CONSTITUTION

 CURRENT AT 10 AUGUST 2003

ASLIA (WA)

 AUSTRALIAN SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS ASSOCIATION (WESTERN AUSTRALIA)

 CONSTITUTION

 1.   NAME

 (A)    The Name of the Association shall be Australian Sign Language Interpreters Association (Western Australia), to be known as - ASLIA (WA).

  (B)    The name of ASLIA (WA) may be changed as decided by members as deemed necessary.  The mechanism for such a change will be set out in amendment of rules (16).

 2.       OBJECTS

  (A)   To promote recognition of the professional status of interpreters.

  (B)    To promote, foster and improve the art and professionalism of Auslan (Australian Sign Language) interpreters.

  (C)   To assist in the upgrading of interpreting skills and the development of fluency in Auslan.

 (D)    To maintain communication with consumers/users and employers of interpreting services.

 (E)     To protect the rights of interpreters.

 (F)          To ensure compliance and adherence with a code of ethics for interpreters as determined from time to time.

 (G)    To support, advocate and protect the rights of interpreters (in areas of health, personal safety and working conditions).

 (H)    To liaise and/or co-operate with, or lobby any relevant government or other organisation, group or individual in the pursuance of the associations objectives and purposes.

 (I)      To consult and/or collaborate with organisations associated with Deaf people to promote closer liaison between these bodies and to provide the means whereby ideas relating to the deafness sector, or the interpreting industry, can be exchanged.

 (J)      To collate, disseminate and provide relevant information for ASLIA (WA) members.

 (K)    To raise funds to further the objects of the ASLIA (WA).

 (L)     The property and income of ASLIA (WA) shall be applied solely towards the promotion of the objects of ASLIA (WA) and no part of that property or income may be paid or otherwise distributed, directly or indirectly, to members, except as bona fide compensation for services rendered or expenses incurred on behalf of ASLIA (WA).

 3.    MEMBERSHIP

 ASLIA (WA) shall consist of:

  (A)   FULL MEMBERS who have attained relevant qualifications in Auslan interpreting shall:

[i]         have the right to hold office

[ii]        have the right to vote at general meetings

[iii]        have the right to receive general circular/s of information.

[iv]       have the right to participate in professional development, seminars and other events organised by ASLIA (WA).

 (B)    ASSOCIATE MEMBERS who may be any person/s interested in the area of Auslan interpreting shall:

[i]         have the right to attend and observe general meetings.

[ii]        have the right to receive general circular/s of information.

[iii]        have the right to participate in professional development, seminars and other events organised by ASLIA (WA).

  (C)   CORPORATE MEMBERS who may be any interested organisation shall:

                        [i]        have the right to appoint a delegate to attend and observe general meetings.

[ii]        have the right to receive general circular/s of information.

 4. APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP AND REGISTER OF MEMBERS

(A)       Any person desiring to become a member of ASLIA (WA) shall sign an application in the form annexed hereto and referred to as "A".  Every application for membership of ASLIA (WA) shall be signed by the applicant and shall be accompanied, where required, by evidence of accreditation by the National Accreditation Authority of Translators and Interpreters (N.A.A.T.I), or by evidence of the relevant TAFE award.

(B)              The Secretary, on behalf of ASLIA (WA), must comply with Section 27 of the Act by keeping and maintainging in an up to date condition, a register of the members of ASLIA (WA) and their postal or residential addresses, and upon the request of a member of ASLIA (WA), shall make the register available for the inspection of the member and the members may make a copy or take an extract from the register, but shall have no right to remove the register for that purpose.

(C)              The register must be kept and maintained at the Secretary’s place of residence, or at such other place as the members at a general meeting decide.

(D)              The Secretary must cause the name of a person who dies or who ceases to be a member under Rule 6 to be deleted from the register of members referred to in Rule 4 (A).

5.       SUBSCRIPTIONS AND DONATIONS

The annual subscriptions shall be determined at the A.G.M. [Annual General Meeting] in each year and shall fall due on 1^st February.

All gifts and donations will be kept separate from other monies received by ASLIA (WA).

6.  CESSATION OF MEMBERSHIP

(A)    Any member desiring to resign his/her membership shall do so by written notice to the Secretary, but no such resignation shall relieve any member from payment of any subscriptions in arrears or other monies due by him/her to ASLIA (WA) at the date of resignation.

(B)    The committee shall have the power to expel or suspend any member but shall not do so until it has conducted a proper inquiry into any alleged misconduct of the member and only after a proper hearing at which the member shall have the right to be heard.  At least fourteen (14) days prior notice of the hearing shall be given to the member and shall state the grounds for the proposed expulsion of suspension of membership.  Within fourteen (14) days after the hearing, the member shall be informed of the result of the hearing.

(C)    A member who is suspended or expelled may, within fourteen (14) days of receiving notification of the result of the hearing, appeal in writing to the general meeting.  Within thirty (30) days of a lodgement of an appeal, the committee shall call a special general meeting to consider such appeal.

7. COMMITTEE

The management of ASLIA (WA) shall be deputed to a committee of not less than five (5) members including a President, Secretary and/or Treasurer and committee members all of whom shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Association.

The committee may co-opt from time to time such members of ASLIA (WA) or otherwise to assist the committee as deemed necessary.

