THE ASIA and SOUTH PACIFIC OSTOMY ASSOCIATION (ASPOA) of IOA. (hereinafter called “The Association”).
The Association was founded in 2010 in conjunction with the revision of the International Ostomy Association’s structure and governance. It represents a merger of the South Pacific and Asian Ostomy Associations into one Region of the International Ostomy Association.
The Purpose is to provide an Association in form of a Regional Association of I.O.A. for the benefit of ostomates, run by ostomates and in full interests of all ostomates with the co-operation of outside help when required, and to represent the viewpoint of the ostomates at the regional level.
The Association is a non profit making, non political and religiously neutral organisation concerned only with the health and welfare of ostomates. It is pledged to co-operate with medical, nursing and associated professions and to work with allied organisations and corporations.
The aims of the Association are to encourage the highest possible standards of surgery, medical attention and patient after-care and to assist Member Associations to help rehabilitate ostomates to enable them to achieve the quality of life they seek in all its aspects.
The primary objectives of the Association are:
(a) To distribute information and exchange experiences on all aspects of ostomy related matters through the organization and facilitation of meetings within the region.
(b) To develop and administer support programs to assist disadvantaged Ostomates within the Asia and South Pacific Region (hereinafter called “the Region”)
(c) To co-ordinate and support all efforts to develop, establish and provide basic standards in ostomy care and rehabilitation, in particular by:
(d) To maintain efficient and effective communication channels with member Associations
(e) To motivate, to morally support and to promote existing and help to found new national ostomy associations, in particular for
1. Membership of the Association shall be open to the Ostomy Associations in the Region. Countries not in the Region but who are in close proximity, can be considered for membership.
CLASSES OF MEMBERSHIP
2. There shall be the following classes of membership:
(a) Full Membership,
(b) Associate Membership,
(c) Patron Membership.
3. Full membership of the Association shall be open to any National Ostomy Association which signifies acceptance of this Constitution and that of IOA. Applications for Full Membership shall be approved by a simple majority vote of House of Delegates.
4. Associate Membership of the Association shall be open to individual Ostomy Groups who apply for Associate Membership and to such other Ostomy Groups or Associations who are not granted full membership of the Association. Providing the applicant signifies the acceptance of this Constitution and that of IOA, applications for Associate Membership shall be approved by a simple majority vote of House of Delegates.
5 .Full and Associate Members may be accepted by a Regional Association Co- ordination Committee on a provisional basis until its House of Delegates can formally accept the Group at its next House of Delegates Meeting.
Members accepted provisionally shall have all rights accorded to Full and Associate Members with the exception of the right by Full Members to vote.
6. Patron Membership of the Association shall be open to non-participating Individuals, Associations, Institutions, Companies or other bodies not being an Ostomy Group or Association.
7. Full Members and Associate Members of the Association shall be entitled to such rights and privileges as hereinafter appear or as decided by the House of Delegates.
8. Patron Members shall be entitled each year during the currency of their annual Membership Subscription to receive copies of Regional news information.
9. If a Full Member or Asociate Member fails on written demand for one year to meet its financial obligations to the Association or in such other exceptional
circumstances as the House of Delegates by a two-thirds majority vote may decide, the House of Delegates may for some period or indefinitely and on such conditions it thinks proper, suspend or cancel the membership, the voting privileges and the services to which such member is entitled, provided, such member has been given at least three months written notice of the intention to propose the initiation of such action. The House of Delegates shall have full authority to restore such membership, voting rights and services as and when it thinks fit.
10. Patron Membership shall automatically cease on the expiration of the annual subscription unless renewed by payment of a further annual subscription.
11. The annual fee payable each year is set by the house of delegates (a suggested fee structure is set out below)
12. Annual subscriptions shall be paid not later than 1st March each year.
| Number of Ostomates | Fees | |
| Represented | ||
| 1 to 1000 | USD 200 | |
| 1001 to 2,500 | USD 500 | |
| 2,500 to 5,000 | USD 750 | |
| 5,001 to 7500 | USD 1,000 | |
| 7501 to 10000 | USD 1,500 | |
| 10,001 and over | USD 2,000 | |
| Associate Members | USD 150 | |
Full Members which effectively have 100% of ostomates in their country as members shall be accorded a 15% discount in respect of the above annual subscriptions.
13. The Association shall prepare Annual Accounts each year. The Accounts are to be audited and presented to the Association Coordination Committee within five months. Audited accounts to be available to member Associations after that date.
The work of the Association shall be carried out by:
(a) The House of Delegates,
(b) The Co-ordination Committee.
1. The Association’s Assembly shall be called the House of Delegates and shall be composed of not more than two Representatives of each Full Member of the Association.
2. The functions of the House of Delegates shall be:
(a) To determine the policies of the Association;
(b) To consider applications for membership of the Association and subject thereto to elect members;
(c) To elect the Regional Co-ordination Committee.
(d) To determine annual membership feess
3. The House of Delegates shall meet at least once every three years or at such other intervals as the House of Delegates may form from time to time prescribe (herein called ‘General Sessions’). Special Sessions may be convened at the request of the majority of the Full Members of the Association.
The Agenda proposed for any Session shall be notified in writing to all Full Members not less than three months in advance of the proposed Session.
4. The House of Delegates at each General Session shall appoint the Member Association which shall host and organize the next meeting.
5. The House of Delegates shall be chaired by the Chairperson elected by the House of Delegates.
6. The House of Delegates language shall be English. Simultaneous translation into other languages shall be provided, if possible.
7. Observers are permitted to attend, provided the additional costs are fully covered.
8. Each Full Member shall have one vote
9. The Members can delegate their vote to another Member, but advice must be provided in written form to the Chairperson prior to the commencement of a meeting.
10. Meetings of either the House of Delegates or the Co-ordination Committee may be held by telephone hook-up or any form of electronic means. Decisions taken at such meetings or by a postal vote held between meetings shall be valid decisions of the body concerned.
11. All motions with the exceptions of those involving a change to this Constitution shall be carried by a simple majority of the total eligible votes of all Member Associations present and if the voting is tied the motion shall be lost.
12. Changes to this Constitution will require an affirmative vote of not less than two thirds of the total eligible votes of all Member Associations present.
1. The Co-ordination Committee shall consist of the President, the Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer and one other member.
2. Nominations for the Co-ordination Committee have to be sent to the Secretary who will provide the Member Associations with details of all nominations and the agenda for the next House of Delegates meeting.
3. Members of the coordination committee if possible shall be Ostomates and if possible officers of an association however in the event of a non-Ostomate being the only nominee for a vacant position then the nomination of this person shall be accepted subject to that person being a health professional who has demonstrated the desire and ability to work with and assist Ostomates. People associated with or employed by any ostomy supply company or manufacturer shall not be eligible to stand for office of the ASPOA.
4. The term of office of the members of the Co-ordination Committee shall be 3 years for President and Vice President and a non-specified term for Secretary, Treasurer and other member. In the event of there being no nominations for any position the members of the coordination committee shall have the power to appoint a suitable person to the vacant position. This appointment to be stand until the next House of Delegates meeting.
5. The coordination committee shall have the power to appoint (co-opt) any suitable person as a temporary member of the committee to fill a position for a specified task.
6. The President and one other officer elected from the Co-ordination Committee shall serve as members of the IOA Coordination Committee and shall serve as such until their term as ASPOA Co-ordination Committee members end.
7. The Vice-President shall carry out all the duties of the President during any period the President is unable to fulfil the duties of the position.
8. The Vice-President shall carry out all the duties of the President during any periodthe President is unable to fulfil the duties of the position.
9. If the office of President, Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer becomes vacant for any reason the remaining members of the Co-ordination Committee may appoint a person, eligible in accordance with this Constitution, to fill the vacancy until an election for that office is held at the next General Session of the House of Delegates.
DISTANCE MEETING or POSTAL VOTE
10. Meetings of either the House of Delegates or the Co-ordination Committee may be held by telephone hook-up or any form of electronic means. Decisions taken at such meetings or by a postal vote held between meetings shall be valid decisions of the body concerned.
A Member Association who host a General Session of the House of Delegates could plan and organise additional programme, such as lectures, symposium, exhibition and social events, in close cooperation with the Co-ordination Committee.
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