澳 洲 中 文 翻 譯 協 會 章 程
The Constitution of the Chinese Interpreters and Translators Association of Australia Inc.
( CITAA )
22nd July 1995 Melbourne, Australia
The Constitution of the Chinese Interpreters and Translators Association of Australia was passed and adopted at the Foundation Meeting of CITAA held on 22nd July 1995 in Melbourne, Australia. It was further amended via postal votes and adopted on 10th December 1995.
The Constitution of the Chinese Interpreters and Translators Association of Australia Inc
( CITAA )
澳 洲 中 文 翻 譯 協 會 章 程
1. The Name of the Association
The name of this association is the Chinese Interpreters and Translators Association of Australia ( CITAA ) and the name in Chinese is 「澳 洲 中 文 翻 譯 協 會」.
The Association shall be an incorporated association and is a non-profit making body. The registered office of the Association shall be determined by the Executive Committee and it shall be at a place appropriate to the operation of the Association.
2. Objectives
The central objectives of the Association are:
(a) To promote, uphold and defend the rights, interests, welfare and professional status of members;
(b) To safeguard and improve the remuneration and working conditions of members; to assess the changing working environment and new emerging needs from the government, industry and community and formulate fair and reasonable interpreting and translation rates from time to time for members;
(c) To strive for a stable and viable interpreting and translating profession sustained by appropriate pay rates and working conditions;
(d) To promote networking among members and facilitate employment opportunities for members.
The Association will also strive to achieve these goals:
(e) To gain wider recognition in Australia for members and their translating and interpreting work from or into the Chinese languages;
(f) To maintain and improve the professional standard of members, their quality and technique of translating and interpreting from or into the Chinese languages and their service provision to the government, industry and community;
(g) To develop a code of ethics and make changes appropriate to changing circumstances in the profession and industry; to encourage, and where possible regulate, members to abide by the code of ethics in the practice of translating and interpreting;
(h) To develop the Association as a self-regulatory body for the interpreting and translating profession in the Chinese languages;
(i) To recommend testing methods and standards for interpreters and translators to the existing interpreting and translation testing body; to develop testing mechanisms and accreditation methods for interpreters and translators in the Chinese languages, should the need arise.
(j) Wherever appropriate to government, industry and community needs, to promote and support educational courses and training programs by tertiary or other institutions/organisations for translators and interpreters in the Chinese languages;
(k) To develop resource exchange and to disseminate and exchange information and ideas on translating and interpreting among members and other organisations;
(l) To encourage cooperation, communication and contact among members and other organisations especially interpreters' and translators' associations and relevant teaching and training institutions;
(m) To make submissions/representations to government and other organisations on interpreting and translating and other related community issues and affairs;
(n) To support the promotion of the Chinese languages and culture in Australia and to encourage cultural contacts and activities with other communities so as to promote multi-culturalism in Australia.
3. Membership
(a) Membership shall be open to all translators and interpreters in the Chinese languages subject to the recommendation of the Admission Sub-Committee and approval by the Executive Committee.
(b) Membership shall be on a yearly basis commencing on the 1st of January of each year.
(c) Members shall pay an annual subscription fee which shall be recommended by the Executive Committee and approved by a General Meeting.
(d) Any member may discontinue membership by giving written notice of this intention to the Secretary. Discontinuance of membership shall take effect immediately upon receipt of such notice by the Secretary.
(e) No subscription shall be refunded on termination of membership.
4. Register of Members
(a) The Secretary shall keep and maintain a register of members in which shall be entered the full name, address and date of entry of the name of each member and the register shall be available for inspection and copying by members upon request.
5. National Committee and State/Territory Branches
(a) The Association wherever possible encourages the members to set up State/Territory branches.
(b) When a State/Territory Branch is set up outside the State of Victoria, a Victorian Branch shall be formed with its existing members in the State. All members in the State of Victoria shall be members of the Victorian Branch. Where there is no State/Territory Branch in a State/Territory, any existing State/Territory Branch may accept application for membership from those States/Territories.
(c) When there are two or more State/Territory Branches, a National Committee shall be formed from them. All State/Territory Branches shall have equal representation in the National Committee.
(d) The number of national delegates and composition of the National Committee shall be discussed and determined by the State/Territory Branches.
