The aims of the society are:
i. To advance the science and art of clinical cytology by encouraging higher standards in clinical cytology for the benefit of the public.
ii. To encourage research and the publication of the useful results thereof.
In furtherance of the afore-mentioned objects but not further or otherwise the Society shall have the power to organise scientific meetings.
Membership of the Society shall be in the following categories but no person shall be a member unless his or her membership has been accepted by the Council who shall have an absolute discretion not to accept any person as a member without giving a reason thereof.
This shall be open to registered medical and dental practitioners, and biomedical scientists practising in cytology. Non-medical members shall not exceed 20 per cent of the Ordinary Membership.
Applicants for Ordinary Membership shall be supported by two members of the Society who shall each vouch that the applicant fulfils the qualifications for Ordinary Membership of the Society.
Admission to membership shall be at each meeting of Council and applications must reach the Honorary Secretary at least one month before the Council meeting.
Council shall consider each applicant. The Honorary Secretary shall circulate a list of eligible applicants, giving name and place of work, at least three weeks before the Council meeting to all members of Council. Objections should be lodged with the Honorary Secretary at least one week before the Council meeting.
Council shall reconsider any applicant if one or more objections are lodged by members of Council. Council reserves the right to refer to the supporters of the applicant if an objection is raised against the applicant.
The Society shall be empowered to elect Honorary Members.
This is the highest honour that the Society can confer and shall be restricted to those of eminence in the field of Cytology or in some allied subject and other distinguished persons who the Society so wishes to honour.
Nominations for Honorary Membership shall be made by the Council for ratification at the A.G.M.
Honorary Members shall not be liable for payment of the Annual Subscription and they have no voting rights.
Membership of the Society may be terminated in any of the following ways:
a. By resignation of the member.
b. By default of payment of the annual subscription over a full calendar year.
c. By the Council, at its discretion, if such termination appears to be in the interests of the Society; provided that any person whose membership it is proposed to terminate shall have the right to be heard in their own defence.
The Officers shall be:-
President
Chairman of Council
Vice-Chairman
Honorary Treasurer
Honorary Secretary
Honorary Meetings Secretary
i. The President, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and Honorary Secretary shall be elected for a maximum of three years and then shall not be eligible for re-election to the same office.
ii. The Honorary Treasurer and Honorary Meetings Secretary shall be elected for three years and shall be eligible for re-election for a second term of three years. At the end of six years they shall not be eligible for re-election to the same office.
iii. At each A.G.M. within the three year period members of the Society shall ratify the continued tenure of all Officers.
iv. The tenure of any Officer can be ended at any time by a two thirds majority vote of the Council, if exceptional circumstances arise.
v. Officers who fail to attend three consecutive meetings of the Council without sufficient reason shall be automatically retired.
i. In years when Officers are to be elected the Honorary Secretary shall send nomination papers to all members of the Council at least two months before the Council meeting penultimate to the A.G.M.
ii. Nominations, proposed and seconded, shall be returned to the Honorary Secretary within three weeks. Those nominated must have served on the Council.
iii. The Honorary Secretary shall send ballot papers to all members of the Council at least three weeks before the penultimate Council Meeting.
iv. The ballot papers shall be counted at the penultimate Council meeting. Members of the Council unable to attend the meeting shall be responsible for ensuring that their ballot papers reach the Honorary Secretary in time to be taken to the meeting.
v. ln the event of there being more than two nominations for any Office and if no candidate is given more than a 50 per cent majority at the first ballot there shall be a second ballot in the Council excluding the candidate with the lowest number of votes. This shall continue until one candidate has a majority of more than 50 per cent. In the event of two candidates receiving an equal number of votes there will be one further ballot. If the candidates remain tied the Council Chairman will exercise a casting vote.
vi. ln the event of any Office being left vacant at the end of the ballot this vacancy shall be filled at once in the Council.
vii The Honorary Secretary shall circulate the Council's nominations for Officers to all members of the Society at least two months before the A.G.M. Alternative nominations of any full member of the Society, who has served on the Council, can be made by any two full members of the Society for any Office. These should reach the Honorary Secretary within three weeks. In this event the Honorary Secretary shall circulate ballot papers to all members of the Society at least one month before the A.G.M. The ballot shall be counted at the A.G.M.; members unable to attend shall be responsible for ensuring that their ballot papers reach the Honorary Secretary in time to be taken to the meeting.
The Council shall consist of the Officers and nine Members of Council who shall be elected at the A.G.M. Each Member shall serve for three years and three Members shall retire each year. Retiring Members of the Council shall be eligible for re-election after a lapse of one year. Council Members who fail to attend three consecutive meetings of the Council without sufficient reason shall be automatically retired from the Council.
The following will be co-opted members of Council, if not already serving
The Chairman of the Education and Examination Committee
The Editor of Cytopathology
The Editor of the Society Newsletter and Webmaster
The Council is empowered to co-opt members to serve on the Council for a period of one year for a specific purpose.
