Maltese Association of Radiologists and Nuclear Medicine Physicians (MARNMP)
L-Assoċjazzjoni tal-iSpeċjalisti tar-Radjoloġija u Mediċina Nukleari
Mission statement
The Maltese Association of Radiologists and Nuclear Medicine Physicians is an autonomous body whose principal objectives are twofold - promoting the highest standards and professional ethics in the practice of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine within the islands of Malta, and safeguarding the interests of all Radiologists and Nuclear Medicine Physicians working in Malta.
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1. STATUTE
1.1 By means of this statute Maltese Association of Radiologists and Nuclear Medicine Physicians is hereby established and will hereafter be referred to as MARNMP. In this statute, unless the context otherwise requires:
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Statute means statute of the MARNMP.
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Bye-Laws means Bye-Laws of the existing statute
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Committee means Committee of the MARNMP in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 et sequitur of the statute
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Council means Council of the MARNMP in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 et sequitur of the statute.
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Association means the MARNMP set up, established and regulated by virtue of this statute.
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Member means a member of the Association except where used in the context of member of Council of member of a committee or sub-committee.
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Medical Imaging means the practice of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, both general and specialised.
2. OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the MARNMP shall be:
2.1. To advise the relevant authorities, institutions and public opinion on matters related to the practice of radiology and nuclear medicine in Malta.
2.2. To promote high standards of Medical Imaging practice in Malta.
2.3. To promote a high standard of professional ethics amongst practicing Radiologists and Nuclear Medicine Physicians.
2.4. To encourage and support publications and research related to the practice of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine.
2.5. To pursue such other matters deemed to be aligned with the aims of the Association.
3. MEMBERSHIP
3.1. Members of the MARNMP shall:
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be fully qualified medical practitioners registered with the Medical Council of Malta.
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have paid the appropriate application, registration and membership fees. Exceptions are senior members (over 65 years) and honorary members.
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shall be accepted as a Member of the Association after application to the Council of the Association and after the Council is satisfied that the applicant fulfils the requirements for admission to membership as set out in this statute and
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shall be entitled to receive all general notices sent out by the MARNMP to its Members, to attend and speak at Association meetings and generally to participate in the activities of the Association.
3.2. The Association will have provisions for:
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Full Members
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Associate members
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Members in training
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Corresponding Members
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Honorary Members
3.3. A Full Member:
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shall be in possession of a recognised higher qualification and shall be registered on the Malta Specialist Register as Radiologist or Nuclear Medicine Physician.
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shall practice Radiology or Nuclear Medicine in Malta.
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shall be in accordance with provisions 3.1.a, 3.1.b, 3.1.c of this statute.
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shall be entitled to vote at General Meetings of the Association.
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and be eligible for election to the Council.
3.4. An Associate Member
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shall be in accordance with provisions 3.1.a, 3.1.b, 3.1.c of this statute.
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shall be actively involved in the practice of radiology or nuclear medicine although not necessarily be in possession of a recognised higher qualification in Radiology.
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shall be entitled to vote at General Meetings of the Association.
3.5. A Member in Training
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shall be in accordance with provisions 3.1.a, 3.1.b, 3.1.c of this statute.
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is currently in a recognised radiology or nuclear medicine training scheme in Malta.
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shall be entitled to vote at General Meetings of the Association.
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Shall be eligible for election to the Council as Trainee Representative.
3.6. A Corresponding Member:
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shall be in accordance with provisions 3.1.a, 3.1.b, 3.1.c of this statute.
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shall be a qualified or trainee Radiologist or Nuclear Medicine Physician not ordinarily resident and practising Radiology or Nuclear Medicine in Malta.
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shall not be entitled to vote at General Meetings of the Association nor be eligible for election to the Council.
3.7. An Honorary Member:
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shall be a person who has made a distinguished contribution to Radiology or Nuclear Medicine or who has achieved outstanding prominence in a field of medicine related to Radiology or Nuclear Medicine and is nominated by the Council for election to membership.
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shall pay no registration fee or annual subscription.
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shall not be entitled to vote at General Meetings of the Association nor be eligible for election to the Council.
3.8 Application for Membership of the Association shall be in accordance with all provisions outlined in Section 3. The Council shall have absolute discretion in accepting or rejecting any application for admission as a member and shall not be bound to assign reason for its decision but shall not discriminate in any way between applicants by reason of sex, race, colour or creed.
3.9 Any Member who wishes to resign or otherwise terminate his or her Membership with the Association must do so by informing the Council in writing. Members who resign will relinquish all rights as Members of the Association provided by this statute.
