Constitution
The Forum's Constitution is given in full below. The schedules, which may be used for membership applications, are in a separate subsection.
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Institution of Lighting Professionals
Lighting Column Technical Forum
CONSTITUTION
0. INDEX
1. DEFINITIONS
2. OBJECTIVES
3. MEMBERSHIP
4. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP
5. PAPERS MEMBERSHIP
6. SUSTAINING ORGANISATION
7. MEETING FREQUENCY
8. CONDUCT OF MEETINGS
9. FINANCE
10. RESIGNATION
11. NON-PAYMENT
12. DISQUALIFICATION
13. AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION
14. DATA PROTECTION
15. ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS
1. DEFINITIONS
“Forum” means the Lighting Column Technical Forum – a division of the Institution of Lighting Professionals (ILP).
“Industry” means the sector of the UK industry engaged in any process or service involved with the provision of minor structures being column or mast products with similar form or features that are manufactured using a standard lighting column or mast as the main structure. This includes:
· lighting columns
· cantilever masts for traffic signals and/or safety cameras
· closed circuit television (CCTV) masts
· fixed vertical road traffic sign/signal posts
· high mast lighting
· antenna masts and
· generator masts, or
· other derivative column and mast products with similar form or features that are manufactured using the standard lighting column or high mast as the main structure.
“Primary Products” means the goods specified in the First Schedule attached.
“Full Member” means a member of the ILP who is closely involved in the industry who represents and is supported by a sustaining organisation.
“Member” means a representative of a sustaining organisation who is closely involved in the industry.
“Associate Member” means a person who is involved in the industry who does not have the support of a sustaining organisation or an organisation that is involved in the industry and is not a column or mast manufacturer.
“Papers Member” means an individual who wishes to receive and provide information to the Forum without normally attending meetings.
“Sustaining Organisation” is a firm or company active in the industry that contributes financially towards the running costs of the Forum on an agreed basis.
In this Constitution references to the masculine gender is inclusive of both feminine and masculine gender.
2. OBJECTIVES
1) To form the means of collating an industry view on all technical matters relative to manufacturing Primary Products to meet British and European standards, Highways England requirements and any other agreed specification.
2) To form the means of communicating technical aspects of the industry view to British and European standards technical committees and to the Highways England and other learned bodies and institutions having an association with Primary Products.
3) To maintain links on behalf of the ILP with HE, BSI and CEN technical committees and other appropriate bodies.
4) To provide representation on BSI Technical Committees B/509/50, QA Committee NHSS 6, and any other committees, forums and ad-hoc groups within the industry.
5) To collate up to date technical information and research data which may influence any aspect having a bearing on Primary Products, and to disseminate to Members.
6) To be involved with, and assist where appropriate, research, development or trials that have a bearing on Primary Products.
3. MEMBERSHIP
1) Full Members and Members of the Forum are listed in the Second Schedule attached, which shall be updated when any change occurs.
2) Full Membership may be offered to any ILP member (of any grade of membership) who is closely involved in any aspect of the industry, provided he has the support and nomination of a sustaining organisation.
3) Full Members are entitled to all documents, and are expected to attend and participate in meetings and to have full voting powers.
4) Admittance as a Full Member shall be at the discretion of the Forum, provided that:-
i) The applicant is an ILP member;
and
ii) The applicant shall have applied for membership in the form set out in the Fifth Schedule attached;
and
iii) The applicant shall submit a brief statement of their experience and expertise in the industry;
and
iv) They shall submit a written undertaking of support by a Sustaining Organisation, which should be for a period of at least one year unless exceptional or unforeseeable circumstances arise.
5) Admittance as a Member for someone who is not an ILP member shall be at the discretion of the Forum, provided that the sustaining organisation he is representing has at least one registered Full Member who complies with clauses 4) ii), iii) and iv) above. Members are entitled to all documents and to attend meetings.
4. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP
1) Associate Members of the Forum are listed in the Third Schedule attached, which shall be updated when any change occurs.
2) Associate Membership may be offered to any person who has experience or expertise in the industry, who is prepared to contribute to the activities of the Forum.
3) Associate Membership may also be offered to an organisation which has experience or expertise in the industry but is not involved in the manufacture of columns and which is prepared to contribute to the activities of the Forum. A number of representatives can be nominated at the discretion of the Forum, but only one can attend any meeting and circulation will be to a single named representative only.