Co-opted members shall have no voting rights.
i. The Honorary Secretary shall send nomination papers to all members of the Society at least three months before the A.G.M.
ii. Nominations, proposed and seconded by members of the Society, and indicating willingness to serve should be returned to the Honorary Secretary within one month.
iii. The Honorary Secretary shall circulate ballot papers not less than one month before the A.G.M.
iv. The ballot shall be counted at the A.G.M.; members unable to attend shall be responsible for ensuring that their ballot papers reach the Honorary Secretary in time to be taken to the meeting.
The ordinary business of the Society shall be conducted by the Council.
A quorum shall consist of one of the Officers and four ordinary members of the Council.
The Council shall meet at least three times each year and one of the meetings shall be at the time of the A. G. M.
Council will review and approve the audited accounts before presentation at the A.G.M.
The Officers and Members of Council are the Trustees of the Society in relation to its status as a registered charity. The Council may give financial grants for purposes consistent with furtherance of the aims of the Society. The assessment and awarding of grants will be decided by Council, or if deemed appropriate by a Committee appointed by Council for that purpose.
The Society owns a limited company, Cansearch Limited, which may be used at the discretion of Council for trading activities appropriate to the charitable aims and status of the Society. The board of directors and Company Secretary will be appointed by Council.
The Council shall be empowered to institute:
i. Committees and to decide their composition. The Council is also empowered to dissolve Committees.
ii. Working Parties. These are ad hoc committees and shall be set up by the Council to deal with specified matters. When business is completed the Working Party shall be dissolved automatically.
The Chairman and the Honorary Secretary are ex-officio members of all Committees and Working Parties.
Reports from Committees and Working Parties are made to the Council and are confidential to them.
Will be appointed by and be a co-opted member of Council.
The term of appointment will be for 3 years, renewable for a further 3 years.
The newsletter will appear 3 times a year.
The Society headquarters are at 12 Coldbath Square, London EC1R 5HL where an Administrator is employed to manage the affairs of the Society on a day to day basis. The Administrator is responsible to Council and reports directly to the Hon. Secretary on general matters and the Hon. Treasurer on financial matters.
Other staff may be employed as deemed necessary by Council.
The Council must give notice in writing to members of the Society of any change of the Statutes and ensure that written objections from members of the Society are taken into consideration. Any alteration of the Statutes must be by a two thirds majority of votes cast in a ballot of all members of the Society, provided that no amendment shall be made to the objects this rule or the dissolution provisions without the Charity Commissioners prior approval in writing, and no amendment shall be made which would cause the Society to cease to be a charity in law.
The General Meeting of the Society shall be held every year at the time of the Annual Scientific Meeting. The Honorary Secretary shall circulate the Agenda for the meeting at least one month before it is held.
The Chairman of Council shall present a report on the years work of the Society.
The Honorary Treasurer shall present a report together with a duly audited balance sheet.
Any other General Meeting shall be called an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting.
An Extra-Ordinary General Meeting can be convened by the Council or at the request of 25 members of the Society.
The Honorary Secretary shall give notice and circulate the Agenda at least two weeks before an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting.
A quorum for the Annual General Meeting and for any Extra-Ordinary General Meeting shall be one of the Officers and 30 members of the Society.
There will be an annual subscription which will be proposed by the Council and approved by the membership at the Annual General Meeting.
The subscription may be paid annually or by 12 monthly instalments by Direct Debit. The subscription becomes due on the first day of the month immediately following admission to membership.
The Programme Committee shall be responsible for the organisation of the Annual Scientific Meeting and the Spring Tutorials. The Committee shall comprise:
The Chairman will be the Honorary Meetings Secretary.
The host(s) of the current meetings
The host(s) of the previous meeting
The host(s) of the next meeting
A Representative of the Professional Conference organisers
A representative from the trade
The Honorary Treasurer
The Chairman and the Honorary Secretary of the Society
Will be responsible for the development and maintenance of these aspects of the work of the Society with special regard for medical and non-medical staff training in Cytology . It will act in liaison with other appropriate interested bodies.
A Chairman to serve for three years who shall be eligible for re-election for a second term of three years.
The two BSCC representatives on the NCCETC examination sub-committee
Hon Meetings Secretary
A non medical member of Council
The BSCC representatives on the R.C.Path. Cytopathology sub committee
The Chairman and Hon Secretary of the Society
The Honorary Meetings Secretary
i. The Society shall be a member of the European Federation of Cytology Societies.
ii. The Society shall be affiliated to the International Academy of Cytology.
iii. Ten Affiliated Societies are affiliated to the Society. These are:
a. The Cytology Society of the South West and South Wales
b. The Cytology Society of the North of England and North Wales
c. The South East Regional Cytology Society
d. The Southern Cytology Society
e. The Midland Cytology Society
f. The Thames Valley Cytology Society
g. The North East Metropolitan and East Anglian Cytology Society
h. The Scottish Society of Clinical Cytology
i. The North Eastern Cytology Society
j. The Irish Society for Clinical Cytology
Members of Affiliated Societies shall receive the Newsletter issued by the Society.
Members of Affiliated Societies shall have the right to attend the Annual Scientific Meeting on payment of a registration fee.
Each Affiliated Society shall elect one representative to meet the Council twice each year.
The Society can only be dissolved by a two thirds majority vote of the membership in favour of such action.
The assets after settling all outstanding debts shall be given to a Charity in this country with similar aims and ideals.
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