1. The Association shall be called the British Association of Dermatologists.

Its objects shall be to promote for the public benefit the knowledge, practice and teaching of Dermatology and in furtherance of the above object but not otherwise:

(a)  To stimulate and promote appropriate medical and scientific research and to publish the results of such research.

(b)  To collect, collate and publish information and to hold conferences, meetings and seminars for the purpose of promoting such object.

(c)  To publish and disseminate Journals called the British Journal of Dermatology, Clinical and Experimental Dermatology and Skin Health and Disease for the purpose of promoting such object.

(d)  To relieve distress by promoting improvements in dermatological care

(e)  To advise Government, political parties, commissioners, healthcare providers, professional bodies, patients and the public on dermatology

To do any and all acts and things which may be necessary, useful, suitable and proper for the furtherance, accomplishment or attainment of the object hereof.

The Association has adopted the slogan ‘Healthy Skin for All’ and will carry out the following activities in furtherance of the above objects

(These statements each have the same value and will not be numbered or lettered to indicate any priority.)

Promote high quality care for patients with skin disease by setting and monitoring standards of service delivery.

• Promote the best training and education of all personnel involved in delivery of dermatological care.
• Promote all aspects of dermatology research to improve the understanding, diagnosis and management of skin disease.
• Support members and represent the views of the membership to local, national and international bodies.
• Raise awareness of all facets of skin health and disease to the public, influential bodies and the Government.

Membership

2. There shall be eight categories of membership

Voting members

(a) Ordinary Members

(b) Trainee Members

(c) Honorary Members

Non Voting members

(d) Associate Members

(e) Junior Members

(f) Student Members

(g) Honorary Overseas Members

(h) Retired Members

Eligibility of these various categories of membership is defined in point 12, paragraphs a to h.

Executive Committee

3. The business of the Association shall be conducted by an Executive Committee consisting of the Executive Officers:

President

Vice-President Clinical

Vice-President Academic

Vice President Education

Immediate Past President

President-Elect

Honorary Secretary

Assistant Honorary Secretary

Honorary Treasurer

Editor of the British Journal of Dermatology

14 Ordinary Members representing regional constituencies (as listed in point 4 paragraph 10)

Trainee representative.

The Executive shall be empowered to co-opt members of the Association, as non-voting members, as it deems necessary to provide appropriate expert advice.

Co-opted, Ex-officio and Observer Members

Union Européenne des Médecins Spécialistes (UEMS) Representative

Chair of the Specialist Advisory Committee (SAC) to the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board (JRCPTB)

Honorary Secretary of the British Skin Foundation (BSF)

Chair of the British Society for Investigative Dermatology (BSID)

Chair of the Education Sub-Committee/SAC Joint Assessment Board

Chair of the Therapy Guidelines & Audit Sub-Committee

Chair of the Staff and Associate Specialists Sub-Committee

Lay Member

Dermatology Lead for GIRFT (Getting it Right First Time), an NHS England and Improvement Programme

EADV Representative

Officers and Members of the Executive Committee

4. The President, President‑Elect, Vice-President Clinical, Vice-President Academic, Honorary Secretary, and Assistant Honorary Secretary shall be elected every two years. The Honorary Treasurer shall be elected every three years. The Editor of the British Journal of Dermatology shall be appointed for a maximum of five years. The Vice-President Education shall be appointed for a maximum of five years.

Only Ordinary or Honorary Members of the Association shall be eligible to serve as Honorary Officers.  Nominations must be made by Honorary and Ordinary Members of the Association in writing and must be in the hands of the Honorary Secretary at least six months before the Annual General Meeting.  Should nominations exceed vacancies, election shall be by Ordinary, Honorary and Trainee members only using the single transferable vote system.

The President shall not be eligible for re-election after they have held that particular office for two years. The President‑Elect shall hold office for one year.  Thereafter the President and President‑Elect shall not be eligible for re-election unless the unanimous consent of a meeting of the Executive Committee decides otherwise (and for this purpose the quorum shall be ten Ordinary Members). The Immediate Past President shall be invited to attend the Executive Committee for two years following their term of office as a means of prolonging institutional memory.

The Vice-President Clinical, and the Vice-President Academic shall not be eligible for re-election to the same office after they have held that particular office for two years.

The Honorary Secretary and Assistant Honorary Secretary shall not be eligible for re-election to the same office after they have held that particular office for two years.