4) Associate Members are entitled to all documents, to attend and participate in meetings, but have no voting rights.
5) Admittance as an Associate Member shall be at the discretion of the Forum provided that:-
i) The applicant shall have applied for associate membership in the form set out in the Sixth Schedule attached;
and
ii) The applicant shall submit a brief statement of their experience and expertise in the industry;
iii) The Forum is satisfied that the applicant has a genuine involvement in the industry.
and
iv) The applicant has paid an appropriate sum as agreed by the Forum. Such payment represents acceptance to be bound by the Conditions of the Constitution.
6) The total number of associate members shall be at the discretion of the Forum.
5. PAPERS MEMBERSHIP
1) Papers Members of the Forum are listed in the Third Schedule attached, which shall be updated when any change occurs.
2) Papers Membership may be offered to any person who has experience or expertise in the industry, who is prepared to contribute to the activities of the Forum by means of correspondence only.
3) Papers Members are entitled to all documents, but have no voting rights and can not attend Forum meetings unless invited. Such an invite may be requested.
4) Admittance as a Papers Member shall be at the discretion of the Forum provided that:-
i) The applicant shall have requested membership in writing giving a brief statement of their experience and interest in the industry;
ii) The Forum is satisfied that the applicant has a genuine involvement in the industry.
and
iii) The applicant has paid an appropriate sum (If a sum is applicable) as agreed by the Forum. Such payment represents acceptance to be bound by the Conditions of the Constitution.
6. SUSTAINING ORGANISATION
1) Sustaining Organisations of the Forum are listed in the Fourth Schedule attached, which shall be updated when any change occurs.
2) Sustaining Organisations are any firm or company that has an active interest in the industry and wishes to provide financial support for the activities of the Forum.
3) Sustaining Organisations shall nominate one or more Full Members and are also entitled to nominate supporting Members. However the maximum number of nominated representatives shall not exceed four, but this does not prevent a temporary replacement to provide cover when the nominees are unavailable..
4) While Sustaining Organisations have no direct voting rights other than through their representatives, they are entitled to receive copies of all documents produced by the Forum.
5) Acceptance as a Sustaining Organisation shall be at the discretion of the Forum, provided that:-
i) The applicant shall have applied in the form set out in the Seventh Schedule attached:
and
ii) The Forum is satisfied that the applicant has a genuine involvement in promoting good practice in the industry:
and
iii) That adequate importance is given to quality assurance in the opinion of the Forum. For manufacturers of lighting columns this implies that they are approved to the requirements of the Lighting Column QA Sector Scheme NHSS6 (Ref. 5020), and can provide the appropriate certificate of approval issued by one of the participating Certification Bodies:
and
iv) Manufacturers of lighting columns shall be assessed by a notified body and issue an EC Certificate of Conformity which attests that all provisions concerning attestation of conformity and performances as described in Annex ZA of EN 40-5:2002 were applied and that the products fulfil the prescribed requirements.
and
v) The applicant has paid an appropriate sum and joining fee as agreed by the Forum. Such payment represents acceptance to be bound by the Conditions of the Constitution.
6) A Sustaining Organisation undertakes to re-confirm their commitment to the Forum and representatives details on request.
7. MEETING FREQUENCY
1) Meetings of the Forum shall be convened by the Chairman not less than once a year. They shall be held at any time at the request of a majority of Members of the Forum.
2) Unless agreed to the contrary, three weeks notice of meetings shall be required.
3) A quorum shall consist of at least three Members.
8. CONDUCT OF MEETINGS
1) Business shall be conducted at meetings of the Forum by a chairman together with the voting members. Associate members may attend and participate in meetings of the Forum, but shall have no voting rights.
2) The Members shall appoint, from amongst their number, a Chairman of the Forum to hold office for a period of one year, after which he must seek re-election.
3) All questions shall be settled by a majority of votes. Each Sustaining Organisation is allowed a single vote through its representative Members present. In the event of no majority resulting the status quo shall be maintained.
4) The Members shall appoint a Secretary of the Forum to hold office for such a period as the Forum shall decide.
5) The Members shall appoint a Treasurer of the Forum to hold office for such a period as the Forum shall decide.
6) The Forum can agree to restrict the number of Members from each organisation at any meeting to ensure equality in voting and to avoid accommodation difficulties.
