LECTURERS' EMPLOYMENT ADVICE & ACTION FELLOWSHIP     CONSTITUTION AND RULES   (Agreed at Annual General Meeting on 30 November 1996)       1. Title and Place of Business   2. Principal Aims and Objectives of the Fellowship   3. Membership   4. Governing Bodies---Constitution   5. National Council---Powers   6. The Officers of the Fellowship   7. National Conference   8. Branches       1. Title and Place of Business   a. The title of the Fellowship shall be "Lecturers' Employment Advice and Action Fellowship' (LEAF).   b. The registered office of the Fellowship shall be at 126 St Augustine's Avenue, Thorpe Bay, Southend, Essex, SS1 3JF, or such other place in Britain as may be determined from time to time by the National Council.       2. Principal Aims and Objectives of the Fellowship   a. To protect and promote the professional interests of the lecturing profession generally, collectively and individually, by regulating the conditions of employment, negotiating appropriate remuneration consistent with the highly skilled work they perform, and by pursuing legal actions and lobbying for a legal framework which embeds the professional status of lecturers.   b. To provide the highest quality legal advice and support consistent with the aims of the Fellowship, in order to defend and improve members' contractual and final situation.   c. To advance the case for a properly funded and higher education system, including technical and vocational education, by lobbying all relevant bodies, governmental and non-governmental, on behalf of the membership.   d. To provide a range of membership services.       3. Membership   a. Membership shall be open to all grades of teaching staff working either full or part-time in the post-16 sectors, including further and higher education (and other providers) public or private, educational or training services.   b. Unemployed members shall be defined as those people with a recognised qualification and who are seeking work in the sectors.   c. Student members shall be defined as those members who are on a course of training leading to a recognised qualification to work in the post-16 sectors, but who are not employed on a teaching contract with an employer in the sector.   d. All members shall have equal access to the services of the Fellowship.   e. Retired members shall be eligible to full members rights.       4. Governing Bodies---Constitution   a. There shall be a General Secretary, a National Officer and an Honorary Treasurer.   b. The posts of General Secretary and National Officer shall be tenable for a period of five years from the founding of the Fellowship, where they will be elected by the founding members. The post of Honorary Treasurer shall be tenable for a period of five years from the founding of the Fellowship. c. Elections to all posts in the Fellowship whether officers or lay members shall take place by secret ballot in accordance with trade union laws in place at the time.   d. A National Council shall be elected biennially, consisting of ten members drawn from geographical regions, which shall be convened at least twice a year by the General Secretary, to discuss the business of the Fellowship. The officers will sit as members of the National Council.   e. All members of the Fellowship will have the status of individual members. They may therefore raise issues of concern directly with the officers of the Fellowship at any time. Members will also be allocated to the local branch, area or region depending on 'LEAF' membership in the area in which they live or work, ad will be able to participate in meetings called to discuss business.   f. With the exception of the national officers, National Council, branch/area/ regional organisation (known as 'branches'), and the Annual Meeting, there shall be no other structure or bodies, ad hoc or permanent, set up unless it be under the auspices of the National Council.   g. The property and assets of the Fellowship shall be invested into the custody and safe keeping of the Trustees of the Fellowship. The Trustees shall at all times ensure that the assets of the Fellowship are protected, as far as possible.       5. National Council---Powers   a. The oversight and contract of the management of the Fellowship and the handling of the whole of its affairs, shall be vested in the National Council, which may do such things and authorise such acts, including the payment of money on behalf of the Fellowship as the National Council, in accordance with the Fellowship's aims and objectives, and in pursuance of the policy of the Fellowship, may deem appropriate.   b. The National Council shall, in particular, but without limiting the general powers conferred by Clause a. hereof or any other powers of the National Council as otherwise provided under these rules, have power:   i) to expend money in connection with the taking or defending of any action, prosecutions or other legal proceeding in all cases, where the National Council considers it may be in the interests of the Fellowship or its members or any of them or in furtherance of the objectives of the Fellowship.   ii) to defray expenses connected with any other legal matters undertaken in the interests of the Fellowship or its members and may defray expenses incurred.   iii) to authorise any member or members to act on behalf of the Fellowship or its members.   iv) to consider any questions referred to the National Council by any branch.   v) to approve reports and proposals brought by the officers.   vi) to approve arrangements for the holding of conferences or meetings of the Fellowship including the Annual General Meeting.   