- to provide a forum for the exchange of information and ideas between members in order to assist them in carrying out their professional duties;
- to make a contribution to educational research and development;
- to work with other agencies, both national and international, which seek to promote Design and Technological capability;
- to contribute actively to raising standards in design and technology through the promotion and dissemination of good practice and work of the highest quality.
- The name of the Association shall be:
The National Association of Advisers and Inspectors in Design and Technology (NAAIDT)
- The objectives of the Association shall be:
a. to provide a forum for the exchange of information and ideas between members in order to assist them in carrying out their professional duties.
b. to make a contribution to educational research and development.
c. to work with other agencies, both national and international, which seek to promote Design and Technological capability.
d. to contribute actively to raising standards in design and technology through the promotion and dissemination of good practice and work of the highest quality.
- a. FULL MEMBERSHIP shall be limited to those who are:
i) inspectors (registered and team as defined in the Education (Schools) Act 1992) who offer particular expertise in making judgements concerning the quality of design and technology in the curriculum of schools.
ii) all those who work in an advisory capacity and inspectors not included in (i) and who, by virtue of their title and/or job description, have explicit responsibility for design and technology in the curriculum of schools.
Full members may attend conference and the AGM and have full voting rights.
b. HONORARY MEMBERSHIP may be extended to members in recognition of their contribution to the work of the Association. Membership will be free and for life. Nominations must be proposed and seconded and received by the Secretary 24 hours before the AGM and approved by the Executive. Honorary members shall have no voting rights.
c. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP shall be granted to those who, although not full-time advisers or inspectors, are as part of their duties, held responsible for matters relating to Design and Technology within an LEA; or are able, by reason of their experience or standing, to make a positive contribution to the work of the Association. Associate members shall be able to attend conference and the AGM. Associate members shall have no voting rights.
d. PATRON A patron to the Association may be adopted if nominated and seconded 24 hours before the Annual General Meeting and then agreed at the AGM.
e. HONORARY VICE PRESIDENT A person may be made an Honorary Vice President in recognition of service to the Association. They must be proposed and seconded 24 hours before the AGM and the proposal agreed at the AGM.
f. HONORARY PRESIDENT A member who has never served as President of the Association and who ceases to be eligible for full membership through retirement or other reasons may be made an Honorary President for outstanding service to the Association. An Honorary President would have the right to attend conference but have no voting rights. The proposal for an Honorary President must be made and seconded at least 24 hours before the AGM and agreed at the AGM.
g. All members shall agree to abide by a code of practice agreed by the Committee. Any breach of the code of practice shall be considered by the Committee who shall take appropriate action and make recommendations to the AGM.
h. CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP may be extended to organisations who support the aims of the Association. Nominations must be proposed and seconded and approved by the Executive. The Executive shall have the power to determine the corporate membership fee. Corporate membership brings with it no voting rights or access to member's personal details other than business addresses.
i. RETIRED MEMBERSHIP shall be available to former members. Applications shall be approved by the Executive who shall determine any fee payable. Retired members shall have no voting rights.
- All applications for membership shall be approved by the Committee. All applications for membership must be supported and endorsed by two full members.
- The Committee will report to the AGM any review of an application for membership under 3 a,b,or c.
- (i) A subscription scale will be recommended as necessary by the Committee and ratified at the AGM. All members (with the exception of honorary members and honorary Vice Presidents) will pay an annual subscription.
(ii) If, one month after the 2nd reminder, subscriptions have not been renewed, membership will normally be treated as lapsed, and a final letter to that effect will be sent to confirm this status.
- The Association year shall run from AGM to AGM.
- The management and administration of the Association shall be vested in the Committee (the Executive), which shall comprise eight officers and one member representing each regional group. A regional group may adopt one of the officers other than the President and Secretary as their representative. The eight officers shall be President, President Elect, Vice President, Immediate past President, Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Secretary and Membership Secretary. At committee meetings a quorum shall be deemed to be six members. All Committee members are expected to attend conference.
- The vice president shall be elected annually at the AGM and shall automatically become President Elect and subsequently President. The Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Secretary and Membership Secretary shall be elected at the AGM, each to serve for one year, all eligible for reelection, but shall not normally hold any one office for more than five consecutive years.
- Nominations shall be sought for Officers and sent to the secretary not later than six weeks prior to the AGM. Nominations shall be circulated to all full members to allow for a postal ballot. Completed postal ballot forms must be received by the secretary no later than one week prior to the AGM. In situations where no nominations are received the Committee shall be empowered to receive nominations up to twenty-four hours prior to the AGM. Permission of the person nominated, who must be a full member of the Association must be obtained and the nomination supported by a proposer and seconder, who must also be full members of the Association.
- The Association members will normally meet in regional groups, each with its elected convener, who may or may not be the committee representative. In order to assist the smooth running of the Association the regional groups should meet at least once during each school term.
- Regional groups may invite other professionals working in the field of Design and Technology (for example HMI, Advisory Teachers) to their meetings and to serve on regional working parties. Regional groups may also organise their own finances and publish material. All regional groups should have a written constitution, a copy of which should be sent to the Secretary.
- There shall be an annual election of each regional group committee representative. The election shall take place at the regional meeting immediately prior to the AGM. In the event of less than 50% of the normal membership of the group being present the convener shall hold a postal ballot. Only full members may be elected as a regional group committee representative and the voting is restricted to full members, who according to the directory, belong to the group. The regional group committee representative must be notified in writing to the Secretary at least twenty-four hours before the AGM.
- An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be called on the request of one third of the full membership, given that all members shall have at least 21 days notice of the EGM in writing.
- A quorum shall be deemed to be 25 of the full membership.
- Changes in the constitution may only be made at an AGM, EGM or exceptionally by postal ballot provided that members have had at least 21 days notice in writing. For a postal ballot to be valid, responses must be received from at least 60% of the full membership.
- It shall be the duty of the Committee to meet not less than three times during the year in order to carry out the wishes of the AGM and to organise the Annual Conference and the AGM.
- The Committee has the power to co-opt additional members whenever necessary for special purposes.
- The Committee may delegate certain of its duties in order to carry out the wishes of the AGM.
- Investigations or surveys may be carried out by Working Parties appointed on an ad-hoc basis either directly by the AGM or by the Committee, and these shall report back to a specified body.
- The Committee shall be responsible for the circulation of all Association papers to members.
- General publication of any Association document shall be the responsibility of the Committee. All such publications of NAAIDT will be considered by the Editor (who will normally be a member of the Committee). ref. note 1
- The Association may only be represented on outside bodies by members appointed by the Committee and agreed by the AGM. The President shall have the power to sanction representation in an emergency.
- All nominations to represent the Association on any outside body shall be made in writing 24 hours before the AGM.
- There shall be an annual independent audit.
- The Executive shall be empowered to appoint a Liaison and Administrative Officer to deal with the day-to-day work of the Association. Such an officer shall report to the President and undertake such tasks as may be determined by the Executive. Payment and remuneration to the Officer shall be determined by the Executive at the agreed Association rates.
02 April 2001
Note 1: Any material published by a regional group of NAAIDT must indicate the regional status and origin of the document (also see article 12).