PsySSA Constitution

WHEREAS

We acknowledge psychology’s historical complicity in supporting and perpetuating colonialism and the apartheid system, and mindful of the history and principles underlying the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, we commit ourselves to:

2.1 Transforming and redressing the silences in South African psychology to serve the needs and interests of all South Africa’s people;
2.2 Developing an organisational structure for psychology that reconciles historically opposed groups, gives a voice to hitherto excluded users of psychological knowledge and skills, and ensures transparent accountable governance of the Society to serve the democratically expressed wishes of its membership;
2.3 Ensuring that the Society remains an organ of civil society without an overt or covert loyalty to any political party;
2.4 Advancing psychology as a science, profession and as a means of promoting human well-being;
2.5 Actively striving for social justice, opposing policies that deny individuals or groups access to the material and psychological conditions necessary for optimal human development, and protesting against any violations of basic human rights;
2.6 Promoting rigorous research and encouraging the application of research findings in the advancement of public well-being;
2.7 Establishing and maintaining the highest standards of ethics, conduct and lifelong education of psychologists;
2.8 Engaging in policy development processes that are relevant to social enhancement and psychological practice in South Africa;
2.9 Promoting the rendering of and advancing mental health services to all in South Africa.

To promote the common interests of the members of the Society, who are practitioners of or who are involved in the field of psychology.

4.3 To fulfill its objectives and obligations, PsySSA shall have the right to accept contributions from any person, organisation or body  within or outside the boundaries of South Africa. However, PsySSA will only initiate fund-raising campaigns amongst the people, organisations and/or bodies within South Africa.
4.4 No income or property shall be distributed to any person, except as reasonable compensation for services rendered, and the funds of the Society will be utilised solely for investment or the objects for which it was established.
4.5 Funds available for investment may only be invested with registered financial institutions as defined in Section 1 of the Financial Institutions (Investment of Funds) Act, 1984, and in securities listed on a stock exchange as defined in the Stock Exchanges Control Act, 1985 (Act No. 1 of 1985).
4.6 The Society will not carry on any profit making activities, or participate in any business, profession or occupation carried on by any of its members, or provide any financial assistance, premises, continuous services, or facilities to its members for the purpose of carrying on any business, profession or occupation by them.
4.7 The Society may not have the power to carry on any business, including, inter alia, ordinary trading operations in the commercial sense, speculative transactions, dividend stripping activities as well as the letting of property on a systematic or regular basis.
4.8 The Society will conduct its financial transactions by means of banking accounts held with appropriate financial institutions.
4.9 The Society’s financial year will end on 31 December annually.