vii) to receive and approve all accounts submitted including the annual audited accounts of the Fellowship ready for the annual conference.   viii) to approve all remuneration for employees of the Fellowship.       6. The Officers of the Fellowship   a. The General Secretary shall be responsible for the following duties to the National Council:   i) to keep the general register of members.   ii) to be responsible for and control the office staff and the books, papers, documents and property of the Fellowship.   iii) to be responsible for conducting all correspondence from the General Office.   iv) to be responsible for conducting all negotiations with employers or other bodies on behalf of the Fellowship for which he/she may appoint a special delegation, in association with the National Officer.   v) to provide all proper administrative and secretarial machinery (including the office premises, staff, means of transport, telecommunications etc) as may be necessary to enable the Fellowship to effectively represent its members.   vi) to arrange and organise the very best legal advice and counsel that may be obtainable in pursuance of the Fellowship's objectives.   vii) to keep all accounts as may be directed by the National Council for the receipt and payment of monies, and to produce all books or other documents as may be required by the auditors, and to provide a statement of accounts, in conjunction with the Honorary Treasurer when required.   viii) to prepare agendas and make arrangements for all authorised meetings of the bodies of the Fellowship, including meetings of the National Council and the Annual Meeting.   ix) to recommend any changes felt necessary to the structure, policy or personnel of the fellowship in order to maintain its effectiveness including matters such as new appointments remuneration and expenses.   x) to carry out such other duties as the National Council may from time to time decide.   xi) to give a general report, at least annually, on the 'state of the union' to the National Council or Annual Meeting.     b. The National Officer shall be responsible for the following tasks:   i) to preside over all National Council Meetings, delegate conferences and any other meetings convened by the National Council or as the National council may direct.   ii) in case of emergency have power in agreement with the General Secretary to appoint special delegations that may be set up, and report such appointments to the National Council.   iii) to report the results of any negotiation to the National Council.     c. The Honorary Treasurer shall be responsible for the following duties to the National Council:   i) to keep an efficient set of accounts consistent with the purpose of the Fellowship.   ii) to prepare and submit to the National Council in good time before the Annual Meeting, a detailed account of the income and expenditure during the proceeding year.   iii) to set up and maintain a general fund of the Fellowship, which may be used for any purpose consistent with furthering the Fellowship's aims and objectives.   iv) to set up and maintain separate contingency funds and legal support funds in furthering of the Fellowship's aims and objectives.   v) to seek to maintain the financial viability of the Fellowship by making appropriate recommendations to the National Council.       7. National Conference   a. A conference of the Fellowship shall be held annually. The General Secretary shall publish the Conference agenda one month before the Conference. He/she will appoint conference arrangements committee if it is deemed necessary.   b. Members of the Fellowship may attend the Conference as nominated representations from their branch on the basis of 2 members per branch.   c. The Conference agenda shall include:   i) an Annual Report of the state of the union   ii) a financial statement and report   iii) a membership report   iv) any motions for discussion admitted by the National Council   d. The National Council may at its discretion rule 'out of order' any motion it considers are not the business of the Fellowship. In this event an explanation will be given.   e. The business of the Fellowship is defined as those matters which are of concern to the Fellowship in pursuing its stated aims and objectives.       8. Branches   a. The National Council shall have the power to established dissolve and determine the limits of branches in consultation with the appropriate membership.   b. All members who are allocated to a branch are also individual members with the same rights.   c. A branch when constituted should have at least one nominated Branch representative whose name address and telephone number should be notified to the Fellowship office.   d. Branches may meet at their discretion to discuss matters affecting them and pass motions or opinions on a simple vote basis. Branch representatives may also be elected on this basis.   e. Notwithstanding the above the National Council shall be under no obligation to accept or agree with any action or resolution of a branch.   f. The National Council may at its discretion pay reasonable expenses to branches where circumstances justify, and may pay expenses of branch representatives or members where the expenses clearly relate to their union activity.   g. Branches must submit any structural arrangement they may wish to make to the National Council for approval, which may accept or reject them.   h. Policy of the Fellowship resides with the National Council whose members are elected by the whole membership by secret ballot.  Return to top of Page