Shortage of candidates means no ballot needed in Council election
For the first time in many years (see Panel below), no ballots are
necessary in this year's elections to the Council of the Royal Pharmaceutical
Society.
The election of six pharmacists to unreserved places has attracted the
same number of valid nominations and in the election of one pharmacy
technician there is only one candidate.
Ballot-free election years
The last time there was no Council election
was during the 1939–45
war. In each of the three years 1941, 1942 and 1943 the sitting
Council obtained a postponement of the election under the Chartered
and Other
Bodies (Temporary Provisions) Acts 1939 and 1941. When the election
resumed in 1944 the number of candidates for the seven places was
a record 40.
The last year in which an election was called but there were not
enough candidates to hold a ballot was 1919, when 10 candidates
were nominated for the seven places available but only seven of
them were
willing to serve. However, the following year’s election attracted
22 candidates — the largest number for many years.
Two other years early in the 20th century were also without a ballot.
In both 1907 and 1915 there were 12 nominations but in each case
only seven of the nominees were willing to serve on the Council. |
In a formal notice, the Society
says: “Following the close of
nominations on 2 March 2007, and completion of validation of nominations,
the first
part of the election has been concluded. The second part of the election
is the ballot. However, this year, for both pharmacists and pharmacy
technicians, the number of candidates standing does not exceed the number
of places for which they have been nominated. Accordingly, those candidates
have been declared elected.”
The shortage of candidates means that Gerald Alexander (Vice-President),
John Jolley (Treasurer) and John Gentle have been declared re-elected.
They are joined on the Council by new members Steve Churton, Sue Kilby
and Cathryn Leask. All will serve for three years.
Mr Churton is assistant pharmacy superintendent of Boots The Chemists
Ltd. Mrs Kilby is head of UK business for Total Healthcare Solutions
and a former head of practice for the Society. Miss Leask is a consultant
pharmacist for Boots The Chemists Ltd in Southport. She was an unsuccessful
candidate in the recent elections to the Society’s English Pharmacy
Board.
The three new pharmacist Council members succeed Sid Dajani, Davan Eustace
and Steve Wells. Mr Dajani was not eligible for re-election (but was
recently elected to the new English Pharmacy Board). Ms Eustace and Mr
Wells chose not to seek re-election.
In the election of one pharmacy technician to serve on the Council for
the next three years, the only candidate was Steve Acres. Like Miss Leask,
Mr Acres was an unsuccessful candidate in the recent elections to the
English Pharmacy Board.
Mr Acres succeeds Corinne Hunt, who chose not to seek re-election.
Mrs Hunt told The Journal: “I have enjoyed every minute of my time
engaged with the Council of the Society and have chosen not to stand
for re-election for personal reasons. I have been honoured and privileged
to work with my Council colleagues for the past two years and will certainly
miss the rapport I have been lucky enough to achieve with this hugely
diverse group of people.
“The staff of the Society are unsurpassable. I have never met a
more dedicated and hard-working team. They deserve the highest praise
that can possibly
be given and are all wonderful professionals, from those on the reception
desk to the Secretary and Registrar. I would like to thank them for all
the help, advice and information they have given me over the past couple
of years.
“I am not breaking all my links with London as I have been lucky
enough to be selected to work on one of the new post-Section 60 regulatory
committees.
I am looking forward to this new challenge enormously.
“I would like to also take this opportunity to wish my successor,
Steve Acres, the best of luck. I know he will enjoy the work as much
as I have.”
The newly electd Council mambers will serve for three years from 17 May.
Although there will be no ballot, biographical details, photographs and
declarations of relevant interests for the new Council members appear
for
the information of readers (PDF 50K).
Official
Notice p353 |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal