RULE BOOK

1. NAME

The name of the organisation shall be The Institute of Refractories Engineers.

2. OBJECTIVES

1. Aspiring to be the heart and voice of the refractory community. To foster and promote the skills and science of refractories engineering, and to raise the standard of training, experience and ability in this field of engineering.

2. To promote, elevate and maintain the character, status and interest of members of the Institute.

3. To circulate information, facts, ideas or suggestions as may be useful to members.

4. To promote education and training amongst both members and prospective members, with a view to raising their status.

5. To encourage the exchange of ideas and experience between members to their mutual advantage.

6. To bring together engineers and persons involved in refractory engineering practice in their own and their employer’s interests.

7. The organisation is a non-profit making body and the entire income is applied solely towards the promotion of these objectives.

3. MEMBERSHIP

8. Membership is decided by the Council.

9. The Institute shall consist of members that form a broad spectrum of the refractories industry and associated industries.

10. The grade of membership to which each applicant shall be admitted, shall be the decision of the Council alone. Appeals against the decision of the Council may be made, but admission to the grade of membership offered shall be withheld pending such an appeal.

11. The Council has the right to refuse Membership and their decision is final.

12. However, nobody shall be refused on the ground of race, sex, religion or political affiliation.
13. New applicants shall complete a membership application.

14. Applications shall be circulated to the Council for approval.

15. All persons elected to membership shall be notified in writing by the Secretary. Their membership shall then commence from the date of confirmation of payment of their membership fees.

16. A certificate of membership shall be issued to each member, which shall remain the property of the Institute.

17. A register of all members shall be kept, and for the purposes of this register and for the issue of certificate of membership, the Secretary shall act as Registrar of the Institute.

18. The Council can remove membership from any member whose subscription for any year, has not been paid within 3 months. Those removed can apply to the Council for reinstatement on payment of outstanding subscriptions.

19. The Institute shall consist of members that form a broad spectrum of the refractories industry, and associated industries and has the following membership classes.

a. Full Members – Members whose full-time occupation at the time of application shall be in the refractory industry or associated industries
and who have more than 3 years experience, including any relevant training. Full Members can use the suffix “M.I. Ref. Eng.”

b. Ordinary Members – Persons whose full time occupation at the time of application shall be in the refractory industry or associated industries, but have less than 3 years experience. Ordinary Members cannot use the suffix “M.I. Ref. Eng.”.

c. Fellows – Persons who the Council consider have given service of exemplary merit to the profession of Refractories Engineering.

d. Students – Persons who are engaged in a recognised training scheme, apprenticeship or higher education course, that includes significant content of the skill or science of refractory materials engineering.

e. Honorary Members – Members who the Council consider have given service of exemplary merit to the profession of Refractories Engineering and the Institute of Refractories Engineers, and who have been a member of the Institute for a period of 10 years or more.

f. Retired – Persons who are in the IRE but have retired.

20. All Memberships are for 1 calendar year except for Fellow which are ongoing. Membership payments should be renewed annually.

21. Members can resign at any time in writing and should return their membership certificate to the institute.

4. SUBSCRIPTIONS

22. The subscription will be determined annually by the Council and submitted to the Annual General Meeting for approval. Subscriptions shall be for 12 months from the date of joining

5. OFFICERS AND COUNCIL

OFFICERS

23. The Officers of the Institute are the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. These roles are voluntary. Officers do not have a contract of employment with the Institute.

24. To maintain segregation of duty, roles of officers cannot be combined.

25. The President and Vice President are appointed by Members. Secretary, Treasurer and Council Members are appointed the majority vote of the Council. The President is the previous Term’s Vice President. A new Vice President is chosen/confirmed by Institute Members’ majority vote, typically at the AGM, in the same year as the new President begins their new Term in Office. The VP’s Term is the same as the President’s after which the VP succeeds the President.

26. Auditors will be appointed by Council every 3-5 years.

27. Officers and Council Members can be removed by the majority vote of the Council, and do not have a contract of employment with the Institute

COUNCIL

28. The Council of the Institute shall consist of the Officers and a minimum of 5 and maximum of 12 Members.

29. Officers and Council Members shall serve for a Term of three years. After 3 years they can apply for re-election.

30. Past Presidents shall be a member of Council for 1 year immediately following their presidential year.

31. Visiting Members other than Branch Delegates may attend by invitation of the President but they shall not be entitled to vote.

