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ASTW Constitution
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| The name of the association shall be the Australian Society of Travel Writers. |
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| The Australian Society of Travel Writers is an organisation of persons engaged in professional activities related to the travel industry in the fields of writing, photography, broadcasting, television, electronic media, public relations and promotion.
The Society has six categories of membership: Full members, Associate Writers, Public Relations Members, International Affiliates, Honorary, and Life Members.
Full members and Associate writers produce material about travel destinations and the travel industry for the public domain including newspapers, magazines and travel guides and books and for presentation on radio, television, websites and other electronic media.
Public relations members provide an information and promotional support service for Full and Associate writer members and for various print, radio and electronic media on behalf of travel-related clients.
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| The Australian Society of Travel Writers is a non-profit organisation which aims to serve the travelling public.
In magazines and newspapers, travel books and guides, radio and television programs, and in the electronic media, the Society’s members strive to provide readers, viewers and listeners with accurate information on travel destinations, facilities and services and on the structure and development of the travel industry itself.
The Society believes that travel is a bridge between peoples, and seeks to guard the right of freedom to travel and to encourage conservation and preservation of historic sites and natural wonders.
Members pledge to:
- Encourage responsible professional standards of reporting
- Safeguard the professional independence of travel writers
- Promote Australia’s travel writers as a key segment of the travel and communications industries
- Undertake other activities that contribute to the Society’s prime goals of better travel reporting and more satisfying travel
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| Full Members:
(a) the designated travel editors of newspapers, magazines, radio or television stations, or electronic media considered by the Committee to be of significant repute.
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(b) persons who have published a significant output of travel-related material as determined by the ASTW Committee (hereafter referred to as ‘the Committee’).
Associate Writers: Travel writers, photographers, researchers or broadcasters whose work is considered by the Committee to be of insufficient quantity to allow them to qualify for Full membership.
Public Relations Members: Public Relations managers or consultants operating travel-related accounts for actual payment on behalf of an air or sea carrier, a ground operator, national tourist office, hotel or other recognised travel industry organisation.
International Affiliate Members: Existing ASTW members who move overseas may become an International Affiliate. They retain the voting rights and privileges of their original category. Other International Affiliates may be admitted as determined by the Committee, and will have rights and privileges similar to those of Associate members.
Honorary membership shall be restricted to persons who, in the unanimous opinion of the Committee, have made a significant contribution to the travel industry and specifically supported the role of travel writers. It is likely an Honorary Membership will be bestowed at the time of a person’s retirement. Honorary members (unless an active member) will have no voting rights or right to office, and are exempted from paying annual membership fees, but will be accorded all other privileges of membership.
Life membership shall (by a unanimous vote of the Committee) be conferred upon a member who has contributed significantly to the Society over a considerable period. Life Members are exempted from paying annual membership fees. They have the rights and status of the membership category in which they are listed.
Conditions:
Full and Associate writer members shall not engage in any promotional activity or dissemination of information for gain (either cash or kind) on a client/principal basis where that activity promotes a product, company, organisation, place or person linked to the travel industry.
All members (apart from Life Members and retired Honorary Members) are required to make a declaration every 12 months (or when requested to do so by the Committee) that they qualify as members, and may be required to provide evidence of their continuing qualification. In addition the Committee may, from time to time, seek written declarations from a member in any category of membership to substantiate his or her membership. Committee may, after due consideration, re-allocate members into categories subject always to conditions stated or implied above. Committee shall advise any re-allocated member, in writing, of the reasons for the re-allocation.
Application for membership of the Society in all categories must be submitted to the Committee together with documentation establishing qualifications. The names and details of applicants’ qualifications shall be circulated to all members at least 30 days before consideration by the Committee. The Committee has the power to decline membership applications.
In order to maintain a workable balance between the numbers of Writer members against Public Relations members at no time may the ratio between the two groups exceed 1:3 respectively. In the case of this ratio being exceeded the Committee may authorise a temporary freeze on PR and Industry Membership applications.
The term "all members" shall always refer to all financial members of the Society in every category.
