(Amended January 2019)

1.         Name.

           The Organisation shall be called the ‘Register of Professional Turners’ hereinafter referred to as the ‘Register’.  The accepted abbreviation for the Register of Professional Turners shall be ‘RPT’

2.         Objectives.   The objectives of the Register shall be:

(a)        To actively promote member’s services to collectors, gallery owners and all other prospective customers

(b)        To assure prospective purchasers of turned work that high standards of design, execution and finish will be obtained from makers, who are members of the Register

(c)        To encourage the development of turning

(d)       To encourage proper teaching of the craft of turning

3.         Register’s Form numbers

Throughout this document reference will be made to the Register’s form numbers. These are the forms that are used for the day to day running of the RPT and can be found in the RPT Handbook. These forms are written by the RPT Committee under the authority of Clause 5(f) below.

4.         Membership.

(a)        Membership of the Register shall be open to turners who meet the required criteria and adhere to the Code of Practice.  (RPT form F2 pg.2)

(b)        Applications for membership must be made on the Register’s “Application for Membership form F2” available on the RPT website or through the Membership Secretary. Applications can also be made by contacting the Clerk to the Turner’s Company.(RPT form F2 pg.4)

(c)        Applicants for membership must be sponsored by two Members of the Register, or failing this, by a responsible person who knows the candidate well and who understands the Register’s need for Members of competence and integrity.  In the case of sponsorship by an individual not on the Register, the applicant must be prepared to show why it was impossible to find an appropriate member as sponsor.  The RPT Committee is not obliged to accept a non-Register sponsor if, in their opinion, the chosen individual is unsuitable.

(d)        On receipt of the application, the Membership Secretary will initiate the process described in (RPT forms F3 & F4), which will consist of a visit to the candidate’s workshop by a Register appointed Assessor during which an informal interview will take place and which will be referred to as the Assessment Policy and Procedure. Only when the RPT Committee is satisfied that the applicant fully understands and accepts the Register membership criteria and Code of Practice, and has reached the required standards of skill, will membership of the Register be offered.

(e)        The management Committee will appoint members deemed suitable to be used as Assessors of new applicants for membership.  Assessors will be selected by the RPT Membership Committee.

(f)        Members on the Register shall be entitled to use the letters RPT after their names, to wear badges authorised by the Company and may refer to being on the Register of Professional Turners.  Members may use the RPT tool-rest Logo or the Turners’ Company shield (with the words “The RPT is supported by the Worshipful Company of Turners”) on their stationery, but are not permitted to display the full Turners’ Company Arms.

(g)        Any member resigning, or otherwise ceasing to be a member of the Register, will immediately cease to use or display any reference to the Company and any reference to the RPT.

(h)         Members who have retired from woodturning may apply for Retired Member Status. This will allow those members to retain the entitlement to use the letters RPT after their name.

(i)        Retired members must abide by the rules as laid down in the Retired Member rules. Which can be found on form RPT F10.

(j)        A membership sub-committee will be formed and will include the Chair, Vice-Chair and Membership Secretary. This sub committee will decide if assessed applicants are suitable for membership of the RPT after reviewing the evidence collected by the assessor/s.

5.   Administration of the Register.

(a)        The Register shall be administered by a Committee, drawn from Members of the Register, and of the Company.  The Committee shall consist of:

(1)        Chair

(2)        Vice-Chair (The VC will usually also hold one of the roles below)

(3)        Treasurer (normally Clerk of the Company)

(4)        Honorary Safety Officer 

(5)        Honorary Membership Secretary and Webmaster

(6)        Honorary Applications Secretary

(7)        Honorary Feedback-Form Officer

(8)        Honorary Newsletter Editor

(9)        Other elected or co-optedMembers 

(10)      The Chairman of the Company’s Howe Committee will be an ex-officio member of the Committee

The members of the Committee shall elect one of their number as Chair, as required, and a second to act as Vice-Chair (VC).  The VC will chair meetings of the Committee in the absence of the Chair.  With the VC’s agreement, the Chair may delegate other routine tasks to them.

(b)        Each member of the Committee will serve for a term of three years with one third of the members retiring in rotation each year.  The Honorary Treasurer will not be subject to election or re-election unless, unusually, the Clerk of the Company is unable to fill the role.

(1)        Committee members may stand for re-election at the end of their three-year term, but may not stand more than twice (that is, for a maximum of 9 years).   An individual will not serve as Chair for longer than three years, but may be re-elected as Chair for a further three years only.

(2)       The retiring Chair and Vice-Chair may serve on the committee in another post for a further three years only at the discretion of the incoming Chair to aid handover.

(c)        The RPT Committee shall meet at least four times each year.  Between meetings, decisions may be taken by email although the details of those decisions are to be recorded in the minutes of the next meeting.  A quorum shall be 4 members, and in the case of a tied vote, the Chairman will have a second casting vote.

(d)        Any Committee Member who fails to attend three or more committee meetings in a year is to resign at the next AGM.