9. FINANCE
1) The financial period for the Forum shall be the calendar year. The Treasurer of the Forum shall present a financial statement of actual expenditure incurred during the preceding financial year, and a forecast for the current year during the first six weeks of each financial year. Such financial statement and forecast shall be agreed by Members at a duly convened meeting of the Forum, generally held in January of the New Year.
2) The expenses of the Forum shall be paid by the Sustaining Organisations. The level of payments and timing shall be agreed by the Forum.
3) Joining Fees will be as determined by the Forum and are intended to cover the costs of application administration and a nominal amount in recognition of the benefit likely to be received from intellectual property from the recent past.
4) Annual Fees will be as determined by the Forum at the first meeting in the New Year.
For Sustaining Organisations the fee is for the calendar year or part year and is not proportioned for joining or resignation except when the period of notice runs into another year. If the period of notice runs into another year then a proportioned fee is due for that part (see 10.2).
For Associate and Papers Members the initial fee is the proportion of the annual fee remaining for the current year plus one full year’s fee, and for a full year thereafter. At the discretion of the Forum, Papers Member fees may be waived.
5) All expenditure shall be made through the Treasurer of the Forum, who shall obtain the authorisation of Members before incurring any expenditure not included in the forecast of expenditure for the year concerned.
10. RESIGNATION
1) Any Full Member, Member, Associate Member or Papers Member may resign their membership of the Forum at any time by giving the Secretary one month’s notice in writing. They will not, however, be entitled to any partial refund of paid fees.
2) Any Sustaining Organisation may resign their position with the Forum at any time by giving the Secretary at least six months notice in writing of their intention to resign, and if the period of notice continues into another financial year, that proportion of the new current expenses budget shall be payable. No refunds are payable for any residual part of a year in which the resignation is made.
11. NON-PAYMENT
1) Sustaining Organisation fees are due within two months of the invoice date.
2) Member fees are due by the end of the month following the invoice date.
3) If payment has not been received in accordance with the above, all technical and informative contact will cease until such time as the payment is received.
4) The Forum reserves the right to take all reasonable steps to secure payments due in accordance with the Constitution.
12. DISQUALIFICATION
1) If in the opinion of the Forum any Full Member or Member ceases to be involved in the industry or be supported by a Sustaining Organisation, or any Associate or Papers Member ceases to be involved in the industry, or persistently acts in a manner that shows they do not intend to conform to the objectives of this Constitution, the Forum (excluding any Member who has tendered their resignation in accordance with clause 10. above) may terminate the membership of such a Member. Such termination to be effective seven days after despatch to the last known address of notice in writing of the Forum’s decision.
2) If in the opinion of the Forum any Sustaining Organisation ceases to be involved in the industry, or persistently undermines the objectives of the Constitution, the Forum may terminate the status of the Organisation with the Forum, such termination to be effective seven days after despatch to the business address of notice in writing of the Forum’s decision.
3) Both clauses above are provided, however, that in the event of any grievance of such decision of the Forum, notice may be given to the Secretary before the expiry of the said seven days, requesting the matter to be referred to an Arbitrator to be agreed between both of the parties, or in default of an agreement, to be appointed by the current President of the Law Society.
The Arbitrator’s decision shall be binding on both parties.
In the event of such notice being given the Member or Associate Member shall be bound by the provisions of this Constitution until the Arbitrator shall have made his award.
4) Any Full Member, Member, Associate Member or Papers Member or Sustaining Organisation whose membership or status is terminated as above shall be bound to pay their share of the administration and other expenses due at the time of such termination. The Secretary’s decision as to the amount due shall be final.
13. AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION
No alteration may be made to the Constitution by less than a two-thirds majority of Sustaining Organisations cast at a duly convened meeting or by a postal vote, three weeks notice having been given of the proposal to make such a change and for postal votes to be returned.
14. DATA PROTECTION
The Privacy Notice for the LCTF can be found from the home page of the Web Site at the following address. http://www.lctf.org.uk/
Any data collected is used only for the purpose of communicating the business of the Forum to the Members.
15. ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS
1) Administrative support is provided by the ILP in conjunction with the Secretary.
2) The address for correspondence is:-
The Secretary to the Lighting Column Technical Forum,
c/o The Institution of Lighting Professionals,
Regent House,
Regent Street,
RUGBY,
Warwickshire. CV21 2PN
Tel: 01788 576492
Fax: 01788 540145
Email: lctf@theilp.org.uk
3) Payments should be made out to the Lighting Column Technical Forum.