(e) The National Committee shall elect a National President who shall be responsible for forming a National Executive Committee; the National Executive Committee shall be composed of a National President, a National Vice-President, a National Secretary, a National Treasurer and two National Executive Members.
6. The Executive Committee
(a) The Executive Committee shall consist of no less than 5 officers ( the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Publication Officer ) and no less than 2 and no more than 6 other members. All members of the Executive Committee shall have been members of the Association for not less than 6 months. The required period of membership shall not apply to the inaugural Executive Committee.
(b) The immediate Past President of the Association shall be an Ex-Officio Member of the Executive Committee.
(c) The term of office shall be one year. No officers shall remain in the same position for more than 3 consecutive terms.
(d) An Executive Committee Member shall be deemed to have resigned if:
(1) he/she is absent from three consecutive executive committee meetings or four executive committee meetings without leave of absence from the Committee, or
(2) a motion of no confidence in him/her is passed by a two-thirds majority vote of members at a General Meeting.
(e) In the event of a casual vacancy occuring in the office of an Executive Committee member, the Committee may appoint a member of the Association to fill the vacancy and the member so appointed shall hold office, subject to this Constitution, until the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting next following the date of the appointment.
7. Duties of Office-Bearers
(a) The President
(1) shall act as spokesperson for the Association, representing the Association in all cases whatsoever, and shall be responsible for establishing good relationships with other organisations.
(2) shall preside at all Executive Committee Meetings.
(3) may present a written Annual Report at the Annual General Meeting; the Annual Report may also be presented by the Secretary.
(b) The Vice-President
(1) shall deputise for the President in his/her absence.
(c) The Secretary
(1) shall be responsible for keeping the Association's records and undertaking all correspondence of the Association.
(2) shall prepare minutes of all Executive Committee Meetings as well as minutes of the Annual General Meeting and General Meetings.
(3) shall arrange and be responsible for giving notice of all Executive Committee Meetings, Annual General Meeting and General Meetings.
(d) The Treasurer
(1) shall be responsible for keeping records of all financial transactions of the Association. Whenever practical, he/she shall also prepare an annual budget and develop financial planning for the viable operation of the Association.
(2) shall be responsible for preparing and presenting a financial report at the Annual General Meeting.
(3) shall submit a quarterly, up-to-date written financial report to the Executive Committee.
(e) The Publication Officer
(1) shall be responsible for regular issues of the Association's publications.
(2) shall structure the publications in a manner as to further the aims and objectives of the Association.
(f) Sub-Committees
(1) The Executive Committee shall form Sub-Committees as it sees fit. All decisions of Sub-Committees are subject to approval by the Executive Committee.
(2) Each Sub-Committee shall have a Chairperson who must be a member of the Executive Committee. The appointment of each Sub-Committee Chairperson shall be approved by the Executive Committee.
(3) The Chairperson of a Sub-Committee shall be responsible for co-opting members to serve on the Sub-Committee;
(4) The Chairperson shall submit to the Secretary a copy of minutes of all Sub-Committee Meetings for information and decision by the Executive Committee;
(5) Where financial expenses are incurred from activities and operation of the Sub-Committee, the Chairperson shall submit a financial report to the Treasurer as soon as practicable after each activity or function.
8. Duties of Members
(a) Members shall strive to advance the objectives of the Association and abide by the Constitution and any other regulations, policies and decisions passed by Special General Meetings and AGM.
9. Notice of Meetings
(a) Notice of General Meetings shall be given in writing at least fourteen ( 14 ) calendar days before such a meeting.
(b) Notice of General Meetings shall include the purpose(s) of the meeting and specific agenda.
(c) Notice of Executive Committee Meetings shall be given by the President or Secretary, verbally or in writing, at least 3 working days before the meeting.
(d) A Special General Meeting may be convened as specified in Clause 11.
10. Annual General Meeting
(a) An Annual General Meeting shall be held each calendar year and shall be held not later than the 30th of June each year.
(b) Business at the AGM shall include:
(1) The presentation and consideration of Annual Reports from members of the Executive Committee.
(2) The declaration of the election of the Executive Committee for the following year.
(3) Proposed Constitutional Amendments.
11. Special General Meetings
(a) All other General Meetings shall be called Special General Meetings and shall be summoned by the decision of the Executive Committee:
(1) whenever it considers necessary; or
(2) upon receipt of a petition signed by at least ten ( 10 ) members or five percent of the membership of the Association. The Executive Committee shall then be responsible for organising a Special General Meeting within fourteen ( 14 ) calendar days.