4. FEES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
4.1 Full, Associate, In Training and Corresponding Members will be required to pay an annual subscription as determined by the Council.
4.2 Subscriptions shall be payable in advance on the first day of January of each year.
4.3 A full year payment will be made for the first year of Membership irrespective of the month of admission, election or acceptance.
4.4 Failure to pay annual membership in accordance with the provisions of this statute jeopardises the rights of Members under this statute and may lead to erasure from the MARNMP as decided by the Council.
4.5 Full, In Training and Associate Members may be required to pay a registration fee on admission, election or acceptance as determined by the Council.
5. THE MARNMP COMMITTEE and MARNMP COUNCIL
5.1 The Council and Committee shall consist of members, such election to be held every four years in accordance with this statute.
5.2 The Officers of the Committee shall consist of:
i) The President who shall chair and preside over all Committee, Council and General Meetings of the MARNMP. He or she shall also be responsible for the general supervision of the affairs of the Association. The President shall have the right to vote, and shall also have a casting vote. Public relations shall be his or her responsibility, together with:
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communicating with the Public at large
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upholding the image of the Association by clearly expounding the philosophy, vision and mission of the Association to interested parties
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investigating complaints or suggestions made by such parties.
ii) The Secretary who shall:
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be responsible for the general administration of the Association and all correspondence
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Keep records of all members
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keep accurate minutes of every Council and the General meeting
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shall notify all members of the Council of the date, time, agenda and venue of the meeting
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shall be responsible for the due notice to all members of any General meeting in accordance with the provisions of this statute
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authenticate any document affecting the constitution of the Association and any resolution passed by the MARNMP or by the Councilor any committee of the Council and any other records relating to the affairs of the Council.
iii) The Treasurer, who shall:
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be responsible for all the moneys pertaining to the Association and their administration in accordance with the policies of the MARNMP.
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be responsible for the collection and accounting of all funds
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issue receipts for all payments made and received by the Association
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shall be one of two signatories (the other signatory shall be any member of the council) of all cheques, promissory notes, drafts, bills of exchange and other negotiable and transferable instruments.
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represent MARNMP on the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) in issues regarding radiology
5.3 The Officers of the Council shall consist of members of the MARNMP Committee together with:
i) The Radiology Post-Graduate Educational Officer, who shall:
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attend SAC meetings on behalf of MARNMP whenever MARNMP President is unable to do so him/herself.
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deal with all issues pertaining to specialist accreditation in radiology and post-graduate training curriculum and its modification
ii) The Nuclear Medicine Post-Graduate Education officer, who shall:
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attend SAC meetings on behalf of MARNMP and deal with all issues pertaining to specialist accreditation in nuclear medicine.
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represent MARNMP on the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) in issues regarding nuclear medicine.
iii) The Trainee Representative, who shall:
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be a basic or higher specialist trainee in the Medical Imaging Department, Mater Dei Hospital, Malta.
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represent trainees on the council.
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be tasked with commissioning the creation of a MARNMP website to a relevant competent web-designer. This website should have educational material for radiologists and radiology trainees, and as a portal for patients with information about various diagnostic and interventional radiological procedures. It shall also showcase MARNMP-endorsed current and future activities.
iv) The MARNMP International Relations Officer, who’s main task is that of raise the European and International Profile of MARNMP.
5.4 The President of the Council may, after the lapse of his four-year period in office, be elected for a second but not a third consecutive term of four years. He will remain eligible for election to any other position in Council.
5.5 Other Officers of Council may stand up for any number of elections in the same or different capacity.
6. PROCEEDINGS OF THE COUNCIL
6.1 The members of the council shall be elected in their respective posts in the Annual General Meeting.
6.2 Matters at any meeting of Council shall be determined by a majority of votes. In case of a parity of votes the President shall have a second and casting vote.
6.3 Any member of the council may at any time summon a Council meeting.
6.4 The quorum necessary for Council meetings shall be three.
6.5 A meeting of the Council in which a quorum is present shall be competent to exercise all powers and discretions for the time being exercisable by the Council in accordance with this statute.
6.6 The President shall preside over any meeting of the Council.
6.7 Council shall ensure that minutes are entered in books provided for the purpose:
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of all appointments of working committee officers made by the Council;
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of the names of members of the Council present at each meeting of the Council and of any committee of the Council;
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of all resolutions and proceedings at all Council and General meetings.
6.8 The Council may delegate any of its duties to working committees consisting of such members of its body as it thinks fit. Any committee so formed shall in the exercise of its duties conform to any regulations and terms of reference that may be imposed by the Council. Resolutions by any working party shall only be valid if confirmed by Council.
