Final week for this year’s nominations to Council

The deadline for the receipt of nominations for this year's Council elections is just one week away. A number of applications have already been received but there is still time for any other member of the RCVS, who might wish to stand for nomination to RCVS Council, to return their completed nomination form.

Council elections will be held between 9 March and 29 April, with the results announced in early May. The successful candidates will start their four-year term of office on RCVS Day on 8 July 2005.

The current members of Council, who will retire at the Annual General Meeting in 2005 and who are eligible for re-election, are:

• Dr JV Davies
• Mr MF Elliott
• Mr D Harding
• Mrs PJ Nute
• Mr CM Ross
• Dr NP Swayne

Full details of the application procedure were published in RCVS News (November 2004). Nominations, which may be submitted electronically to [email protected], must be received by 31 January 2005.

View last year's results

Election of Members of Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons

In accordance with the provisions of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Council Election Scheme 1967, six persons who must be members of the Royal College resident outside the Republic of Ireland (unless being resident in the Republic of Ireland he/she has retained the right to vote in Council elections, pursuant to the provisions of the Veterinary Surgeons [Agreement with the Republic of Ireland] Order 1988) will be elected in 2004 to be members of the Council of the said Royal College, for a period of four years from the Annual General Meeting in July 2005.

Nominations of persons for election to the Council must be submitted in writing on the prescribed form which may be obtained from, and which must be returned to, the Registrar, duly completed on or before 31 January 2005.

The Nomination Form may be accompanied by a Statement from each of the candidate's proposers of not more than 100 words for publication to members with the voting papers.

Candidates may submit a Statement of not more than 500 words (inclusive of contact details), together with a recent photograph (larger than passport-sized), for publication with the voting papers. The statement and photograph should be received by the Registrar no later than 31 January 2005. Wherever possible, the statements from the candidates and proposers should be sent in electronic form (on disc in Word, or by email to [email protected]), as well as hard copy. Please note that no late submissions will be accepted and those exceeding the word count will not be included, unless adjustments can be made before the closing date.

Voting papers will subsequently be distributed to all members of the College, other than those who are resident in the Republic of Ireland who have not retained their right to vote in Council elections (see above) on or before 9 March 2005.  Each nomination form must bear the signatures and registered addresses of two proposers. No proposer may:

a) nominate more than one candidate; or

b) be a member of Council; or

c) reside in the Republic of Ireland, unless he/she has retained his/her right to vote in Council elections (see above).

It should be noted that the term "proposer" includes not only the person who would normally be so described but also the person who may often be described as the "seconder". The nomination form must also bear the signature of the candidate, including his/her willingness to accept nomination and to comply with codes of practice or guidance issued by Council governing the conduct of Council Members (currently set out in the Council Members' Handbook).