32. Where Council considers it to be to the advantage of the Institute, they have the right to co-opt members onto committees which report to the Council. Any member so co-opted shall not be entitled to vote.

33. Persons accepting office as Members of the Council should both be able and prepared to attend all Council meetings.

34. Council Members who miss 3 consecutive Council Meetings, without offering an acceptable explanation may be removed from Council (see 20).

6. FINANCIAL CONDUCT OF THE INSTITUTE

35. The financial year of the institute shall run from January 1st to December 31st.

36. Bank, Building Society accounts or investments may only be opened in the name of the Institute with the approval of the Council.

37. Withdrawals from accounts requires 2 signatories.

38. A draft of the Institute’s accounts shall be agreed by the Council, before being presented for auditing to the duly appointed auditors (see 19).

39. Interim financial reports shall be presented to Council by the Treasurer with the information decided by Council to properly conduct the affairs of the IRE.

40. The draft Accounts shall remain confidential within Council until agreed by Council.

41. The proposed Accounts will be presented to Members each year at the AGM.

7. POWERS OF OFFICERS AND COUNCIL

42. The business of the Institute shall be managed by the Council governed only by the Rules and Resolutions of General Meetings.

43. Minutes shall be taken at every Council meeting and shall include;

a) All appointment of officers.
b) Names of Council members present at each meeting of the Institute.
c) All resolutions and proceedings of all meetings of the Institute, Council or Committees of such Council.

44. Reports shall be presented to council with the information they deem necessary to properly conduct the affairs of the IRE.

The Council may…

45. … delegate, Finance, Education, Training, Institute membership, Conferences, Recruitment, Journal Editorial etc to a Sub-Committee.

46. … purchase the services of a Supplier or Contractor for any purpose within the aims of the Institute.

47. … take back powers delegated to any Sub-Committee at any point and

48. … create a post or fill one that falls vacant.

49. … establish a system of examinations in relation to qualifications for Institute members.

50. … caution, suspend or exclude any member of the institute subject to the paragraph “Rights to Membership”.

51. … authorise the formation of branches of the Institute and to draw up the rules to govern these branches.

52. Subject to rules in force and to resolutions of General Meetings, to do all such other things that the Council shall from time to time consider conducive to the interests of good management of the institute’s affairs.

53. The Council shall meet quarterly as a minimum, but as often as they consider necessary to properly conduct the Institute’s business.

54. Any member of Council, with the support of the President, may require the Secretary to call an Extraordinary Meeting of the Council.

55. A quorum shall be more than half of the Members of Council.

56. In the absence of the President, all meetings of the Council shall be conducted by the Vice President and in the case of the absence of both, then such other person as those present shall agree and such persons shall have the full authority of the office assumed for that meeting.

57. Matters shall be decided on majority vote. Each Officer, Member of the Council present shall be entitled to one vote. The President shall have one casting vote in cases of equality of voting.

58. At each meeting (AGM, EGM and council meetings) where a vote is to be taken, a declaration of interest will need to be disclosed when a potential conflict of interest arises.

59. Should a personal, business, financial, family-related or other conflict arise with a topic then the member should abstain from voting.

8. TITLES

60. Uses of initials to indicate membership should be as follows:

Fellows: F.I. Ref. Eng
Full Members: M.I. Ref. Eng
Honorary Members M.I. Ref. Eng
Retired Members M.I. Ref. Eng
Ordinary Members: (nil)
Student: (nil)

61. Cessation of membership for whatever reason will result in an ex-member losing the right to use the Institute’s letters after their name.

9. RIGHTS OF MEMBERSHIP – EXPULSION OR SUSPENSION

62. If after investigation the Council reason it sufficient to expel or suspend a Member, an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Institute shall be convened to consider the accusation (of which the Member shall have 14 days clear notice). Such Members, after they have had the opportunity of explaining their conduct, will be expelled if three quarters of the members present and voting on the question (there not being not being less than 10 members present) be in favour of expulsion. The expelled member shall immediately forfeit their privileges in the Institute without further claim or calls or for any money to be paid to the Institute, but they shall remain liable to pay any calls or other money outstanding at the date of expulsion.