(e)        The Committee is authorised to employ an individual as Office Administrator.

(f)        The Committee is authorised to issue and update a document detailing the processes and procedures used to administer the Register as well as the rules and standards with which members are obliged to comply.  The document will be known as the RPT Handbook  While new or amended Policies and Procedures will come into force immediately upon publication, any members objecting to a particular Policy or Procedure should first raise their concerns with the management Committee and if their concerns are not satisfied may demand an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) in accordance with Clause 8, below.

(g)       Members who have completed 9 years in any capacity on the Management Committee cannot rejoin the Committee until at least 3 years have elapsed since leaving.

6.         Annual General Meeting. 

The AGM shall be held in March or April each year.  The meeting will be held on the same day as the annual Craft Meeting hosted by the Company.  The Calling Notice shall be circulated by the Office Administrator or the Honorary Secretary at least 30 days before the meeting.  The meeting will receive reports from the Chair the Honorary Treasurer, and/or  other officers of the committee.  Elections of committee members will take place each year.  The meeting will also agree the subscription for the following year unless this has been agreed at a former meeting.

7.         Appointment of Committee.

The names of candidates proposed for the Committee, supported by three paid-up Members, must be supplied to the Clerk of the Turners company in writing, so that they may be circulated to all Members at least 30 days before the AGM.  Should more than one name for any position be submitted, Members will be balloted at that Annual Craft Meeting.

8.         Extraordinary General Meetings.

(a)       The RPT Committee may call an EGM whenever it judges that an urgent need exists.

(b)        A group of members of the Register may request an EGM.  At least ten members must lodge the request with the Treasurer who will, after consultation with the RPT Committee, make the appropriate arrangements.  The Calling Notice for the EGM must be circulated to all paid-up members of the Register at least 30 days before the planned date of the meeting.

9.         General Meetings.

Members shall be able to cast proxy votes at the General Meetings by notifying the Chair in advance of their wishes; proxy voting forms will be sent with papers for meetings.  At General Meetings, decisions are deemed to be carried if they attract a simple majority of votes from the members present and entitled to vote, or voting by proxy.  In the event of a decision needed immediately, the Chair shall have a casting vote.  However, a change to the Constitution requires two thirds (2/3rds) of those present and entitled to vote, and proxy votes, to approve such changes.  A quorum shall consist of 15% of the full membership at the time.

10.       Subscriptions.

(a)       An annual subscription, set by the Committee, shall be payable by all members on the Register.  The Subscription Year will approximate to the UK Tax Year.  Monies collected through subscriptions shall be used for the benefit of the Register as determined by the Committee.  The subscription rate will be reviewed annually.

(b)      The Treasurer shall maintain a Bank Account and records of expenditure and receipt.  He shall provide the Committee with a Statement of Account at each committee meeting.  The Treasurer shall be permitted to sign cheques, for normal budgeted expenditure, on behalf of the Register up to a sum of £250.   Unusual (non-budgeted) expenditure must be authorised by the Chair in writing.  Repayment of members’ expenses must be authorised, in writing, by the Chair.  Repayment of the Chair’s expenses must be countersigned by another member of the Committee.  Cheques for sums above £500 must be countersigned by the Chair or another member of the Committee.

11.       Complaints Against Members.

The Register has a Complaints Procedure, published on the Website where it can be found by members of the public.  The Procedure can be found within RPT forms 9 & 9A..  Members are obliged to cooperate with the Complaints process and failure to do so could result in removal from the Register in accordance with Clause 12.RPT form 8.

12.       Removal from the Register.

(a) Any member on the Register who either:

(i) fails to maintain a high standard of craftsmanship.

(ii) behaves in a manner bringing the Register or the Company into disrepute.

(iii) causes disharmony amongst its members.

(iv) is in arrears of subscription for more than 6 months.

may, after due consideration of all relevant factors by the Committee, be deleted from the Register.

(b)        Such removal would not incur any liability, whether on the part of the Register or the Company or any of their respective officers. Such turners shall no longer be entitled to make any claim to being a member of the Register of Professional Turners and shall return the Certificate of Registration and any badges provided, to the Office Administrator or Treasurer.

13.       Relationship with the Worshipful Company of Turners. 

The Worshipful Company of Turners shall provide such support as may be decided by the Company, from time to time without liability.  The RPT Committee shall liaise with the Company through the Clerk and its Howe Committee.  The Chair of the RPT Committee will  be invited to become a member of the Howe Committee. The Chair of the Howe Committee will sit on the RPT committee and will have full voting rights.

14.       General.

(a)        All members may draw to the attention of the Chair, or any member of the Committee, any matter of interest or concern, or make proposals for the improvement of the Register.

(b)        Any proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be circulated to theMembership at least four weeks before the subsequent AGM, when it will be presented for approval.

(c)        The RPT is an equal opportunities organisation in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

(d)       The RPT will reimburse members reasonable expenses. Receipts must be submitted along with an RPT expenses claim form (RPT form 12).