MRG Committee
Voting Rules, Election Procedure, Membership
Introduction
The MRG is a relatively informal organisation. Nevertheless it is a well established body with a large number of members and handles significant sums of money across a year. It is therefore appropriate to document key procedures rather than simply relying on ‘custom and practice’ or on the memory and goodwill of our members.
The MRG year runs from April to March. The annual election for the voluntary MRG committee takes place in spring each year and the newly-elected committee begins work from April.
The MRG Committee is made up of 9 people from across the membership and each has different roles and responsibilities.
Election to the committee is for one year at a time. Each committee member is welcome to stand for re-election each year but there is no guarantee they will be elected again.
One committee member serves as Chair – in view of the fact that one of the Chair’s main responsibilities is to organise the biennial European conference, once appointed the Chair will serve for 2 years and does not have to stand for re-election until the elections following the end of the conference.
Election timetable
· By 31st January - current committee members confirm their intentions to the Chair to stand or not stand for election and – if applicable – whether they would be interested in being Chair. This latter information will be held in confidence.
· By 31st January – membership records to be checked for any missing details and those collected and filled in where necessary
· 1st week of February - call to the membership to stand for election to the committee
· By 28th February - All those that wish to stand for election (whether on the committee or not) to supply a short paragraph to the current Chair of no more than 100 words giving biographical details plus why they would like to be elected. Also to supply photograph for inclusion on the website.
· 1st week of March – provisional date for first committee meeting of the new year to be organised for 1st or 2nd week of April
· 1st week of March - Voting papers to be drafted – email and paper versions. Reference to be made that cv’s of the candidates plus photos can be seen on the website.
· By 7th March - Online and paper voting forms to be sent out from the Chair with a deadline of no later than 25th March.
· Last week of March - votes counted and verified by an independent authority and given back to the Chair
· Last week of March – Chair to notify everyone of the results of the ballot individually by phone if possible
· 1st week of April – Chair to discuss with those elected which role they would like to take on
· 1st or 2nd week of April – First committee meeting of the new year to be held, Chair appointed (by vote if necessary) and roles agreed. Chair to then draft and send out new committee announcement to the membership
Standing for Election
· Those wishing to stand for election must have completed one full year’s membership by the time of the election i.e. have paid a full year’s subscription for the year preceding the election. So if a person wants to stand for election in March 2006 then they must have paid for the year from April 2005-March 2006.
· To ensure as wide a representation of the membership on the committee as possible, no 2 people from the same company are allowed to serve in the same year. This has been a principle of the Committee for many years, ever since membership was widened beyond agencies.
If two people from the same company wish to stand the preferred solution is that they discuss it among themselves and decide which one of them will stand.
This is intended to avoid a situation where 2 people from the same company stand for election and both get elected but one can’t take up their place.
· There will be no other restrictions on eligibility to stand or to be elected. The Chair and existing Committee members will nevertheless use their best endeavours to ensure a wide ranging representation by encouraging individuals from all sectors etc. of the business to stand for election.
· In the event that fewer than 8/9 individuals stand, the Chair will consult with the members of existing and new Committees and if agreed may attempt to co-opt an additional member.
Voting in the elections
The main method of voting is electronic so the vast majority of the membership will receive a voting form by email
For those that have opted to receive paper-only communications Sally Hiddleston will send out an individually-numbered paper voting form at the same time as the email goes out.
Members are eligible to vote on one occasion only in each annual election.
Only members who have completed one full year’s membership by the time of the election i.e. have paid a full year’s subscription for the year preceding the election are eligible to vote. So to be able to vote in the March 2006 elections you need to have paid a full year’s subscription for the year from April 2005-March 2006.
Members can vote for any number up to 9 people (up to 8 in a year where the Chair is not up for re-election).
Allocation of roles to the committee
· Immediately after the election the Chair will notify everyone of the results.
· The Chair will then discuss with all re-elected and newly-elected which which roles they would be interested in taking on.
· To ensure breadth of experience no Committee member should remain in a role for more than 3 years. This will result in knowledge of the different roles being spread around the Committee and is invaluable in the instance of people leaving the Committee
· The only possible exception to this is finance as there is a greater amount of handover required.
Committee changes during the year
If a committee member resigns during the year, the action taken will be as follows:
If the resignation occurs between April and November then the person next in line on the committee will be eligible to join with immediate effect
If the resignation occurs between December and March then the position will not be replaced until the elections in March.
Denise Turner
7 December 2005