BLIND CITIZENS AUSTRALIA

Board of Directors By-Laws

State Convention By-Laws

Adopted December 2001

1. Preamble

These by-laws are made pursuant to Article 8C of the Articles of Association of Blind Citizens Australia Ltd. They are made for the purpose of providing for the convening and conduct of a State Convention of Blind Citizens Australia and provide for the matters referred to in Article 8C and for other matters necessary and convenient to the convening and conduct of a State Convention.

2. DEFINITIONS

In these by-laws, these words have these meanings:

"Articles" means the Articles of Association of Blind Citizens Australia as amended October 1999.

"Accessible Format" includes audio, braille, electronic and large print formats.

"Convention" means State Convention

"Board" means the Board of Directors of Blind Citizens Australia.

"Company Secretary" means the person or persons appointed by the Board to perform the duties of the Company Secretary.

"Convention Secretary" means the person appointed by the State Coordinating Committee as Convention Secretary to perform the functions allocated to the Convention Secretary by these By-laws.

"State Coordinating committee" means the State Co-ordinating Committee which has been established by the Board., In the case where such a committee does not exist and there is only one branch, the branch executive, otherwise, a committee consisting of two representatives from the executive of each State Branch

"Convention Organising Committee" means the Committee appointed by the State Coordinating committee as the Convention Organising Committee pursuant to these by-laws.

"Council" means the National Policy and Development Council of Blind Citizens Australia.

"Council Member" means a member of the National Policy and Development Council of Blind Citizens Australia.

"Executive Officer" means the Executive Officer of Blind Citizens Australia.

"Members" means the members of Blind Citizens Australia, of whatever category, unless otherwise stated.

"Organisation" - Blind Citizens Australia ABN 90 006985-226.

"voting delegate" means a Full Member of Blind Citizens Australia as at June 30 of the year in which the Convention is being held, whose principal residence is located in the state the convention is being held and who is registered for the Convention

3. Principles:

In accordance with Article 8A of the Articles, the Convention is an open forum for the Members of Blind Citizens Australia in each state to come together to receive presentations, exchange information and opinion, and to make recommendations on policy and development at the state level for referral to the Council. The Convention has an important informative and advisory role within Blind Citizens Australia, having regard to the state auspices for many government programs and most services of blindness agencies.

4. Frequency, Time and Location of Convention

  1. In accordance with Article 8B, the Council in consultation with the State Coordinating Committee or regional branches shall convene State conventions every two years in those states where there are more than one hundred full members of Blind Citizens Australia.

  2. State Conventions shall be held in the alternate calendar year to the one in which the National Convention is held.

  3. The Council shall take the responsibility of scheduling of State Conventions so that their timing does not detract from each other.

  4. Where there are fewer than one hundred full members of Blind Citizens Australia in any particular State, the Council may endorse the participation with voting rights of such members in another States convention or convene a convention in that state.

5. Convention Organising Committee

  1. The State Coordinating committee may appoint a Convention Organising Committee to facilitate the Organisation and conduct of the Convention.

  2. The Convention Organising Committee shall consist of such persons, as the State Coordinating committee shall determine. The Committee should include Members of Blind Citizens Australia who are resident in the city/town in which the Convention is to be held and such other persons as considered appropriate, having regard to the Committee's role in facilitating the organising and conduct of the Convention.

  3. The Convention Organising Committee shall perform such functions and undertake such tasks as it is directed to do by the State Coordinating committee. The Convention Organising Committee shall in all matters be subject to the direction and supervision of the State Coordinating Committee and ultimately the Council. Decisions of the Convention Organising Committee shall be subject to adoption by the Council.

  4. Subject to paragraph C above, for the purposes of the Articles, the Convention Organising Committee shall function, as a Sub-Committee of the Board and those provisions of the Articles applicable to Board Sub-Committees shall apply to the Convention Organising Committee.