The Honorary Treasurer shall not be eligible for re-election to the same office after they have held that particular office for three years.

The Editor of the British Journal of Dermatology shall be appointed by the Executive and shall not be eligible for re-appointment to the same office after the Editor has held office for a maximum of five years.

The Vice-President Education shall be appointed by the Executive and shall not be eligible for re-appointment to the same office after the Vice-President Education has held office for a maximum of five years.

In exceptional circumstances for any elected role following an unsatisfactory internal BAD appraisal, a majority vote at the AGM or breaching of the BAD Code of Conduct, the Executive Committee will meet to consider whether it is appropriate for the postholder to continue for the rest of the term of office. Any decision by the Executive Committee would have to be approved by 75% of the voting members.

The views of the Ordinary, Honorary, Associate, Members shall be represented by elected representatives. The UK and Ireland shall be divided into constituencies and only those Ordinary and Honorary Members working in these said constituencies shall elect by secret ballot using, if appropriate, the single transferable vote system, 14 Ordinary, or Honorary Members to sit on the Executive Committee.

The constituencies are based on the National Health Service Commissioning Hubs although these may be changed as deemed necessary by the Executive Committee. The constituencies shall be as follows:

a. England

b. Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland

c. Scotland

d. Wales

The elected representatives for England, Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland and Wales shall hold office for three years and shall not be eligible for re-election until after a lapse of three years. The elected representative for Scotland shall hold office for two years and shall not be eligible for re-election until after a lapse of two years. The elected representative for Wales will be appointed one year before holding office so that they may attend the Dermatology Council for Wales as Chair Elect. Should vacancies occur on the Committee, representatives shall be elected to complete the term of the outgoing member. Should there be no new candidate who puts themselves forward to stand as a representative for England, Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland and Wales, the incumbent representative, with the agreement of the Executive Committee, shall be permitted to stand for an additional term of office of three years. They shall not be eligible for re-election until after a lapse of three years. Should there be no new candidate who puts themselves forward to stand as a representative for Scotland, the incumbent representative, with the agreement of the Executive Committee, shall be permitted to stand for an additional term of office of two years. They shall not be eligible for re-election until after a lapse of two years.

Where the elected representative is unable to attend, the immediate predecessor of the representative in question should be able to attend instead, with the full rights of the representative.

The views of the Trainee, Junior and Student Members shall be represented by the Trainee Representative. The Trainee Members only shall elect by secret ballot using, if appropriate, the single transferable vote system, a Trainee Member  to sit on the Executive Committee. The Trainee Representative shall hold office for a maximum period of two years or until he or she is registered as a specialist or ceases to be a Trainee in dermatology.

5. The trustees shall have the power to provide indemnity insurance for themselves out of the income of the Charity.  The insurance shall not extend to

1) any claim arising from any act or omission which:

(a) the trustees knew to be a breach of trust or a breach of duty; or

(b) was committed by the trustees in reckless disregard of whether it was a breach of trust or breach of duty or not; and

2) the costs of an unsuccessful defence to a criminal prosecution brought against the trustees in their capacity as trustees of the charity.

Duties of the Executive Committee

6. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the arrangements of all General Meetings of the Association (whether Annual or otherwise) and for all other business of the Association and shall meet at such times and places as may be convenient. Ten shall form a quorum.

Delegation of decision-making 

6a. The Executive shall have the power at any time to delegate any of their functions to committees consisting of two or  more individuals appointed by them and to set their terms of reference but all proceedings of committees must be reported promptly to the Executive.

Duties of the Honorary Secretary

7. The Honorary Secretary shall summon all meetings, and shall keep Minutes of what passes. He or She shall send, not less than three weeks before a General Meeting (whether Annual or otherwise) to each Member of the Association the nominations for the various offices, and agenda papers as may be necessary. The Honorary Secretary is responsible for the secretariat, the office, the maintaining of files, archives and records, and for dealing with all correspondence thereof.

Duties of the Assistant Honorary Secretary

8. The Assistant Honorary Secretary shall assist the Honorary Secretary and act as Deputy when necessary.

Duties of the Honorary Treasurer

9. The Honorary Treasurer may collect and receive money for the purposes of the Association in such lawful manner as the Executive Committee think fit and in particular pursuant to a resolution of the Executive Committee may:

(i) instruct the Bankers to the Association to operate a direct debit facility for the collection of membership subscriptions on  behalf of the Association and on the basis that the Association participates as an Originator in the Direct Debiting Scheme operated by certain members of the Association for Payment Clearing Services and the Northern Ireland Bankers Association; and

(ii) execute a Form of Indemnity in the standard form required by the Association for Payment Clearing Services and the Northern Ireland Bankers Association.

The Honorary Treasurer shall arrange for collection of annual journal subscriptions and shall receive all income due to the Association from whatever source and shall pay all bills. He or she shall maintain appropriate bank accounts for these purposes in the name of the “British Association of Dermatologists”. The Honorary Treasurer shall operate all these accounts as joint signatory with either the President, Vice-Presidents, Immediate Past President, Honorary Secretary, Assistant Honorary Secretary, Chief Executive Officer or Finance Officer.

In the absence of the Honorary Treasurer payments shall be co-signed by at least two of the authorized Trustee signatories and the Chief Executive or Finance Officer. The Honorary Treasurer shall prepare year end accounts for submission to the Annual General Meeting and the Charity Commissioners.

The Honorary Treasurer is responsible for the management of the Association’s investments and is empowered to place the Association’s funds on deposit or in Government Securities or in Unit Trusts intended for registered charities or in other investment vehicles consistent with their prudent care. Professional investment advisers can be appointed and given discretion of the Association’s funds at the instigation of the Honorary Treasurer. All investments can be registered on behalf of the “British Association of Dermatologists” in the nominee company used by the Association’s professional investment advisers.

Land and Property

10. The income and property of the Association shall be applied solely towards the promotion of its objects as set forth in this Constitution and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of a dividend, bonus or otherwise howsoever by way of a profit, to members of the Association and no officer of the Association shall be paid by salary or fees, or receive any remuneration or other benefit in money or money’s worth from the Association for discharging his or her duties as such without the prior consent of the Commission.

The Association shall apply any surpluses arising in the course of its Annual Conference, training and other educational events solely towards the continuance and improvement of these activities.

If upon the dissolution of the Association there remains, after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities, any property whatsoever, the same shall not be paid to or distributed among the members or officers of the Association, but shall be given or transferred to some other charity having objects similar to those of the Association.

Land

The voting members of the Executive Committee, acting in their capacity as The Incorporated Trustees of the British Association of Dermatologists, may by Ordinary Resolution hold, deal or sell land (whether freehold or leasehold) on trust for all the Members of the Association and have power subject to any consents required by law to borrow money and to charge all or any part of the property of the charity with repayment of the money so borrowed.

A document shall be validly executed by the Association by either:

(a) the affixing of its Common Seal in the presence of any two of the members of the Executive Committee listed below; or

(b) the signature upon the document of any two of the members of the Executive Committee listed below.

The members of the Executive Committee referred to above are:

(i) The President

(ii) The Honorary Secretary

(iii) The Honorary Treasurer

The Executive Committee may by Ordinary Resolution resolve that the Members of the Association shall indemnify the Incorporated Trustees out of the funds of the Association against any liability that they may incur as a result of so holding any such land.

Property

The British Association of Dermatologists owns and publishes the ‘British Journal of Dermatology’, ‘Clinical and Experimental Dermatology’ and ‘Skin Health and Disease’ for the benefit of its members and to stimulate and promote appropriate medical and scientific research in dermatology.

Election of Honorary Willan Librarian

11. The Honorary Willan Librarian shall be elected every three years and will be permitted for re-election of up to nine years in total.

Only Ordinary or Honorary Members of the Association shall be eligible to serve as Honorary Willan Librarian.  Nominations must be made by Honorary and Ordinary Members of the Association in writing and must be in the hands of the Honorary Secretary at least six months before the Annual General Meeting.  Should nominations exceed vacancies, election shall be by Ordinary, Honorary and Trainee members only using the single transferable vote system.

Election of Members

12. Any Ordinary or Honorary Member of the Association may submit to the Honorary Secretary on the appropriate form (duly seconded by an Ordinary or Honorary Member), with a current curriculum vitae, the name of a candidate for membership subject to the following definitions.  In addition, those applying for membership in the non-voting member categories need only be nominated by one Ordinary or Honorary member and one non-voting member of any category (with the exception of Student Members).

These applications will be considered for approval by the Executive Committee.

a. An Ordinary Member shall be a practising dermatologist, working in the UK, on the Specialist Register of the General Medical Council, or Ireland, on the Specialist Register of The Medical council, whose work is substantially devoted to dermatological practice or research, or an SAS doctor who has been fully committed to secondary care dermatology for a period of four years.

b. Trainee membership shall be open to all trainees in dermatology in the United Kingdom and Ireland holding a National Training Number. When a Trainee Member is appointed to a consultant post or equivalent in the United Kingdom or Ireland he or she will automatically become an Ordinary member and must notify the Honorary Secretary. Any Trainee Member who does not become a Consultant Dermatologist in the United Kingdom and Ireland but who works elsewhere or in another capacity should notify the Honorary Secretary who will decide to which category of membership, if any, the member shall belong.

c. Honorary Members shall be elected for outstanding professional eminence or service to the Association. Nominations on the appropriate form accompanied by a citation and a summary of his or her publications or contributions to dermatology should be submitted to the Honorary Secretary.

d. Associate members will be one of five types of doctors, healthcare professionals or scientists:

(1) Specialty doctors including SAS, career grade and other doctors providing dermatology services who spend more than 50% of their working time in dermatology (excluding cosmetic procedures such as fillers or neurotoxin injections) and more than 50% of their working time in the UK.

(2) UK and Irish consultants who are on the specialist register in a specialty other than dermatology eg plastic surgeons, GU Physicians, pathologists, oncologists.

(3) Overseas Consultant or Trainee dermatologists in practice outside the United Kingdom and Ireland.

(4) Scientists and Allied Healthcare Professional Members will be nurses, clinical psychologists, non-clinical scientists employed by a UK university or the NHS, podiatrists and relevant other non-medics who have a significant practice involving dermatological patients.

(5) UK or Irish general practitioners (including GPwERs) who spend less than 50% of their working time in dermatology.

e. Junior members will be one of four types of doctors

(1) Foundation Year and Internal Medicine Trainees.

(2) Medical doctors in the UK or Republic of Ireland working aligned to a recognised dermatology training programme with an educational supervisor and a current electronic Portfolio and are working prospectively to fulfil the requirements of CESR in dermatology.

(3) Medical doctors in the UK or Republic of Ireland who hold a recognised medical training post at ST grade in a specialty other than dermatology.

(4) Medical Doctors who are studying for a postgraduate degree in the UK or Ireland.

f. Student members will be undergraduate medical students attending a UK or Irish medical school.

g. Retired members will be former ordinary or associate members who are no longer in clinical practice, this includes private practice. To qualify for Retired Membership an applicant must earn no income from clinical practice or research in dermatology.

h. Honorary Overseas Members shall be persons of distinction who have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of dermatology in the international field or who have made an outstanding contribution to British Dermatology and who are not normally resident in the United Kingdom or Ireland. Nominations on the appropriate form accompanied by a citation and a summary of his or her publications or contributions to dermatology should be submitted to the Honorary Secretary.  A maximum of five Honorary Overseas Members may be elected each year.

13. The Honorary Secretary shall place the names of all candidates for Ordinary, Trainee, Honorary, Associate, Junior Student, Retired and Honorary Overseas membership before the next Executive Committee Meeting for consideration and approval.

14. The Executive Committee shall vote on each candidate for membership.  If any candidate receives the support of not less than seventy-five per cent of the voting Members of the Executive Committee present, the name of such candidate will be approved for membership.

All such requests will be considered by the Executive Committee.

Subscriptions and Privileges

15. All members shall agree to abide by the Association’s Code of Conduct.

16. Each Ordinary, Trainee, Honorary, Associate, Junior, and Student Member shall pay a subscription by 1st January in each year in respect of his or her membership for the ensuing year. The subscription payable shall be determined at the previous Annual General Meeting.  An Ordinary, Trainee, Honorary, Associate, Junior, and Student member who has failed to pay his or her annual subscription within three months of the 1st January on which the subscription was due shall cease to be a Member of the Association.

17. Members on parental, sick leave or out of employment are eligible for a 50% reduction on their subscription. Unemployed members who go on to take up a paid job should notify the BAD immediately and they will be required to pay their full subscription fee subsequently.

18. Each Ordinary, Trainee, Honorary, Associate, Junior and Student member who has paid his or her annual subscription will receive the British Journal of Dermatology and Clinical & Experimental Dermatology and attend the Annual Meetings at a concessionary rate.

