BY-LAWS
The following by-laws shall govern the day-to-day operation of the Australasian Plant Pathology Society Inc.
GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
1. The geographic location of the Management Committee will change every two years coinciding with the Society's biennial Conference. The location of the succeeding Management Committee and the identity of the President-elect shall be ratified at a General Meeting of the Society at least one year prior to the election of the Management Committee.
COUNCIL
2. The Management Committee and the Regional Councillors will form the Council of the Society. Council will meet before the General Meeting at the Conference of the Society. A quorum at a Council Meeting will be four members. The purpose of Council Meetings is:
(a) to receive reports from the Management Committee, the Treasurer, the committee organising the current conference, the Editor in Chief, the Newsletter Editor, the Society's special interest groups, the Society's ISPP representative and the committee organising the next conference,
(b) to consider appeals, operating guidelines, by-laws or amendments to the constitution,
(c) to nominate auditors to be appointed by the General Meeting,
(d) to make policy recommendations, and
(e) to do such other things as may be conducive to furthering the objectives of the Society.
Members nominated for positions on the incoming Management Committee as well as incoming Councillors and representatives from the Pacific Association of Tropical Phytopathologists and the Australasian Association of Nematologists shall be invited to attend the Council Meeting as observers.
Councillors or members of the Management Committee unable to attend a Council may appoint, in writing to the Executive Secretary, a proxy who shall have full authority to act in their place, provided that any proxy so appointed is a financial member of the Society.
COUNCILLORS
3. Regional Councillors shall be elected from among financial members in each state of Australia, the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory, North Island New Zealand, South Island New Zealand and Papua and New Guinea by a simple majority of members in that region. The election shall occur not less than 30 days before a General Meeting. Councillors take office after their positions are ratified at a General Meeting, unless they are filling a casual vacancy in which case they take office immediately upon election. They shall serve as Councillors for one two-year term between Conferences and shall be eligible for re-election for two successive two-year terms only, unless extension is approved by members voting at a General Meeting.
The Management Committee will annually provide Regional Councillors within Australia with $5.00 per member based on financial membership of the Society on 1st April each year. Regional Councillors shall use any funds, provided by the Management Committee, for off-setting costs incurred in the organisation of meetings, workshops and seminars for the Society in the region and shall keep regional members informed of news from the Management Committee.
Regional Councillors within Australia should submit a brief report by 31st January each year listing the activities undertaken in the previous calendar year and indicating the uncommitted funds carried over.
Councillors are to receive reports of the activities of the Management Committee at not less than quarterly intervals, and are to be consulted by correspondence on matters of policy.
Issues and concerns raised at the Regional level should be communicated to the Management Committee.
PRESIDENT
4. The President shall preside at meetings of the Management Committee, the Council and at General Meetings of the Society, provide general guidance in the formulation and development of policy, act as the Society's representative in negotiations with Governments or national scientific bodies, and act for the Society in such ways as may further its objectives.
The retiring President delivers the Presidential Address to the General Meeting at the Conference.
VICE-PRESIDENT
5. The Vice-President conducts such essential business on behalf of the Society as determined by the Management Committee.
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
6. The responsibility for executing Management Committee business lies mainly with the Executive Secretary. See Item 24 (10) in the Constitution.
The Executive Secretary receives all correspondence (excepting that which relates to the Treasurer, the Editor-in-Chief and the Business Manager) and takes responsibility for the records and files of the Society. Currently files are maintained at the Biological and Chemical Research Institute at Rydalmere.
The Executive Secretary arranges regular meetings of the Management Committee, including the prior circulation of an agenda and other necessary documents, takes the minutes of each meeting and circulates them prior to the following meeting at which they are approved as an accurate record of proceedings.
The Executive Secretary ensures that Regional Councillors are elected.
The Executive Secretary keeps Regional Councillors and members informed regarding Management Committee business via memos and the Newsletter and arranges the venue, agenda and the preparation of reports prior to Council Meetings.
