NAME OBJECTIVES AND PURPOSES
1.01 Name. The name of the society shall be THE BRITISH ELBOW AND SHOULDER SOCIETY.
1.02 Objectives and purpose. The objectives and purpose of the British Elbow and Shoulder Society (herein after referred to as BESS) shall be:
A. To foster and advance the science and practice of elbow and shoulder care through scientific meetings, educational programs and by encouraging research.
B. To organise regular interdisciplinary scientific meetings where health professionals interested in the elbow and shoulder can meet, discuss ideas, and present scientific material.
C. To strive to standardise assessment, scoring of disability, and nomenclature relevant to the elbow and shoulder. To improve quality of care by encouraging the national collection of scientific data and functional outcomes.
D. To function as an educational society to further learning through scientific meetings, educational Fellowships, and both knowledge- based and skills-based educational courses.
E. To foster research through scientific meetings, Fellowships and by encouraging research collaboration between members.
F. To cultivate international relationships in the field of elbow and shoulder care.
MEMBERSHIP
2.1 There will be two categories of membership.
A. HONORARY MEMBERS. This category of membership may be offered by the committee to eminent workers in the field who have contributed to the scientific study of the elbow and shoulder.
B. ORDINARY MEMBERS. This category of membership will be open to interested medical practitioners and members of allied disciplines.
2.2 Members are expected to remain active by attendance at one scientific meeting organised by BESS every two years. In the event of a member being unable to attend, he or she should communicate this to the Secretary in advance of the Business Meeting (AGM).
2.3 Failure to fulfil this commitment will result in loss of membership.
ELECTION TO MEMBERSHIP
3.1 Application for membership should be submitted to the Honorary Secretary in writing 6 weeks (42 days) before the Annual general meeting and must be supported by an up-to-date curriculum vitae and nominations from two referees, one of whom must be a member of the society.
3.2 Applications for membership will be considered after one attendance at a Scientific Meeting of BESS.
3.3 Election shall be by the vote of the majority of the Membership committee.
RESIGNATION
4.1 Any member wishing to withdraw from the society should give notice in writing to the Honorary Secretary not less than three months before the end of the society’s financial year.
ARTICLE 5
SUBSCRIPTIONS
5.1 The annual membership subscription is due on the 6 April each year and is paid in advance. Payment by Direct Debit is favoured by the society.
5.2 The amount of the subscription will be determined by the committee and must be approved by two thirds of the membership present at a Business Meeting (AGM).
5.3 Any member who does not pay the subscription within one year, in spite of due notice, shall cease to be a member.
ARTICLE 6
FINANCE
6.1 The society’s financial year shall extend from the 6th April to 5th April the following year inclusive
6.2 The treasurer shall present an account of finances at the AGM
SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS
7.1 Scientific meetings shall normally be held at least once every year at times and places to be decided by the vote of a majority at a Business Meeting (AGM).
7.2 The organisation and financing of each scientific meeting is the responsibility of the local organiser in conjunction with the Committee of the Society.
7.3 Scientific meetings should be organised on a self-financing basis, the registration fee being determined by the local organiser in conjunction with the Committee of the Society.
7.4 In the event of a financial loss occurring the Society will be responsible providing that the meeting has been organised according to 7.2 and 7.3. Conversely, any financial surplus will accrue to the Society.
7.5 The programme for each meeting will be determined by the Programme Committee, which should comprise the Committee of the Society and the local organisers.
7.6 Anyone wishing to present a communication should furnish the Honorary Secretary with an abstract at such times to be decided and notified by the Honorary Secretary.
7.7 Communications at Scientific Meetings will not be restricted to members of the Society, but non-members should be introduced by a member.
BUSINESS MEETING
8.1 A business Meeting shall normally be held during the course of each scientific meeting and on such other occasions as may be decided by the committee. All members are entitled to attend and to vote at a business meeting. 20 members will constitute a quorum.
OFFICERS
9.1 The officers of the society shall be the President, Past President, Vice-President, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer.
9.2 All the office bearers will be elected at a business meeting from amongst the members. The Secretary is appointed for a period of three years. The other officers are elected for a period of two years.
9.3 At least 28 days prior to a Business Meeting members will be notified of any posts to be filled and of any nominations received. Further written nominations seconded by two members of the Society should be in the hands of the Honorary Secretary by noon on the day of the Business Meeting. If there is more than one nomination for any vacancy election will be by a majority vote of those attending the meeting.
9.4 The President or the Vice-President shall preside at all Scientific and Business Meetings of the Society. In the event of neither the President nor the Vice-President being in attendance the Committee shall nominate a Chairman from their number ‘pro tem’.
9.5 The Honorary Treasurer shall collect and hold the monies due to the Society and will be authorised to open accounts at an appropriate Bank or Building Society for this purpose. He shall inform each member when the subscription for the forthcoming year is due. He shall present the audited accounts to the Society each year at the Business Meeting.
COMMITTEES
THE COUNCIL
10.1 The Council shall compromise the officers of the Society and two further members of the Society. These seven council members shall have equal voting rights. If the council vote is split the President shall have an extra casting vote.
10.2 The two further members of the Council shall be elected for a period of two years at a Business Meeting in accordance with Article 9.3. Such members, unless elected office bearers, will not hold office for a continuous period of more than four years.
