Rules of the Surrey Benevolent Medical Society, Instituted in May 1812

RULES

 

1.  This Society is a Benevolent Society, and shall be styled "THE SURREY BENEVOLENT MEDICAL SOCIETY".  Its registered office is Haybarn House, 118 South Street, Dorking, Surrey, RH4 2EZ.  Notice of any change in the registered office shall be sent within fourteen days thereafter to the Registrar, in manner and form provided by the Treasury Regulations under the Friendly Societies Act.

 

2.  This Society is established for the following benevolent or charitable purposes, viz: First: the establishment of a fund for the benefit of (a)  indigent registered medical practitioners who are members of the Society,(b)  the widows and orphans of such medical practitioners, provided they were members of the Society at the time of their death, (c)  destitute persons related to such medical practitioners. Second: the education of sons, daughters, or other relatives of medical practitioners who are members of the Society, or who were at the time of their death. Third: the communication of medical facts, cases and observations.

 

2a.  The Society from time to time may supplement the grant of £2,500 made to Epsom College in the year 1855 by making additional grants of sums not exceeding in any one year the sum of £6,000.

 

3.  Any duly qualified and registered medical practitioner who at the time of election shall have a substantial commitment to general or consultant practice in that part of the County of Surrey which is not in the administrative County of London, and who at the time of election intends to remain permanently in practice within that area shall be eligible for election as a member of the Society.

 

4.  Every medical practitioner desirous of becoming a member of the Society must be recommended in writing to the Secretary by two members of the Society by March 25th, of any year.  Such names with names of proposer and seconder shall be circulated to the members by the Secretary one week before the Annual General Meeting. and such candidates shall be balloted for at the meeting - a majority of three-fourths of the members present at the ballot being necessary for election.  Such election shall not become effective unless the fine of admission and first annual subscription, together with a certificate of good health and sound constitution signed by a Fellow or Member of the Royal College of Physicians or Royal College of General Practitioners have been sent to the Treasurer before the 1st November of the year of election.

 

5. Each member shall pay an entrance fee on the day of his election to the Society. The entrance fee shall be such sum as may from time to time be determined by members in general meeting, not exceeding £30. In addition to the entrance fee, the annual subscription fee shall be such sum as may from time to time be determined by the members in general meeting, not exceeding £30. The annual subscription may be commuted according to the tables at the end of these rules.

 

6.  No member shall be called upon for his subscription for a longer term than thirty years, after which he shall be considered as a member for life.

 

7. A payment, in addition to the entrance fee, of such sum as may from time to time be determined by the members in general meeting not exceeding £450, shall confer life membership upon the subscriber and exonerate him from all future payments.

 

8.  Annual subscriptions shall be due on the 1st June of each year and any member not having paid within one year shall receive a special notice from the Treasurer.  If within three months of the date of such notice all subscriptions then due from such member shall not have been paid he shall cease to be a member.

 

9.  The Society may admit as honorary members such gentlemen as they judge worthy of that distinction.  The Society may elect for life any member having rendered exceptional service to the Society.  Such life members shall not be liable to pay any subscription, but shall be entitled to the same benefits and privileges as ordinary members.

 

10.  The election of honorary members shall be conducted in the same manner as that of ordinary members.

 

11.  Honorary members shall not be entitled to any benefit from the Society, nor to have any vote in matters connected with the appropriation of the funds.

 

12.  The Officers of the Society shall consist of the President, two Vice-Presidents, two Trustees, the Treasurer, and the Secretary.  They shall constitute the Committee of Management of the Society.

 

13.  The officers shall be elected annually at the General Meeting from the body of the ordinary members, excepting the Trustees, who shall continue in office until circumstances arise which may render an alteration in regard to them necessary.  A copy of every resolution appointing Trustees shall be sent to the registrar within fourteen days after the date of the meeting whereat such resolution was passed, in the form prescribed by the Treasury Regulations under the Friendly Societies Acts.

 

An officer may be removed by resolution of a majority of three-fourths of the members present and entitled to vote at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose.

 

14.  An Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held once a year, viz: - in the month of May or June.  But a General Meeting may be called at any intermediate period by the committee or on a requisition signed by five members of the Society, and sent to the Secretary; such requisition containing a statement of the circumstances and causes for which such General Meeting is to be called.  The Secretary shall call a General Meeting on the receipt of such requisition so signed, within one month from the date of such requisition, at not less than seven days notice.  And at meeting so called no other business shall be transacted but that which appears upon the face of the requisition.

 

15.  At the meetings of the Society, in the absence of the President and Vice-Presidents, the senior member present shall take the chair.