The Executive Secretary prepares an Annual Report for presentation via the Secretary to the Queensland Department of Consumer Affairs.
The Executive Secretary, via the Conference Organising Committee, arranges the date and venue of the General Meeting at the Conference. Prior to the General Meeting, the Executive Secretary prepares the agenda and supporting documents, ensures the preparation and duplication of reports and takes initiatives in securing nominations for the incoming Management Committee positions.
SECRETARY
7. The Secretary of the Society must reside in Queensland. The Secretary liaises with the Queensland Department of Consumer Affairs on matters arising from Incorporation and submits annual reports provided by the Executive Secretary and the Treasurer to the Department.
TREASURER
8. The Treasurer shall be responsible for, and shall keep proper accounts of all monies due to or payable by the Society and the accounts shall be audited as directed by the Management Committee. See also Item 28 in the Constitution.
The Treasurer pays bills, sends Regional Councillors their annual membership subsidy, prepares a financial statement for the Auditor and the General Meeting and prepares a projected budget for the General Meeting.
The Treasurer prepares an Annual Report to be submitted through the Secretary to the Queensland Department of Consumer Affairs.
BUSINESS MANAGER
9. The Business Manager is responsible for :
a) maintaining an up to date membership database and publication of a membership directory which includes a listing of Fellows, Honorary members and recipients of the APPS Allen Kerr Prize and AJAR prize,
b) organising the collection and banking of membership subscriptions,
c) sending address labels to the publisher for each issue of the Journal,
d) sending regional membership lists to Regional Councillors twice a year,
e) conducting membership drives,
f) soliciting financial support for the Society,
g) providing information about the Society to ISPP on a regular basis,
h) notifying the Treasurer of the number of financial members for each region as at 1st February so that annual membership subsidies can be forwarded to Regional Councillors
i) advising the Management Committee of new applications for membership of the Society.
The Business Manager is expected to work in close co-operation with the Editor-in-Chief of APP.
The Business Manager will be paid not more than $10000 per year.
The telephone, postage and e-mail expenses of the Business Manager will be paid by APPS.
FINANCE
10. The funds of the Society shall be deposited in bank accounts on behalf of and in the name of the Society.
Cheques of the Society shall be signed by any two members of the Management Committee of the Society.
Funds of the Society may be invested, at the discretion of the Management Committee.
CONFERENCE
11. A biennial conference shall be held at a location determined by the Management Committee at least two years prior to that conference. The conference shall be organised by a committee of local members nominated by the Management Committee and shall include a Presidential Address and the Daniel McAlpine Memorial Lecture. The Daniel McAlpine Memorial Lecturer shall be selected by the Conference Organising Committee with the assistance of the Management Committee, if desired.
Excess funds arising from Conferences are to be forwarded to the Executive and 10 percent of such funds returned to the organising branch.
AUSTRALASIAN PLANT PATHOLOGY SOCIETY'S ALLEN KERR POSTGRADUATE PRIZE
Rules governing the prize are as follows:
1. The prize will be awarded for the best piece of original research, undertaken at a University in Australia, New Zealand or Papua-New Guinea, by a postgraduate student in the field of plant pathology. The prize will normally be awarded on the basis of publication in a refereed journal.
2. Only candidates who are financial members of the Society at the time of nomination will be eligible for award.
3. Candidates must be under the age of 30 at the closing date for nominations. The same piece of work cannot be considered twice for the award.
4. The prize shall be known as the Australasian Plant Pathology Society's Allen Kerr Postgraduate Prize in recognition of the outstanding contribution made by Allen Kerr to the science of plant pathology.
5. The prize shall consist of a medal inscribed with the name of the recipient, a certificate, and $500 cash.
6. Presentation of the prize shall take place at the APPS Biennial conference.
7. While attendance at the conference is desirable, it is not obligatory for award of the prize.
8. Candidates will normally be nominated by their supervisor, but non-supervisors may nominate candidates. Candidates may not nominate themselves.
9. Nominations must be submitted on an official nomination form. Four copies of this form, together with four copies of any supporting material must be submitted to the Executive Secretary of the Society.
