BETA Rules and Regulations

1. Name

The name of the Society shall be the “British Embryo Technology Association”.

2. Objects

The Society shall be non-party political and non-sectarian.
The objects of the Society shall be:

(a) to circulate knowledge and general information on Animal Embryo Technologies,

(b) to be the liaison point between the industry and other bodies,

(d) to guide safe and acceptable practices in Animal Embryological Technologies,

(e) to be a focal point for members on Embryo technologies including being a liaison point with relevant Government departments,

(f) to ensure that all present and future Members receive fair and equal treatment.

3. Powers

In order to achieve its objects the Society shall be entitled to:

(a) Raise money,

(b) open bank account,

(d) rent and manage premises,

(e) employ staff,

(f) organise events,

(g) work with other bodies,

(h) do anything that is a lawful which will help to fulfil its objects.

4. Constitution and Membership

(a) The Society shall consist of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Honorary Members (as and when decided), Members and other Officers as elected by the Committee.

(b) All Members shall be subject to the Rules and Regulations by joining the Society and shall be deemed to accept the policies and codes of conducted that the Society has adopted.

(c) Becoming a paid BETA member indicates you have agreed to the terms and conditions and accept that each member will send in their APHA figures to the secretary anonymised and shared internationally.

(d) All Members joining the society must adhere to the BETA code of practice.

(e) Membership of the Society shall be open to any person over 18 or any other society who is interested in helping the Society to achieve its objects and willing to pay any subscription agreed by the Committee.

(f) Membership of the Society shall be available without regard to gender, nationality, disability, sexual preference, religion or belief.

5. Election of Members

(a) Every candidate for election as a Member of the Society shall be required to fill up a form specifying his or her name and place of residence. The application for election shall be accompanied by the amount of enrolment fee and subscription and shall be considered within one calendar month of its receipt by the Chairman of the Committee and the Secretary. These Officers shall have power to elect a Member, but the Committee only shall have power to reject an application.

(b) The Committee shall have power to elect any person an Honorary Member for life or any shorter period.

6. Affiliation of societies

The Committee shall have power to affiliate societies and kindred institutions interested in Animal Technologies. An application for affiliation shall be accompanied by an enrolment fee and the amount of the subscription, and where applicable by a copy of the rules of the society or institution making the application, together with a list of its Officers: any subsequent changes in such rules or list shall be notified to the Society.

7. Subscriptions

(a) Subscriptions payable to the Society by Members shall be determined by a resolution discussed at an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting, and shall take effect at the rate determined as from the 1st January following such meeting.

(b) Subscriptions payable to the Society by Members may be varied by resolution of the Committee without the necessity of a General Meeting and Postal Ballot provided that the resulting percentage increase since the subscription was last determined by postal ballot does not exceed the percentage increase over the same period in the Retail Price Index published by HM Government, the Society’s Auditor to confirm in writing that this proviso is met.

(c) Members elected between 1st July and 30th November in any year, shall only be required to pay half the subscription for that year. The subscriptions of Members elected in December shall hold good to the end of the year ensuing.

(d) All subscriptions shall become due on election and no-one shall be entitled to any privilege until such subscription has been paid. Annual subscriptions shall subsequently become due in advance on the 1st January in each year.

(e) Subscriptions of Members, and Affiliated Societies unpaid on 1st March following shall be considered in arrear and no Member or Society so in arrear with their subscription shall be entitled to vote or enjoy any of the privileges of Membership.

8. Withdrawal of Members

Members or an affiliated society, whose subscription has been paid may, at any time, withdraw from the Society on giving notice in writing to the Secretary, but if such notice be not received by 30th November, the retiring Members, or Affiliated society, will be required to pay the annual subscription for the ensuing year.

9. Removal of Members, etc.

(a) Any complaint against a Member or other person for having failed to observe any of the Rules or Regulations of the Society, or for being guilty of discreditable conduct, may be investigated by the Committee. Such complaint must be made in writing, and due notice of its nature must be given to each member of the Committee, and a copy of the complaint posted to the Member against whom the complaint is made at least seven days before the same will be heard by the Committee. The Member concerned shall be informed of the date and about the time when the complaint will be considered, and they shall have the privilege of being present with any witnesses should they desire, otherwise any evidence they wish to place before the Committee must be submitted in writing. The Committee’s decision in the matter shall be final. Every such complaint, unless made by an official of the Society having no personal interest in the matter, must be accompanied by the deposit of an amount, to be set by the committee, and to be reviewed annually, which shall be liable to forfeiture should the Committee consider the complaint a frivolous one, or one which should not have been made. The Committee shall be empowered, should the complaint be upheld, to suspend the person from the Association.

