Notes of 11 October 2019
This document is at http://www.rogerclarke.com/SOS/ACS-Constn.html
This is the primary channel for communication of the members' views to the executive. Its Functions are (R8.1):
Congress comprises 7 National Office Bearers and 16 Congressional Representatives, made up of 2 appointed by the Executive Committee of each Branch (R8.2, 8.4).
A minimum of 1 meeting p.a. is required to be held (R8.9.1) and a meeting can be required by any 3 of the 8 Branch Exec Committees or by Congressional Representatives of any 3 Branches (R8.9.2). Each Congress Member has 1 vote (and if a person holds 2 or more positions they only get to exercise 1 vote).
[Anomalies exist on the Congress web-page:
[The page omits President-Elect (presumably pending an election).
[But it includes the Directors of the Membership, Profession and Technical Advisory Boards - who have no vote at Congress.]
NEITHER CONGRESS NOR ANY EQUIVALENT BODY EXISTS UNDER THE NEW CONSTITUTION
This comprises a sub-set of Congress, comprising the (5 or 7?) "National Office Bearers" and 8 "National Congressional Representatives", made up of 1 from each Branch elected from among the 2 "Congress Representatives" for that Branch.
A meeting can be required by a majority of Management Committee members (R10.9.2). Note, however, that all 8 National Congress Representatives would have to act in concert in order to achieve a majority.
[Anomalies exist on the Management Committee web-site:
[The page omits President-Elect (presumably pending an election).
[But it includes not 8, but only 4 National Congress Representatives, viz. the Chairs of NSW and Vic, and Congressional Representatives of WA and NT.
[On the surface this is a serious matter, because it negates the power of the Branches in the Management Committee.]
THE NEW ARRANGEMENT IS FOR A BOARD OF 8, WITH THE 5 NATIONAL OFFICE BEARERS CONTINUING THROUGH THE TRANSITION.
ALL FORMS OF REPRESENTATION OF BRANCHES DISAPPEAR.
A NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE WILL DETERMINE WHO CAN BE NOMINATED AS A DIRECTOR.
THERE ARE NO PROVISIONS WHATSOEVER FOR ANY BRANCH (NOW 'DIVISION') ROLE IN RELATION TO THE BOARD.
THE BOARD HAS COMPLETE POWER IN RELATION TO THE CONSTITUTION OF ANY COMMITTEES.
THIS RESEMBLES THE APPROACH ADOPTED UNDER COMMUNIST REGIMES AND DICTATORSHIPS, NOT DEMOCRACIES, LET ALONE PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES.
The National Regulations entitle use of letters after name:
NEITHER THE PROPOSED CONSTITUTION NOR THE BY-LAWS CONTAINS ANY SUCH ENTITLEMENT
The Code is written into the role of a member:
"This Code of Ethics applies to all members regardless of their role or specific area of expertise in the ICT industry".
NEITHER THE PROPOSED CONSTITUTION NOR THE BY-LAWS CONTAINS ANY SUCH PROVISION
A provision of cl.14 Expulsion (p.21) does, however, refer to a Member "failing to uphold the code of professional conduct and ethics of the Company" as a ground for expulsion.
This establishes the constitutional basis for SIGs.
NEITHER THE PROPOSED CONSTITUTION NOR THE BY-LAWS CONTAINS ANY SUCH PROVISION