 

16.  At all meetings there must be, at the least, five members present to act; and previously to other business the minutes of the last meeting shall be read by the Secretary and signed by the Chairman.  All motions shall be in writing and, being delivered to the Chairman, shall be read by him aloud to the members present before any decision takes place thereon.

 

17.  In case of dispute between this Society, or an officer thereof and any member, or past member, or person claiming through or on account of a member or past member, or under the Rules, reference shall be made to arbitration.  There shall be five arbitrators nominated, none of them being directly or indirectly beneficially interested in the funds of the Society; and in each case of dispute the names of the arbitrators shall be written on pieces of paper and placed in a box or glass, and the three whose names are first drawn out by the complaining party, or by someone appointed by him or her, shall be the arbitrators to decide the matter in difference.

 

In this rule the expression “dispute” includes any dispute arising on the question of whether a member or person aggrieved is entitled to be or continue to be a member or to be re-instated as a member but, save as aforesaid, in the case of a person who has ceased to be a member, does not include any dispute other than a dispute on a question between him and the Society or an officer thereof, which arose whilst he was a member or arises out of his previous relation as a member of the Society.

 

18. (1) The Committee shall cause proper accounts of the Society to be kept by the Secretary in accordance with the requirements of section 29 of the Friendly Societies Act 1974.

 

      (2) The Society shall in each year of account appoint a qualified auditor to audit its accounts and balance sheet for that year.  For the purposes of this rule “qualified auditor” means a person who is a qualified auditor under section 36 of the friendly Societies Act 1974.

 

      (3) Save as provided in paragraph (4) of this rule every appointment of an auditor shall be made by resolution of a general meeting of the Society.

 

      (4) The Committee may appoint an auditor to fill any casual vacancy occurring between general meetings of the Society.

 

      (5) A qualified auditor appointed to audit the accounts and balance sheet of the Society for the preceding year of account (whether by a general meeting or by the Committee) shall be re-appointed as auditor of the Society for the current year of account (whether or not any resolution expressingly re-appointing him has been passed) unless

 

(a)  a resolution has been passed at a general meeting of the Society appointing somebody instead of him or providing expressly that he shall not be re-appointed or

 

(b) he has given to the Society notice in writing of his unwillingness to be re-appointed or

 

(c)  he is ineligible for appointment as auditor of the Society for the current year of account or

 

(d) he has ceased to act as auditor of the Society by reason of incapacity

 

Provided that a retiring auditor shall not be automatically re-appointed by virtue of this rule if notice of an intended resolution to appoint another person in his place has been given in accordance with paragraph (6) of this rule and the resolution cannot be proceeded with because of the death, incapacity or ineligibility of that other person.

 

      (6)A resolution at a general meeting of the Society (i) appointing another person as auditor in place of a retiring qualified auditor or (ii) providing expressly that a retiring auditor shall not be re-appointed shall not be effective unless notice of the intention to move it has been given to the Society not less than twenty-eight days before the meeting at which it is moved.  On receipt by the Society of notice of the intention to move any such resolution the Society shall give notice of the resolution to the members in accordance with Section 34 of the Friendly Societies Act 1974.  The Society shall also give such notice to the members in accordance with section 35 of the Friendly Societies Act 1974 and shall give notice to the members in accordance with that section of any representations made or intended to be made by the retiring auditor.

 

      (7)None of the following persons shall be appointed as auditor of the Society

 

(a)  an officer or servant of the Society

 

or

                       

                        (b)  a person who is a partner of or in the employment of or who employs an officer or servant of the Society.

 

      (8) The auditor shall in accordance with Section 38 of the Friendly Societies Act 1974 make a report to the Society on the accounts examined by him and on the revenue account or accounts and the balance sheet of the Society for the year of account in respect of which he is appointed.

 

19.  (1)  Every year before the 1st June the Secretary of the Society shall send to the Registrar an annual return relating to its affairs for the period required to be included in the return.  The return shall be made up beginning with the 1st January of the year preceding the year in which the return is required to be sent and ending with the 31st December then last inclusively.  The return must be made in the form prescribed by the Chief Registrar and contain such particulars as may from time to time be required by the form.  A copy of the report of the auditor on the accounts and balance sheet contained in the return must be sent with the annual return.

 

      (2)The Secretary shall supply gratuitously to every member or person interested in the funds of the Society on his application either a copy of the last annual return or balance sheet or other document duly audited containing the same particulars relating to the affairs of the Society as are contained in the annual return together with a copy of the report of the auditor on the annual return of his report on the balance sheet or other document supplied in lieu of the annual return.

 

20.  It shall be the duty of the Secretary to deliver to every person on demand and on payment of a reasonable fee a copy of the Rules of the Society.

