Faculty of Building (Fob)

FACULTY OF BUILDING (FOB)

TRADING AS FORUM FOR THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT (FBE)

STANDING ORDERS

These Standing Orders are the regulations of the Company determined by the Board in accordance with the Articles of Association.

1. MEMBERSHIP

1.1  General

All members are reminded that, on applying for admission to membership or on renewal of membership, they sign an undertaking that if admitted, and as long as they are members, they will observe the Articles and Standing Orders.

1.2  Criteria

You are eligible to become a member of the Faculty of Building, trading as the Forum for the Built Environment (FBE) if you work for an organisation engaged in construction, property or development within the built environment, have a recognised professional qualification or can show demonstrable relevant learning.

Applicants are welcomed from throughout the industry, including:

·  Construction – contractors/subcontractors

·  Consultants – architects, designers, project managers, surveyors, engineers and planners (this list is not exhaustive)

·  Property – commercial owners, agents, developers, lawyers, investors, local authorities and RSLs.

You can be in the middle of your career progression or a Director/Partner in industry. All can gain from membership from graduates up to CEOs.

1.3  Applications

All applications to become an FBE member should ideally be supported by an existing member or a member of the local branch committee. This will enable applications to be processed more quickly.

Applications received from individuals operating in non-core disciplines/2nd tier suppliers such as product sales, recruitment, PR, accountancy and other such disciplines will be subject to approval by the appropriate FBE Director (and as such may be subject to a slight delay in processing).

The FBE reserves the right to limit applications within certain disciplines to ensure that a balanced membership is maintained.

The membership criteria for the FBE applies to any new applications and is not a retrospective policy.

All applications will be approved by a Director of the FBE as designated by the Board and their decision will be final.

1.4  Membership Categories

Type / Requirements / Minimum Age / Current Annual Subscription
Member (MFB) / You must be suitably qualified and/or have relevant experience and work in or for an organisation operating within the built environment, for example construction, consulting, engineering, property, development, etc. / 21 yrs+ / £124
£65 for under 30s
Fellow (FFB) / To qualify as a fellow of the FBE you must have at least ten years experience in the built environment sector, be professionally qualified, or have relevant experience, and hold a position of responsibility. / 31 yrs+ / £147
Retired Members / To qualify, individuals must have been a member or a fellow for a minimum of 5 years. / 65 yrs+ / £45

1.5  The Misuse of Designatory Letters

Members found to be using the designatory letters when not permitted to do so or using them in a manner that is inconsistent with the right of use, and/or suggesting explicitly or by implication that the use of such letters represents a qualification of any kind, may be subject to the FOB/FBE’s Professional Conduct Procedures and/or have their continuing membership of the Company considered by the Board under powers derived from the Articles of Association.

1.6  Honorary Status

The Board shall have the power in its sole discretion to grant honorary status to individuals or organisations not being members of the Company upon such terms and conditions as it from time to time shall determine.

Holders of honorary status shall not be members of the Company and shall not be entitled to any of the rights of members.

The award of an honorary status may be withdrawn at any time by the Board where information is received about the person concerned which has, or could bring the reputation of the Company and or the name of the FBE into disrepute.

1.7  Professional Conduct

The Board shall from time to time determine the regulations and procedures concerning the method by which any allegations of misconduct, civil, criminal and disciplinary or any other action, which raises questions about a person’s continuing membership, will be considered by the Company.

It shall be for any member or any person to bring to the attention of the Board any facts or matters, which indicate that a member may have breached any ethical guidelines, as produced from time to time, or been subject to any civil, criminal or disciplinary action of any kind. Any such information received shall be dealt with in accordance with the relevant procedures in operation at the time of receipt.

2. GENERAL MEETINGS

2.1  Notice of all general meetings shall be sent by the Company Secretary to members not less than twenty one days before the date of the meeting.

2.2  In every notice calling a meeting of the Company there shall appear with reasonable prominence a statement that a member who is entitled to attend and vote is entitled to vote by proxy in the form referred to in Article45.

2.3  Notice of every general meeting shall be given in the manner hereinbefore authorised to:

(a)  every member who has supplied to the Company an address within the United Kingdom for the giving of notices to him

(b)  the auditors

(c)  any independent advisors

(d)  any Chief Executive, Director General or similar appointee

(e)  the secretariat

2.4  Resolutions shall be submitted to the Company Secretary in writing by a date to be fixed by her/him not less than twenty one days and not more than twenty eight days before the date of the meeting, and shall be sent to Members not less than fourteen days before the meeting.

2.5  Proposed resolutions, other than those proposed by the Board, shall be signed by twenty five members entitled to vote. The Proposer and Seconder must attend the meeting to present the Resolution. Amendments to Resolutions shall be accepted in accordance with the Articles.