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| (a) As representatives of the public interest, members shall serve as “travel critics” as ready to comment critically as to praise. Full members and Associate writers intending to prepare material for publication or broadcast (or preparing such material) shall:
- present honest, accurate, and fair reports
- not accept payment or courtesies in return for writing favourably contrary to their true appraisal of the subject/s
- only write or broadcast travel-related material about which they have first-hand knowledge or access to other reliable sources
- not permit his or her by-line or name to appear on work not entirely his or her own
- declare, where a conflict of interest could be perceived or exists, details of that conflict or perceived conflict to their relevant editor or publisher
- conduct themselves at all times when on assignment in a proper manner and not impose extraordinary demands upon the hospitality of hosts
(b) Full members and Associate Writer members who operate as freelance writers or photographers shall:
- not offer material for publication without payment
- refuse to release material for publication unless the publisher first agrees to make reasonable payment for such material
(c) Any member judged by the Committee to have committed breaches of the code of ethics, plagiarism or other unethical acts shall be re-categorised (where relevant) or disciplined by suspension of membership for up to one year or expelled from the society.
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| Only Full Members may vote on matters pertaining to the society or hold office.
Associate Writer and Public Relations Members shall be included in all matters relating to the Society and have the right of discussion and comment on all matters pertaining to the Society. They may move motions (and speak in support of such motions) at meetings but do not have the right to vote and cannot hold office. Associate writers may hold office in extraordinary circumstances.
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| The affairs of the Society shall be conducted by a Committee consisting of nine (9) Full or Associate Writer Members and one (1) Public Relations Member, all of whom have Committee voting rights.
Office bearers shall include a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary and a Treasurer or a Secretary-Treasurer.
The nine writer members of Committee shall be elected annually by a majority postal vote of Full members.
The Public Relations Member shall be elected annually by a majority postal vote of all Public Relations members.
All officers and Committee members will retire automatically at the Annual General Meeting, but will be eligible for re-election. The results of both postal votes will be announced at the Annual General Meeting. The office bearers will be elected from the Full members of the new Committee. Only Full members attending the Annual General Meeting will be entitled to vote in this ballot.
A report of the financial position of the Society shall be made annually by the Treasurer, with accounts of expenditure and income.
The membership and financial year shall be July 1 to June 30. A member may lose all rights and privileges of membership if dues are not paid by a date to be determined by the Committee.
A membership card will be issued to each member.
Privacy policy: The Society endeavours to protect members' personal details from inappropriate dissemination, unauthorised access or alteration. At the time of annual substantiation, members are given the option of not having contact details published on the membership list. However, if a member chooses not to provide that information the Society may not be able to provide the member with products or services that depend on the collection of that information. This policy is intended regardless of whether the Society is, or is not, bound by Australian Federal Government Privacy regulations.
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| There will be an Annual General Meeting, as well as any other meetings which are deemed by the Committee to be necessary or desirable.
The quorum at an Annual General Meeting and at any other meetings of the membership shall be 25 per cent of the number of financial members of the Society of which at least one-third must be Full members.
A Special General Meeting may be convened by the Committee upon application to hold such a meeting from 25 per cent of the Society’s total financial membership.
All members shall be given at least 30 days notice of such proposed meeting/s.
Only matters listed on the agenda for that Special General Meeting shall be discussed and voted upon at such meeting/s.
The Committee shall meet at least once every six months. All members of the Society shall be advised of the date of proposed Committee meetings at least 30 days prior to the holding of such Committee meeting.
Four members of the Committee, including at least one office bearer shall constitute a quorum.
Conflict of Interest: If a situation arises that may result in a conflict of interest (in that a Committee or other Member may potentially derive a financial or other benefit through a contract ASTW has, or may have, with a supplier to it) the member in question must absent themselves from the meeting while any discussions on that contract or arrangement take place. The member may not vote on the matter.
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| Any amendments to this Constitution must be made by a vote of the Full Membership, either by post or at a General Meeting. In order for any proposed amendment to be passed at least 65% of the Full membership must cast a vote, with a majority in favour of the amendment. Copies of the proposed amendments must be sent to all members at least 30 days prior to the meeting or postal vote. |
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| All questions of rules, duties and procedure not covered by the constitution and by-laws shall be governed by the Standing Orders outlined below:
1. These rules will apply at the Annual General Meeting and at all other general meetings of members of the Society, as properly convened by the Committee in accordance with the Constitution.