 

21.  The Secretary shall supply every member on or before the Annual General meeting either a copy of the last annual return or a balance sheet or other document, duly audited, containing the same particulars relating to the affairs of the Society as are contained in the annual return.

 

22.  The books and accounts of the Society shall be open to the inspection of any member or persons having an interest in the funds of the Society at all reasonable times at the registered office of the Society, or at any place where the same are kept, and it shall be the duty of the Secretary to produce them for inspection accordingly.

 

23.  It shall be the duty of the Committee of Management to keep a copy of the last annual balance sheet and of the report of the auditor on the balance sheet, always hung up in a conspicuous place at the registered office of the Society.

 

24. (1) The Trustees of the Society, may with the consent of the Committee of Management, or the majority of the members present and entitled to vote in a General Meeting, invest the funds of the Society in any investment in which the Trustees are, for the time being, by law authorised to invest funds.

 (2) All deeds, documents of title and securities for money shall be held by the Trustees, who shall take such measures for the safe custody and preservation thereof at the expense of the Society as they may think fit, and shall be responsible for the safe custody of all such deeds, documents and securities as are placed in their hands or under their control, and shall produce them for inspection by the auditors when required by them, and whenever required by a resolution of a general meeting or of the Committee, provided that any securities within the meaning of The Uncertified Securities Regulations 1995, or any amendment or re-enactment thereof, may  with the consent of the Committee, be placed by the Trustees in the name of such corporate body as nominee for them as they shall from time to time select.

 

(3) The Trustees shall be the persons to sue and be sued on behalf of the Society.

 

(4) If any Trustee, being removed from his office, refuse or neglect to assign or transfer any property of the Society as a general meeting may direct, such Trustee shall (if he be a member) be expelled, and cease to have any claim on the Society without prejudice to any liability to prosecution.

 

 

25.  Unless the Stock, in the names of the Trustees amounts to ten thousand pounds, the expenditure in any one year shall not exceed the income from investments.

 

26.  All applications for assistance from this Society must be made by letter to the Secretary, wherein must be set forth the residence and age of the applicant and the circumstances occasioning the application.

 

27.  Every application for relief from the Society shall be sent to the Secretary by March 25th, and submitted to the Society at a General Meeting, together with a recommendation from the Committee of Management which shall be circulated with the notice of the Meeting.  No amendments to this recommendation shall be valid unless it has been sent to the Secretary in writing twenty-four hours before the Annual (or Special) Meeting.

 

28.  Every person receiving relief from this Society shall, once a year, make and sign a solemn declaration in writing that such person's income has not significantly increased since the previous declaration, and if any person shall be found to have practised any deception, the Society shall determine how far such person shall be entitled to any future benefit from the funds of the Society.

 

29.  Any widow, whose late husband was a member of the Society at the time of his death, may apply to the Society for assistance.  A detailed return of income must be made annually to the Awards Committee who shall make a suitable recommendation as to the assistance required and this shall be voted upon at the Annual Meeting.

 

30.  The mother or legal guardian of any child, whose father was a member of the Society at the time of his death, and who is still at school or undertaking some course of higher education, may apply to the Society for assistance for the welfare of this child.  A detailed return of the mother's or of the legal guardian's income and of the child's income must be made annually to the Awards Committee who shall make a suitable recommendation as to the assistance required and this shall be voted upon at the Annual Meeting.

 

31.  The widow of any member of this Society coming under the description specified in the last preceding Rule, shall be eligible for additional assistance from this Society towards making up an apprentice fee or otherwise assisting a child when it shall have attained the age of fourteen years.

 

32.  The child of any member or a deceased member, if he remained a member at the time of his death, may be nominated for the award of a grant to assist the candidate to follow any course of higher education or training, including apprenticeship and a course not at a University, approved by the Awards Committee.

 

Rules 37, 39, 40, 41, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47 and 48 shall apply also to these awards, and for that purpose the reference to any of the Gerald Clementson Scholarships (Rule 36b - formerly known as Girls Scholarships), the Mackenzie Scholarship, or the John Brice Scholarship, in Rule 43 and any reference to Exhibitions or Scholarships in the remainder of such rules shall be deemed to include a grant under this rule.

 

33.  If any member at death shall leave neither wife/husband nor child but widowed mother or sister, or niece, or any other relation, who shall have lived with him/her in character of housekeeper, or who shall have been entirely dependent upon him/her for support, such widowed mother or other relation shall be deemed eligible to receive assistance from this Society, provided such relation be left destitute.

 

34.  If any member be incapacitated from attending to and directing business through sickness and infirmity, and the said member and his family be thereby involved in distress this Society shall allow him such relief as may be consistent with the state of the funds.