10. Nominations will be assessed by a panel of 3 or 4 judges appointed biennially by the APPS Management Committee. Additional expert opinions may be solicited by the panel to help them reach a decision. The management committee retains the right to appoint an ex officio member to the judging panel. This member will be in addition to the appointed judges.
11. The decision of the management committee is final and appeals will not be considered unless it can be demonstrated to the APPS Management Committee that correct procedures were not followed. The management committee has the right to refuse to grant a prize if in their opinion the work of the entrants is not of sufficiently high standard to justify the granting of a prize.
12. Nominations will close 16 weeks prior to the beginning of the biennial conference.
The Australian Journal of Agricultural Research usually presents an award for the best presentation (paper or poster) by a student at the Conference. The student must be a financial member of the Society.
A General Meeting and a Council Meeting shall be held during the biennial conference and shall be organised by the Executive Secretary. The business shall include: reports by the Management Committee, presentation of audited financial statements, appointment of auditor, other business approved by the Management Committee.
The Council Meeting should be held before the Welcoming reception.
Subjects proposed by members for consideration at the General Meeting, and documents relating to them, shall be sent to the Honorary Secretary not less than 30 days before the date of the Meeting.
An agenda shall be provided to all members of the Society attending the General Meeting.
The conference committee should provide a report and guidelines to assist the organising committee for the following conference.
Commercial display space at the Conference will only be made available to Sustaining Associates and Conference Sponsors, and will be subject to requirements set by the conference convenors of the day.
JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY
12. The Management Committee, through the Editor-in-Chief, shall be responsible for the preparation and circulation of a quarterly Journal which shall be sent to all eligible members of the Society and non-member subscribers. The Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Society shall be appointed by the Management Committee. The Editor-in-Chief shall nominate sub-Editors, to be ratified by the Management Committee, who shall assist in the processing of manuscripts for publication in the Journal.
NEWSLETTER
13. The Management Committee, through the Newsletter Editor, shall be responsible for the preparation and circulation of a quarterly Newsletter which shall be sent to all members of the Society. The Newsletter Editor shall be appointed by the Management Committee and will liaise with the Editor-in-Chief about synchronising the distribution of the Journal and the Newsletter.
Advertisements in the Newsletter may only be made by Members of the Society, including Sustaining Associates, at rates determined by the Business Manager and/or the Management Committee.
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS
14. The Society currently has two special interest groups: the Australasian Association of Nematologists and the Pacific Association of Tropical Phytopathologists. Special interest groups have their own Constitutions, elect their own Executives, publish their own Newsletters and charge their own membership subscriptions. Representatives of the special interest groups report to Council Meetings of the Society. Membership of the Special Interest Groups is not limited to financial members of the Society.
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR PLANT PATHOLOGY (ISPP)
15. The Society has two official representative on ISPP - one from Australia and one from New Zealand. Representatives may hold the position for five years.
SUSTAINING ASSOCIATES
16. (i) Ordinary Sustaining Associates: receive the Newsletter and are listed in each issue of the Journal; may submit articles for publication in both the Newsletter and the Journal according to current requirements applicable to Ordinary Members; may advertise in the Newsletter at the current rates; may place a display at the Conference according to the requirements of the convenors of the day; pay an annual subscription of $200.
(ii) Executive Sustaining Associates: receive the same benefits as Ordinary Sustaining Associates; receive all four issues of the Journal; may place a quarter page advertisement in the Newsletter free of charge once annually; may include promotional material once annually with one of the Journal mail-outs (promotional material includes brochures etc., at the discretion of the Business Manager or Management Committee); are acknowledged with a tribute comprising approximately one quarter page in the Journal once annually; pay an annual subscription of $500.
MEMBERSHIP FEES
STRATEGIC PLAN
18. The Strategic Plan is intended to provide incoming Management Committees of APPS with a guide for setting their immediate goals and objectives. These guidelines are not binding and may be modified to suit the economic, social and political climate of the day. The objectives are to:
(i). Promote plant pathology as a high standard profession through publicity in industry, research bodies and educational institutions.