(b) Any Member suspended under Rule 9 shall not be eligible to become, or remain, a Member of any Society, Club or other Association affiliated with the British Embryo Technologies Association during the period of suspension.

10. Privileges of Members

All Members, after paying their subscription, shall be entitled to the following privileges:

(a) To vote on matters requiring members approval.

(b) Full Members will be entitled to receive a copy of relevant publications issued by the Association.

11. General Meetings

(a) The Annual General Meeting shall be held annually at such time and place as may be determined by the Committee. The notice convening the meeting, together with the Report of the Committee and a Statement of Accounts duly audited and signed, shall be forwarded to each Member of the Society at least seven days prior to the holding of the Annual General Meeting. At the Annual General Meeting the Report and the Accounts shall be submitted for adoption, the election of the President, Vice-Presidents, and Auditor for the ensuing year shall take place and, every third year, the results of the postal ballot for the Committee for the next three years shall be announced. The quorum of a General Meeting shall be seven Members, the Chairman of the Meeting to have a casting vote in addition to his vote as a Member.

(b) Nominations for the office of President can be made only from and by Members of the Society. The nomination of candidates shall be made in writing, and forwarded to the Secretary on or before one month prior to the election. The nomination form must be signed by two members of the Society acting as proposer and seconder and be countersigned by the candidate. The names of candidates so nominated shall be listed on the notice convening the AGM. The proposer may submit, on behalf of the candidate, to the Secretary by 31st January prior to the election, an election address of not more than 150 words. A copy of each address shall be sent to members with the notice convening the AGM. The President shall be elected biennially at the Annual General Meeting.

(c) An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called at any time by the Committee, and shall be convened on a requisition in writing signed by the Committee. At such Extraordinary General Meeting the only business after the election of the Chairman shall be the consideration of the special matter for which the meeting is called.

12. Management

(a) The management of the affairs of the Society shall be conducted by the Committee comprising.

(b) The quorum of the Committee shall be five.

(c) Any suggested alteration, addition or amendment to the Regulations in force shall only be considered by the Committee provided such alteration, addition or amendment has been submitted to the Secretary in writing and signed by proposer and seconder (who must be members of the Committee). The proposal must be received by the Secretary at least 35 days prior to a Committee meeting if it is to be placed on the Agenda for that meeting. The Secretary will inform members of the proposal. The Secretary will then ensure the proposal is placed upon the Agenda of the first Committee meeting after the end of the 35 day period, together with the names of the proposer and seconder.

(d) At this meeting of the Committee, the proposal shall be moved and seconded, discussed, questions asked thereon and information obtained and a vote shall be taken. Any Committee Member not able to attend the voting meeting, shall be able to record his or her vote in writing to the Secretary, provided such a vote is received at least two clear days before the date of the voting meeting. Any resolution which obtains a majority shall be declared carried by the Chairman, but shall not take effect (except as hereinafter provided) until the first day of January following the date on which the resolution is passed. In the case of urgent matters (and the Committee shall have full discretion on such questions) a resolution shall come into force on the date fixed by the Committee provided eighty percent of the Members of the Committee entitled to vote (having been present at the meeting) are in favour.

(e) Any financials relating to the society will require one signatory to approve a financial transaction. The committee members empowered as signatories are the chairman, treasurer and secretary.

13. Election of the Committee

(a) Members shall be elected to the Committee triennially. The nomination of candidates can be made only from and by Members of BETA. The nomination of candidates shall be made in writing, and be forwarded to the Secretary on or before 35 days prior to the election. The nomination form must be signed by two Members of the Society acting as proposer and seconder and be countersigned by the candidate. No Member shall be entitled to act as proposer or seconder for more than one candidate in each election. A list of such nominations, together with the names of the existing Committee, except any that have signified their intention not to offer themselves for re-election previous to the abovementioned date, shall be prepared by the secretary and they will be voted upon during the AGM.

