Vertical Transmission

Abstract

Constitutional reform was on the agenda again at the Annual General Meeting in Canberra, as it will be for the next several AGMs I think, as there is clear recognition from the membership that the Society is facing change. The roles of the Divisional chairs and State chairs and the nature of the general meeting were discussed in the light of overall structure. The Council is the principal decision-making body but because the Council only meets twice-yearly, interactions inside the Executive form the operational and strategic engine of ASM. The current Executive includes the incumbent President, with either the incoming (President-Elect) or outgoing (Immediate Past President), the Vice-President Scientific Affairs, Vice-President Corporate Affairs and Vice-President Communications. The Chair roles have long been tasked with national leadership but without a role in Executive they have been preoccupied almost exclusively with the national meeting and speak only at the National Scientific Advisory Committee, which has an enormous operational role managing the bulk of the scientific awards and meetings. The recent move of the Division Chairs into Council as invitees over the last year or two has worked well and the increased involvement of State Chairs similarly. We will be now ratifying these arrangements by seeking formal endorsement at an extraordinary general meeting of the membership to bring the Constitution into line with these arrangements.