5.1 Classes of Membership
The Society makes provision for the following classes of membership:
5.1.1 Honorary Members, who pay no dues, need not be psychologists, and have this distinction bestowed upon them at the recommendation of Council, ratified by the AGM;
5.1.2 Fellows shall be Full Members who have made an outstanding contribution to psychology and are proposed for this honour by Council or a Division of the Society; Hereinafter, all references to full members shall include Fellows.
5.1.3 Full Members shall be persons with at least a Master’s degree in psychology and shall include Fellows and Honorary Members.
5.1.4 Associates shall be persons with an Honours or a Bachelor’s degree with a major in psychology.
5.1.5 Student Members shall be currently registered students of psychology at the undergraduate, Honours or Masters level, and registered interns.
5.1.6 Affiliates shall be persons with an interest in or working in the field of psychology or related areas.
5.1.7 Foreign Affiliates: Persons living abroad who are members of an acknowledged foreign psychological association and/or who can provide proof of qualifications in the field of psychology as required by Council.
5.1.8 Exempted Members, are members in good standing for at least five years, who apply after retirement to the Treasurer for exemption from the payment of annual dues and may be granted such status on terms determined by Council. This class of member
shall include those referred to in 5.7.5 below.
5.2 The above classes of membership shall hereafter be collectively described as “the Members”.
5.3 Persons shall be enrolled in the highest class of Membership for which they are eligible as determined by this Constitution,  provided that in the case of any uncertainty as to the Class of Membership for which an applicant qualifies, Council shall make a final determination.
5.4 Application for Membership
5.4.1 Applications for membership of the Society shall be made on the Society’s website using the electronic format for consideration by Council. A person admitted to Membership will automatically become a member of the Branch operating in the Region where the person resides.
5.4.2 Membership of Division(s) shall be determined by personal choice and in accordance with the Domestic Rules of the particular Division(s).
5.5 Termination of Membership
5.5.1 A Member may terminate Membership by written notice to the Head Office of the Society. The Head Office shall thereafter notify the relevant Branch and Division(s) of such resignation.
5.5.2 Council may, upon the recommendation of the Ethics Committee, terminate the membership of any person who is in violation of the Society’s Constitution or its Ethical Code.
5.5.3 Upon termination of Membership, paid up subscriptions shall not be refundable.
5.6 Voting Rights and Procedures
5.6.1 Full Members in good standing (see paragraph 5.7.1) shall have voting rights.
5.6.2 Associates, Student Members, and Affiliates have limited voting rights as prescribed by this Constitution, but enjoy all other privileges of membership of the Society.
5.6.3 Voting at the General Meeting shall take place by show of hands or by secret ballot if requested by two-thirds of those present.
5.7 Subscriptions
5.7.1 The maintenance of good standing in the Society requires payment of the Annual Membership Fee specified in the rules, to be paid to the Head Office of the Society.
5.7.2 The Executive shall suspend the Voting Rights of persons more than three months in arrears with their fees and shall drop from Membership persons more than six months in arrears.
5.7.3.1 The Head Office shall, when membership fees become two months overdue at the end of February, advise the person that Voting Rights shall be suspended at the end of March, and further advise persons in arrears at the end of March that they shall be
dropped from Membership at the end of June.
5.7.3.2 For this purpose, letters sent by ordinary mail or electronically to the address in the Society’s records shall be deemed to be adequate notice.
5.7.3.3 The Executive may impose a penalty not exceeding the Membership Enrollment Fee for any fee payment in default of this section.
5.7.4 Arrears membership fees shall be due and payable and the Society shall have legal right to collect such arrears.
5.7.5 The annual fee payable by each class of membership shall be determined by Council.
5.7.6 Persons unable to afford the Society’s fees may apply to the Treasurer for hardship dues.
5.8 Eligibility for election
Persons shall not be eligible for election to any office of the Society unless they are Members in good standing, have been nominated and seconded in writing on the prescribed form as in Appendix 1 and have by their signature on this form confirmed their eligibility for office and commitment to serve the Society in the office in question.

