Membership Policy

1. Categories of Membership

1.  Clinical Member (Level 2-5):
   A Clinical Member shall be certified as an Imago Relationship Therapist by Imago Relationships Worldwide(hereafter referred to as IRW), and shall have paid the current applicable subscription and/or joining fee and shall reside and/or practice within the geographic area of Australia. In some special cases, people from outside Australia can become Members but they still need to meet the above criteria.

2. Certified Imago Facilitator ­­Member (Level 2): 
   A Certified Imago Facilitator Member shall be certified as an Imago Relationship Facilitator by Imago Relationships Worldwide (hereafter referred to as IRW), and shall have paid the current applicable subscription and/or joining fee and shall reside and/or practice within the geographic area of Australia.

3. Training Member (Level 1):
   Training Member shall be a therapist/health professional practising within the geographic area of Australia who has completed the IRW clinical training program and paid the current applicable subscription and/or joining fee

4. Member-inTraining
   A Member-in-Training shall be a therapist/health professional practising within the geographic area of Australia who has been accepted into the IRW clinical training program and paid the current applicable subscription and/or joining fee

5. Retired Clinical Members and Facilitators
   A Retired Clinical Members shall be a therapist/health professional who is no longer practising in Imago in the geographic area of Australia who has paid the current applicable subscription and/or joining fee

 2. Application for Membership

1. A person who wishes to become a Clinical member or Certified Imago Facilitator must-

(a) apply for membership to the Committee in writing-

• (i) be signed by that person and by both of the members referred to in paragraph (b); and
• (ii) in such form as the Committee from time to time directs; and
• (iii) A person wishing to become a clinical member or Certified Imago Educator must provide proof of their certification as an Imago Relationship Therapist from IRW. They must also provide proof of at least $2,000,000 professional liability insurance. 
• (iv) retired Clinical and Educator members are not required to provide proof of professional liability insurance.

(b) be proposed by one Clinical member and seconded by another Clinical  member.

     2) A person who wishes to become a Training Member or a Member-in-training must

(a) apply for membership to the Committee in writing-

• (i)              signed by that person and by both of the members referred to in paragraph (b); and
• (ii)            in such form as the Committee from time to time directs; and

(b) be proposed by one Clinical member and seconded by another Clinical member.

 3) The Committee members must consider each application made under sub-rule(2 & 3) at a Committee meeting and must at the Committee meeting or the next Committee meeting accept or reject that application.

 4) An applicant whose application for membership of the Association is rejected under sub-rule (4) must, if he or she wishes to appeal against that decision, give notice to the Secretary of his or her intention to do so within a period of 14 days from the date he or she is advised of the rejection.

 5) When notice is given under sub-rule (5), the Association in a general meeting no later than the next annual general meeting, must either confirm or set aside the decision of the Committee to reject the application, after having afforded the applicant who gave that notice a reasonable opportunity to be heard by, or to make representations in writing to, the Association in the general meeting.

 4.Voting Rights and Privileges

1. Clinical and Certified Imago Facilitator members shall be entitled to attend and vote at meetings of the Association of Imago Relationship Therapists Australia AIRTA Incorporated, to hold office, to be appointed as committee chairpersons and to serve as committee members
2. Training Members  shall be entitled to attend and vote at meetings and to serve on sub-committees.
3. Members-in-Training shall not hold elective office nor serve as committee chairpersons.

5. Membership fees

1.  The committee must determine the entrance fee (if any) and the annual membership fee (if any) to be paid for membership of the Association.
2. The fees determined under subrule (1) may be different for different classes of membership.
3.  A member must pay the annual membership fee to the treasurer, or another person authorised by the committee to accept payments, by the date (the due date) determined by the committee.
4.  If a member has not paid the annual membership fee within the period of 3 months after the due date, the member ceases to be a member on the expiry of that period.
5.   If a person who has ceased to be a member under subrule (4) offers to pay the annual membership fee after the period referred to in that subrule has expired –
   (a)   the committee may, at its discretion, accept that payment and;
   (b)   if the payment is accepted, the person’s membership is reinstated from the date the payment is accepted.

6. Register of members of Association

1. The Secretary, on behalf of the Association, must comply with section 53 of the Act by keeping and maintaining:
   in an up to date condition a register of the members of the Association and their postal or residential addresses and, upon the request of a member of the Association, shall make the register available for the inspection of the member and the member may make a copy of or take an extract from the register but shall have no right to remove the register for that purpose.
2. The register must be so kept and maintained at the Secretary’s place of residence, or at such other place as the members at a general meeting decide
3. The Secretary must cause the name of a person who dies or who ceases to be a member under rule 8 to be deleted from the register of members referred to in sub-rule (1).
4.  An incorporated association must record in the register any change in the membership of the association within 28 days after the change occurs.

