Constitution & Rules
Title and Objects
1. The Group shall be called 'The Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group'.
2. The CCLG is a multidisciplinary association of healthcare professionals involved in the treatment and care of children and younger teenagers with cancer, leukaemia and related conditions in the British Isles. The objectives of the Group shall be to support and encourage its membership in all their professional activities and to be an advocate for the needs of patients and their families.
The objects of the Group shall be:
- To facilitate the promotion of collaborative research and the publication of the results
- To facilitate the advancement of study and knowledge of childhood cancer and leukaemia.
Membership
3. Membership shall be of three classes
a) Full members
Full members shall be persons who have a significant day to day involvement in the multidisciplinary care, or scientific research, of children and younger teenagers with cancer and leukaemia. They will:
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hold a consultant or other senior appointment, or
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in the opinion of the Executive Group, have equivalent responsibility whether in medicine, science or other related healthcare professions.
Full members will pay an individual membership subscription and will have full voting rights. They are expected to be an active member of CCLG
b) Honorary members
Honorary members shall be persons retired from active practice who were formerly qualified to be full or associate members. They shall not have any voting rights within the Group.
c) Associate members
Associate members shall be any healthcare professional engaged in fields closely related to, or at times involving, the treatment of children with malignant diseases, or may be individual physicians who have a major shared-care commitment to the management of children with cancer and leukaemia in collaboration with a regional oncology centre. Those members who have significant day to day involvement as specified in paragraph 3(a), but who do not wish to take a more active role in the organisation are eligible for Associate membership. Associate members will pay an individual membership subscription: a continuing relationship between the Associate member and their regional centre, or involvement in an interest group,is a condition of membership. Associate Members shall have rights of attendance at CCLG Meetings but they shall not have any voting rights within the Group.
Healthcare professionals in training in any discipline and expected to pursue a long-term career with significant involvement with childhood cancer/leukaemia may become Associate Members. The individual must be based in a CCLG centre and be proposed for membership by the Centre Coordinator or an Interest Group Chair. Should the individual stop working in the field of paediatric oncology then he/she will no longer be eligible for membership. Appointment to a consultant (or equivalent) post would mean that the individual is then eligible for Full membership.
Healthcare professionals working overseas may become Associate Members. They must have a good record of co-operation with CCLG members, and have an identified link through a main CCLG treatment centre. Such an individual must be proposed for membership by the Centre Coordinator.
Associate membership will be reviewed annually by the Centre Coordinators and any changes notified to the CCLG Coordinating Centre.
NACCPO (National Alliance of Childhood Cancer Parent Organisations) will have an ex-officio representative on the Executive Group, this arrangement to be reviewed annually.
4. Nominations for Full and Honorary membership shall be made by two full members as proposer and seconder. The name of any person nominated, together with the class of membership proposed and the names of the proposer and seconder, shall be notified in writing to all Members of the Group by inclusion on the Agenda at one of the two annual national meetings.
Nominations for Associate membership shall be made by the relevant centre co-ordinator or Interest Group Chair at any time and require notification to members of the Group (for information only).
Lapsing Membership
5. Full members shall be required to attend at least one CCLG meeting in each calendar year. Members who fail to do so will be invited to take Associate membership or to let their membership lapse. Members who do not fulfil the criteria of attendance at national meetings, but who are considered to be making a substantial contribution in other ways, may retain their full membership at the discretion of the CCLG Executive. Payment of annual subscription is, however, a requirement of continuing membership.
Executive Group
6(a) The Executive Group shall consist of the Chair, plus up to six elected members, and the CCLG Executive Director (ex officio). The Past Chairman shall serve 1 year following completion of his/her term of office. A meeting of the Executive will be quorate when at least half the number of elected members, plus the Chairman or nominated deputy for that meeting, are present.
6(b) Executive Group members shall be nominated and elected from amongst the Full Members of the Group to serve a term of office of 3 years. Executive Group members can be renominated to serve a second term of office. If necessary, a ballot of all Full Members would be used to elect the new Chair or Executive Group member, using a transferable voting system. The term of office shall normally commence at either the AGM or the Summer Meeting.
6(c) A Secretary and Treasurer, as well as any other positions required, will be identified from the serving members of the Executive Group.
6(d) The Chairman will be nominated and elected from amongst the Full Members of the Group and may or may not be from within the existing Executive Group, and will normally serve a term of 1 year as Chairman Elect before taking up post. The Chair should serve for a period of three years, plus renewable reappointment for two further years if wished and supported by the membership. The term of office shall normally commence at either the AGM or the Summer Meeting.
6(e) A representative of the Secretariat Host Institution may serve on the CCLG Executive as a full member if the CCLG and Host Institution so wish, the arrangement to be renewable annually.
6(f) The Convener of the CCL Chairs Forum, if different from the Chair of CCLG, may be invited to Executive Group meetings as appropriate.
7(a) Nominations of persons proposed for election as Chair or as Executive Group members shall be signed by two Full members as proposer and seconder, countersigned by the person proposed and lodged with the Executive Director no less than twenty-eight days before the date of one of the two national business meetings.
