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Constitution

Constitution and rules

Adopted at the Branch AGM held on 8 April 2001 and subsequently approved by Council on 11 July 2001.

1. Name

The Branch shall be known as the Irish Branch of The Institute of Physics.

For activities within Ireland the title 'The Institute of Physics in Ireland' may be used.

2. Definitions

In these Rules terms used shall be defined according to the definitions given in the Charter and Bylaws of The Institute of Physics. In addition:

  • 'Branch' means the Irish Branch of The Institute of Physics.
  • 'Branch Members' means those Members who belong to the Branch as defined under Rule 4.
  • 'Voting Members' means those who are eligible to vote at Committee Meetings and include Officers, Ordinary Members and co-opted members of the Committee.
  • 'Institute Director' means the Director of the Institute of Physics responsible for Branches or equivalent person deputising in his/her absence.

 

3. Objectives

The objectives of the Branch shall be to further the object of the Institute. Activities may include:

  • promoting physics to non-specialist audiences
  • arranging activities for young people to highlight the career options open to students of physics
  • arranging activities to support teachers of physics at all levels
  • arranging visits to laboratories, research establishments and works likely to be of interest to Branch Members
  • arranging discussions on matters of relevance and concern to members as professional physicists or to physics as a profession
  • notifying members of meetings, in the Branch area, of other scientific societies or organisations likely to be of interest to Branch Members
  • acting as a link between the Institute and the governments/executives of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
  • celebrating the history of physics and physicists
  • acting as a link between the Institute and the regional media within the Branch's territory
  • such other activities as are conducive to the attainment of the Institute's aims.

 

4. Membership

The Branch Members shall be those Members and Affiliates whose correspondence address maintained with the Institute is within the area assigned to the Branch by the Council, as well as those members elsewhere who have recorded with the Institute their wish to maintain links with the Branch.

A person who ceases to be either a Member or an Affiliate shall ipso facto cease to be a Branch Member.

5. Officers

The Officers of the Branch shall be a Chair, together with a Vice Chair, an Honorary Secretary and an Honorary Treasurer. Nothing shall prevent two persons from sharing the latter three posts. Only Branch Members shall be eligible to be Officers of the Branch and in accordance with the Bylaws of the Institute they must be Corporate Members of the Institute except where otherwise agreed by Council.

6. Committee

The affairs of the Branch shall be managed by a Committee comprising the Officers of the Branch together with (normally) not more than twelve Ordinary Members of the Committee, unless otherwise provided by the attached Schedule, and such additional members as may be co-opted from time to time under Rule 10. The structure and functions of the Committee shall be organised according to the attached Schedule.

Only Branch Members shall be eligible for membership of the Committee. In accordance with the Bylaws of the Institute the majority of the Ordinary Members of the Committee must be Corporate Members except where otherwise agreed by Council.

Decisions of the Committee shall be by a simple majority of those present. In the case of an equality of votes the chair of the meeting shall have an additional, casting, vote.

The Branch Committee or Chair may appoint representatives or co-ordinators who may be invited to attend Branch Committee meetings but not, unless elected or co-opted under 8 or 10 below, be entitled to vote as Committee Members.

7. Period of Office for Officers of the Branch and Ordinary Members of the Committee

The Officers of the Branch and the Ordinary Members of the Committee shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting, and shall be eligible for immediate re-election up to a maximum period of four years. After four years in post no Officer of the Branch or Ordinary Member of the Committee may be re-elected in the same capacity until two years have elapsed. Exceptionally any terms of office exceeding those listed shall be authorised by a separate resolution at a General Meeting.

8. Election of, and Nominations for, Officers of the Branch and Ordinary Members of the Committee

Vacancies for Officers of the Branch and Ordinary Members of the Committee shall be filled by election at the Annual General Meeting of the Branch.

The Committee shall ensure that the members of the Branch are informed of the membership of the committee, including details of those standing down or no longer eligible to serve. The Committee shall also advise the Branch membership of its own nominations for the next committee. This notification shall be issued at least twenty-one days before the Annual General Meeting. Members shall be invited to make further nominations, which shall be proposed by not less than two Branch Members and be accompanied by the consent of the nominee.

9. Casual Vacancies

The Committee shall select from the existing Officers of the Branch or Ordinary Members of the Committee (who shall be a Corporate Member) to fill any casual vacancy arising among the Officers between Annual General Meetings. That selection shall be by simple majority of the total membership of the Committee, whether present or not. Officers taking office through this process shall stand down at the next Annual General Meeting. They shall be eligible for election to the post vacated; the period served as a co-opted member of the Committee shall not be taken into account (see Rule 7).

The Committee may co-opt from Branch Members to fill casual vacancies amongst Ordinary Members of the Committee arising between Annual General Meetings. Members so co-opted shall retire in accordance with clause 10.

10. Co-option to the Committee

The Committee shall have power to co-opt members up to a maximum of one-third of the total membership of the Committee as may be required from time to time for special purposes. This might include members of other Institute committees or other professional bodies for the purpose of programme co-ordination.