(ii). Promote postgraduate training in plant pathology through recognition of excellence and publicity for formal and informal courses.
(iii). Improve the image and standing of the Journal by increasing its availability, impact and member participation.
(iv). Increase and retain membership in APPS through active publicity and provision of effective support and services.
(v). Secure the financial future of APPS.
ENDORSEMENT OF PUBLICATIONS
19. 1. These Endorsement By-laws are working guidelines. They are not, and should not be, a definitive statement on endorsement. The Management Committee may amend these By-laws and perhaps establish an Endorsement Sub-Committee to review the endorsement policy
19. 2. Definition of Endorsement. Endorsement is about quality assurance rather than regulation. A product shall be endorsed if it meets the mission of the Society ie the advancement and dissemination of the knowledge of plant pathology and its practice.
19. 3. Products. Products suitable for endorsement include publications eg books, disease guides, brochures; diagnostic tools eg pathogen testing services, bioassays; software eg disease forecasting programs, diagnostic flow charts; educational services eg plant pathology courses.
Products not suitable include people eg private plant pathologists & consultants; and disease management tools eg fungicides.
19. 4. Process . The endorsement process is a peer review analogous to reviewing a scientific paper or a book.
19. 5. Review panel . A panel consisting of practising plant pathologists (including teachers of plant pathology) working in the field; for some products the panel should include an end user eg for Guides a grower or consultant. The makeup of the panel is discretionary depending on the product and the amount of work needed to review it. For example, individual chapters in a large book may be reviewed by different people whereas a smaller job could be done entirely by each panel member.
19. 6. Check list. . The Review panel will develop its own check list but the list should include some of the following: does the product meet APPS aims; is it scientifically sound; is it accurate; is it well written; are the photographs of high quality; does ieeds of its target audience?
19. 7. Endorsement. The panel's recommendation shall be considered by the Management Committee and if accepted and favourable, endorsement shall proceed. If not accepted the Committee may seek a second review.
19. 8. Proof of endorsement. The Society's logo shall appear in a prominent position on the product. For publications, this should be on the front or back cover or in the case of hard-covered books, on the page bearing the Title and Editor/Author.
19. 9. Publicity of endorsed products. APPS will send a list of publications endorsed by the society to Libraries; other products would be reviewed in the Newsletter and Journal. There will be no fee for this but any promotional material supplied by the authors will attract the standard fee of the day.
SUB-COMMITTEE FOR ELECTION OF FELLOWS
20. A sub-committee, Section 4. (1) (c) in the constitution, shall consist of the current President and at least two Fellows of the Society.
GLOSSARY1. The Business Manager (Peter Williamson) be empowered to receive and accept nominations of new members. The BM should check that the nomination form is correctly completed, is from someone interested in plant pathology and that the nominee is proposed and seconded by financial members of the Society.
2. If satisfied that the nomination is acceptable the Business Manager should process the payment and when the payment is accepted by the bank he should advise the publisher/editor-in-chief so that appropriate journals can be despatched to the new member.
3. The Business Manager should also write a letter of welcome to the new member providing details of such things as the next conference, the home page site etc.
4. The Business Manager should provide details (name, address, etc and proposer and seconder) to the Management Committee before each meeting so that the Management Committee can ratify the actions of the Business Manager.
5. If the Business Manager has any concerns about the nomination he should refer it to the Management Committee.
Procedures for election of Fellows.
Following discussions at the AGM, it was decided that there should be a closing date for nominations, set in October, to enable the outcome to be determined in time for ratification at the AGM in March. This would facilitate the task of the Sub-committee for Election of Fellows, and allow its members to compare applications. The criterion remains 'contribution to the science of plant pathology', and the nominee should be asked to identify 10 key papers from their full publication list and to provide three copies of five of those papers for consideration by the Sub-committee. The closing date for nominations to be considered in time for the following AGM is 31 October
3. Councillors
Regional Councillors within Australia are required to submit a brief report .... carried over. The allocation to each State Branch, currently $5 per member, is contingent on receipt of this brief report.