(b) In the event of no nominations having been received within the specified time the Committee shall be re-elected for the ensuing three years.

14. Resolutions for General Meetings

(a) Any resolution or amendment for consideration at an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting shall be proposed and seconded by Members of the Society. Any resolution or amendment submitted in writing shall be signed by the proposer and seconder.

(b) Any resolution which it is desired to propose at the Annual General Meeting, other than the routine matters specifically mentioned in Rule 11 (c), shall be submitted in writing and be received by the Secretary not later than the 1st January prior to that meeting.

(c) All such resolutions shall be submitted by the Secretary to the Committee at its first meeting held after the 1st January, at which the Chairman shall give a ruling as to whether or not the resolution proposes or requires an amendment to the Rules. If, in his opinion, the resolution proposes or requires an amendment to the Rules it shall not go forward, as such resolutions can only be dealt with at an Extraordinary General Meeting held in accordance with Rules 12 (a) and 14 (j).

(d) All resolutions going forward under Rule 14 (g) shall be considered by the Committee and shall go forward to the Annual General Meeting if not less than one third of the Committee members present at the meeting are of the opinion that its subject matter is suitable and appropriate for discussion at the Annual General Meeting.

(e) All resolutions going forward to the Annual General Meeting in accordance with Rule 14 (c) shall be circulated together with the names of the proposer and seconder to all Members and any amendment or amendments thereto which it is desired to propose shall be submitted in writing and be received by the Secretary not later than the following 20th March.

(f) No resolution or amendment on any subject other than those specified on the Agenda can be dealt with at an Annual General Meeting unless Rule 14 (c) has been complied with, or the subject is mentioned in the Report of the Committee presented at that meeting.

(g) Any resolution which it is desired to propose at any Extraordinary General Meeting shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary at the same time as the meeting is requisitioned under Rule 12 (a).

(h) All resolutions submitted in accordance with Rule 14 (d) shall be circulated together with the names of the proposer and seconder to all members at least fourteen days prior to the meeting.

(i) At the Extraordinary General Meeting, providing the Members proposing and seconding (or some other Member representing them) are present to move the resolution standing in their names, the matter can be discussed and amendments to the resolution taken.

(j) The resolution shall go forward for postal voting unless a procedural motion is supported by not less than two thirds of the Members present at the meeting that the resolution is unsuitable or inappropriate for a postal ballot. At the end of the discussion on a resolution that is to go forward, the Chairman shall announce a provisional date for a postal vote on the matter, allowing time for a report of the discussion to reach the Members through the Journal or by some other means, and time for the submission of further amendments. The postal vote shall be carried out in accordance with Rule 14 (e).

(k) At the Extraordinary General Meeting, the only business after the election of the Chairman shall be the consideration of the special matter for which the meeting was called.

15. Personal data protection

In order to achieve its objects, the Society shall be entitled to carry out several personal data processing activities as a Data Controller within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and the laws and regulations ratifying, transposing, supplementing or replacing Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and the guidelines, recommendations or codes of good practice issued by the competent national supervisory authorities. Member agree that these processing operations are governed by the commitments set out in the Privacy Policy of the Society.

16. Postal Voting

All such resolutions and amendments shall then be circulated with the names of the proposers and seconders in the form of a voting paper and each Member shall have the privilege of recording his or her votes thereon by post by dating, signing and returning same. A vote can be recorded for or against any resolution and similarly, for or against any amendment (e.g. if there are three amendments to the resolution, the Member can vote for the resolution and against the three amendments or he or she can vote for one of the amendments and against the proposition and the remaining amendments). The completed voting paper shall be received by the Scrutineer appointed by the Committee not later than, and in accordance with the instructions specified thereon.

17. Alteration of Rules

The method for changing the Society’s Rules shall be for a resolution to be discussed at an Extraordinary General
Meeting and submitted to a postal ballot of Members in accordance with the provisions of Rules 12 (a), 14 (b), 14 (d) and 14 (e).

18. Dissolution

(a) The Society may be wound up at any time if agreed by a simple majority/two-third of the voting Members. The Society may only be dissolved by an Extraordinary General Meeting called for that purpose. Such a meeting shall come about following a proposal in writing signed by the simple majority/two-third of those remaining on the Committee being submitted to the Secretary.

(b) All members shall be informed of such a meeting at least 21 days before the date of the meeting.