Co-opted members shall be eligible to vote at Committee meetings.

Co-opted members shall stand down at the next Annual General Meeting. They shall be eligible for reappointment by the Committee as co-opted members for no more than three successive reappointments.

11. Quorum for Committee Meetings

At Committee Meetings, one third of the voting membership or five members (whichever is the greater), at least two of whom shall be Officers of the Branch, shall constitute a quorum. Decisions made at a meeting that is not quorate can be ratified by agreement by the necessary number of members by correspondence (including e-mail) after the meeting.

12. Annual General Meeting

A General Meeting of the Branch shall be held annually, except in exceptional circumstances, to elect Officers of the Branch and Ordinary Members of the Committee and to transact other business. Notification of the date and the Agenda for any Annual General Meeting shall be sent to all Branch Members at least twenty-one days before the meeting. Any Branch Member wishing to bring forward business of a character suitable for consideration at the meeting shall give notice of his/her intention in writing to the Honorary Secretary at least seven days before the meeting.

13. Extraordinary General Meeting

An Extraordinary General Meeting of the Branch shall be called by the Honorary Secretary following a decision of the Committee, or on receipt of a written request signed by not less than ten Members of the Branch, and shall take place within eight weeks of the receipt by him/her of such instructions or request if these so specify. Notification of the date and the Agenda for any Extraordinary General Meeting shall be sent to all members of the Branch at least twenty-one days before the meeting and shall not contain any other business other than that instructed by the Committee or requested by the members.

14. Quorum for General Meetings

Twelve members of the Branch, or 1.5% of the Branch membership, whichever is the smaller, present in person shall constitute a quorum at an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting.

Votes may be given at General Meetings in person only, and either by show of hands or by ballot, as determined by those present by a show of hands. Each Branch Member in attendance shall have one vote. In the case of an equality of votes, whether on a show of hands or on a ballot, the chair of the meeting shall have an additional, casting vote.

15. Finances

The Branch shall be responsible for the management of its finances, using a bank account opened by the Institute under the name of the Branch. The signatures of any two Officers of the Branch shall be required for all bank instruments over £100. The signature of any one Officer of the Branch shall be required for all bank instruments under or equal to £100.

In August each year the Honorary Treasurer shall submit to the Institute Director an agreed Budget for the ensuing year. The Institute Director will arrange the transfer of approved funds to the Branch's bank account. In January of each year the Honorary Treasurer shall submit to the Institute Director a statement of Income and Expenditure for the preceding year.

16. Communications on behalf of the Institute

In accordance with the Bylaws, the Branch shall not express opinions on behalf of or in the name of the Institute, except (a) where it is imparting factual information or existing Institute views or statements, or (b) with the prior agreement of Council or a Director acting on behalf of Council. In cases where the Branch is asked by the governments/executives within its territory to comment on matters under the control of those governments/executives, the Branch via the Chair or Secretary may respond subject to prior communication with the relevant Director appropriate to the topic and timescale of the inquiry.

17. Authority of the Constitution and Rules

Alterations or additions to the Constitution and Rules shall be proposed by the Chairs of Branches Committee and considered at an Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Branch called for the purpose. The proposed alterations or additions shall be set out in full in the notice calling the meeting, and may not be amended at the meeting. Such alterations or additions shall be approved for submission to the Council only if supported by a majority vote of those members present and voting at the meeting. The amendments shall not operate unless and until they have received the approval of the Council.

Alterations or additions to the Schedule attached to the Constitution and Rules shall be made at an Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Branch called for the purpose. . The proposed alterations or additions shall be set out in full in the notice calling the meeting, and may not be amended at the meeting. Such alterations or additions shall be approved for ratification by the Council only if supported by a majority vote of those members present and voting at the meeting.

The Branch and its members shall be subject in all things to the Institute's Charter and Bylaws.

Where the Institute's Charter and Bylaws and these rules are silent the decision of the Committee shall stand.


Schedule

Branch Structure

The Branch shall operate through the island of Ireland: ideally, the distribution of Officers and Committee will reflect the membership in the two jurisdictions on the island.

Officers

The Officers shall comprise:

  • A Chair
  • A Co-Chair
  • An Honorary Secretary
  • An Honorary Treasurer

 

Chair and Co-Chair

The office of Chair shall rotate biennially between the two jurisdictions on the island of Ireland. Chair shall serve for a maximum of two years but may remain on the committee for a further two years.

Co-Chair shall come from the jurisdiction other than that of the current Chair. Co-Chair will serve as Vice Chair for a maximum of two years. The current Co-Chair may be nominated for election to Chair when that office reverts to his/her jurisdiction.

Committee Structure

The Committee shall comprise:

  • The Officers
  • The IOP Representative
  • Ordinary Members in the following capacities:
    • Past Chair
    • Representatives for Education and Industry Sub-groups
    • Newsletter Editor
    • Student Representative
    • Other Ordinary Members (provided that the total number of Ordinary Members does not exceed that defined in clause 6)
  • Co-opted Members (numbers as defined in clause 10)

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