 

35.   In case of manifest and urgent distress the Treasurer may grant such immediate assistance as the circumstances may require, provided such aid does not exceed the sum of one thousand pounds.

 

36.  The Exhibitions and Scholarships of the Society are as follows:

 

            (a) Surrey Exhibitions shall be tenable by boys or girls at Epsom College for a maximum period of five years from the date of election, subject to the control of the College authorities and the payment of the stipulated fees. Candidates must have been entered for the College prior to nomination for this Exhibition.

 

            (b) The four Gerald Clementson Scholarships may be awarded to either sex and shall, subject to good behaviour, be tenable for a maximum period of five years from the date of election, at any school approved by the Committee of Management.

 

            (c) The Mackenzie Scholarship may be awarded to either sex and shall, subject to good behaviour, be tenable for a maximum period of five years from the date of election, at any school approved by the Committee of Management.

 

            (d) The John Brice Scholarship may be awarded to either sex and shall, subject to good behaviour, be tenable for a maximum period of five years from the date of election, at any school approved by the Committee of Management.

 

37.  When a vacancy is expected for any of the Exhibitions or Scholarships, the Secretary shall give notice of the same to each member at least three calendar months before the Annual Meeting.

 

38.   Any ordinary member may nominate the son or daughter of an existing member of not less than three years standing or the orphan son or daughter of a deceased member, who was a member at the time of his death, for the award of an appropriate Exhibition or Scholarship.

 

39.  Nominations shall be made in such form as the Society may require and must be returned to the Secretary not later than two weeks after the date of issue of the Notice given under Rule 37.  A certificate of the health of the candidate and a certificate of suitability for the proposed education, signed by the Principal of the present school, must also be forwarded.

 

40.  The President, one Vice-President and one Trustee shall sit as the Awards Committee for the purpose of reviewing all nominations for the Exhibitions and Scholarships, and of deciding on recommendations to be made to the Annual Meeting under Rules 42 and 43.  The Awards Committee shall be convened by the President.

 

41.  The parent or legal guardian of any candidate shall, on request, be required to forward to the President a full declaration of income and such other details as the Society may from time to time require. Failure to make this declaration by the date appointed on the request or the declaration of incorrect facts will make the nomination invalid.

 

42.  If in any year no candidate for a Surrey Exhibition to Epsom College appears to the Awards Committee to be in such financial needs as to justify award then the Awards Committee shall so report to the Annual Meeting, but not more than one Exhibition is to be left vacant for this reason.

 

 

43.  In the absence of evidence of financial need the Awards Committee shall recommend to the Annual Meeting that no award be made of any of the four Gerald Clementson Scholarships (Rule 36b), the Mackenzie Scholarship (Rule 36c), or the John Brice Scholarship (Rule 36d), irrespective of the number of vacancies. In cases of financial need the awards Committee may recommend to the Annual Meeting the Award of a Scholarship of increased value.

 

44.       In these rules, unless the contrary intention appears words denoting the masculine gender shall be deemed to include the feminine.

 

45.  At the Annual Meeting the following method of election shall be adopted, there being a separate election for each vacancy:

 

The President shall first state the recommendation of the Awards Committee.

 

The Secretary shall then provide a sufficient number of slips of paper marked with the names of each candidate and a further space marked 'No Award'.

 

Each member present other than the members nominating a candidate for that Exhibition or Scholarship may vote by making a mark opposite the name of a candidate or the space marked 'No Award'.

 

If a candidate received the majority of the votes cast then he or she shall be declared elected.  If the majority of votes be cast for 'No Award' then no award shall be made.

 

In the case of an equality of votes the President shall have the casting vote in addition to his vote as a member.

46.   If a candidate thus elected shall have been nominated by the Awards Committee for an increased award, the President shall propose the amount of this award immediately after the election is declared.  This proposal or any amendments thereto shall be voted upon by a show of hands.  In the case of an equality of votes the President shall have the casting vote in addition to his vote as a member.

 

47.  Candidates elected and awarded a scholarship of increased value shall receive this increase during the tenure of the scholarship, subject to an annual declaration by the parent or legal guardian that there has been no change in the financial circumstances originally disclosed.

 

48.   Any member who may receive an Exhibition or Scholarship for his son or daughter shall be bound immediately to complete his subscription as a Life Member as by Rule 5.  The award shall lapse entirely if such composition is not paid within three months after election unless the Society determine otherwise in a certain case.

 

49.  No alteration or addition to the rules shall be made except at the Annual General Meeting of the Society, and such alterations and additions shall not be made without six weeks notice and unless carried by a two thirds majority of those present.

 

No amendment of these rules is valid till registered under the Friendly Societies Act.

 

50.  The Society may at any time be dissolved by an instrument of dissolution approved by a special resolution of the Society.