6.1 An Annual General Meeting shall be held in each calendar year and may be at the time and place of the Annual Congress of the Society.
6.2 A Special General Meeting shall be convened by the President of the Society at the written request of at least 50 Members, or at the request of Council, such request to include the agenda for that meeting. Hereafter, Annual General Meetings and Special
General Meetings are collectively referred to as “General Meetings”.
6.3 The Executive shall give the Membership at least 30 day’s written notice of a General Meeting that shall include the agenda of the meeting, together with duly proposed and seconded amendments to the Constitution or the Rules to be laid before the meeting.
6.4 The Notice convening the Annual General Meeting shall include reports and relevant documents that are available at the time.
6.5 The office bearers of the Society are also office bearers at a General Meeting.
6.6 Decisions shall be taken by majority vote at General Meetings. The President shall have an ordinary and a casting vote.
6.7 Voting at a General Meeting shall be by full Members present in person.
6.8 General Meetings shall be open to the Membership, the public and the press. Members shall have the right to address the meeting.
6.9 A General Meeting may by majority vote go into closed session, at which only Members may be present, and such other persons who may be requested by the President to attend.
6.10 The decisions of a General Meeting shall be binding on Council.
6.11 Quorum
6.11.1 A quorum for a General Meeting, for the Council and the Executive shall be as specified in the Rules.
6.11.2 A meeting that remains inquorate 30 minutes after the appointed starting time shall be adjourned to a date not less than 24 hours and not more than 30 days later at a time and place announced by the President. The Members present at such an adjourned meeting shall constitute a quorum.
6.12 Function
The General Meeting shall:
6.12.1 Consider resolutions recommended to it by Council, Divisions, Branches, Standing Committees, or proposed by individual Members, on matters affecting the policy of the Society;
6.12.2 Instruct Council to devise and implement policies that will further the Society’s Constitution;
6.12.3 Consider, and if it deems fit, adopt the Annual Reports on the affairs of the Society by the office-bearers, staff and any Standing Committees, Branches or Divisions as may be required by the Rules or on instructions of the President to report to the General Meeting.
6.12.4 Elect such office bearers as it is required to do by the Constitution.
6.13 Disciplinary and Other Steps
A General Meeting may instruct Council, or Council may upon the recommendation of the Executive, Standing Committee, Branch or Division, establish a Committee or Enquiry into the affairs and actions of any Division, Branch, Committee or Member of the Society should there exist prima facie evidence that the Constitution or the Rules have been violated.

7.1 The Society shall have the following structures: Council, the Executive, Divisions, Branches and Standing Committees; the appropriate staff shall be appointed by and be accountable to the Executive.
7.2 Any office bearer including staff or person contracted to perform certain functions, duties or services for PsySSA shall not be held personally liable for his/her actions unless such action is dishonest, mala fide or grossly negligent and is designed to bring PsySSA into disrepute.

8.1 Meetings
8.1.1 Council shall meet at least thrice during its term of office which shall be for two years.
8.1.2 50 % of the members of Council present in person at the commencement of a meeting shall constitute a quorum.
8.2 Duties
Council’s duties shall be:
8.2.1 To guide the Society’s affairs, and to conduct its relations with professional bodies, civil society and the state, so as to conform to and attain the Principles and Principal Object set out in Articles 2 and 3 above.
8.2.2 To take such steps as may be necessary to implement policy decisions embodied in resolutions adopted by General Meetings or by Council itself;
8.2.3 To guide the Executive and the Society’s structures in the implementation of policy and the conduct of the Society’s affairs so as to further the Society’s Constitution, when necessary establishing specialist Council Committees in order to do so.
8.2.4 To determine just and appropriate disciplinary measures.
8.3 Composition
Council shall be so constituted as to be broadly representative of psychology in its full diversity as a science and a profession. Specifically, each Branch or Division shall have the right to appoint one Representative for each 200 full members, provided that a Branch/Division with less than 200 full members shall have one Representative.

8.4 Members of Council
8.4.1 The Executive
8.4.2 Representatives of the Divisions.
8.4.3 Representatives of the Branches.
8.4.4 One Representative of each Standing Committee.
8.4.5 A person serving as President-Elect, President, or Past President shall not concurrently serve on Council as Branch representative or Division Representative.
8.4.6 Council shall appoint an officer or officers to manage the affairs of the Society. Such officers may attend Council meetings, but shall have no vote.
8.5 Co-option
8.5.1 Council may fill vacancies that occur on the Executive between elections by co-option, such persons having voting rights.
8.5.2 Council may co-opt additional members who shall not have voting rights to serve Council as specialists.
8.6 It is the responsibility of Divisions, Branches and Standing Committees to ensure that they are represented on Council by their elected representative or an alternate; Council may not fill such vacancies by co-option.

