Role of BAUN Council

Introduction

This brief document seeks to outline the role of BAUN Council and the Officers who serve on Council and is presented to the membership for three main reasons;

To increase the transparent working of the Council so that members may be better able to understand the running of the Association
To explain the roles and responsibilities of Council members and Officers
To encourage members to stand for election to Council by providing an explanation of what is involved should they be elected

The purpose of BAUN Council is to be the decision making body that guides the strategic direction of BAUN. At all times the Council are mindful to ensure that the interests and opinions of the membership influence decisions taken and affirm that the sole reason for the existence of Council is to support and represent the membership. The Constitution of the Association is the key document that influences the actions of Council and details the aims and objectives of BAUN.

In the following pages issues key to the understanding of BAUN Council and its Officers will be explained. The explanation of roles offered here cannot be definitive and is intended only to offer guidance as to the minimum responsibilities associated with the roles.

Council

BAUN Council is composed of 15 full members who have been elected by those members of the Association eligible to vote. It is a stated aim of the Association that representation from all four countries within Great Britain is reflected within Council. Within Council there are three Officer positions; President, Secretary and Treasurer. All members of Council are eligible to stand for appointment to any one of the Officer positions when such a vacancy arises. The election of Council members to an Officers position is carried out within Council.

Not-with-standing the roles of Officers, all Council members hold corporate responsibility and decisions of BAUN Council are shared, accepted and owned by all Council members. All discussions within Council are treated confidentially and then communicated to the membership as and when proper.

Term of Office of Council Members

As outlined in the Constitution the term of office of all Council members is three years, after which they may stand again and seek re-election from the membership for a further period of three years. Should members serve for a six year period they must stand down for a three year period before standing for election again.

Attributes of Council Members

In order to carry out the work of Council BAUN offer the following as key attributes. Council members will;

Be able to work within a team for the benefit for the Association
Be committed to the concept of multidisciplinary working
Be committed to playing their part in the formulation and review of the strategic aims and objectives of the Association
Be committed to working alone and within sub-committees
Have access to email and computer facilities as a normal course of their daily working arrangements
Be easily contactable by telephone for Council business
Be prepared to represent BAUN when reasonably required to do so
Have an active interest in the financial standing of the Association and
Have an active interest in post registration education

Availability for Council

Any member wishing to stand for election to BAUN Council must obtain the support of their appropriate local manager. In all instances Council members must sign a declaration agreeing to be available for the elected term of office on Council. Employers should be provided with a copy of this agreement.

Time Commitment

As a minimum, six days per year are required to attend Council meetings. Further, up to four days may be required to attend sub-committee meetings and four days will be required to attend BAUN Conference. In order to ensure that BAUN is represented in other arena some time may be required in this regard. Council members also need to ensure that they are able to devote sufficient time to prepare for Council meetings.

Remuneration

There is absolutely no financial gain by becoming a member of BAUN Council. However, all legitimate expenses will be met by the Association. The details of such expenses are outlined in the Constitution. Council members are required to keep expenses to a minimum.

Summary

Membership of BAUN Council requires considerable commitment in both time and effort and should not be undertaken lightly.

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