Subscription renewal notices
The Business Manager should forward a draft subscription renewal notice to the Management Committee for ratification before mailing it out to the membership.
Editor-in-Chief
1. The EC would be responsible (in conjunction with the Senior Editors and the Management Committee) for all matters relating to journal policy. This includes content, style and appearance. For example, the content of the journal may be considered to be inappropriate and it may be decided not to publish papers of a taxonomic nature (this is an example of a policy decision and not a suggestion). Another example of a policy change might be to group papers in the journal into areas of interest (mycology, nematology, virology, bacteriology etc) instead of the current order, which relates strictly to order of acceptance.
2. The EC needs to have a good general knowledge of plant pathology and a reasonable ability in scientific writing. Some experience as an editor would be preferable.
3. The EC would oversee the appointment of Senior Editors, with the term of appointment usually being 3 years (unless the Senior Editor wishes to continue for a longer period). The EC would advise the Senior Editors of their responsibilities and provide them with appropriate material for the reviewing of manuscripts.
4. The EC would receive all papers from authors, acknowledge their receipt, send them to the appropriate Senior Editor for reviewing, advise authors of their acceptance after review, check that the reviewed paper is acceptable after considering the comments of the reviewers and Senior Editor, and make appropriate revisions (probably minor) either on the disc or hard copy. The EC would check that figures supplied by authors are of a satisfactory quality for publication.
5. If requested, the EC would advise authors of the status of their manuscript during the reviewing and publication process.
6. The EC should be involved in situations where there is a major disagreement between reviewers over the acceptability of a manuscript (e.g. one reviewer recommends rejection and the other recommends acceptance with revision).
7. The EC would forward revised papers (hard copy and disc) to the Technical Editor for preparation for publication.
8. The EC would collate a list of all reviewers for the year and provide this list to the Technical Editor for publication in the fist issue each year, with an acknowledgement of the contributions made by reviewers.
9. The EC would be responsible for maintaining and revising as necessary the Notes for Contributors published in the first issue each year.
10. The EC would invite authors to submit a photo for the cover of the journal and then select the one most suitable for each issue. This would be sent to the Technical Editor along with the caption for the inside front cover.
Technical Editor
1. The TC would prepare each manuscript for the publisher. The type of material to be supplied could vary according to the needs of the publisher/printer. Technical editing involves checking that spelling, punctuation and grammar are correct and that all aspects of the text are according to APP style. This includes such things as the paper title, the authors and appropriate superscripts, authors' addresses, heading styles, captions for tables and figures, references and acceptance date. If a disc copy is to be supplied to the publisher then all details would need to be correct before this is done as the publisher in the future may have no knowledge of plant pathology or even of science.
It is possible that the TC may wish to assume the role of publisher. If so and again, depending on the requirements of the printer, it may be necessary to supply either a hard copy or disc copy to the printer. If a hard copy is to be supplied to the printer (as at present) the paper would have to be prepared with suitable desktop publishing software and printed on a laser printer in final form ready to be printed. All tables would need to be set out and appropriate places made for figures and half tone illustrations. If the TC wished to act in this capacity, the actual role would need to be defined and payment negotiated.
2. The TC needs a good knowledge of grammar and needs to have an "eye for detail" so that consistency in style can be maintained throughout a paper and throughout the journal.
3. Depending on the above arrangements, either the TC or EC would need to receive a proof of each paper from the publisher or printer and send it to the authors for checking. The TC or EC would also need to arrange for the ordering of reprints from the printer.
4. The TC or EC would then send the corrected proof or final copy to the printer.
5. Mailing. Either the EC, the TC or the printer could be involved in the mailout and depending on who does the mailout, it may be necessary for the TC or perhaps the Business Manager to supply mailing wrappers or labels. In any event, the Business Manager will need to provide information from the database to enable the wrappers/ labels to be prepared. Again, payment may be necessary for the mailout (currently $250).