OHNAI CONSTITUTION
Title: The title of the Association shall be ‘Occupational Health Nurses Association of Ireland’. (of Ireland to be used in headed paper etc.)
Object: To form a group of Nurses engaged in the practice of Occupational Health or any of its branches for the purposes of keeping in touch with the latest developments in Occupational Health, social intercourse and mutual help. These objects shall be attained through meetings, conferences, newsletters and other correspondences.
The Officers of the Association: The Officers of the Association shall be ordinary Members and shall consist of the following: The President, Past President, The Honorary Secretary, The Honorary Treasurer & The PRO (PRO being separate to secretary). The tenure of the President, The Honorary Secretary & The Honorary Treasurer on the Committee shall not be more that two consecutive years at a time. The Past President’s tenure on the Committee is for one year only, and then Vice President for one year. The President or his/her deputy shall in all matters have a casting vote.
Honorary Membership of Officers: Honorary Membership may be bestowed on any person at the discretion of the committee. Retired members are automatically eligible for honorary membership.
The Committee: The affairs of the Association shall be managed by a Committee which shall consist of the officers of the Association together with three Ordinary Members. Four members shall form a quorum of the Committee. The President may co-opt any Member of the Association to the Committee. Members so co-opted shall have no vote on the Committee. The Committee shall hold not less than four meetings in each year of office. The continuing Members of the Committee may act notwithstanding any vacancy in their body.
Casual Vacancies: The Committee may fill any casual vacancy occurring in the office of Officers or of the Committee but any Member so appointed shall retain his office as long only as the vacating Member in whose place he is appointed would have retained same if no vacancy had occurred. Members so appointed will be eligible to go forward for election at the next Annual General Meeting.
Election of Officers: Any two ordinary members may nominate any eligible Member of the Association for election to any office or to the Committee for the Annual General Meeting, provided that such nomination shall be in writing to the Honorary Secretary before the Annual General Meeting together with the nominees consent. The votes shall be counted at the Annual General Meeting of the Association.
Membership: Duly registered trained Nurses actively engaged in the practice of Occupational Health shall be eligible for membership. Nurses who are undertaking a recognized Occupational Health Nursing course or who have completed same shall be eligible for membership. A subsection of the Association may be established as required to meet the needs of the regional members. These sections must work within the realms of the constitution and inform the main committee of their undertakings
Application for Membership: Application for membership shall be made in writing to the Honorary Secretary. Acceptance for membership shall rest with the Committee. Election of Honorary Membership shall rest with the Association at a General Meeting of the Association, provided that names for election to such Honorary Membership shall only be submitted with the approval of the Committee.
Annual Subscription: At the Annual General Meeting of the Association, the amount of the Annual Subscription for the ensuing year should be decided by resolution of the Members. Annual Subscriptions shall be payable to the OHNAI each year.
Lapse of Membership: If the Annual Subscription due from any Member is not paid by March 1st a final notice calling for payment shall be sent to such Member by the Honorary Secretary and if the outstanding sum is not received within 14 days of posting such a notice, such Member shall automatically cease to be a Member of the Association.
Continuity of Membership: All Ordinary Members shall, within 3 months, notify the Honorary Secretary of any change in their status as defined in the Membership Rule above. Should the practice of an Ordinary Member change in such a way that he/she is no longer eligible to continue as an Ordinary Member under the Membership Rule above, such a Member shall resign Ordinary Membership. The Committee shall have power to investigate this Rule and take action if deemed necessary.
General Meetings: The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall ordinarily be held at the end of each year, but can be deferred for 3 months where necessary. At that meeting the Committee shall present a report of proceedings since the previous Annual General Meeting of the Association. Officers of the Association and Members of the Committee shall be elected. The Committee shall present a duly audited Statement of accounts. Membership of candidates shall be submitted for confirmation.
The Committee may from time to time appoint for such purposes as are thought fit sub-committees. The decision(s) of a sub-committee shall require the sanction of the Committee before becoming binding on the Association. The notice conveying the Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be circulation not less than seven days before the Meeting, together with the names nominated for election at the Annual General Meeting. A quorum at the General Meeting shall be 10 – 20 Members to vote.
On the direction of the Committee or on the request of not less than five Ordinary members of the Association, the Honorary Secretary shall convene an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Association of which not less than fourteen days notice specifying the business to be transacted shall be given.
Change of Constitution: This Constitution may be altered or rescinded by the Association in General Meeting provided, however that no motion for altering or rescinding the Constitution shall be proposed at any General Meeting unless the Committee for the Association shall first have approved of same. Notice of such a motion, if approved by the Committee, specifying the proposed alterations, shall be circulated with the notice convening the General Meeting of the Association.
