The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 277 No 7423 p492
21 October 2006

Society summary

Revised role description for the Treasurer agreed by the Council

A revised role description for the Treasurer of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has been agreed by the Society's Council.

Among the main changes, which were agreed at the October Council meeting on the recommendation of the Governance Committee, is that the Treasurer will in future chair the Resource Management Committee, taking over that role from the Vice-President. The Governance Committee believed that having the Treasurer as chairman would provide a better link between the Treasurer and the director of finance and resources.

The Council agreed to amend the role description in the Council Governance Handbook. It was noted, however, that the role description in the Byelaws could not be superseded until the Council had agreed Regulations on the future structure and functions of the Officers.

The Council also agreed that the remit of the Treasurer should in future be: (i) to monitor the implementation of the Society’s financial resources; (ii) to chair the Resource Management Committee and in that capacity to report any major deviations from agreed budgets to the Council, to comment to the Council on the financial implications of implementing the Council’s policies and to report and advise the Council on the committee’s views and recommendations; and (iii) to undertake the duties of an Officer of the Society.

It was also agreed that the Treasurer should continue to be a pharmacist member of Council. He or she would be elected annually and would be expected to serve as Treasurer for up to three years, subject to annual re-election.

During the Council’s debate there was some disagreement over whether the Treasurer should chair the Resource Management Committee. Mr Dajani said that in his experience the committee benefited from having a different chairman. It was more enriching if the Treasurer was a participating member of the committee rather than being bound by the shackles of being chairman.

Michael Schofield, supporting Mr Dajani, said that it disempowered the Treasurer to expect him or her to chair the meeting as well.

Douglas Simpson said that he disagreed with Professor Schofield and Mr Dajani, Because of his overarching responsibility to maintain the financial integrity of the Society, the Treasurer should chair Resource Management Committee meetings, just as the President took the chair at Council meetings.

The Treasurer pointed out that for many years the Resource Management Committee [or its predecessor, the Finance Committee] had been chaired by the Treasurer. It was only a few years ago that the change had been made.

On a vote, the Council agreed that the Treasurer should chair the Resource Management Committee as from the new Council calendar starting in June 2007.