7. Renewal of membership of the Association

1. The members may from time to time at a general meeting determine the amount of the subscription to be paid by each member.
2. Each member must provide to the Treasurer, annually on or before 31^st December, the amount of the subscription determined under sub-rule (1) and current proof of indemnity insurance.
3. Subject to sub-rule (4), a member whose subscription is not paid within 3 months after the relevant date fixed by or under sub-rule (2) ceases on the expiry of that period to be a member, unless the Committee decides otherwise.
4. A person exercises all the rights and obligations of a member for the purposes of these rules if his or her subscription is paid on or before the relevant date fixed by or under sub-rule (2) or within 3 months thereafter.

 8. Termination and resignation of membership of the Association

1.  Membership of the Association may be terminated upon-

(a) receipt by the Secretary or another Committee member of a notice in writing from a member of his or her resignation from the Association. Such person remains liable to pay to the Association the amount of any subscription due and payable by that person to the Association but npaid at the date of termination; or
(b) non-payment by a member of his or her subscription within three months of the date fixed by the Committee for subscriptions to be paid,unless the Committee decides otherwise in accordance with rule 7 (3);
  Or
(c) expulsion of a member in accordance with rule 9. 

2.  A person ceases to be a member when any of the following takes place –

(a) for a member who is an individual, the individual dies;
(b) for a member who is a body corporate, the body corporate is wound up;
(c) the person resigns from the Association;
(d) the person is expelled from the Association under rule 25;
(e) the person ceases to be a member under rule 5(C) subrule (4)

3. The secretary must keep a record, for at least on year after a person ceases to be a member of –

(a) the date on which the person ceased to be a member; and
(b) the reason why the person ceased to be a member.

4. (a)  A member may resign from membership of the Association by giving written notice of the resignation to the secretary.
   (b) The resignation takes effect – when the secretary receives the notice; or if a later time is stated in the notice, at that later time.
   (c) A person who has resigned from membership of the Association remains liable for any fees that are owed to the Association (the owed amount) at the time of resignation.
   (d) The owed amount may be recovered by the Association in a court of competent jurisdiction as a debt due to the Association.

9. Suspension or expulsion of members of Association

Refer to rule 25.

10. Committee of Management

(1) Subject to sub-rule (9), the affairs of the Association will be managed exclusively by a Committee of Management consisting of-

(a) a Chairperson;
(b) a Vice-Chairperson;
(c) a Secretary;
(d) a Treasurer; and
(e) not less than two other persons,

all of whom must be members of the Association.

(2) Committee members must be elected to membership of the Committee at an annual general meeting or appointed under sub-rule (8).

(a)   (i) Six weeks prior to the AGM the Secretary will call for nominations for Office Bearers providing a description of the roles of Office Bearers and a return date.
(ii) Nominations and election/proxy forms will be forwarded to the AIRTA membership along with the agenda, 21 days prior to the AGM.

(b)   Office Bearers and committee members will be voted for prior to the AGM by secret ballot. The Committee will nominate in advance of the AGM two scrutineers to count votes. 

(3) Subject to sub-rule (8), a Committee member’s term will be from his or her election at an annual general meeting until the election referred to in sub-rule (2) at the next annual general meeting after his or her election, but he or she is eligible for re-election to membership of the Committee. 

 (4) Except for nominees under sub-rule (7), a person is not eligible for election to membership of the Committee unless a member has nominated him or her for election by delivering notice in writing of that nomination, signed by-

(a) the nominator; and
(b) the nominee to signify his or her willingness to stand for election,

to the Secretary not less than 28 days before the day on which the annual general meeting concerned is to be held, to enable nominations to be circulated to members.

(5) A person who is eligible for election or re-election under this rule may –

(a) propose or second himself or herself for election or re-election; and
(b) vote for himself or herself. 

(6) If the number of persons nominated in accordance with sub-rule (4) for election to membership of the Committee does not exceed the number of vacancies in that membership to be filled-

(a) the Secretary must report accordingly to; and
(b) the Chairperson must declare those persons to be duly elected as members of the Committee at the annual general meeting concerned.

(7) If vacancies remain on the Committee after the declaration under sub-rule (6), additional nominations of Committee members may be accepted from the floor of the annual general meeting.  If such nominations from the floor do not exceed the number of vacancies the Chairperson must declare those persons to be duly elected as members of Committee.  Where the number of nominations from the floor exceeds the remaining number of vacancies on the Committee, elections for those positions must be conducted, using secret ballot.

(8) If a vacancy remains on the Committee after the application of sub-rule (7), or when a casual vacancy within the meaning of rule 14 occurs in the membership of the Committee-

(a) the Committee may appoint a member to fill that vacancy; and
(b) a member appointed under this sub-rule will –
(i) hold office until the election referred to in sub-rule (2); and
(ii) be eligible for election to membership of the Committee,
at the next following annual general meeting.

(9) The Committee may delegate, in writing, to one to more sub-committees (consisting of such member or members of the association as the Committee thinks fit) the exercise of such functions of the Committee as are specified in the delegation other than-

(a)   the power of delegation; and
(b)   a function which is a duty imposed on the Committee by the Act or any other law.

(10) Any delegation under sub-rule (9) may be subject to such conditions and limitations as to the exercise of that function or as to time and circumstances as are specified in the written delegation and the Committee may continue to exercise any function delegated. 