9.1 Functions
The Executive shall be the Management Committee of the Council. The Executive shall manage the day-to-day affairs of the Society, take such decisions as are necessary, conduct the liaison and communication activities necessary to attain the Society’s objectives and issue statements on behalf of the Society.
9.2 Composition
Members of the Executive shall be the President, the President-Elect, the Past President, the Treasurer, and five additional members.
9.3 Election
The Office Bearers designated in 9.2 shall be Full Members in good standing, and directly elected by the Society’s Annual General  meeting as determined by this Constitution and as may further be provided for in Rules for the election of the Executive.
9.3.1 Those members nominated but not elected into the positions of President and President-Elect are automatically added to the list of nominees for “additional members” to the Executive, unless they indicate otherwise.
9.4 Voting
Decisions by the Executive shall be by a majority vote. The President shall have both an ordinary and a casting vote.

10.1 Council Member’s Term of Office shall commence directly upon the conclusion of the first Annual General Meeting following upon their election.
10.2 Office Bearers in Branches, Divisions, the Executive and Council shall not hold office in the same position for more than two consecutive Terms, a Term being two years in duration, save that the term of office of the President Elect, the President and the
Past President shall be for one year.
10.3 Office bearers of Divisions may be elected through a electronic vote system should a specific Division so wish. Divisions should ensure that their Constitutions and Rules be appropriately amended to incorporate this Standing Order if this electoral system is presently not permitted.
10.4 An office bearer on any PsySSA structure shall not concurrently hold office in any external association or society which may, in the view of Council, be in conflict with the aims, mission and values of PsySSA.

11.1 Membership of the Society’s Council is a privilege conferred in terms of this Constitution on Standing Committees, and on Branches and Divisions in good standing.
11.2 The Term of Office on Council of a Standing Committee, Branch or Division Chairperson shall not exceed two consecutive terms.
11.3 No Member may represent a Standing Committee, Branch or a Division at more than two consecutive Council meetings if the Standing Committee, Branch or Division does not function as specified by this Constitution.

12.1 A Branch shall consist of Members of the Society living in a particular geographical area, provided that there shall not be more than one Branch in a single metropolitan area.
12.2 A Branch shall be informed by Divisions of their activities in that particular Branch.
12.3 Functions
Branches shall undertake any activities that are required for the promotion of the Society’s Principles and Principal Object in a particular Branch by:
12.3.1 Canvassing new Members.
12.3.2 Facilitating communication between the Society and Members residing in that particular Branch.
12.3.3 Assisting local bodies concerning matters in respect of which Branch Members have expertise.
12.3.4 Assisting in coordination of the activities of Divisions in that particular Branch.
12.3.5 Arranging meetings of Members as required.
12.3.6 Conveying news and information concerning Branch activities to the Editor of the Society’s newsletter.
12.3.7 Conveying proposals and suggestions to the Society in respect of matters affecting the particular Branch, the creation of Standing Committees or the nomination of Members to stand for election to Standing Committees.
12.4 Foundation and Dissolution
12.4.1 A Branch may be constituted by petition of Members of whatever class resident in that region.
12.4.2 Should the number of Members of the Society in a Branch fall below 10, Council may resolve to dissolve the Branch and/or incorporate the Branch into an adjoining Branch.
12.4.3 Council shall determine the disposal of the assets and the liabilities of the particular Branch in consultation with the Branch Executive.
12.5 Executive
12.5.1 A Branch Executive shall have a Chairperson, a Secretary and such Additional Members as may be determined by the requirements of that particular Branch.
12.5.2 Each Branch shall hold a General Meeting at least once annually.
12.5.3 Only Members in good standing may hold executive office in Branches.
12.6 Management and Finances
12.6.1 All classes of Members have an equal vote in the management of affairs of the Branch and are eligible to serve on the Branch Executive.
12.6.2 Branches may generate their own income as they see fit, and may negotiate with Council for subsidization by the Society of their running expenses.