6.9 The Council shall be empowered to appoint any person as a co-opted Council member for any purpose deemed necessary and for a period of time as determined by council. Such co-opted member shall be invited to attend Council meetings at the discretion of Council but shall have no right to vote.
7 ELECTORAL COMMISSION AND ELECTION PROCEDURES
7.1. There shall be an Electoral Commissioner not in Council appointed for a period of four years until the next election.
7.2 When the term of office of the Council, as provided for in terms of this statute, is due to expire the electoral commissioner shall, seven (7) days before the next General Meeting, inform the MARNMP members that nominations for Council posts will be received.
7.3 Candidates for election to Council shall be nominated in writing, such nominations to be received by the electoral commissioner within seven (7) days of the date of call for nominations.
7.4 Nominations shall be sent to the electoral commissioner and shall be signed by two members and shall include a statement signed by the candidate of his willingness to serve on Council in accordance with this statute if elected.
7.5 If there is more than one nomination for every Council position, a ballot shall be held within thirty (30) days from the day by which nominations are to be received by the electoral commissioner.
7.6 Every full member, associate member, and member in training shall be entitled to vote.
7.7 Voting papers must specify the vacancies to be filled, the names of the candidates and any other information or instruction deemed relevant by the Electoral Commissioner provided that such information is fair and impartial.
7.8 Voting papers duly completed must be received by the Electoral Commissioner by the date stipulated which shall not be more than seven days before the annual General Meeting and in default shall not be treated as valid.
7.9 If, for any reason, the full complement of members of the Council is not elected a fresh ballot shall be called in a manner determined by the Electoral Commissioner to elect the remaining members.
7.10 No fresh ballot shall be called if the vacancy arises within six months of the General Meeting when elections are due to be held.
7.11 Any member of Council appointed in terms of the above provisions shall hold office until the next due Council elections in accordance with this statute.
8. POWERS OF THE COUNCIL
8.1 The affairs of the MARNMP shall be managed and executed by the Council except for such affairs as are required by this statute, or by Law, to be done in General Meeting.
8.2 The Council shall have power from time to time to adopt and make, alter and revoke Bye-laws for the regulation of the MARNMP and for the furtherance of the objectives of the Association, provided that these are not contrary to this statute.
8.3 Any resolutions of the Council for the adoption, making, alteration or revocation of such Bye-laws shall be subject to confirmation at the next General Meeting and, if not so confirmed, shall cease to have effect at the conclusion of that meeting.
8.4 Without prejudice to the powers of the Council to make Bye-laws on other matters, the following shall be deemed to be matters which will be governed expressly by Bye-laws namely:
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Fees payable on admission to Membership.
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Subscriptions and other payments to be payable by members.
8.5 No Member shall be absolved from observing the Bye-laws for reason of his not receiving a copy of the same or of any alterations made thereto or having otherwise no notice of them.
8.6 Council shall have the right to terminate Membership by a three-fifths majority vote in Council of the Members present and voting at that particular time.
8.7 Any Member whose membership is proposed to be terminated shall be entitled to be informed of the charge against him and will have the right to nominate any person or persons to defend him, assist him in his defence or represent him. The final decision rests with Council.
9. GENERAL MEETINGS
9.1 The Association shall hold an annual general meeting commencing not later than 13 months from the acceptance of this statute and every 13 months thereafter.
9.2 The Council may whenever it thinks fit proceed to convene an extraordinary General Meeting.
9.3 The Council shall, on request of not less than 30% of the members eligible for voting of the MARNMP, proceed within one month to a General Meeting.
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Such request must be dated, signed by all requesting members, must state the objects of the meeting and be deposited with the Honorary Secretary within thirty-six hours from the date of the request.
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Upon receipt of the request in terms of Section 8.3.1(a), the Secretary shall immediately communicate such request to Council which shall convene the General Meeting in accordance with the provisions of this statute.
9.4 At least one week's notice shall be given for any annual, biannual and any other General Meeting.
9.5 The accidental non-receipt of a notice of a General Meeting by any person entitled to receive such notice shall not invalidate the proceedings of the meeting.
9.6 Every notice calling a general meeting shall specify the place and the day and hour of the meeting as well as the agenda for discussion.
9.7 In cases of urgency, to be determined by the Council, an extraordinary General Meeting can be convened with only twenty-four (24) hours notice in accordance with section 9.6.
9.8 Any member wishing to propose a motion for discussion shall notify the Secretary in writing of such a motion by not less than seven (7) days from the date of the meeting.
