Honorary Patron Rules

The Honorary Patron is nominated by the Nominations Committee two years in advance of their term of office. The nomination must be approved by the Board of Trustees. The approved nomination from the Board must be brought to the AGM for election by a simple majority of those present and voting.

The Honorary Patron is installed at the British Orthodontic Conference but does not assume office until the 1st January of the next calendar year and completes the term on 31st December of the same year.

Introduction

An invitation to become the Honorary Patron of the British Orthodontic Society is an invitation to hold the most prestigious office that the Society can award one of its members. It is a great honour for the recipient who will be an individual who has not only given outstanding service to the  Society and the specialty of orthodontics, but is seen as a person who commands the respect of the Board of Trustees and members of the Society.

The Honorary Patron has three major roles: An advisor to the Board; A representative of the Society at ceremonial events, and an ambassador for the Society and orthodontics in general. The role is strictly non-political and on all political matters, the Honorary Patron must defer to the wishes and views of the Executive Committee and the Board of Trustees of the Society. The Honorary Patron should do all within his/her abilities to promote the British Orthodontic Society.

The Honorary Patron must be familiar with the structure of the Society and the way it is run, including the hierarchy of responsibilities. Currently the Constitution does not encompass duties for the Honorary Patron and it is desirable not to make these too rigid; however there is a need for all those nominated for the accolade to be aware of their responsibilities and what is, and is not, expected of them.

There will be occasions when the Honorary Patron may wish to take new initiatives or receives an unusual or non-routine invitation on behalf of the Society. Such matters should be discussed with the Secretariat.

The duties of the Honorary Patron

Although not a Trustee, the Honorary Patron will normally attend meetings of the Board. He/She should, at the discretion of the Executive Committee, be able to bring matters of importance to the attention of the Board and should be available for advice and comment on any matter of business on the meeting agenda.

The Honorary Patron will act as an ambassador for the Society, but must at all times convey the opinions and views of the Board. He/she should, at the request of the President, be available for any duties deemed appropriate by the Board.

Whilst there are certain duties that the award holder will be expected to undertake at the Annual Conference and other meetings of the Society, he/ she will not be actively involved in the organisation and running of these meetings.

The following duties are based on the current conference programme where the Honorary Patron is installed after the Northcroft Memorial Lecture.

The Conference

1)  The Honorary Patron and partner will be the guests of the BOS for the whole period of the Conference.

2)   The Honorary Patron may be called upon to present honoraria and awards to members of the Society.

3)   The Honorary Patron will take responsibility for ensuring the Northcroft Lecturer receives the appropriate hospitality.

4)   The President will normally Chair the session for the Northcroft Memorial Lecture and introduce the lecturer.

5)    The Honorary Patron will normally present the Northcroft Lecturer with the scroll and a Conference gift.

6)    The President and the Honorary Patron will host a luncheon with the Northcroft lecturer. The President will be responsible for the invitations and for arranging this in conjunction with the BOC Chairman.

7)     The President will install the next Honorary Patron at the Conference.

8)      At the installation ceremony the incoming Honorary Patron will present the previous award holder with an Honorary Life Patron Pendant.

9)      The incoming Honorary Patron will give a short address to the Conference.

10)    The President, together with the Honorary Patron and the Chairman of the Conference Committee will receive the Society’s guests at the reception for the banquet and all may participate in the formal proceedings at the banquet.

11)    The award of the Presidents cup is within the gift of the Honorary Patron of the Society but shall be a joint proposal agreed between the Honorary Patron and the President. The Presidents Cup is held for one year. The President will normally announce the holder at the conference banquet and the cup presented by the Honorary Patron.

Directorate and Group meetings

The Honorary Patron should endeavour to attend Directorate and Group scientific meetings following an invitation from the organising committee. The award holder will attend without paying a registration fee and may claim travel expenses according to the BOS Committee Expenses Protocol.

The Nominations Committee

The Honorary Patron is a member of the Nominations Committee which normally meets once a  year in the Spring. The Chairman of the Nominations Committee is the President of the Society. It  is the responsibility of the Honorary Patron to inform at the appropriate time those who have been nominated for awards.

Other duties

1) The President will respond on behalf of the Society in the event of the death of an officer or a prominent member of the Society. The Honorary Patron should attend the funeral, together with the President, if available.

Expenses

1)               The Honorary Patron, together with their partners, attend the whole British Orthodontic Conference as the guests of the BOS and pay no registration fee or accommodation charges.