By Laws

• The aims of the APBA are to promote scientific, evidence based, comprehensive multidisciplinary management of burn injuries and encourage basic and clinical research.
• The Association aims to create a common platform to promote mutual collaboration between different specialists and institutes involved in the management of burn, foster training and education and help in the dissemination of knowledge and creation of guidelines for management of burns.
• The Association aims can be achieved by organizing conferences, CMEs, seminars, training programs/fellowships, publishing of scientific literature, establishing of website etc.

3.1 Membership Types : The membership of APBA consists of ‘Full members’, ‘Associate Members’ and ‘Honorary members’.

The application for ‘Full membership’/ ‘Associate membership’ shall be addressed to the Secretary of the Society and shall be accompanied with the requisite fee, as applicable from time to time. The executive committee shall decide on admission of ‘Full / Associate’ members from other countries in the Region that are not listed above. Admission may be refused if there is any doubt on integrity of the applicant.

Full membership : A ‘full member’ is defined as any doctor, nurse or therapist who is either practicing burn management or has practiced in the past. An applicant shall be eligible to apply for membership as a Full Member if he or she maintains a valid and unrestricted license to practice medicine/ nursing/rehabilitation in his/her country of practice in the Asia- Pacific Region (applicable for those affiliated with medical disciplines).

Associate membership : An ‘Associate member’ is defined as any other person like a scientist, health care worker or corporate individual who is interested in the study of, or management of burns.

Honorary membership : An “Honorary member’ is defined as an individual, from any part of the world, who has been identified by the Executive committee of APBA as a person of excellence in the specialty of burn management. Honorary members may be proposed by any member for their distinguished contribution to burn care, and they shall be admitted at a Congress of APBA in person, upon the recommendation of the Executive Committee

3.2 Member Rights, Privileges, and Termination

i. Voting rights are reserved for ‘Full members’ only. Only ‘Full members’ shall be eligible to hold any office of the Executive. They can become members of various committees formed to oversee and execute the aims and objectives of the Association.

ii. Associate members have no voting rights but they may be co-opted to the various committees that may be constituted by the Executive for discharging various responsibilities.

iii. The executive committee reserves the right to terminate the membership of any member if the member is found guilty of conduct which is unbecoming of an upright individual, and if his/her actions are prejudicial to the interests and objects of the Association. A show cause notice shall be issued first by the Executive Committee and if the reply is found unsatisfactory the termination shall be recommended to the General Assembly.

iv. The membership will also stand terminated if the dues are not paid for 3 consecutive years.

The work of the APBA is carried out by the General Assembly and by the Executive Committee, which will operate in accordance with the Constitution.

4.1 General Assembly : This body is the governing body of the APBA and is composed of ‘Full members’. Its tasks are to elect the officials who are the President, Secretary and Treasurer; to elect the members of the Executive Committee; to approve the report from the Executive Committee; to approve amendments to the constitution, to appoint auditors and adopt audited accounts. The General Assembly will normally be convened at the time of the Biennial Congress. The quorum for a General Assembly meeting is 20 full members.

4.2 Executive Committee : This body conducts the affairs of the "Asia Pacific Burn Association" (APBA) in accordance with the policies, and aims of the Society.

The executive committee shall compose of :

• The President
• Two immediate Past Presidents
• President Elect
• Founder President
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Executive members (Six)

One of the Executive committee members, of the six on the committee, shall serve as the web master to maintain the APBA website.

In the absence of the President, the President Elect or the immediate past President shall assume charge, in that precedence.

4.3 Quorum

The quorum for Executive committee meeting shall be five members.

4.4 Terms of Office

The Chairman of the Biennial Congress shall automatically be the President of APBA for the term of two years. The Secretary / Treasurer and the four members of the Executive Committee are elected for a period of four years. However, the office change of the Secretary and Treasurer shall be staggered and in first instance the Treasurer shall be changed. Similarly, of the four members of the Executive Committee, two longest serving members will be replaced every 2 years. In the first instance after adoption of byelaws the junior professional members of the Executive committee shall demit office first.

Election / Nomination to office

The appointments to the Executive shall be made by a Nominating committee, which shall consist of the President, Two immediate Past Presidents, President Elect and the Founder President. The nomination slate shall be presented to General Assembly for ratification.

4.5 Compensation

Board members shall serve without compensation and cannot receive any remuneration as employees of the society.

The APBA has the right to request a membership fee to maintain affairs of its office. However, the APBA is starting with no initial membership fee. The final membership fee will be proposed by the Executive Committee and will be decided by the General Assembly. The APBA also welcomes support and benefits from sponsors and donors. 50% of the profits of each APBC (Asia Pacific Burn Congress) will be given to the APBA and 50% can be retained by the parent organizing society/body.

The accounts of APBA shall be audited and submitted to requisite authorities as per laws of the country of Registration.

• The APBA will hold at least one General Assembly and Scientific meeting (which may be held concurrently) every two years. The members of APBA are also encouraged to create awareness about the society by organizing dedicated burn sessions in their respective specialty meetings or by conducting dedicated burn meetings.
• Members desirous of holding an APBC shall submit an application to the Secretary and the Administrative Director, after approval of the National Society, no less than 2 years prior to the proposed Congress. The bid should not only be endorsed by their National society, but it should provide the names of the Chairman, Organizing Secretary and Program Chair, along with conference venue and a tentative budget (including registration fee structure etc) to the Administrative Director and / or Secretary.

• The APBA will hold at least one General Assembly and Scientific meeting (which may be held concurrently) every two years. The members of APBA are also encouraged to create awareness about the society by organizing dedicated burn sessions in their respective specialty meetings or by conducting dedicated burn meetings.
• Members desirous of holding an APBC shall submit an application to the Secretary and the Administrative Director, after approval of the National Society, no less than 2 years prior to the proposed Congress. The bid should not only be endorsed by their National society, but it should provide the names of the Chairman, Organizing Secretary and Program Chair, along with conference venue and a tentative budget (including registration fee structure etc) to the Administrative Director and / or Secretary.

Communication to members will be via e-mail and information updates on the APBA web site.

APBA shall have its own Journal but till this is possible APBA may affiliate with other ‘English language’ Journals published in the Region. The ‘Editor’ of APBA Journal shall be selected from the Region from suitable applicants by a panel consisting of the nominating committee members.

The website of APBA shall be maintained by the web master (as mentioned above) who shall be solely responsible for updating the content after obtaining suitable material from the Executive members.

Any proposed amendments to the constitution of the APBA shall be posted by the Secretary on APBA website at least 6 months before the ratification at the next General Assembly of APBA.