Regulations

(1) The Council may, with the concurrence of two- thirds majority of the Membership of the Association and with the approval of the Minister, make Regulations generally for (Licensing) 19 giving effect to the purposes and provisions of this Act and in particular, but without prejudice to the generally of the foregoing, may make Regulations, (a) prescribing any other requirements or criteria which shall be prerequisites for licensing; (b) prescribing the form of the Register and any notice or document required to be given or made under this Act; (c) prescribing the level of fees payable under this Act; (d) requiring the making of returns of information by members of the Association in respect of names, addresses, telephone numbers, professional partners, employees and areas of professional activity; (e) requiring refrigeration and air conditioning technicians to keep books and records of business transactions; (f) prescribing a code of ethics for Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technicians; (g) prescribing forms which are required to be prescribed under the provisions of the Act; (h) prescribing any other matter or thing which may be, or is required by this Act to be prescribed. (2) Regulations made under this section may provide that any person who contravenes the Regulations is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding five thousand 20 dollars or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year, or to both such fine and period of imprisonment. (3) All regulations made by the Council under this Act shall be subject to negative resolution. (Licensing) 21 SCHEDULE REFRIGERATION TECHNICIANS (LICENSING) ACT. Constitution of the Association of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technicians of Belize [Section 27] Article I Name of Association The name of the association shall be the “Association of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technicians of Belize.” Article II Objectives of the Association The objects and purposes for which the Association of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technicians of Belize (hereinafter called “the Association”) is hereby constituted are, (i) to promote, encourage and protect the general advancement of the profession of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technicians Professions (hereinafter called “the Professions”); (ii) to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas among the members of the Association; (iii) to provide a means of evaluating the development of professional skills Refrigeration Technicians 22 among members of the professions and to provide professional status to those members of the professions who have exemplified themselves as worthy of such status in accordance with the terms and conditions laid down by this Constitution and its By- laws; (iv) to regulate the conduct of members of the Association such as to encourage the application of the highest standards of excellence in the performance of services and in the ethics of the professions; (v) to implement standards in the practice of the professions and instill a conscious recognition of the professions’ obligation to society and the environment; (vi) to seek, for the protection and benefit of society and the environment, legislation for mandatory registration of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technicians to practice in Belize. Article III Membership 1. Subject to the provisions of the Act, membership in the Association shall be open to qualified Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technicians. The membership of the Association shall consist of the following classes, Refrigeration Technicians (Licensing) 23 (a) Corporate/ Professional Members; (b) Individual Members; (c) Associate Members; (d) Honorary Members; (e) Student Members. 2. Corporate/Professional Members Every candidate for election or transfer to the class of Corporate Member shall be a person who in the opinion of the Council has by his achievements acquired an established reputation and whose admission as a Corporate Member will be in the interest of the Association. In addition he shall either, (a) (i) hold a degree, diploma or an equivalent award in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning or an allied Profession, from a University or place of learning at which the syllabus for the particular field is approved by the Council; and (ii) have at least four years practical experience after graduation of a nature acceptable to the Council, under the guidance and supervision of a Corporate Member, or a Corporate Member of a like society of international repute, who is prepared to vouch for the experience gained; or Refrigeration Technicians 24 (b) be a Corporate Member of a Society similarly constituted which is approved by the Council and has had practical experience in Belize for a period of not less than ten years. 3. Individual Members Every candidate for election to the class of Individual Member shall be a person who, in the opinion of the Council, is qualified either by experience or education and who is directly involved in the practice of refrigeration or air conditioning trade in Belize. Preference will be given to a person who holds a degree, diploma or equivalent award in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning or an allied Profession from a University or place of learning at which the syllabus for the particular field is approved by the Council. 4. Associate Members Every candidate for election to the class of Associate Member shall be a person whose admission will, in the opinion of the Council, be in the interest of the Association. In addition, he shall hold a degree, diploma or equivalent award in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning or an allied Profession from a University or place of leaning at which the syllabus for the particular field is approved by the Council. 5. Honorary Members Honorary Members shall comprise every person who has been elected into the class of Honorary Member so long as his name is on the Register as such. They shall be either distinguished persons who from their position have been or are able to render assistance in the execution of public works, or persons eminent in science and experienced in pursuits connected with the professions of refrigeration and air conditioning but who are not engaged in the practice of the professions. Refrigeration Technicians (Licensing) 25 6. Student Members Every candidate for the election to the class of Student Member shall be a person who, at the time of his application, shall be actively pursuing a course of studies leading to an academic qualification acceptable to the Council. Student Members involved in training to achieve experience shall be under the supervision of a qualified license technician for a period not exceeding five years. No person shall remain in this grade for more than 5 years. Article IV Admission, Expulsion and Retirement 1. Candidates shall be admitted to membership in the Association only by the Council. A candidate elected shall be admitted as a Corporate / Professional Member, Individual Member, Associate Member, Honorary Member or Student Member, as the case may be, on payment of such entrance fee or instalment and annual subscription as the By-laws may prescribe. Should payment of such dues not be made within the period of three calendar months after the date of notification to the candidate of his election, such election may be declared null and void by the Council and the candidate shall be notified accordingly. 