1. Name

The name of the Federation shall be The Australian Federation of Medical Women Incorporated (hereinafter called "the Federation"). The Federation is composed of the Medical Women's Societies and Association of the Australian States and Territories.

2. Aim and objects

The aim of the Federation shall be to further the professional development of medical women through education and research and to improve the health and welfare of all persons but especially women and children in the Australian community.

The objects of the Federation are:

a) To affiliate with the Medical Women's International Association and any other national or international association approved by the Federation.

b) To promote the interests of medical women in all matters relating to their professional work by continuing education and other means.

c) To arrange conventions, seminars, conferences and meetings on behalf of medical women and to assist in travel and other arrangements ancillary to holding of or attendance at conventions, seminars, conferences and meetings by medical women.

d) To act for and represent medical women in all matters of mutual interest at national and international levels and, in particular, in relation to the further education of Australian medical women.

3. Membership

The following shall be eligible for membership of the Federation:

a) Member Associations
The Medical Women's Associations and Societies of the various States and Territories of Australia, provided their constitution is approved by the Council of the Federation. These will be referred to as "Member Associations".

b) Full Members
All medical women registered or eligible for registration under the Medical Acts of any of the Australian States or Territories of the Commonwealth who are members of any medical women's association referred to in paragraph (a) of this clause and for whom an affiliation fee has been paid. These will be referred to as "Full Members".

c) Individual Members
Qualified Medical Women, in a state or territory which does not have a member association, may apply for individual membership. Every applicant for admission as an individual member shall be proposed by one member and seconded by another in writing and admission shall be by vote of the Council of the Federation and after payment of dues. Individual members shall pay the same affiliation fee and have the same rights as full members.

d) Associate Members
Women medical students and women medical graduates, not eligible for registration under the Medical Acts of any of the Australian States or Territories of the Commonwealth, may be admitted as associate members without the right to vote or hold office. No affiliation fee is payable for associate members.

4. Admission of members

All members of the Australian Federation of Medical Women at the date of the adoption of this Constitution shall be deemed to be members under this Constitution.

a) Member Associations
Applications for membership by an association or society of medical women shall be made in writing to the Secretary of the Federation and shall be accompanied by the Constitution of the Association. Admission shall be by vote of the Council of the Federation. Unless 60% of those present and entitled to vote are in favour of admitting the association or society to membership, the application shall be refused.

b) Full Members
The Secretary or other responsible officer of any Member Association shall forward to the Secretary of the Federation a complete list of all its members over each year. All those persons who fulfil the conditions referred to in paragraph 3(b) shall be admitted as Full Members.

c) Individual Members
Every applicant for admission as an individual member shall be proposed by one member and seconded by another in writing and admission shall be by vote of the Council of the Federation and after payment of dues.

d) Associate Members
Those women described in paragraph 3(d) may be admitted as Associate Members.

    i) In States and Territories where a member association exists, by inclusion in the annual list of members sent to the Federation by their Member Association and payment of any dues.

    ii) Where no Member Association exists admission shall follow the procedure outlined in 4(c).

5. Council

a) The governing body of the federation shall be a council which shall consist of two members from each member association, appointed to the council by their member association, a rural councillor, a recent graduate councillor, who should be no more than 7 years from graduation and the immediate past president. The council is empowered to conduct all business of the association in accordance with the constitution.

b) Any member of the federation who is a member of the executive of the Medical Women's International Association or a chairman of a standing committee of that association shall be an ex-officio member of the council without the power to vote.

c) The members of the Council may act notwithstanding any vacancy occurring in the membership of the Council and no acts or proceedings of the Council shall be invalidated by reason of any such vacancy.

d) Members of the Council at the time of such adoption of this Constitution shall continue in office until the next General Meeting.

6. Office-bearers:

a) Office-bearers shall be a President, a Vice-President, an Honorary Secretary and an Honorary Treasurer.

b) The office and postal address of the Federation shall be determined by the Council.

c) Office bearers shall be elected for a term of three years and shall be eligible for re-election to the same position once.

