The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 276 No 7389 p244
25 February 2006

Society summary

Martin Astbury elected to work with Officers group

Martin Astbury has been elected as an additional member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Council to work with the Officers group while there is no one on the Council to fulfil the immediate past president's role.

The election, during the February Council meeting, followed the adoption of a recommendation from the Governance Committee, which had been asked to look into the issue in June 2005 because the only past president on the 2005–06 Council, Hemant Patel, had been elected President.

The committee recommended that an additional Council member should be designated to work with the Officers group “until such time as there is an immediate past president serving on the Council and not already elected to an officer role”. The committee also recommended that the additional member should be drawn from the whole Council — even though an immediate past president would be a pharmacist member of Council.

The committee further recommended the adoption of a role description for the additional member, which was: “The additional member of Council working with the Officers group shall contribute to the Officers group discussions from their own experience and understanding of the Society’s and the Council’s functions, drawing on their experiences and, wherever possible, taking into account the views of the other Council members.”

Finally, the committee recommended that the additional member should be chosen by election, with nominations of candidates made on the first day of a Council meeting and election by secret ballot at the beginning of the second day.

Following the Council’s acceptance of the committee’s recommendations, the President called for nominations.

Corinne Hunt was nominated by Marcia Saunders, seconded by Sylvia Hikins.

Graham Phillips was nominated by Seema Agha, seconded by Stephen Denyer.

Martin Astbury was nominated by Alan Kershaw, seconded by David Thomson.

In a first ballot on the following morning, no candidate had more than 50 per cent of the vote. After the elimination of the candidate with the fewest votes, Mrs Hunt, a second ballot was held, in which the votes were tied. In a third ballot, Mr Astbury was successful.