7(b) A vote of no confidence in individual members, or the entire Executive, may be brought by any member of CCLG, and must be supported by at least 10 per cent of the full membership. This will be notified in writing to the Executive Director and an Extraordinary General Meeting will be called. (See 13).
Appointment of Trustees and Patron(s)
8(a) Trustees, who are independent of CCLG, but have appropriate background or experience, will be appointed or discharged initially by a resolution of a meeting of the Executive Group. Once a formal Board of Trustees has been appointed, that Board will appoint or discharge trustees.
8(b) The Board of Trustees will be responsible for managing the charity finances in support of the objectives defined by the CCLG Executive.
8(c) One of the trustees will be appointed Chair of the Trustees, and will be responsible for coordinating the activities of the Board.
8(d) The term of office for Trustees is for three years in the first instance, renewable for a second term to the maximum of six years of continuous service in this role. The CCLG Treasurer will also serve as a Trustee. There will be a minimum of two and a maximum of six Trustees.
8(e) Regular (at least quarterly) meetings of the Trustees will be held.
8(f) The Executive may invite suitable individuals to serve as Patrons to support and promote the activity of CCLG.
Property
9. Any property held for, on on behalf of, the Charity shall be held in the names of no less than two but no more than four Charity trustees. When any Trustee is appointed or discharged a memorandum declaring a Trustee to have been so appointed or discharged shall be prepared and such memorandum shall be:
- Executed as a Deed
- Executed by the Chairman or other person presiding at the meeting
- Witnessed by two persons present at the meeting
and otherwise comply with the provisions of section 83 of the Charities Act 1993.
Sub Committees
10. The Executive Group shall have power to create and dissolve, when necessary, relevant organisational committees to ensure the key strategic, operational and statutory processes of the organisation are fulfilled. This may include:
(a) Groups to co-ordinate research projects undertaken by the Group, or
(b) Sub-Committees to undertake specific tasks, provided that the actions of any Sub-Committee must be reported back to the Executive of the Group as soon as possible.
Meetings
11. The Group shall hold at least two national Meetings in each calendar year at a place or places to be agreed by the Executive.
12. The first Meeting in each calendar year shall be the Annual General Meeting. The business of the Annual General Meeting shall include the approval of the Accounts and the approval of appointment of an Auditor. The second Meeting will be the Summer Business and Education Meeting. Election of Executive Officer(s) or Executive Group members will be approved at one such meeting.
13. An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be called by the Executive Director at the instance of the Executive Group or on receipt of a requisition specifying the purpose of the Meeting and signed by ten or more Full Members of the Group. Such meetings shall be called not less than twenty-eight days nor more than two months after receipt by the Executive Director of the requisition. The rules of the Group may be altered at any business meeting of the Group.
14. Notice of any Meeting and of the business to be transacted thereat shall be sent by the Executive Director to all Members to be received by them in the ordinary course of post not less than fourteen days before the date of the Meeting.
15. Ordinary business meetings will normally be attended only by Members and Honorary Members but from time to time Members may, by arrangement with the Executive Group, invite distinguished guests.
Voting
16. (a) Election of an Executive Group member shall be by ballot. An Executive Group member shall be elected by a majority of Full Members voting, using a transferable voting system.
(b) A person shall be elected as a Full Member or Honorary Member by a majority of those present and voting at one of the two national Meetings each year. (Nominations for Associate Membership do not require a formal election).
(c) A person may be removed from membership or honorary membership of the Group by a majority of those present and voting at an Extraordinary General Meeting.
(d) The rules of the Group may be altered by a majority of three-fourths both of those present and voting at any business meeting, providing no alterations shall be made which would have the effect of causing the Group to cease to be a charity in law.
(e) There shall be a quorum when one-third of the Full Members is present at either an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting. If such a meeting is not quorate, any substantial resolutions will subsequently be put to a ballot of Full Members.
(f) In the event of an indecisive vote, the Chairman shall have a casting vote in addition to his vote as a member.
Subscriptions and Donations
17(a) The amount of the Annual Subscription payable to the Group by Centres (the centre levy) shall be determined by the CCLG Executive and recommended to Members at one of the two national Business Meetings held each year.
17(b) The CCLG Executive may propose an individual subscription from members. This proposal will require formal approval by the membership before it is implemented.
18. The Group may accept or refuse donations and other monies and may waive subscriptions.
Finance
19. Unless and until otherwise agreed, the Funds of the Group shall be held in the name of the Group at Leicester.
20. All cheques and instructions as to the operation of the account shall be signed by or on the authority of the Treasurer and the CCLG Executive Director. Cheques to a value agreed by the Executive Group members may be signed by one authorised signatory only.
21. The Board of Trustees shall be empowered to approve and settle the day to day expenses of the Group (including the costs of meetings, its office, secretarial and administrative expenses).
22. The Accounts of the Group shall be audited by a competent person or firm. They shall be presented by the Treasurer to the AGM every year.
23. Should the Group be disbanded any monies remaining in its account should be donated to such other charitable organisation or organisations having similar aims as may be decided by the Group in General Meeting.
24. A statement of the Charity Accounts of the Group shall be sent to the Charity Commissioners by the due date each year.
25. Any surplus income will be used for the furtherance of education or in support of the core activities of the Group.
Constitution amended: January 2011