7. Election of office-bearers

Present office-bearers shall continue in office until the end of the Triennial meeting which follows the general meeting at which this constitution is adopted.

a) Nominations for office-bearers, in writing, must reach the Honorary Secretary six weeks prior to the annual meeting of council. Nominations and accompanying statements shall be forwarded to member associations at least four weeks before the meeting at which the election will take place.

b) Nominations can only be made by member associations, and must be accompanied by a brief statement and signed acceptance of nomination by the person proposed. To be eligible for nomination a member must have experience on council and be one of the two councillors from her member association for the period of her office.

c) Election shall take place at the annual council meeting, by a ballot of two votes from each member association. In the case of a tied vote a second ballot will held between the tied candidates. The President shall have a casting vote in the event of a second tie.

d) All Office Bearers are to be elected in the same year.

e) The Council shall have power to fill for the remainder of the term any casual vacancy occurring among the office-bearers during their term of office.

8. Councillors

a) The names of councillors appointed by member associations shall be forwarded to the Honorary Secretary of the Federation at least six weeks prior to the date fixed for the annual meeting. Any change of councillors made by member associations must be sent to the honorary secretary immediately.

b) No councillor shall serve more than four years consecutively, unless she is elected an office-bearer.

c) If a casual vacancy occurs among the Councillors, the vacancy shall be filled by the member association among whose representatives the vacancy has occurred and the person so appointed shall retain her position only for the remainder of the term for which her predecessor was appointed.

9. Executive

a) Between meetings of the council the affairs of the Federation shall be managed by an executive consisting of the four office-bearers and two councillors elected by council.

b) The executive shall meet at such times as determined by the President and or the Honorary Secretary. Such meetings may be in person, by telephonic conferencing or other means as agreed by the executive.

c) The quorum for an executive meeting shall be three.

d) Minutes shall be kept and circulated to council members and to the secretaries of member associations within four weeks of each meeting.

e) Members or member societies wishing to introduce items of business for executive consideration shall forward them to the Honorary Secretary. Such items shall be considered at the next meeting of the executive.

f) Executive members shall be given at least fourteen days notice of meeting and receive an agenda and supporting documents seven days prior to a meeting.

g) The President shall provide a report of executive activities to each Council meeting.

h) The President may invite to executive meetings any person she believes will contribute to their deliberations.

10. Meetings of the council

a) The Council shall hold at least three meetings a year. Only the annual meeting must be face-to-face; other meetings may be by telephonic conference.

b) Special meetings of the Council may be called at any time by the direction of the President and shall be called by the President on the written request of not less than two Member Associations, stating the business for which such meeting is required. Notice convening a special meeting of the council shall specify the business to be dealt with. Such meeting shall be held within two months of a request being made.

c) Six weeks notice shall be given of all AFMW Council Meetings to Councillors and Secretaries of Member Associations. The agenda for each meeting shall be distributed to all Councillors not less than forteen days before the date of the meeting.

d) Every member of the Council shall be entitled to one vote. In case of the absence from a meeting of one or both Councillors representing a Member Association, that Member Association may appoint for such meeting one or two proxies, as the case may be, who shall have the right to vote on all matters dealt with at such meeting. Written notification of proxies from the Member Association must be received by the Honorary Secretary prior to the commencement of a Council Meeting.

e) The Chairman of a meeting of the Council shall have only an ordinary vote.

f) The quorum at all meetings of Council shall be eight.

g) Minutes of Council meetings shall be circulated promptly to Councillors and Member Associations.

h) The President may invite, with the acquiescence of Council, a person to contribute to Council discussion.