9.9 In General Meetings convened with urgency in accordance with section 9.7 motions can be proposed, discussed and approved at such General Meetings provided that in all other cases, in special circumstances to be determined by the Chairman, Sections 9.8 shall not apply.
10. PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS
10.1 Thirty percent of all the members eligible for voting shall be a quorum for all purposes at general meetings.
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If after the lapse of thirty minutes from the time appointed for a General Meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting shall stand adjourned to another date within the next thirty days as determined by the Council. If, on that date, a quorum is not present the meeting shall proceed.
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If however no quorum is present after the lapse of thirty minutes for a General Meeting convened at the request of members, such General Meeting shall be dissolved.
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In case of an urgent Extraordinary General Meeting the meeting will proceed, even without a quorum, after the lapse of thirty minutes.
10.2 The President shall chair all General Meetings. In his absence, his delegate shall chair. If neither President nor his delegate is present a Council member shall be appointed by the members present to take the Chair.
10.3 The Chairman may on his own motion, or if so directed by the meeting, adjourn the meeting from time to time and from place to place, provided that if a meeting is adjourned for thirty days or more at least seven days notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given.
10.4 At any General Meeting a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall (subject as hereunder provided) be decided on a show of hands. A secret ballot may be demanded on any resolution (other than a resolution for adjournment) by any three members in person. If a poll is so demanded it shall be taken forthwith.
10.5 A statement by the Chairman of the result of the vote shall be minuted.
10.6 Save as otherwise provided in this statute, decisions at General Meetings shall be carried by simple majority vote.
11. VOTING BY MEMBERS
11.1 At any General Meeting or in any authorised postal ballot every member eligible to vote shall have one vote.
11.2 No objection shall be raised to the qualification of any votes except at the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the vote objected to is given or tendered, and every vote not disallowed at such meeting shall be valid for all purposed.
11.2.1 Any such objection made in due time shall be referred to the Chairman of the meeting whose decision shall be final and conclusive.
11.2.2 Subject to the provision of this statute the General Meeting may adopt the procedure to be used at such meetings and if no specific procedure has been adopted the Chairman shall rule and decide the procedure to be adopted.
12. ACCOUNTS AND INVESTMENTS
12.1 The Committee may invest any MARNMP moneys not immediately required for its purposes.
12.2 The Committee shall ensure that proper books of account be kept with respect to:
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all sums of money received and expended by the Association and the matters in respect of which the receipts and expenditures take place;
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the assets and liabilities of the Association;
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all sales and purchases by the Association.
12.3 At the Annual General Meeting the Committee shall lay before the MARNMP audited accounts for the period since the date to which the last preceding account was made up.
12.4 The annual accounts of the organization are to be drawn up for a financial period commencing on 1st January and ending on the 31st December
12.5 The Committee shall appoint an auditor on an annual basis. No person shall be appointed as or be entitled to act as an auditor unless he shall be qualified for such an appointment. The auditor may, at the discretion of the Council, be asked to attend any General Meeting and to receive all notices of and other communications relating to such General Meeting which any member is entitled to receive, and to be heard at such General Meeting on any part of the business of the meeting which concerns him as auditor.
12.6 The official address of the association is 9, Triq in-Nutar Zarb, Attard.
13. NOTICES
13.1 Any notices or document may be served by the Association on any member either personally or by sending it through the post at his registered address.
14. REPRESENTATION
14.1 Legal representation of the MARNMP shall vest jointly in all members of the council.
15. AMENDMENTS TO THE STATUTE
15.1 Any amendments to the statute shall be proposed, seconded and presented to the Secretary. The amended statute shall be sent electronically to all members prior to the next General Meeting, and will become effective only if they are no objections from at least two-thirds of the members.
16. DISSOLUTION
16.1 Notwithstanding any other provision in this statute, the Association can be dissolved if a motion to this effect is presented in accordance with this statute and is approved by two thirds of all the members present in person and voting at a General Meeting after appropriate discussion.
16.2 If at any time the Organisation shall pass in General Meeting by a majority comprising seventy-five per cent (75%) of all the registered Members present and entitled to vote a resolution of its intention to dissolve, the Executive Committee shall take immediate steps to settle any debts, and dispose of the monies and property remaining as determined by the General Meeting; and thereupon the Organisation shall for all purposes be dissolved.
16.3 In the event of dissolution of the Organisation, any remaining funds and/or property shall be donated to either, a voluntary non-profit making organisation, a non-profit charitable institution or the Voluntary Organisations Fund chosen by the outgoing Executive Committee.
16.4 In the event of dissolution of the Organisation, the outgoing Executive Committee is to inform the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations within 15 days of the decision taken to dissolve.