  5. The Convention Organising Committee and the State Coordinating Committee shall not have the authority to enter into contracts or legally binding arrangements associated with the conduct of a State Convention or in any other matter. Such contracts and legally binding arrangement shall be entered into by the National Organisation on behalf of the Convention Organising Committee. The Convention Organising Committee and the State Coordinating Committee shall refer all matters giving rise to legal and contractual arrangements to the Board for approval and implementation.

6. Timing, Form and Content of Notice of Convention

  1. Sixty days notice of every State Convention shall be given in the manner set out in Article 34 of the Articles to every Full Member of Blind Citizens Australia whose principal location of residence is within the State the Convention is to be held. Notice of Convention shall also be sent to Full Members of BCA who are resident in a State, the participation of whose members in the Convention is authorised by the Council in accordance with Article 8F of the Articles. No other person shall be entitled to receive notices of Conventions.

  2. The Notice of the Convention shall contain the following information:-

    1. the date of the Convention;
    2. the venue for the Convention;
    3. a draft program for the Convention;
    4. the registration fees for persons attending the Convention;
    5. the registration charges payable in relation to any function or event associated with the Convention;
    6. The Convention registration Form;
    7. Such other information as the Council considers appropriate.
    8. Procedures for receipt of resolutions by members and their consideration in State Conventions

  3. The notice of the Convention may be sent to a Member at the same time and in the same post as a notice of an Annual General Meeting of the Blind Citizens Australia.

7. Registration Fee

  1. The State Coordinating Committee shall determine a registration fee for each Convention and shall include the details of this fee in the Convention Notice.

  2. The State Coordinating Committee may determine separate registration fees for persons attending a whole Convention and persons attending on a daily basis.

  3. The State Coordinating Committee may determine registration charges for functions and events associated with the Convention.

8. Registration of Convention Attendees

  1. A person wishing to register for a Convention shall do so by completing the registration form and returning it, together with payment of the Convention registration fee and registration charges for functions and events associated with the Convention to the Convention Secretary.

  2. On receipt of a person's completed registration form accompanied by payment of the Convention registration fee, the Convention Secretary shall register the person as a registered voting delegate for the Convention.

  3. The Convention Secretary shall also register the person for any event or function associated with the Convention for which the person has registered and paid the relevant registration charge.

9. Convention Agenda

  1. The agenda for a Convention shall be developed by the State Coordinating committee. In developing the agenda, regard will be given to the role and function of the Convention within the organisation, the activities of Blind Citizens Australia, its Board, Council and Working Groups and the advice of the Convention Organising Committee.

  2. The State Coordinating Committee may, prior to the formal notice of the Convention, advise members through Blind Citizens Australia's communications media of the dates of Convention and request suggestions for agenda items for the Convention.

10. Speaking and Voting Rights

  1. All Full Members of Blind Citizens Australia and all blind persons in attendance have speaking rights at a Convention.

  2. Persons other than Full Members of Blind Citizens Australia and blind persons in attendance have speaking rights at a Convention for the purpose of giving reports or making presentations for the purposes of the Convention program.

11. Voting Rights

  1. Full Members, (including Full Members whose participation in the Convention as voting delegates has been endorsed by the Council pursuant to Article (8), shall have the right to move and second motions at the Convention and has one vote.

  2. Associate and Junior Members shall not have the right to vote at a Convention.

  3. Organisational Members and Branches do not have voting rights at a State Convention

12. Procedures for the receipt of resolutions for a State Convention

  1. Resolutions for consideration by a State Convention may be submitted by:-

    1. A member or members
    2. A Council Member
    3. A Branch

  2. Resolutions for a State Convention must be submitted to the Convention Secretary no later than seven days prior to the start of the Convention.

  3. The adoption of a resolution at Convention has the effect of a recommendation to the Council. The Council shall promptly consider all resolutions of a Convention and its actions on Convention resolutions will be reported to Members through the Organisation's various communications channels.

13. Review and Amendment

The Board may, by a simple majority vote, amend these by-laws from time to time, as it considers necessary and in the best interests of Blind Citizens Australia.

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