VII. The Board
36. The Board of APQN consists of the President, immediate Past President, Vice-President and Secretary/Treasurer, and four other elected members, and other members whom the Board may decide to co-opt, to a maximum of four co-opted members on the Board, provided immediate past president can have only one term ex-officio, if he/she has already served 3 successive elected terms on board.
37. Each elected Board member is drawn from APQN’s Full and Intermediate Member organisations.
38. No two of the elected Board members should be from the same member organisation.
39. The Board is elected by the General Council for three-year periods. Re-election to the Board or any position on the Board is permitted for a maximum of three successive terms, provided that re-elections can be sought by any member after gap of at least one term.
40. The role of the Board is to:
40.1. actively promote the functions provided for in this Constitution; and
40.2. implement the decisions of the General Council.
41. In furtherance of this objective the Board may establish committees.
42. The Board will appoint Project Group Leaders who, if not already members of the Board, may be co-opted as members of the Board to a maximum of two co-opted Project Group Leaders as outlined in Section VII. Clause 36.
43. The Board shall appoint a Secretariat, which must be a full or intermediate member and whose Chief Executive or nominee shall be the Secretary of the Network and a member of the Board ex officio.
44. The Board shall meet in person not less than once a year. Each meeting shall be conducted by the President (or in the President’s absence the Vice-President, or in the Vice-President’s absence, by a Chair elected by the Board for the purpose) and in accordance with accepted meeting procedures. Fifty percent of the elected members of the Board constitute a quorum.
45. The responsibilities of the President are to:
45.1. actively represent APQN in all relevant fora;
45.2. chair General Council meetings; and
45.3. liaise on behalf of APQN with INQAAHE and other bodies.
46. The responsibilities of the Vice-President are to:
46.1. deputise for the President;
46.2. monitor the activities of the Project Groups; and
46.3. chair the APQN Finance Committee.
47. The responsibilities of the Secretary/Treasurer are to:
47.1. arrange for APQN's publications and website;
47.2. prepare the Annual Reports;
47.3. keep and maintain APQN's records (including the register of members);
47.4. arrange and record General Council and Board meetings;
47.5. collect fees and subscriptions;
47.6. maintain any necessary bank accounts and make payments as required; and
47.7. prepare APQN's financial statements for presentation at the Annual General Meeting (AGM); and
47.8. carry out decisions of the Board and General Council.
48. All cheques, drafts and bills must be authorised by two members of the Board.
49. The members of the Board will have custody of all relevant APQN documents. In the event of a Board member surrendering their position, all documents will be handed over to existing members of the Board.
50. Occasional vacancies can occur where a Full or Intermediate Member agency with which a Board member is associated:
50.1. ceases to be a Full or Intermediate Member of the Network;
50.2. becomes insolvent; or
50.3. the Board member resigns from office by notice in writing given to the Secretary.
51. When an occasional vacancy occurs on the Board, the Board shall make an appointment to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the vacating Board Member's term of office.