11. General meeting of Federation

a) A general meeting of members shall be held at the conclusion of each President's term of office at such time and place as shall be decided by the Council. Those entitled to be present at this meeting are as follows:

i) Members of the Council.

ii) All members, whether they have obtained membership through Member Associations or have been admitted on the basis of individual membership or associate membership. All persons present in accordance with this Constitution can take part in discussion of any matter. All full or individual members have the right to vote; Associate Members do not.

b) At a general meeting the business shall include:

i) Confirmation of the minutes of the previous General Meeting.

ii) Receipt of the Treasurer's report and the audited accounts for the intervening years.

iii) Election of auditor for the ensuing period.

iv) Receipt of the Honorary Secretary's report for the intervening period.

v) Announcement of office-bearers and AFMW representatives to other organisations and committees.

vi) Any other business of which notice in writing has been given to the Honorary Secretary two months before the General Meeting is held.

vii) The appointment of delegates to the Australian Medical Association Federal Assembly or any other association or organisation to which the Council deems it advisable to have delegates.

e) Council may at its discretion convene a Special General Meeting of the Federation.

12. Finance

a) The financial year of the Federation shall be from the first day of July to the thirtieth day of June of the next year.

b) Subscriptions.
Until otherwise determined by Council each Member Association shall pay to the Federation in respect of each of its members as at the thirty-first day of December of the preceding year the following dues:

i) An annual affiliation fee, the amount per member to be determined by the Council at its Annual Meeting of the preceding year.

ii) Such per capita levy as may be determined from time to time by the Council.

iii)  Each individual member shall pay an annual subscription, the amount of which shall be fixed by the Council for the following year at its annual meeting.

iv) Subscriptions shall be due on the first day of July each year.

c) The Council shall have power to receive hold invest and expend funds of the Federation. Monies may only be invested in authorised trustee investments in the State or Territory where the investment is made, and for a period not exceeding 10 years.

d) The Council shall operate banking accounts in the name of the Federation into which all monies shall be paid.

e) No disbursements shall be made directly out of money received before such money shall have been paid into the bank account.

f) All payments of over $200.00 shall be paid by cheque signed by two (2) of the elected office-bearers.

g) The Treasurer shall keep proper books of account and shall present to the Council at the Annual Meeting an audited statement of the receipts and payments of the Federation for the financial year preceding that meeting. The Treasurer shall be ready at any time to furnish the President or the Council with such information as may be required with regard to the financial affairs of the Federation.

h) The accounts shall as soon as practicable after the end of each financial year be audited by a qualified accountant or auditor who shall not be a member of the Federation, the husband of a member, or a close relative of a member of the Federation.

i) In the event that the Treasurer fails to keep proper accounts of the Federation or fails to present audited accounts to meeting of Council or to General Meetings of the Federation, then the Treasurer can be dismissed from office by a vote of the Council.

13. Winding up

The Federation may be wound up by resolution passed by a majority not less than two-thirds of the members present at an Extraordinary General Meeting of which not less than six weeks notice in writing signifying the intention to propose the winding up resolution shall have been given to the members provided that;

a) The quorum of such a meeting shall be one quarter of the members or proxies of the Federation.

b) The proposal shall have been previously approved by the Council of the Federation and by a majority of member associations.

c) The Federation on winding up shall apply its assets in the following sequence:

i) Payment of its liabilities including the expense of winding up.

ii) If upon the winding up or the dissolution of the Federation there remains, after satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities, any property whatsoever, the same shall not be paid to or distributed among members of the Federation but shall be given or transferred to some other organisation having similar objects to the Federation and which shall prohibit the distribution of its income and property among its members to an extent at least as great as is imposed on the Federation.

14. Representation

a) The Federation may elect a member (not necessarily a Councillor) to represent it to other organisations.

b) Such representatives shall be elected by the Council, by a ballot of the councillors or proxies of each member association. In the case of a tied vote a second ballot will be held between the tied candidates. In the event of a second tie the president shall have the casting vote.

c) The executive shall place a call for nominations to all member organisations outlining the role and responsibilities of such a representative.

d) Nominations shall be received two (2) weeks prior to a vote of Council.

e) The executive may, if urgent representation is required, nominate an interim representative until such time as a vote of Council can occur.

15. Alteration to Constitution

This Constitution may be altered or amended at any General Meeting or at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose provided that particulars of the proposed alterations or amendments shall have been given to each Member Association not less than six weeks before the date of such meeting

A two-thirds majority of those present and eligible to vote is necessary to change the Constitution.