The Council
Procedure for the election of Officers
At its meeting in February (PJ, February 12, p249), the Council of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society approved a new, more open mechanism for the election of the Society's President, Vice-President and Treasurer.
It also agreed that job specifications for the roles of these Officers should be formulated and published to the membership. The job specifications are set out in the panels and this and the next page.
Open election
The Council decided that the election of the Officers should be held entirely in open business, with the voting recorded, at the start of business on the Wednesday of the June Council meeting. Candidates for election could either be nominated by other members of Council or be self-nominated. For the Presidency, the closing date for nominations would be the Friday 11 days before the first day of the June Council meeting. For the posts of Vice-President and Treasurer, nominations would be taken at the end of a 15-minute break following the election of the President.
The Council also resolved that all candidates for the Presidency should be required to produce an address of up to 1,000 words to demonstrate how they measured up to the job specification and to set out their policies.
This year's June Council meeting is on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 6 and 7, and Council members are being asked to submit nominations and the texts of candidates' addresses by May 26. Accompanied by data about the candidates' previous performance as Council members, the statements will be distributed to reach Council members by May 30, one week before the June Council meeting.
Confidentiality
The Council has agreed that the identity of the candidates and the content of their addresses, should be treated as confidential until after the election has taken place. It has adapted the existing Council election editorial code of conduct for house and member magazines to preclude editorial comment. Letters have been sent to the editors of pharmacy publications asking them to comply with an embargo on the identity of nominees and the content of their addresses until after the election has been held. Once the elections have been completed, the names of the candidates and the address prepared by the successful candidate will be published and the statements of all other candidates will also be placed in the public domain.
The Council's February decisions followed consideration of a series of options in a paper produced by a working group after the Council's previous meeting.
Council role remits
The Council also agreed to draft an outline of the role of all the Society's Officers, together with generic profiles for Council members as Officers, for Council members generally and for Council members as committee chairmen and as committee members. These role remits are not being published here because they are intended only to provide an interim specification until they can be reviewed by the Council's steering group on corporate governance, which is to consider roles and accountabilities at a forthcoming meeting.
Role remit: the President
1. The office of President
The office of President is specified in the Charter and the powers and duties, qualifications and terms of office are determined by the Byelaws.
The President is elected annually by the Council at the first meeting following the annual general meeting and is designated as an Officer of the Society.
The President shall hold office so long as he or she is a member of Council and elected to the position. The annual term of office runs from the first Council meeting held after the annual general meeting.
2. Role focus
The President provides effective leadership for the Council and promotes the Council's agreed strategies for the profession in the public arena.
3. Remit of the President
(i) To preside at all meetings of the Council acting as a facilitator to ensure that decisions reflect the collective view
(ii) To communicate the Council's agreed strategies and policies to the membership
(iii) To officiate at all general meetings of the members including the annual general meeting and any special general meeting convened by the Council
(iv) To be an ex officio member of all committees and assist in assessing their effectiveness
(v) To be an ex officio member of the Scottish Executive of the Society
(vi) To be an ex officio member of the Welsh Executive of the Society
(vii) To represent and further the views of the Society at meetings with Ministers and leaders of other professions and other pharmaceutical bodies
(viii) To represent and further the Society interests in the public arena
(ix) To represent the Society at appropriate meetings overseas
(x) To preside at the meeting of auditors held prior to the annual general meeting to certify and sign the accounts
(xi) To attest the affixing of the Common Seal of the Society
(xii) To undertake the duties of the Society's Officers
4. Term of office
The President is elected annually. The post is subject to re-election with a maximum term of office of three consecutive years.
5. Eligibility for office
The President must be a member of Council and a pharmacist.
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Role remit: the Vice-President
1. The office of Vice-President
The office of Vice-President is specified in the Charter and the powers and duties, qualifications and terms of office are determined by the Byelaws.
The Vice-President is elected annually by the Council at the first meeting following the annual general meeting and is designated as an Officer of the Society.
The Vice-President shall hold office so long as he or she is a member of Council and elected to the position. The annual term of office runs from the first Council meeting following the annual general meeting.
2. Role focus
The Vice-President has a particular focus on monitoring the overall effectiveness of the organisation and may deputise for the President on occasions when he or she is absent.
3. Remit of the Vice-President
(i) In the absence of the President, to preside at all meetings of the Council acting as a facilitator to ensure that decisions reflect the collective view
(ii) To communicate the Council's strategies and policies to the membership
(iii) To officiate at general meetings of the members including the annual general meeting and any special general meeting convened by the Council in the absence of the President
(iv) To be an ex officio member of all committees and assist in assessing their effectiveness
(v) On behalf of the President to monitor the activities of committees and their chairmen and the overall effectiveness of the organisation
(vi) To be an ex officio member of the Scottish Executive of the Society
(vii) To be an ex officio member of the Welsh Executive of the Society
(viii) To deputise for the Present on such other occasions as may be required
(ix) To attest the fixing of the Common Seal of the Society
(x) To undertake the duties of the Society's Officers
4. Term of office
The Vice-President is elected annually.
The Vice-President should normally be expected to remain in office for more than one year but will be subject annual to re-election. The maximum term of office is three consecutive years.
5. Eligibility for office
The Vice-President must be a member of Council and a pharmacist.
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Role remit: the Treasurer
1. The office of Treasurer
The office of Treasurer is specified in the Charter and the powers and duties, qualifications and terms of office are determined by the Byelaws.
The Treasurer is elected annually by the Council at the first meeting following the annual general meeting and is designated as an Officer of the Society.
The Treasurer shall hold office so long as he or she is a member of Council and elected to the position.The annual term of office runs from the first meeting of the Council held after the annual general meeting.
2. Role focus
The Treasurer ensures that the Society's financial affairs are conducted with probity, accountability and transparency.
3. Remit of the Treasurer
(i) To chair the Resource Management Committee which maintains an overview of the overall resource management of the organisation
(ii) As chairman of the Resource Management Committee, to assess budgetary monitoring
(iii) To undertake the duties of the Society's Officers
4. Term of office
The Treasurer is elected annually.
The Treasurer should normally be expected to remain in office for more than one year but will be subject to annual re-election. The maximum term of office is three consecutive years.
5. Eligibility for office
The Treasurer must be a member of Council and a pharmacist.
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