2.6  Emergency Resolutions on matters accepted by the Chairman as being of urgent importance to the FBE may be proposed from the floor if a simple majority of those present and voting signify approval for such Emergency Debate.

2.7  The Proposer of a Resolution may speak for no more than five minutes and the Seconder of a Resolution for no more than two minutes. Each speaker in subsequent debate may speak for no more than three minutes.

2.8  Voting shall be by a show of hands unless a poll is demanded in accordance with the Articles. A simple majority shall be sufficient to pass a Resolution except for a resolution for which a Special Resolution is required by the Companies Acts. The Chairman’s decision on whether to count the votes shall be final.

2.9  In the conduct of the meeting the decision of the Chairman in any matter not covered by these Standing Orders shall be final.

3. SUB COMMITTEES

3.1  The chairmen of all sub-committees will be appointed by the Board and the sub-committees will be accountable to membership via the Board. The Board will determine the procedures to be followed for the appointment of sub-committee chairmen.

3.2  All sub-committees or working groups established by the Board shall have Terms of Reference, which will include the scope of their activities, their composition and the frequency of meetings (approved by the Board).

4. BRANCHES

4.1  The Board shall determine the geographical remit and the number of Regions and Branches from time to time in the United Kingdom and abroad and may define, or vary, their titles.

4.2  Members who have an interest in more than one Branch area shall choose to which Branch they wish to belong. Notwithstanding this, Members may adopt a Branch of their choice to which to belong.

Branch Code of Conduct

4.3  Every Branch shall hold each year a Branch Annual General Meeting unless a special dispensation has been received from the Company. The Branch shall give not less than twenty one days notice of such meetings to all members on the Branch register as provided by the Secretariat.

4.4  The Treasurer of the Branch must produce a financial statement at or before the Branch Annual General Meeting and such statement must have been submitted previously for approval or otherwise by the accounts verifier of the Branch.

4.5  At the Branch Annual General Meeting, a committee shall be elected to hold office for one year there from. The committee may consist of any category of member and shall be at least five in number, failing which the Board may suspend activities.

4.6  At the time of, or immediately following the Branch Annual General Meeting, the new committee shall elect for the following year the chairman, vice-chairman, secretary, treasurer and accounts verifier all of whom are known as the Branch Officers,

4.7  Overseas Branches shall appoint officers in accordance with the above and the Branch representative will report to the UK based Regional Director responsible for overseas members.

4.8  Branches must submit to the Secretariat, acting on behalf of the Board, any periodical or special reports required of them including, for information purposes only, the minutes of all Branch committee meetings. Such reports shall be submitted to the Secretariat within twenty eight days of receipt of the request

4.9  Branch committees may organise meetings, lectures, reading of papers, discussions, visits to places of interest and functions, whether social or technical.

4.10  It shall be the duty of the treasurer of the Branch to keep records of all financial transactions of the Branch, in a simple income and expenditure format clearly accounting for all VAT transactions, and he shall prepare statements when asked for by the Branch committee or by the Board and/or the Secretariat.

4.11  Any eight members of one Branch may, in writing, demand a Branch special meeting to be held. Such a demand must be submitted to either the chairman of the Branch or the secretary of the Branch and it shall be the duty of the recipient to arrange a special meeting of the Branch within one month of receipt of the requisition for the meeting in such a way that members of the Branch have at least fourteen days notice of such a meeting. If the chairman of the Branch or the secretary of the Branch does not convene the same within one month from the date of the requisition, those making the requisition may themselves convene the meeting.

4.12  Voting at Branch Meetings and Branch Annual General Meetings shall be by a show of hands and in all cases of equality, the chairman of the Branch shall be entitled to a second or casting vote.

4.13  Failure to comply with any of the Code of Conduct’s requirements must be reported to the Board and will be dealt with by the Board as a matter of discipline.

Branch Dissolution

4.14  Should a Branch committee wish to dissolve the Branch, it must first consult the Board. If there is still a wish within the Branch for it to be dissolved, an assenting majority vote of its total voting members is required. Dissolution is subject to ratification by a majority vote of the next General Meeting of the Branch.

4.15  The Board shall have the power to propose the dissolution of a Branch when it deems this to be in the best interests of the Company. Such a proposal to dissolve must first be passed by two thirds of the Board present and voting. The Branch in question shall be advised in writing of the reason for the proposed action. The Branch shall have until its next General Meeting (but in no case less than nine months) to effect the necessary remedial measures. A decision to dissolve a Branch must received approval from the Board.

4.16  In the event of a Branch being dissolved, money in the Branch bank account will revert to the Company’s general funds.

4.17 In the event of a Branch being dissolved, verified accounts, providing details of

all transactions in the two years prior to dissolution, to be submitted to fbe

Central Office for review and, if deemed necessary, additional information

to be provided .

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