Membership Byelaws

Introduction

The Academy is a charitable organisation, which has the following object: To improve public health and well being by supporting research, education and associated activities which advance the knowledge and application of evidence-based nutrition science.

Trustees

The Academy has an appointed body of Trustees, who will act in accordance with Charity Commission guidance, to oversee and manage the Academy on a regular basis. The Trustees will be appointed in accordance with Clause 13 of the Constitution. The Trustees are people with expertise in areas such as nutrition, policy, governance, leadership and communications. The Academy may establish an appointments committee, criteria and procedures to appoint Trustees. The Trustees will be accountable to the membership (in the form of General Meetings). Members The membership of the Academy (Clause 9 of the Constitution) will comprise corporate bodies who fulfil the entry criteria and who are approved by at least two thirds of the membership as suitable for admission into membership. The membership will have high level oversight of the work of the Trustees and the Academy but will not be responsible for managing the Academy or be involved on a regular basis. The members are therefore not the same as the Trustees. The membership will not automatically have the ability to appoint a representative as a Trustee. It is possible that a Trustee will have some form of association or link with a member organisation, but will act as a Trustee in their own right, not as a representative of the member body.

Byelaws

1. Membership of the Academy will be open to corporate bodies only.

2. The Academy may create more than one membership category and allocate different rights and responsibilities to those categories.

3. The Academy will set membership fees for each category of membership.

4. Full membership is determined as being the membership described in the governing document (clause 9(1)(a)).

5. All membership applications will be judged on the criteria below and the Academy may agree relevant procedures or application processes to administer membership decision making. Full membership is open to professional associations, learned bodies (or similar) involved in the research, translation, education, professional practice or promotion of evidence-based nutrition science [1]

6. All members shall support the object of the Academy, which is:

To improve public health and well being by supporting research, education and associated activities which advance the knowledge and application of evidence-based nutrition science.

7. All members of the Academy will be required to uphold and adhere to the following values and principles:

a. demonstrate their commitment to evidence-based nutrition science

b. demonstrate their commitment to the object of the Academy and its development

c. contribute to the development and advance the standing of the Academy

d. respect the views of fellow members e. not act in a way which may undermine the reputation of the Academy, or its members, either privately or publicly

8. Members shall delegate representation at meetings to a representative of the member organisation, in accordance with Clause 11 (7) of the Constitution.

9. Failure by a member organisation or its representative, to follow the principles in 7. above may result in membership of the Academy being terminated.

10. All decisions relating to membership shall be taken by the members at a meeting. Such a meeting may be constituted face to face or virtually, as agreed by the members and in accordance with the Constitution and any relevant Byelaws. The members shall appoint one of their number to chair meetings called to discuss membership matters. At least one Trustee shall be present at any member meeting to discuss decisions on membership but shall not vote.

a. Applications for membership shall be approved by at least two thirds of the membership present when the meeting is held (subject to any rules on the use of proxy voting).

b. In the event of concerns being raised about a member not following the principles in 7. above, the matter will be discussed by a meeting of all the members of the Academy. Any decision to cancel membership will be made by at least two thirds of the membership present when the meeting is held (subject to any rules on the use of proxy voting).

11. The Trustees shall advise the members on membership applications or cancellations but shall not have a vote.

12. Appeals against decisions of the members on applications or cancellation of membership will be considered by the Trustees, in accordance with Clause 9 of the Constitution. Decisions of the Trustees, on appeal, shall be final.