13.1 A Division shall function as a structure of the Society subject to the corporate governance of Council notwithstanding the nature of the legal persona created by its Constitution. Members of a Division consist of members of the Society who are active in a particular area of interest and who wish to develop such area of interest for the promotion of the principal and principle object of the Society. The Council may establish guidelines, duties and responsibilities for Divisions from time to time for this purpose.
13.2 New Members of a Division shall be members of the Society.
13.3 Any number of Divisions may exist within the Society and they may function at a national or regional level.
13.4 The name of a Division shall include the descriptor “Division of the Psychological Society of South Africa”.
13.5 Functions
13.5.1 Development of the particular area of interest in respect of training, research and practice.
13.5.2 Provided, however, that where such Rules of a Division conflict with the provisions of this Constitution, the provisions of this Constitution shall prevail and a Division shall forthwith amend such Rules in accordance with the Society’s Constitution when so instructed by Council.
13.5.3 Promotion of communication, cooperation and coordination within the same area of interest. In pursuit of this aim, a Division may at its discretion open its educational events to all interested persons, whether or not they are members of the Society, but subject to the provisions of 13.5.1 and 13.5.6.
13.5.4 Conveying proposals and suggestions to the Society in respect of matters pertaining to the particular field of interest, the creation of Council Committees or the nomination of Members to stand for election to Council Committees.
13.5.5 Publishing a newsletter and/or conveying news or information affecting the Divisional activities to the Editor of the Society’s  newsletter.
13.5.6 Promoting Continuing Education (CE) Programmes.
13.6 Foundation and Dissolution
13.6.1 Divisions may be constituted at the written request of 50 or more Full Members to advance the development of recognised psychological specialties or areas of special interest.
13.6.2 Notwithstanding the contents or interpretation of the Constitution or Domestic Rules of a Division, any provision or interpretation of such Constitution or Domestic Rules which conflicts with the Constitution of the Society shall be of no force and effect. A Division shall at all times be subject to the ultimate corporate governance of the Society and its Council.
13.6.3 When the Membership of a Division has been below 50 over a period of two successive years, and such Division will in the opinion of Council not revive, Council shall recommend to a General Meeting that the Division be disbanded; Council shall dispose of the assets and liabilities of a disbanded Division.
13.7 Executive
A Division shall constitute its Executive in accordance with its own Constitution and Domestic Rules within the framework of this Constitution in order to comply with its own requirements.
13.8 Management and Finances
13.8.1 Divisions conduct their own affairs in conformity with their own Constitution and Domestic Rules, and retain their income generated by activities such as seminars and workshops.
13.8.2 Divisional Membership fees are collected by the Society, which may charge an administration fee that shall be set by Council on an annual basis.
13.9 Division for Student Affairs
13.9.1 Membership of this Division shall be limited to persons currently registered for Bachelors, Honours, and Master’s degrees, including persons registered as psychology interns.
13.9.2 In this Division, Associates and Student Members shall have the vote.

14.1 Rules setting out the operational and managerial procedures by which the affairs of the Society shall be conducted in accordance with the Constitution shall be enacted, amended or repealed by majority vote of a General Meeting, provided that no Rule shall amend any provision of the Constitution.
14.2 Council may promulgate Interim Rules which shall have the status of Rules, subject to confirmation by the following AGM.

Any number of Standing Committees may be established by the Executive subject to ratification by Council.

16.1 Written notice of proposals to amend the Constitution, proposed and seconded by Full Members, shall be circulated to Members at least 30 days prior to the General Meeting at which the Amendment is to be considered.
16.2 Constitutional Amendments require a two-thirds majority of a quorate General Meeting of the Society.
16.3 A Constitutional Amendment by electronic vote may be conducted by Council, to be ratified at the following Annual General Meeting, with a two thirds majority of responding Members.
16.4 Any amendments to the Constitution will be submitted to the Commissioner for the South African Revenue Services.

17.1 The Society shall dissolve if such a resolution is passed in accordance with this Constitution and the decision of a Special General Meeting called for this purpose.
17.2 Upon dissolution the assets of the Society shall, after payment of outstanding liabilities, be given or transferred to another organisation recommended by Council with objects similar to those of the Society and which is itself exempt from income tax in terms of Sec 10(1)(cB)(i)(ff) of the Income Tax Act.