19. Retired Members of the Association shall pay no annual subscription fee and shall receive the British Journal of Dermatology and Clinical & Experimental Dermatology at a concessionary rate if they so wish. Retired Members shall pay half the normal registration fee at Annual Meetings.

20. Honorary Members shall pay no annual subscription fee and shall receive the British Journal of Dermatology and Clinical & Experimental Dermatology at a concessionary rate if they so wish. Honorary Members shall be excused registration fees at Annual Meetings.

21. Honorary Overseas Members shall pay no annual subscription fee and shall receive the British Journal of Dermatology and Clinical & Experimental Dermatology at a concessionary rate if they so wish.

Termination of Membership

22.  (1) The membership of any member of the Association may be terminated by a majority of the voting members of Executive Committee if such member:

(i) Shall have been found by the Professional Conduct Committee of the General Medical Council to have been convicted in the United Kingdom or any of the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man of a criminal offence or

(ii) judged by the Professional Conduct Committee of the General Medical Council to have been guilty of serious professional misconduct

and in consequence of (i) or (ii) above the General Medical Council shall have directed that the name of such member shall be erased from the Medical Register or that his or her registration shall be suspended

(2) The Executive Committee shall have an absolute discretion as to whether to re-admit to membership of the Association any member who has had his or her name restored to the Medical Register by the General Medical Council or whose suspension has ended

(3) In addition to the powers of termination and re-admission referred to in (1) and (2) above the Executive Committee may by a two thirds majority of its voting members terminate the membership of any member if it shall have reasonable cause to do so whereupon:

(i)  the member concerned shall by written notice to the Secretary given within one month of his or her being notified of termination pursuant to this Clause 20(3) have the right to require the Executive Committee to reconsider the reasonableness of its decision and to be heard (accompanied if so desired by a friend) at the meeting at which the decision to terminate is reconsidered

(ii) If after such reconsideration as above the decision to terminate membership Is confirmed by the Executive Committee, the member concerned shall by written notice to the Secretary given within one month of his or her being notified that the Executive Committee have after reconsideration confirmed the termination have a final right of appeal to the Professional Conduct Committee of the Association, comprised of three Ordinary Members holding substantive consultant dermatologist posts, not being members of the Executive Committee and drawn from a pool nominated by the Ordinary Members representing regional constituencies and selected from within such pool by the President and the right to be heard (accompanied as above) at the appeal hearing.

General Meetings

23. An Annual General Meeting shall be held once a year at a time to be decided by the Executive Committee, and there shall be further General Meetings of the Association as the Executive Committee shall determine.  If twenty-five per cent of the total Voting membership of the Association shall so request in writing, a General Meeting shall be called to take place within ten weeks of the Honorary Secretary receiving such a request.

24. All General Meetings shall be held at places to be selected by the Executive Committee.

25. At least three weeks notice of all such meetings shall be given to each Member of the Association by the Honorary Secretary. A Member shall be deemed to have received notice of a meeting seven days after the same shall have been mailed to the last address to such Member registered with the Association.

26. Annual General Meetings shall be held for the purpose of:

(a) The election of Officers and Members of the Executive Committee.

(b) The presentation of accounts.

(c) The determination of the amount of subscriptions for the following year.

(d) Scientific business.

(e) Any other matter relating to the Association or its objects of which notice has been given to Members of the Association with notice convening the meeting.

27. General Meetings shall be held for any matter (including any of the particular matters referred to in relation to an Annual General Meeting) relating to the Association or its objects of which notice has been given to Members of the Association with notice convening the meeting.

28. Decisions of the Association at Annual or other General Meetings of the Association shall be taken by an affirmative vote of a majority of the Voting Members of the Association present and voting.

29. The Executive Committee shall be entitled to determine what fee (if any) shall be charged to Members and other persons attending any meetings (including Annual or other General Meetings) of the Association. The Executive Committee may waive fees for guests of the Association.

30. Visitors to the scientific sessions of any General Meeting of the Association may attend if they are medically trained. Their names should be notified to the office of the Association and the appropriate fee (if any) paid.  Visitors may make communications and take part in discussions, subject to the same rules as Members.

31. Should circumstances deem it necessary, (e.g. a pandemic, natural disaster or other significant event or cause beyond our control), the Executive Committee reserves the right to decide to hold meetings remotely. This extends to the AGM, Executive Committee, and Officer Committee meetings.