10.3 The Council should normally include at least one member who is not an orthopaedic surgeon.
10.4 The webmaster shall be invited to attend Council meetings in order to give advice on IT matters and in order to keep the website up to date.
10.5 The Chairmen of the Educational and Research Committees, if not members of Council, will be expected to report to Council and the members at the AGM.
10.6 The Council shall be responsible for the affairs of the Society, its funds and assets. The income of the Society shall be used solely towards the declared aims of the Society and the Council shall have the authority to authorise the repayment of out of pocket expenses properly incurred by a member on behalf of the Society.
10.7 The Council shall organise the interviews for the Biomet/Merck Travelling Fellowship, The Smith & Nephew Travelling Fellowship, The Allied Professionals Travelling Fellowship and The Senior’s Travelling Fellowship during the Annual Scientific Meeting.
10.8 The Biomet/Merck European Travelling Fellowship is awarded annually for the purpose of travelling to meet British and European Elbow and Shoulder surgeons, and to observe them at work. The value of this Fellowship is £4,000 per annum. Members wishing to be considered for this award must apply in writing to the Honorary Secretary.
10.9 The BESS Smith & Nephew Travelling Fellowship is awarded annually for the purpose of travelling to the North American Continent to meet American Elbow and Shoulder surgeons, and to observe them at work. The value of this Fellowship is £3,000 per annum. Members wishing to be considered for this award must apply in writing to the Honorary Secretary.
10.10 The BESS Allied Professionals Travelling Fellowship is awarded annually to a non-orthopaedic surgeon, for the purpose of travelling to meet and observe other members of the Society at their place of work. This Fellowship is sponsored by the Society to the value of £1,000. Members wishing to be considered for this award must apply in writing to the Honorary Secretary.
10.11 The Senior’s Travelling Fellowship is awarded annually to a member of the Society who has been a consultant surgeon for more than five years and who puts their name forward at the Annual Scientific Meeting. This Fellowship is to the value of £1,000, provided by the Society, and is for travel within the British Isles to visit and observe Elbow and Shoulder Surgeons working at their local Hospitals.
10.12 The Acumed Travelling Fellowship is awarded annually to an orthopaedic surgeon for………. in the United States
10.13 The Kessel Prize is awarded for the best paper presented at the AGM to the value of £250
10.14 The BESS Poster Prize is awarded annually for the best poster at the AGM to the value of £100
10.15 The Paul Calvert Education Awards are awarded by lucky dip to any surgeon who applies at the AGM and are awards of two places at the Open Shoulder Course at the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
SUB-COMMITTEES
11.1 Sub-committees shall be formed for the following purposes, Membership, Education and Research.
11.2 THE MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
11.3 The Membership Committee shall compromise the Honorary Secretary as chairman, the immediate Past President and the Allied Health Professional member. In the event of a split vote on any of the sub-committees the chairman will have a casting vote.
11.4 The function of the Membership Committee is to examine the applications for membership to the Society and to recommend these to the members at the Business Meeting.
11.5 THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
11.6 The function of the Education Committee is to further the aims of article 1.02(D). That is. To act as an educational body by fostering learning through Scientific Meetings, Educational Fellowships, and by encouraging both knowledge based and skills based educational courses.
11.7 The Education Committee should encourage knowledge based and skills based educational courses on the elbow and shoulder The committee shall set standards for courses that will be approved by BESS.
11.8 The Education Committee will be chaired by an elected member of BESS. The chairman should be a senior shoulder or elbow surgeon who has experience of education matters and has personally run courses. The other four members will be junior or senior members of the Society who put their names forward and are selected at the Annual Business Meeting. Members will serve for a period of three years with the potential for a second term. The President or his representative is invited to attend the Education Committee meetings.
11.9 THE RESEARCH COMMITTEE
The function of the Research Committee shall be to further the aims of article 1.02(Cand E). That is C. To standardise assessment, scoring of disability, and nomenclature relevant to the elbow and shoulder. To improve quality of care by encouraging the national collection of scientific data and functional outcomes. E. To foster research through scientific meetings, Fellowships and by encouraging research collaboration between members
The role of the Research Subcommittee should be to dispense the research budget of the society; to provide the infrastructure to co-ordinate multi-centre trials; to assist members in getting grants for research in the UK.
11.10 The Research Committee will be chaired by an elected member of the Society. The chairman should be a senior member of the society who has experience of research matters and is personally involved in active research. The other members will be four members of the Society who put their names forward and are selected at the Annual Scientific Meeting. It is expected that at least one member of the sub-committee should not be a surgeon. Members will serve for a period of three years with the potential for a second term. The President or his representative is invited to attend the Research Committee meetings.
11.11 The BESS Research Grant is a pump-priming grant valued at £3,000 and will be granted by the research sub-committee to suitable applicants at the Annual Scientific Meeting.
ALTERATIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION AND RULES.
12.1 The Constitution and Rules may be altered only by the vote of at least two thirds of those members of the Society present at a Business Meeting. Details of each proposed alteration shall be sent to each member not less than 28 days before the date of the meeting.
12.2 In the event of dissolution of the Society any property or monies remaining after the satisfaction of debts and liabilities should be transferred to some charitable institution(s) concerned with the advancement of medical science, such as determined by the members of the Society at or before the time of dissolution.
December 2005