2. The Council in accordance with the By-laws may expel any member who shall have wilfully acted in contravention of the By-laws and/or Standards or Code of Professional Conduct of the Association, or who, in the opinion of the Council, shall have been guilty of such conduct as shall render him unfit to continue to belong to the Association, and he shall thereupon cease to be a Member (of any class) of the Association. Refrigeration Technicians 26 3. Any member of any class may retire from the Association by sending his resignation in writing to the Secretary, after payment of all subscriptions due from him, including for that current year. Article V Fees and Dues A license fee in an amount determined by the Council for the class of membership to which the candidate is elected shall be due and payable as of the date of election to that class. The schedules of fees and annual dues shall be established, and when established may be modified by a two-thirds majority of the Council. The schedule of fees and dues shall be set forth in the By-laws. Article VI Nomination and Election of Officers 1. The Council shall consist of the President, Vice- President, Secretary, Treasurer and three other members. All members of the Council shall be Corporate/ Professional or Individual Members. 2. The term of office of all elected officers shall be two years and the conditions of eligibility for re-election to the same office or any other office shall be as specified in the By- laws. A term of office shall begin at the close of the Annual General Meeting at which the Officer’s election is announced and shall continue until a successor is elected. 3. Vacancies in the offices of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Members of Council shall, subject to the provisions of the By-laws, be filled every two years by a ballot of members of the Association. Refrigeration Technicians (Licensing) 27 4. In the case of disability of any member of the Council, or neglect in performance of his duties, the Council, on the approval of the membership of the Association, shall have power to declare that office vacant. Article VII Management 1. The Council shall direct and manage the property and affairs of the Association in accordance with the Regulations and the By-laws of the Association and may exercise all such powers of the Association except those required to be exercised by the Association in meeting. 2. The day-to-day management of the affairs of the Association shall be exercised by the Secretary acting as general manager under authority of the Council. Article VIII Meetings 1. General Meetings of the Association shall be held at such places and at such times as the Council may determine. 2. The meetings of the Association shall be as follows, (a) Ordinary Meetings for the reading and discussion of papers, for lectures and discussions, and for visits to works of interest; (b) The Annual General Meetings; Refrigeration Technicians 28 (c) Special General Meetings. 3. All members shall be entitled to vote at the meetings specified in paragraph 2 of this Article, and each voting member shall have one vote. 4. In addition to the Ordinary Meetings specified by paragraph 2 (a), the Council may at their discretion arrange for other meetings to be held for the dissemination of knowledge by means of lectures or cinematograph, slide show or other pictorial representations, or for the discussion of papers; and the Council shall determine the conditions of admission to such meetings, and the manner in which they shall be conducted. 5. The Ordinary Meetings of the Association shall be conducted as prescribed by the Council from time to time and the Council shall determine the conditions of admission to such meetings. 6. At the Ordinary Meetings no question shall be discussed or motion made, relating to the direction and management of the Association. 7. Every member of any class shall have the privilege of introducing one or more visitors at each Ordinary Meetings of the Association, by writing his or their names in the book provided for that purpose. 8. The Annual General Meeting shall be held in the month of December or at such earlier time as the Council may determine. The business of the Annual General Meeting shall be to receive and consider the Report of the Council and the Accounts of the Association for the past year; to elect officers, and (with the approval of the Council) to transact any other business of which notice in writing shall have been given to the Secretary at least seven days before such meeting. Refrigeration Technicians (Licensing) 29 9. A special General Meeting may be called at any time by the Council for any specific purpose relating to the direction and management of the affairs of the Association, or for amending the Constitution or any By-Laws of the Association, and the Council shall at all times call such meeting on a requisition of five members specifying the nature of the business to be transacted. Article IX Organization 1. In pursuance of the objects of the Association, the Council may at their discretion set up one or more sub- committees of the Association as they may specify, for the holding of meetings, the reading of papers and for the discussion of subjects or for other activities falling within the purview of the Association, and the Council may dissolve any such sub-committee at any time. 2. The Council may form such Branches and/or Divisions as may seem to them necessary in order to meet the needs of groups of members. The continuance of such Branches and/or Divisions and the terms of their relationship with the Council, and the rules under which they operate, shall be as the Counci1 may determine under the By-laws. Article X Amendments 1. A proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be submitted to the Secretary in written petitions signed by not less than five members of the Association. Counterparts of petitions may be signed and presented with the same effect as if the signature were on one petition. Refrigeration Technicians 30 2. Petitions for a proposed amendment shall be presented to the Secretary not less than twenty-eight days in advance of the date of the Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting. A proposed amendment in accordance with the intent of the petitions shall be drafted by the Secretary and sent by letter to all the members of the Association at least fourteen days in advance of the Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting. The proposed amendment shall be presented for discussion at the Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting and may be amended in any manner pertinent to the petitions by two- thirds vote. Provided that, if the meeting shall so decide by majority vote, it may defer the proposed amendment to a committee for further consideration and a report at the next Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting. 3. In a similar manner, amendments to the By-laws of the Association may be proposed but only at the Special General Meeting convened for that purpose. Such amendments shall only be regarded as approved by the Association, if two-thirds or more of the members present in person or by proxy at such Special General Meeting vote in favour of such amendment. Article XI Incorporation of Kindred Societies The Council may, upon receipt of a request to the effect, from any Society with objects kindred to those of the Association, arrange for the union, alliance or incorporation of such Society with the Association and may also, remit or reduce the entrance fees of the members of such Society at the time of their union, alliance or incorporation, Refrigeration Technicians (Licensing) 31 Provided that no such union, alliance or incorporation shall be effective unless it is sanctioned by the membership of the Association at a Special General Meeting.