The Sir Archibald Gray Medal

32. The Sir Archibald Gray Medal shall normally be awarded annually for an outstanding contribution to British dermatology.  The Executive Committee shall vote by secret ballot and select the candidate which it considers most suitable for the Award.

The Geoffrey Dowling Fellowship

33. The Geoffrey Dowling Fellowship may be awarded in an amount to be determined by the Executive Committee to enable a specialist registrar, consultant dermatologist or an individual of equivalent academic status, to spend a period of time in study and/or research abroad before they become established in senior academic and professional posts.

The Fellowship Awards Sub-Committee shall advertise the Fellowship in magazines or journals it considers appropriate and consider candidates for the Fellowship and recommend to the Executive Committee the candidate which it considers most suitable for the Fellowship.

Other Prizes and Fellowships

34. The Executive Committee may award other Fellowships from time to time, and Travelling Fellowships may also be awarded to enable dermatologists to visit various centres abroad and to attend international and national meetings held overseas.

The Fellowship Awards Sub-Committee shall advertise these various Fellowships in magazines or journals it considers appropriate and consider candidates and recommend to the Executive Committee the candidate which it considers most suitable for a particular fellowship.

Special Interest Groups

35. A Special Interest Group is any group existing for the purpose of promoting the knowledge and teaching of a specialised aspect of dermatology.

The Executive Committee may on application by any Special Interest Group approve the affiliation of such Group as a Special Interest Group of the Association subject to ratification by the Annual General Meeting.

Membership of any such Group shall also be available to Members of the Association upon request to the Group Committee.  Membership of any such Group shall also be available to anyone (not being a Member of the Association) interested in the special interest of such Group, upon application to, and approval by, the Group Committee.

The Committee of any such Group will be elected by Members of the Group concerned and it will elect its own Chairman and Group Honorary Treasurer. The Honorary Secretary of the Association shall be an ex-officio member of each such Group Committee and also the Chairman or representative of each such Group shall be entitled to attend the advisory section of meetings of the Executive Committee.  The Group shall be self funding and the Honorary Treasurer of the Group concerned shall be responsible for all the finances of such Group.  Essential administrative costs, other than for any meeting in association with the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Association, shall be borne by each Group. The Association may at its discretion make an annual payment to any such Group of an amount to be determined annually by the Executive Committee of the Association.

Alteration of Rules

36. Alterations of the Rules of the Association may be made at a General Meeting (whether Annual or otherwise) of the Association provided that at least one-fifth of the Voting Members are present.

Notice of any proposal to amend or alter the Rules of the Association must be sent to the Honorary Secretary not later than one month before the next ensuing Executive Committee Meeting. If approved by the Executive Committee the Honorary Secretary must then include the proposal on the agenda for the next Annual General Meeting in the form of a motion.

No alteration to the Rules shall be permitted which will cause the Association to cease to be a charity.

Dissolution

37. Dissolution of the Association may be proposed at a General Meeting (whether Annual or otherwise) provided that at least one-fifth of the Voting Members are present.

Notice of such proposal shall be given in the same way as in relation to a proposal to alter the Rules of the Association.

If the General Meeting shall approve the proposal to dissolve the Association the Executive Committee shall as soon as possible after the General Meeting take a postal ballot of all Voting Members of the Association on the proposal.  If at least two-thirds of the Members entitled to vote shall vote in favour of the proposal to dissolve the Association, the Association shall be dissolved immediately the result of the voting has been announced.

If less than two-thirds of the Members entitled to vote shall vote in favour of dissolution within three months of the date of the postal ballot shown on the voting papers the proposal shall lapse and be of no effect.

The Executive Committee may make such arrangements for conducting a postal ballot scrutinising and counting voting papers announcing the result and all other matters relative thereto as it shall think fit.

Following the dissolution of the Association the funds of the Association (after payment of all debts and liabilities properly payable out of the funds) shall be applied under the direction of the Executive Committee to a charity having or containing objects substantially similar to those of the Association.  If in the view of the Executive Committee there shall be no such suitable charity the funds of the Association shall be applied for charitable purposes generally at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

Appendix A

Special interest groups affiliated to the BAD

Constitution approved by Executive Committee in October 2023, to be ratified at the next AGM in June.