other Statutory Meetings of the Society,
and it is the Member category alone who have the responsibility of
electing the Council of Management of the Society from among their
number. |
| E.
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The Regulations
set out here are made by the Council pursuant to Article 13 of the
Society's Article of Association and give the rules governing
qualifications, election, transfer and resignation of Members and
Associates and lay down the code of conduct expected of them and
specify the membership subscription and any other dues payable. |
| F. |
Pursuant to
Article 36 of the Society's Articles of Association, all matters
pertaining to membership including, inter alia, the
implementation of these Regulations and all matters pertaining
thereto or arising therefrom will be subject to the overriding
authority of the Council. |
| G.
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The expression
'underwater technology' when used in the Articles of Association and
in the Regulations made pursuant to the Articles is deemed to mean:
'Scientific knowledge, engineering techniques and practical skills
necessary to the proper exploration, study and exploitation of the
resources of the oceans, seas and rivers and of the earth beneath
them together with the academic research, applied research,
engineering techniques, skill and industry required to advance the
development of the structures, machines, tools and equipment
necessary to the exploration, study and exploitation aforesaid,
along with the administrative, executive and managerial skills and
techniques directly related to the foregoing.' |
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Qualifications
for Membership |
| 1.
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The Council may,
subject to the provisions of Article 10(A), elect to Honorary
Membership in the class of Fellow, any person who in the opinion of
Council is: |
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(A)
(B)
(C) |
a person of distinguished scientific
attainments in a branch of science or engineering connected either
directly or indirectly with underwater technology;
a person of eminence in the practice,
organisation, administration, teaching or research of one or other
of the fields of science, engineering or industry connected either
directly or indirectly with underwater technology; or
a person of standing who has rendered
distinguished services to the Society or to the achievements of its
objects. |
| 2.
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Every candidate
eligible fir transfer to the Membership Class of Fellow must be
proposed by another full Individual Member with two additional
seconders, also full Members of the Society. Nominations are to be
accompanied by a short citation and background information to enable
Council to establish to its satisfaction that he/she: |
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(A)
(B)
(C)
(D) |
has attained the age of 33 years and
has been an Individual Member or Corporate Member for a minimum
continuous period of two years;
has achieved a high reputation in the
field of underwater technology;
has been engaged or at least three
years in a senior position of responsibility in a branch of
underwater technology; and
has identified him/herself with the
long term interests of the Society and the achievement of its
objectives. |
| 3. |
Every candidate for election to the class of Individual Member
shall, subject to the provisions of Regulation 4, be a person who
has established to the satisfaction of Council that he / she: |
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(A)
(B)
(C)
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has attained the
age of 21 years;
is a graduate of a
recognised university or holds the Diploma of a recognised
engineering institution, or holds a qualification of comparable
status in a relevant branch of science or technology for not less
than three years;
shows a
professional interest or experience in the field of underwater
technology, ocean science or offshore engineering. |
4.
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A candidate for
the election to the class of Fellow or Individual Member may be
required to attend an interview at such time and place as may be
decided by the Membership Committee of the Council. |
| 5.
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Admission to the Membership class of Corporate Member shall be
confined to bodies corporate, which shall be deemed to include,
inter alia, universities, colleges of technology, learned
societies, incorporated companies, partnerships, central and local
government departments and agencies, and nationalised industries. |
| 6. |
The
qualification for admission to the class of Corporate member shall
be that in the opinion of the Council such a Member is connected
either directly or indirectly with underwater technology and has a
contribution to make to the scope and/or the advancement of such
technology. |
| 7. |
Each Corporate
Member shall participate in the affairs of the Society, to the
extent permitted by these Presents, through a representative
appointed in accordance with Section 139 of the Act. |
| 8.
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Additionally, a
Corporate Member may nominate a further number of its senior staff
to use the facilities of the Society. This number shall be dependent
upon the category of Corporate membership applicable to that
Corporate Member. These staff members shall be deemed to be
Associate members, except that they shall not belong to that class
in their own right. Their names shall not be entered in the Register
required to be kept under the provisions of Article 8, nor shall
they be required to pay the annual subscription normally payable by
Associate Members. |
| 9. |
In
addition to the foregoing, a Corporate Member may enrol any of its
staff whatsoever for conferences and seminars organised wholly by
the Society at the 'member' rate of registration fee. |
| 10. |
Every candidate
for election to the class of Associate member shall be a person who
has established to the satisfaction of the Council that he/she is
able to show an active interest in the field of underwater
technology or in a field of engineering, industry, science, teaching
or research connected either directly or indirectly with underwater
technology. The maximum period of time a member may remain in the
class of Associate member shall be three years, after which time it
shall be deemed an Associate member is eligible for transfer to Full
Membership and he/she will be invited to do so. |
| 11. |
Every candidate
for election to the class of Student Member shall be a person who
has established to the satisfaction of the Council that he/she: |
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(A)
(B)
(C)
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has attained the age of 17 years;
is able to provide confirmation of
undergoing full-time education; and
intends to be engaged in the field of
underwater technology or in a field of engineering, industry,
science or teaching connected wither directly or indirectly with
underwater technology. |
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Admission,
Election and Transfer of Members |
| 12. |
The admission or
election, as the case may be, of candidates for membership in any
class and the transfer of a member from one class to another shall
be by the Council. |
| 13. |
Every proposal
for admission, election or transfer shall be on a form approved by
the Council and shall be forwarded to the Membership Secretary at
the office of the Society. |
| 14.