12. Executive Committee Meetings
(a) The Executive Committee shall endeavour to convene one meeting every month. There shall be at least one Executive Committee Meeting every two months and any other meetings the Executive Committee may wish to call.
13. Quorum
(a) Notwithstanding Clause 24, the quorum at all General Meetings shall be 15 members of the Association or one half of the members in the Register of Members, whichever is the lesser.
(b) The quorum at all Executive Committee Meetings shall be 4 members of the Executive Committee.
(c) If no quorum is present within 30 minutes of the starting time set out in the notice, the meeting shall lapse for seven ( 7 ) days. It shall be reconvened with further notification at a time to be fixed by the Chairperson before the meeting lapses and the agenda shall include all and only the business from the agenda of the lapsed meeting; and at the reconvened meeting, the quorum shall be the members present.
14. Elections
(a) A Returning Officer shall be appointed by the Executive Committee for the purpose of conducting the election at the Annual General Meeting and shall not be eligible for nomination to the Committee.
(b) Nominations for office bearers shall be submitted by specific closing date as set by the Returning Officer. The Returning Officer shall send out the voting paper by mail 15 days before the closing date of voting. The result of the election shall be declared at the AGM by the Returning Officer.
(c) Except for the election of the inaugural Executive Committee to be conducted at the inaugural General Meeting, the Executive Committee shall be elected by postal votes and by the " first past the post " system.
(d) In the event that vacancies are not filled, fresh nominations shall be called to fill the specific vacancies at the AGM and no member shall be nominated unless he/she is present at such a meeting. The election shall be conducted by ballot in this instance.
(e) Elections to the specific offices on the Executive Committee shall be in the following order:
President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Publication Officer and other Committee members.
15. Voting
(a) Unless otherwise specified elsewhere in this Constitution, resolutions at any General Meetings or Executive Committee Meetings shall be carried by a simple majority vote of members present.
(b) All financial members shall be eligible to vote except in circumstances specified by Clause 15 (c). No member shall be eligible to vote if he or she has failed to renew his or her membership by 31st March of each year. Membership rights will be resumed once the annual subscription fee is paid.
(c) Only members who have been admitted for membership for no less than three ( 3 ) months shall be eligible to vote in an election.
16. Proxy Voting
(a) A member may appoint another member with written proxy to attend and vote on issues other than elections.
(b) No proxy vote shall be allowed in any election of members of the Executive Committee.
17. Cheques
(a) All cheques, drafts, bills of exchange, promissory notes and other negotiable instruments shall be signed by two members of the Committee, including the Treasurer.
18. Seal
(a) The Common Seal of the Association shall be kept in the custody of the Secretary.
(b) The Common Seal shall not be affixed to any instrument except by the authority of the Committee and the affixing of the Common Seal shall be attested by the signature of two members of the Committee or of one member of the Committee and of the Public Officer of the Association.
19. Alteration of Rules and Statement of Purposes
(a) The Constitution and the Statement of Purposes of the Association shall not be altered except in accordance with the Act.
20. Custody of Records
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this Constitution, the Secretary shall keep in his, or her custody or under his or her control all books, documents and securities of the Association.
(b) All accounts, books, documents and securities of the Association shall be available for inspection and copying by any member of the Association upon request.
20. Funds
(a) The funds of the Association shall be derived from annual subscriptions, donations and such other sources as the Committee determines.
22. Regulations
(a) Regulations may be made, amended and rescinded by the Executive Committee as it sees fit provided that:
(1) such action is supported by at least two-thirds of the Executive Committee members present at the Meeting; and
(2) such regulations, amendments and rescissions are brought to the notice of the members of the Association in writing calling a General Meeting for ratification, and any General Meeting may amend or rescind any existing regulation by a simple majority.
23. Amendments to the Constitution
(a) This Constitution may be amended by a three-quarter ( 75% ) majority vote at any General Meeting provided twenty one ( 21 ) days written notice of the proposed amendment(s) has been given to all members.
24. Dissolution
(a) The Association shall be dissolved at a General Meeting especially convened for such purpose by a three quarter ( 75% ) majority vote of members present.
(b) The quorum for such a General Meeting shall be two-thirds of the members of the Association's Register of Members at the date of notification of the General Meeting.