10. MEETINGS

63. The Institute shall hold an Annual General Meeting, open to all Members, within 15 months of the previous Annual General Meeting.

64. Extraordinary General Meetings can be called at any time by the Council, or by any ten members in writing to the Council.

65. The Secretary shall notify Members of a General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting with 14 days-notice and include the Agenda and any documents that shall be presented at the meeting.

66. Items for the agenda of any General Meeting shall be agreed by the Council. Such items can be brought to the notice of Council by; Council Members, any Branch Committee, or, by any group of ten ordinary members of the Institute.
Irrespective of any Council decision in respect of any such matter brought to their notice, any Branch Committee or group of ten ordinary members shall retain the right to ask for such matter to be included on the Agenda of any General Meeting provided that a required notice of 28 days is given in writing to the Secretary of the Institute.

67. Each Member shall be entitled to one vote at a General Meeting and may be made in person or by proxy by a member who is entitled to attend the meeting in their own right.

68. Members not attending General Meetings and not arranging proxy votes, shall be deemed to be in agreement with decisions taken at those meetings.

69. An Annual General Meetings or Extraordinary General Meetings must begin and end with a quorum of 10 Members.

70. The Institute shall hold such ordinary meetings of the whole Institute or Branches thereof, for the dissemination of ideas, information or knowledge, by means of lectures, demonstrations, or visits to establishments and for the promotion of personal and friendly intercourse between its members.

11. CONDUCT OF BRANCHES

71. Each Branch shall elect a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. They shall also elect a public officer or other role if one is required by the law of the country in which the branch is registered.

72. Each branch shall be entitled to at least one seat at Council.

73. Branches may organise and hold lectures, works visits and social functions as their Branch Committee may decides. Notification to hold such meetings should be provided to the Secretary at least 3 months prior to the event.

74. All branches are expected to conduct their affairs within the objectives and rules of the Institute.

75. Council shall have the right to intervene in branch affairs taking into account the branch President’s views. The Councils decision in any matter shall be final.

76. Council shall not accept liability for expenditure incurred on behalf of the Branch.

77. The Officers of the branch shall abide by the same rules as the IRE council officers.

78. Branches shall not accept financial support that could lead to a liability from anyone without prior permission from the Council.

79. Bank accounts may be opened in the Branch’s name, withdrawals from which shall require the approval of the branch Treasurer and one of three approved account signatories on the Branch Committee.

80. Branch funds are for the running of the Branch within the aims of the Institute. All funds and equipment remain the property of the Institute of Refractories Engineers.

81. Branches’ accounts shall be for the financial year in that country. Branch Treasurers shall submit a copy of such accounts duly audited to the IRE Treasurer as soon as they are available.

82. All branches are expected to conduct their affairs within the objectives and rules of the Institute.

12. RIGHT TO MAKE CALLS AND APPLY FOR CONTRIBUTION

83. The Council of the Institute may make calls as it thinks fit upon members.

84. Each member shall pay the amount prescribed by the resolution.

85. A call shall be deemed to have been made at the time when the resolution making the call was passed. It shall not be necessary to send any notice of any such call other than copy of the proceedings of the meeting at which such call was passed, and such copy shall be deemed to be notice within meaning of these rules.

86. Non-payment of the call within one year of the prescribed date shall be deemed to be a lapse of membership.

87. Every member undertakes to contribute to the assets of the Institute in the event of its being wound up, for up to one year afterwards, for payment of the debts and liabilities of the institute contracted before they cease to be a member and of the costs, charges and expenses of winding up and for the adjustment of rights of the contribution amongst themselves such amount as may be required not exceeding one year’s annual subscription.

88. Voluntary Winding Up – following a ballot to discontinue, the funds remaining after discharge of all debts will pass to the Institute. The Council will be empowered to deal with these funds as it sees fit after discharge of its debts and liabilities. Any excess funds will be distributed equally amongst all fully paid-up members.