(11) The Committee may, in writing, revoke wholly or in part any delegation under sub-rule (9).

Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson

11 (1) Subject to this rule, the Chairperson must

(a)   prepare an agenda for each meeting. The agenda  for all meetings  including the Annual General Meeting is to be sent to the Secretary in time for distribution as per 12
(b) preside at all general meetings and Committee meetings 

  (2) In the event of the absence of the Chairperson, the Vice Chairperson must

(a) prepare an agenda for each meeting. The agenda for all meetings including the Annual General Meeting is to be sent to the Secretary in time for distribution as per 12(b)
(b) preside at all general meetings and Committee meetings.

Secretary

12. The Secretary must-

(a)   co-ordinate the correspondence of the Association;
(b)   circulate to members the (i) nominations for Office Bearers (ii) annual financial statements, and (iii) the agenda for the Annual General Meeting, not less than 21 days prior to the AGM, as per rule 16 (6)
(c)   keep full and correct minutes of the proceedings of all Association of Imago Relationship Therapists Australia AIRTA Incorporated meetings and circulate the minutes to all members within 14 days of the meeting
(d) comply on behalf of the Association with-

(i) section 53 of the Act with respect to the register of members of the Association, as referred to in rule 6
(ii) section 35 of the Act by keeping and maintaining in an up to date condition the rules of the Association and, upon the request of a member of the Association, must make available those rules for the inspection of the member and the member may make a copy of or take an extract from the rules but will have no right to remove the rules for that purpose; and
(iii) section 58 of the Act by maintaining a record of –

(A) the names and residential or postal addresses of the persons who hold the offices of the Association provided for by these rules, including all offices held by the persons who constitute the Committee and persons who are authorised to use the common seal of the Association under rule 22; and
(B) the names and residential or postal addresses of any persons who are appointed or act as trustees on behalf of the Association,

and the Secretary must, upon the request of a member of the Association, make available the record for the inspection of the member and the member may make a copy of or take an extract from the record but will have no right to remove the record for that purpose;

(e) unless the members resolve otherwise at a general meeting, have custody of all books, documents, records and registers of the Association, including those referred to in paragraph (c) but other than those required by rule 13 to be kept and maintained by, or in the custody of, the Treasurer; and
(f) perform such other duties as are imposed by these rules on the Secretary.

Treasurer

13.  The Treasurer must-

1. be responsible for the receipt of all moneys paid to or received by, or by him or her on behalf of, the Association and must issue receipts for those moneys in the name of the Association;
2. keep the Secretary informed of all pertinent information regarding all debts and outstanding monies paid or due to the Association of Imago Relationship Therapists Australia AIRTA Incorporated.
3. pay all moneys referred to in paragraph (a) into such account or accounts of the Association as the Committee may from time to time direct;
4. make payments from the funds of the Association with the authority of a general meeting or of the Committee and in so doing ensure that all cheques are signed by himself or herself and at least one other authorised Committee member, or by any two others as are authorised by the Committee;
5. comply on behalf of the Association with sections 66 and 67 of the Act with respect to the accounting records of the Association by-

(i) keeping such accounting records as correctly record and explain the financial transactions and financial position of the Association;
(ii) keeping its accounting records in such manner as will enable true and fair accounts of the Association to be prepared from time to time;
(iii) keeping its accounting records in such manner as will enable true and fair accounts of the Association to be conveniently and properly audited; and
(iv) submitting accounts of the Association showing the financial position of the Association at the end of the immediately preceding financial year, in writing to the Chairperson and to the Secretary, in time for circulation with the agenda prior to each annual general meeting of the Association as per rule 12(b).

6. Prepare a financial report for presentation to the Committee at quarterly business meetings and a year-end report at the Annual General Meeting.
7. unless the members resolve otherwise at a general meeting, have custody of all securities, books and documents of a financial nature and accounting records of the Association, including those referred to in paragraphs (d) and (e); and
8. perform such other duties as are imposed by these rules on the Treasurer.

(i)   Provide any assistance required by an auditor or reviewer conducting an audit or review of the Association’s financial statements or financial report under Part 5 Division 5 of the Act.

14. Casual vacancies in membership of Committee

A casual vacancy occurs in the office of a Committee member and that office becomes vacant if the Committee member-

• (a) dies;
• (b) resigns by notice in writing delivered to the Chairperson or,
•       if the Committee member is the Chairperson, to the Vice-Chairperson and
        that resignation is accepted by resolution of the Committee;
• (c) is convicted of an offence under the Act;
• (d) is permanently incapacitated by mental or physical ill-health;
• (e) is absent from more than-
  • (i) 3 consecutive Committee meetings; or
  • (ii) 3 Committee meetings in the same financial year without tendering an apology to the person presiding at each of those Committee meetings;
    of which meetings the member received notice, and the Committee has resolved to declare the office vacant;
• (f) ceases to be a member of the Association; or
• (g) is the subject of a resolution passed by a general meeting of members terminating his or her appointment as a Committee member.