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When a candidate
has been admitted or elected, as the case may be, the Membership
Secretary shall give him/her notice thereof in a form approved by
the Council. Payment of the membership subscription should accompany
the candidate's application. Notwithstanding his/her admission or
election by the Council, the candidate shall enter into membership
only upon receipt by the Society of the aforesaid subscription. Once
the monies due have been received, the candidate's name shall be
added to the appropriate Register and he/she shall be given a
Certificate of Admission, the details on which shall include the
Member's name, class of membership, date of admission thereto and
his/her registered number. |
| 15.
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When an
application for transfer has been approved by the Council, the
Membership Secretary shall advise the applicant to this effect in a
form approved by the Council. Any transfer fee imposed by the
Council shall thereupon fall due for payment. Notwithstanding the
approval of the transfer by Council, the applicant shall not enter
into the class of membership to which his/her transfer has been
approved until the aforesaid transfer fee has been received by the
Society. Upon receipt of the monies due, the applicant's name shall
be added to the class of member in the Register to which he/she has
transferred and deleted from the class of member from which he/she
has been transferred, and he shall be given a new Membership Card,
the details on which shall include the Member's name, the class of
membership and his/her new registered number. |
| 16. |
Any Certificate
issued under the provision of these Regulations shall remain the
property of the Society and shall be returned to the Society when
the Member to whom it was issued ceases, for any reason whatsoever,
to be a Member of the Society. |
| 17.
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Where the
Council decides against admission, election or transfer as the case
may be, the applicant shall be advised of the outcome of his/her
application without any reasons being given for the Council's
decision. Such reasons shall not be recorded in the minutes of the
meeting at which the decision was taken, nor shall any mention be
made of any non-admission, non-election or non-transfer in any
publication of the Society. |
| 18. |
The Council may
re-admit to membership any person whose membership has terminated
from any cause, provided he/she is worthy of re-admission any pays
such amounts, if any, in respect of arrears of subscription and
other charges as the Council shall determine. |
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Return from
Members |
| 19.
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On or about the
first day of July in each year, or at such other time as the Council
may decide, every Member shall make a return to the Society in such
form as the Council may prescribe, notifying a place of business or
residence as his/her registered address. If any Member shall fail to
give a registered address, he/she shall not be entitled to receive
notice of General Meetings of the Society and no such meetings shall
be invalidated by reason of his/her not having received such notice. |
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Annual
Subscriptions |
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20.
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(A)
(B) |
Unless otherwise resolved by the
Council, the annual subscriptions shall be due and payable by each
Member on the first day of July in each year.
The Council may, from time to time and
at is absolute discretion, prescribe an increase in such fees and
subscriptions provided: |
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(i)
(ii)
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that the date
of effect of any such increase shall be the first day of July next
following the date of the Council resolution so to increase such
dues; and
that the amount of
any such increase shall not exceed twenty percentum of the amount
payable by Members in respect of the year in which the Council's
decision to increase fees and subscriptions is made. |
| 21.
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Should, in the
opinion of the Council, it be necessary to increase fees and
subscriptions with effect from a date other than the first day of
July as aforesaid, or by an amount in excess of the twenty percentum
stipulated in the preceding Regulation, then any such recommendation
form the Council shall be considered at an Annual or Extraordinary
General Meeting and and shall require the consent of a simple
majority of those present and voting before coming into force. |
| 22. |
A full year's
subscription shall be payable on admission. However, where the date
of admission is on or after the first day of January in any year,
then an amount equal to one half of the subscription payable on
admission shall be due. |
| 23.
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When
a Member transfers from one class of membership to another, the
subscription payable in respect of the class to which he/she is
transferred shall not become payable by him/her until the first day
of July next following the date of transfer. The Member shall be
decided by the Council. having regard to the date of any such
transfer and other relevant circumstances. |
| 24. |
In cases of
hardship, the Council may suspend or waive payment of the
subscription payable by any Member on such terms and for such period
as it may think fit. |
| 25. |
If a Member
resigns from or forfeits his/her membership for any reason
whatsoever, he/she shall not be entitled to any refund of his/her
subscription unless and until the Council at its absolute discretion
shall decide otherwise. |
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Retirement
from and Forfeiture of Membership |
| 26.
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Any Member
wishing to resign his/her membership shall tender written notice to
the Council and, on its acceptance, his membership shall cease
accordingly. Any Member giving such notice shall remain liable to
pay any subscription or other sums due from him at the date of such
notice. |
| 27.
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Any member shall
ipso facto cease to be a Member in the event of his/her
annual subscription or other sum payable by him/her to the Society
being in arrears for three months from the date on which such
subscription or other sum became payable, provided that the Council
shall have power to suspend the operation of this Regulation in any
case in which they are of the opinion that it is reasonable to do
so. A person who has ceased to be a Member under this or the
preceding Regulation may be re-admitted to membership by the Council
on such conditions as it may think fit. |
| 28.
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If any Member
shall become bankrupt or shall make or agree to make an assignment
for the benefit of his/her creditors or shall make any arrangement
or composition with his/her creditors or execute any similar deed or
agreement or shall take or attempt to take the benefit of any
statutory provision for arrangement with his/her creditors, he/she
shall ipso facto cease to be a Member, but the Council may
re-admit him/her to membership on such conditions as it may think
fit. |
| 29. |
Any person
ceasing by death, resignation or otherwise to be a Member of the
Society shall not, nor shall his/her representatives, have any claim
upon or interest in the funds of the Society. |
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