Constitution of the British Society for Cell Biology

 Amended 2002, Amended 2014, amended 2022 

GENERAL 

1. The Society shall be called the British Society for Cell Biology. 

2. The objects of the Society shall be to promote the advance of research in relation to all branches of cell biology and to encourage the interchange of information on cell biology. 

 OFFICE-BEARERS AND COMMITTEE 

3. The Officers of the Society shall be a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Meetings Secretary, a Membership Secretary, a Magazine Editor, an Honor Fell/COB Coordinator, a Summer Studentship Secretary, and a Web and Social Media Officer. 

4. There shall be an Executive Committee of the Society consisting of between 12 and 16 members including the Officers, a postdoc representative and a PhD representative, and other named roles deemed to be required by the Executive Committee. 

5. The Executive Committee shall normally meet twice per year. The Committee shall prepare the agenda for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Society, and between AGMs shall act as necessary on behalf of the Society; it shall report on any such actions as indicated, to the next AGM of the Society. 

6. New members of the Executive Committee shall be elected at the AGM. The Officers of the Society shall be elected by the Executive Committee. The President shall be nominated by the Executive Committee. 

7. Any vacancy occurring in the Committee shall be filled by another member of the Society. Applications from Society members for membership of the Executive Committee will be requested by the Committee by email to all Society members approximately every 12 months. The Executive Committee will choose new members from the applications by secret ballot to replace those retiring from the Committee (see 12), who will be elected at the AGM. 

8. The Members of the Executive Committee shall be elected for 4 years, in the first instance, with the possibility of renewal for a further 2 years. Postdoc and PhD student representatives will normally serve on the Committee for 2 years but may step down earlier if they are no longer a postdoc or PhD student. A member of the Committee who fails to contribute to the business of the Society may, at the President’s discretion, be asked to step down. 

9. The President, Secretary, Treasurer, Meetings Secretary, Membership Secretary, Magazine Editor, Honor Fell/COB Coordinator, the Web and Social Media Officer and other named roles are elected to serve for 4 years by the Executive Committee, subject to approval at the next AGM. The Treasurer role may by extended by a further 2 years, if approved at the next AGM. Officer roles may be shared by two members of the Executive Committee, with the exception of President, Secretary and Treasurer. 

10. Each year the members of the Executive Committee, including the Officers, that have completed their term shall retire from the Committee and shall not be eligible for re-election to the Committee for three years. 

 MEMBERSHIP 

11. The Society shall consist of Members engaged in or directing work of the nature indicated in Article 2 (or undertaking shortly to become so active) and of Honorary members. 

12. A candidate for ordinary membership of the Society may be proposed by a BSCB member, to whom they are known personally; alternatively, direct applications accompanied by a Curriculum Vitae may be considered by the Committee. The names and qualifications of these candidates must be sent to the Secretary on the form provided for the purpose, and the applications approved by the Executive Committee. A list of the approved candidates will be circulated or read out to the membership at the AGM. 

13. The Executive Committee shall have the power to terminate a membership if such termination appears to them to be in the interest of the Society. 

MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS AND SOCIETY FUNDING 

14. Members shall pay to the Society’s account, an annual subscription, payable in advance, due on the 1st March, the amount of such subscription being determined at the AGM of the Society and continuing in force until changed at a subsequent one. Student members will have a reduced subscription. The Committee shall have the power to terminate membership if a member fails to pay their subscription after due notice has been given. 

15. For Membership of the Society to become effective a bank transfer for the payment of subscription shall be received by the Treasurer within three months of the date of election, but the Committee shall have the power to relax this requirement in exceptional cases. 

16. The funds and estates of the Society shall be derived from the annual subscriptions of members, donations, grants, and other endowments accepted by the Executive Committee on behalf of the Society. They shall be administered by the Treasurer, acting on instructions given to the Executive Committee by the Society at its AGM, for the furtherance of the objects of the Society. 

17. The Accounts of the Society shall be examined annually with the appropriate external scrutiny of the accounts required by current legislation, and a report made by the Treasurer to the AGM. 

MEETINGS 

18. The AGM of the Society shall be held at a place and time decided by the Executive Committee. The Secretary shall circulate the agenda to all members at least two weeks before the meeting. 

19. Scientific meetings and special symposia relating to the objective of the Society shall be arranged by the Executive Committee. Under normal circumstances these would include one main annual congress during which the AGM of the membership would occur. At each AGM the Executive Committee shall submit proposals, so far as is reasonably practicable, for the dates of scientific meetings to be held during the ensuing twelve months. Unauthorized reports of proceedings shall not be disclosed to the press. 

ALTERATION OF RULES 

20. Alterations of any Rule of the Society shall be made only at an AGM of the Society provided that notice of such alteration has been given on the agenda of the AGM and two thirds or more of those present and voting on the alteration signify their assent. Notice in writing of any proposed alteration, duly seconded, shall be given to the Secretary at least two months before the meeting.