2. The President will be entitled to occupy the Chair at the annual general meeting and at all meetings of the Society, failing that the Vice-President will preside. However, subject to the agreement of the President and the Vice-President, any member of the Society may be invited by a resolution of the meeting to take the Chair.
3. No business shall be transacted at any meeting of members unless a quorum is present. If a quorum is not present within half an hour of the time scheduled for its commencement, the meeting shall be dissolved. The Committee will then determine if and when the meeting shall be reconvened and advise members accordingly by the Secretary.
4. The Chair of any meeting of members at which a quorum is present may, with the consent of the meeting, adjourn the proceedings to another place, date and time, but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business on the agenda of the original meeting.
5. The order of business will be as set out in the agenda for the meeting, but may be varied subject to the approval of the meeting. Motions of condolence will normally take precedence over all other business.
6. Voting for any elected Committee or office-bearer position shall be by secret ballot and counted on a ‘first past the post’ basis. The Chair will invite any two members present to act as tellers, and they will count the votes and immediately hand to the Chair, in writing, the result of each ballot, along with the ballot papers.
7. Voting on any motion shall be by show of hands. However, the Committee may decide in advance of the meeting that the vote on a specific motion will be taken by a poll and, if so, the procedure for the counting of votes will be the same as applies under Rule 6.
8. Additionally, the Chair may either, before or after a vote by show of hands on any motion, rule that a poll be taken and, if so, the procedure for the counting of votes will be the same as applies under Rule 6.
9. The Chair, if entitled to a vote by virtue of their membership of the Society, is entitled to one vote on any motion before the meeting. In the event of an equality of votes, the Chairman will not be entitled to exercise a second or ‘casting’ vote and will automatically declare the motion ‘lost’.
10. All general business before the meeting shall be in the form of a motion. At the discretion of the Chair, the mover may be asked to submit the motion in writing. All motions must be seconded immediately, but the seconder may reserve their remarks and speak later in the debate on that motion. Where possible, the Chair will alternately call speakers for and against the motion.
11. No member shall speak more than once to any motion or amendment but the mover of a motion or an amendment will have the right of reply and their remarks will automatically close the debate and the question must then be put. However, with the permission of the Chair, a person who has spoken to a motion or amendment may make a personal explanation or respond to a question.
12. All speakers will direct their remarks through the Chair and, unless a point of order is raised, will be entitled to be heard uninterrupted.
13. An amendment to a motion before the meeting may be moved and seconded but must be relevant to the motion it seeks to amend. If carried, the motion as amended becomes the ‘substantive’ motion and then itself is open to further amendment. If the amendment is lost, discussion will then revert to the motion as it stood prior to that particular amendment being proposed.
14. Neither the mover or seconder of the original motion is entitled to propose or to second an amendment to it, but both will be entitled to speak to any amendment being discussed.
15. A motion or amendment, once moved and seconded, becomes the property of the meeting and may only be withdrawn by joint agreement of the proposer and seconder and with the unanimous approval of the meeting. However, no motion can be withdrawn while an amendment to it is under discussion or if an amendment has already been adopted.
16. At any time during a meeting, any member may rise to a point of order, which will take precedence over the business being discussed and on which the Chair must rule immediately. The Chair’s ruling on the point of order will be accepted as final unless it is moved and seconded ‘That the Chair’s ruling be disagreed with’. Only the mover of the motion will have the right to speak to it and the Chair will then be entitled to explain why the ruling was given after which a vote on the motion must then be taken forthwith.
17. At any time during discussion on a motion or an amendment to a motion, a member who has not previously spoken to a motion may move ‘That the question be now put’. If carried, the mover of the motion may exercise their right of reply before the vote is taken. However, if the motion ‘That the question be now put’ is moved during discussion of an amendment, the mover of the amendment will have right of reply before the vote is taken and, if carried, the meeting will then revert to discussion of the substantive motion.
18. At any time during discussion of a motion or amendment a motion ‘That the meeting proceed to the next business’ may be moved and seconded. The motion cannot be debated and the vote must be taken forthwith and, if carried, disposes of the matter and the next item of business is then to be called on.
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