CANADIAN ROCK MECHANICS ASSOCIATION – CONSTITUTION
Including amendments made in: September, 2009; November, 2011
CARMA Constitution Amendment November 2011 (Printable pdf)
1.0 NAME
The name of the Association shall be the Canadian Rock Mechanics Association (abbreviated: CARMA).
2.0 PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES
The Association is constituted to effect adherence to and support the objectives and purposes of the International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) on behalf of Canadian scientists, engineers and technologists interested in rock mechanics, and will representCanada, acting as its National Group, within the terms of reference of the ISRM Constitution.
The general objectives of the Association shall consist of:
- providing for individual membership in the ISRM;
- providing a medium for communication and cooperation among those interested in any aspect of rock mechanics;
- disseminating knowledge and information through meetings, publications, discussions and other means of communication;
- co-ordinating and co-sponsoring national and international rock mechanics conferences;
- encouraging interest and the advancement of education in rock mechanics and rock engineering;
- engaging in other activities meant to promote the development of knowledge concerning rock mechanics.
3.0 MEMBERSHIP
3.1 The Association shall be composed of the members of the following two, constituent Groups: The Rock Mechanics Division of the Canadian Geotechnical Society, and the Rock Engineering Society of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, as well as of other individual and corporate members that apply directly to the Association.
3.2 Individual and corporate membership in the CARMA shall be applied for in writing and in such a form as may be prescribed from time to time. All paid members of the two constituent Groups shall be considered to be also members of the CARMA. The membership year for the CARMA shall be the same as for the ISRM
4.0 GOVERNMENT
4.1 The Association shall be self-governing within its Constitution.
4.2 The Executive of the CARMA shall be composed of two representatives from each of the two constituent Groups and a Secretary/Treasurer appointed by consensus from the Executive of the two constituent groups. The mandate of the Secretary/Treasurer is for a two year term, renewable if requested by the other members of the Executive.
4.3 The position of Chair of CARMA shall rotate, on a two-year basis, between a representative of the Rock Engineering Society of the CIM and a representative of the Rock Mechanics Division of the CGS.
5.0 ADMINISTRATION OF THE ASSOCIATION
5.1 The Executive of CARMA shall administer the affairs of the Association. Without specifying the duties of any individual member, with the exception of the finance-related duties noted below in section 5.4, the Executive shall be responsible for:
- co-ordination with the organizers of conferences and meetings concerning rock mechanics;
- production of CARMA Newsletter and co-ordination with the editors of Newsletters and Journals of the two constituent Groups for the dissemination of information;
- maintenance of separate membership lists;
- recommendations to the Association for delegates and alternate delegates to meetings of the International Society for Rock mechanics and other international groups;
- recommendations to the Association for all other actions as may be necessary to further the purpose of the Association.
5.2 The Executive may appoint such committees as are necessary for the efficient administration of the Association.
5.3 The finances for the Association shall be administered by its Executive; the Association shall maintain and manage its own bank account, with signing authority held by the Secretary/Treasurer and Chair; and the financial year shall be the same as that of the ISRM (i.e., January 1 – December 31). The Association shall engage the services of an external accounting professional on an annual basis, to review and ensure that all financial records follow proper accounting procedures.
5.4 The finance-related duties of the Secretary/Treasurer are to:
- Direct the disbursement of funds received by the Association when approved by the Executive; and
- Prepare the annual year-end financial report for the Association and submit it to the other members of the Executive for review and approval.
5.5 The CARMA Executive shall determine from time to time the membership fees to be charged. These fees shall be sufficient to cover the ISRM membership fees, plus operating costs.
5.6 If possible, the Executive shall meet at least once per year, preferably at the time of the annual meeting of one of the constituent Groups. The members of the executive should meet on a regular basis via conference calls and/or electronic mail.
5.7 A General Meeting of the Association or a mail ballot may be held if the Executive deems this to be in the interest of the CARMA and the members at large.
5.8 The CARMA executive shall make every reasonable effort to send an executive member, or other appointed member, to ISRM meetings at which deliberations, decisions, votes and/or presentations impacting CARMA are being made. Prior to making travel arrangements, this member shall submit to all executive members a statement justifying his/her reasons for attending the meeting, a proposed budget for expenses, and a statement of the proportion of these expenses for which reimbursement is being sought from CARMA. If the proposal is approved by a majority of the CARMA executive members*, the proponent shall attend the meeting and subsequently submit an expense claim (with receipts) to the CARMA executive for approval* and reimbursement.
* In cases where the member incurring expenses serves on the CARMA Executive, that member shall abstain from voting on both the budget proposal and the final approval of the expense claim.
5.9 The Executive shall establish rules of procedure concerning all other matters as may be necessary for the administration of the Association.
6.0 AMENDMENTS
The Constitution of the Canadian Rock Mechanics Association may be amended by unanimous agreement of the two constituent Groups, as represented by their Executive.
Signed on November 1, 2011 by:
Chair Chair
Rock Engineering Society of the CIM Rock Mechanics Division of the CGS
Witnessed by:
Secretary/Treasurer, CARMA