C O N S T I T U T I O N
ARTICLE 1 NAME.
(1) The Society shall be known as the TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO SOCIETY OF PLANNERS,
ARTICLE 11 – PROVINCE.
(1) The area covered by the Society shall be the Territory of Trinidad and Tobago.
ARTICLE III AIMS AND OBJECTS.
(1) The aims and objects of the Society shall be to secure the interests of its members and to advanced the practice of planning as a profession in all its aspects (including local, regional and national planning) for the benefit of the public, and for those purposes the Society shall have the power to do all or any of the following things:
(a) To encourage and further the education of persons intending to enter or be associated with the planning profession.
(b) To devise and impose standards of qualification for entry into this Society and to establish codes of practice for persons engaged professionally in planning in Trinidad and Tobago.
(c) To further research and all such other activities as may contribute to the advancement of the knowledge and practice of planning and the dissemination of Information on planning matters to the general public.
(d) To secure the closer association of those engaged or interested professionally or otherwise in planning in Trinidad and Tobago in particular and in the Caribbean region in general.
(e) To do all such other lawful things as are necessary or expedient for the attainment of the aims and objects of the Society.
2/……
ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP
(1) The Society shall have the following classes of membership:
- Honorary Member – this designation shall be conferred from time to time by the Society on persons, who, in the opinion of the Executive Comittee, have made an outstanding contribution to planning. These members shall be entitled to use the designation of M.S.P. (T.T.).
- Professional Member – membership in this class will be limited to persons resident in Trinidad and Tobago who are qualified by academic training and experience to practice as Professional Planners in Trinidad and Tobago. These members shall be entitled to use the designation M.S.P.(T.T.). This class only will have voting powers at General Meetings.
- Participating Member – this class of membership shall be open to associated professionals and persons who, because of their academic qualifications and work involvement are considered qualified to make a contribution to planning.
- Corresponding Member – this class of membership shall be made available to persons who are qualified in all respects f or professional membership and are residing and practising planning in other territories of the Caribbean. Entrance to this class of membership shall be by invitation of the Society or by nomination of two of its members.
- Student Member – this classs of membership shall be open to persons attending full or part time courses at a recognised institution, leading to an academic qualification in planning.
- Application for membership shall be by letter to the Secretary of the Society setting out sufficient particulars for the Executive Committee, sitting as an Admissions Board, to decide for which class of membership, if any, the applicant is eligible.
- Admission of new members shall be announced at the General Meeting immediately following their acceptance by the Executive Committee.
3/……
- A member may resign on giving written notice, such notice to take effect from the date of the Business Meeting following the receipt of such
- The Executive Committee, sitting as a Disciplinary Committee, shall be empowered to judge any breach of discipline, infringement of rules or any form of misconduct of a member, for which the Committee may caution, suspend, require to resign, or expel any member. A decision of the Disciplinary Committee shall only be taken by the unanimous decision of all of its members.
ARTICLE V SUBSCRIPTIONS.
(1) The annual subscription, payable bafcre the Ist January each year shall be ag follows.-
- Professional Members – $50.00 per year.
- Participating and Corresponding Members – $15.00 per year.
- Student Member – $5.00 per year.
(2) Notices shall be sent to members advising that subscriptions are due. Any member whose subscription falls more then three months in arrears after such notice will cease to have voting powers. If the arrears lapse for six months the member’s name will be deleted from the list of membcrs after a second notice has been sent.
ARTICLE VI EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND OFFICERS.
- The affairs of the Society shall me managed by an Executive Committee which shall comprise the following officials: President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer and one other professional member.
- Members of the Executive Committee shall be elected from among the professional members at the Annual General Meeting of the Society.
- The office of President and Vice President shall not be held by the same member for more than two consecutive years and no other office of the Executive Committee shall be held by the same person for more than four (4) consecutive years.
4/……
- Any professional member may submit nominations for posts on the Executive Comittee.
- The Executive Committee is empowered to co-opt such members, appoint such committees, act as Ballot Committee, Admissions Board and Disciplinary Committee, Interpret the articles of the Constitution, employ such administrative and other staff, and carry out such functions as it may consider necessary to properly manage tbc Society and achieve its aims.
- At a meeting of the Executive Committee, three mmbers shall constitute a quorum, except when sitting as a Disciplinary Committee, then a quorum shall be five.
ARTICLE V11 MEETINGS.
(1) Meeting of the Society shall be of three types:
- Annual General Meeting
- Extraordinary General Meeting
- Business General Meeting.
(2) The Annual General Meeting shall be open to all classes of financial members and shall be held during the month of April each year.
(3) Business to be transacted at the Annual General Meeting will include the election of officers, the Prsident’s and Treasurer’s report, the Auditor’s report.
(4) A quorum for the Annual General Meeting shall consist of at least one-third of the financial professional members of the Society.
(5) The Annual General meeting must be called by the Secretary of the Society in consultation with the President, and members informed at least two weeks prior to the date of the meeting.
(6) Extraordinary General Meetings shall be held to consider urgent matters. Extraordinary General Meetings can be called by the Executive Committee or at the written request of at least twenty per cant (20%) of all financial members of which at least three (3) must be professional members.
Members must be given at least 7 days notice in writing of the date and agenda of an Extraordinary General Meeting. And only such matters shall be discussed at the meeting.
5/……
(7) Business General Meetings shall be called for the purpose of discussing technical or other matters of interest to planning and shall be open to members of the general public.
(8) At least four Business General Meetings shall be held during the course of each year. Adequate notice of these meetings must be given to members as well as to the general public.
ARTICLE VI11 – FINANCE, PROPERTY AND FUNDS.
(1) The fiscal year of the Society shall be from the 1st January to 31st December. The accounts for each year shall be audited and presented to the following Annual General Meeting.
(2) An Inventory of the Society’s property shall be kept and checked annually by a Sub-Committee of two members of the Society who shall subsequently report to the Executive Committee.
(3) An account in the name of the Trinidid and Tobago Society of Planners shall be maintained at a National Bank approved by the members. Cheques drawn payable upon the account shall bear the signature of the Treasurer and either the President or Vice president.
ARTICLE IX – AMENDMENT TO CONSTITUTION.
This constitution may be amended at an Extraordinary General Meeting by two-thirds majority of financial professional members present provided that 14 days notice of such a meeting and its proposed agenda be given.