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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;
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To increase the transparent working of the Council so that members may be better able to understand the running of the Association
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To explain the roles and responsibilities of Council members and Officers
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To encourage members to stand for election to Council by providing an explanation of what is involved should they be elected
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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.
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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;
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Be able to work within a team for the benefit for the Association
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Be committed to the concept of multidisciplinary working
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Be committed to playing their part in the formulation and review of the strategic aims and objectives of the Association
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Be committed to working alone and within sub-committees
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Have access to email and computer facilities as a normal course of their daily working arrangements
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Be easily contactable by telephone for Council business
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Be prepared to represent BAUN when reasonably required to do so
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Have an active interest in the financial standing of the Association and
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Have an active interest in post registration education
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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. However, the rewards of playing a pivotal role in the development of the Association and urology nursing are equally considerable. The challenges facing urology nursing are extensive and the Association are determined to play a full role in leading urology nurses to plan for and meet these challenges. BAUN seek to encourage all full members to consider applying for vacant Council positions bringing their individual skills, abilities and views to the important work that awaits urology nursing.
The BAUN President, Secretary and Treasurer are appointed by Council from their midst by secret ballot. Upon election they become an Officer of BAUN and is bound by the Constitution in the execution of their duties. All Officers are elected for a period of three years and may stand for more than one term of office if their individual BAUN Council membership requirements allowing.
President
The role of the President is a vital one for the Association. Ultimately, the President is responsible for ensuring that the direction taken by Council and the Association is in keeping with the Constitution and is always relevant to the membership. The President embodies the aims and objectives of the Association and as such it is impossible to be absolute about the role. However, as a minimum, the Association expect that the President shall;
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Demonstrate an enthusiastic and capable ability to articulate the context within which urology nursing finds itself and identify the issues that appear most prominent in shaping the future development of the specialty
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Be able to confidently work alone and as part of a group
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Preside at every Council meeting and Annual General Meeting and Extraordinary General Meeting, unless absent by illness , unforeseen circumstances, as a result of a vote of no confidence or by prior agreement with Council
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Have the ability to conduct meetings such that all present are afforded the time to play their part
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Deliver a casting vote should there be a tie in a vote of either Council or the AGM
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Oversee any head count that may be required at any vote of the Association
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Produce the President’s Annual Report
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Liase appropriately with the agents who are appointed to administer the daily workings of the Association and rapidly address correspondence that is sent specifically to them
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Time commitment
In addition to the time commitment already outlined for council activities, the President must be prepared to be contacted daily by Council members for legitimate Council business. Such availability does of course suppose that Council members exercise due discretion in contacting the President and allows for holidays and circumstances where contact is not possible such as illness.
Summary
The President of the Association fulfils a key role in assisting BAUN to anticipate and plan for the future. The person who holds the office needs to be, not only enthusiastically committed to accepting the role of leader, but must also able to enjoy the support of Council and Membership colleagues. Dealing with colleagues in many areas the President must be personable and able to deal with difficult situations with skill and professionalism. To facilitate the smooth running of the Association the President is required to be contactable daily on appropriate Association business. Further, the President must be in a position technologically, professionally and personally, to respond to such contact in an appropriate manner and within a reasonable timeframe.
The BAUN President is charged with developing good relations with all those with whom BAUN could work so that the aims of the Association may be met and so that the standards of care offered to people with urological disease may be outlined, maintained and, where necessary, improved.
Treasurer
The Treasurer is responsible for all the financial matters associated with the proper running of BAUN. As such, the person who holds this office will have an active interest in financial matters. The nature of Council activity and its relationship with agents appointed to oversee the everyday running of the Association means that support is available to any Council member who feels they have the interest in the post but who lack experience. BAUN is determined to ensure transparency in every aspect of its activity. The Treasurer plays a central role in this regard.
In brief the Treasurer is responsible for;
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Preparing the Association’s accounts for audit
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Writing a financial report for the accounts and which will be available for the membership
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Presenting the accounts at the Annual General Meeting each year, answering questions from the floor of the meeting and preparing answers to questions that are not immediately answerable at the AGM
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Conducting periodic review of the financial activities of the Association in concert with other Council members
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Advising the Council on the financial direction of the Association
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Overseeing the financial probity of BAUN, its Council and Sub-committees
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Ensuring that Officers and other Council members maintain financial probity in relation to BAUN and work within agreed structures that ensure financial propriety and clarity
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Liase frequently with agents appointed by BAUN to conduct the everyday running of the Association
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Liase with the Association’s bankers
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Meet yearly with the Association’s appointed accountants and auditors
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Summary
The proper running of the Association is a task of all Council members. However, the role of the Treasurer in assisting the Association to meets its aims and objectives is pivotal to its success. Consequently the Treasurer must be able to commit sufficient time to the post in order that its tasks are met. In addition to the minimum time necessary for Council membership it is important to stress that considerable additional time is required to effectively conduct the post.
Secretary
BAUN recognise that effective and efficient communication forms a central pillar that supports the Association as it strives to meet its aims and objectives. The responsibility for leading such communication both within BAUN and in its dealings with outside agencies rests with the Secretary.
In brief the secretary is responsible for;
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Liaison with the agents appointed by BAUN for the daily running of the Association
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Providing a communication link with regard to membership issues
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Liase with Council members in regard to all aspects of Council business, especially Council meetings
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Administration of correspondence specifically sent to them, ensuring propriety and appropriate consultation with Council
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Summary
The role of Secretary is a vital one for the effective development of BAUN. Consequently the person who assumes the role demands a high degree of commitment. As with the roles of President and Treasurer, considerable support is available within Council and from the agents appointed by BAUN, to facilitate any Council member who would like to assume the role but who feels they lack the experience to do so.
To ensure that the Secretary can perform their role effectively there is a need to be contactable daily on appropriate matters of Association business. Further, perhaps more than any other member of the Association, the Secretary is a first point of contact for the membership on many matters. Therefore the Secretary is required to be able to respond to enquiries correctly and within those frameworks outlined in the Constitution. The role of Secretary is vital for the development of BAUN and brings considerable experience for the post holder. This document offers only a flavour of what the post offers and any member who wishes to better understand the post is invited to liase directly with the current post holder.
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