Elections shall be held yearly, with all positions becoming vacant at each election.  The candidates who receive most votes shall be declared elected, and in the case of two (2) candidates receiving an equal number of votes, the chairperson of the Annual General Meeting shall have a second or casting vote.

The committee shall have the power to appoint a member to fill any casual vacancy of the committee until the next Annual General Meeting.  Any members so appointed shall retire at the next Annual General Meeting but shall be eligible for election as a member of the committee at such meeting.

8. MEETINGS OF COMMITTEE

The committee shall meet at least every three (3) months to arrange the affairs of ASLIA (WA).  Three (3) members of the committee shall form a quorum.  Minutes shall be taken of all resolutions and proceedings of the committee and shall be open to inspection, upon reasonable notice, by any member of ASLIA (WA).  Any member of the committee who is absent for three (3) consecutive meetings without reasonable excuse shall, unless the committee otherwise decides, be deemed to have resigned and a vacancy shall thereupon exist on the committee.

Voting of the committee shall be equal, with the president participating only if a casting vote is required.

9.  ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting of ASLIA (WA) shall be held in the month of February of each year, upon a date and a time to be fixed, in January, by the committee, for the following purposes:

(A)    To receive from the committee a report of the affairs of ASLIA (WA) since the preceding AGM.

(B)       To receive from the Treasurer an audited statement of receipts and expenditure for the preceding financial year.

(C)   The election of officer bearers and committee for the ensuing year.

(D)   To consider any other business, notice of which has been given not less than fourteen (14) days before the AGM.

(E)    Appoint an auditor.

10.   EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

An extraordinary general meeting may be called by the President or upon request in writing of any five (5) members or a total of 10% of the members which ever is the greater, of ASLIA (WA), stating the purpose for which the meeting is required.

11.     CONVENED GENERAL MEETING

Seven (7) days before any general meeting, and twenty one (21) days before any AGM, a notice shall be sent to every member, listing the business to be transacted.

12.  PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS

At all general meetings of ASLIA (WA), the President, or in their absence a member selected by the committee, shall take the chair.  Every full member present shall be entitled to vote on every motion and upon a deadlock of votes the chairperson shall have a casting vote.  The committee shall be empowered to make regulations for enabling full members not present to vote by proxy or in writing.

13. QUORUM AT GENERAL MEETINGS

The quorum at all general meetings shall be five (5) members or a total of 10% of members which ever is the greater.

14. FUNDS

The Treasurer of ASLIA (WA) shall cause to be kept true and proper accounts of all receipts and expenditure. The financial year of ASLIA (WA) shall end on 31^st January, and subscriptions shall fall due on 1^st February. A copy of the accounts of ASLIA (WA) made up to 31 January shall be submitted to an auditor appointed by ASLIA (WA).  The auditor may at any time call for and inspect the accounts of ASLIA (WA).

Funds raised will be the property of ASLIA (WA). The surplus in hand at the end of each financial year is to be administered by the committee.

15. INTERPRETATION OF RULES

The committee has the power to interpret the rules.

16. AMENDMENT OF RULES

These rules may only be added to, repealed or amended by resolution at an extraordinary general meeting provided that the notice to amend the rules is included in the notice of the meeting, and no such resolution shall be deemed to have been passed unless it is carried by 75% of the members voting thereon.  Within one (1) month of the passing of a special resolution to amend its rules ASLIA (WA) shall lodge with the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection notice of the special resolution setting out particulars of the alterations together with a certificate given by the chairperson certifying that the resolution was duly passed as a special resolution and that the rules of ASLIA (WA) as so altered conform to the requirements of the corporation law.

17. DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION

A resolution for the dissolution of ASLIA (WA) may only be proposed after due notice of motion being given for an AGM or an extraordinary general meeting of ASLIA (WA).  In the event of the resolution being passed by 75% of members present, the committee shall thereupon or at any future date as shall be specified in such resolution, proceed to realise any property of ASLIA (WA).

If upon the winding up of ASLIA (WA), there remains after satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities any property whatsoever, the same shall not be paid or distributed amongst the members or former members, but shall be given or transferred to another association incorporated under the Act which has similar objects and which is approved by the Commissioner of Taxation as a public benevolent institution to which income tax deductible gifts can be made and which association shall be determined by resolution of the members.

Similarly, if the gift fund is wound up, or if the endorsement of ASLIA (WA) as a deductible gift recipient is revoked, any surplus assets of the gift fund remaining after the payment of liabilities attributable to it, shall be transferred to a fund, authority or institution to which income tax deductible gifts can be made.

 18. COMMON SEAL

The common seal of ASLIA (WA) engraved with the name of ASLIA (WA) shall be kept in the care of the President.  The seal shall not be used or affixed to any deed or other document except pursuant to a resolution of the committee and in the presence of the President and one (1) member of the committee who will scribe his/her name as a witness.

 19. INSPECTION OF RECORDS OF ASLIA (WA)

A member may at any reasonable time inspect without charge the books, documents, records and securities of ASLIA (WA).

 20. POWERS

ASLIA (WA) has power to do all things as are necessary, incidental or conducive to the attainment of the objects of ASLIA (WA), including to make by-laws for the conduct of ASLIA (WA).

 21. OTHER