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Should the members of the Society, as a whole, not considerthere to be justification for improvement to the processesand procedures of determining the composition, functioningand powers of the Governing Council (note to be read asequivalent to the “committee” as per the Act) that is a matterfor the members of the Society as a whole to determine.The existing Rules refer to a “Council” and although thatterm is not defined in the existing Rules the expression“Council” is used throughout the Rules and, in particular,Rule 16(a) with the intention of referring to that group ofpersons who would have the same powers, functions andobligations as those persons who comprise the “committee”referred to in the Act.Therefore, the expression “Governing Council” has beenchosen in communication material and in the proposed draftnew Rules so as to enable a distinction to be made between,and avoid confusion with, the functions, powers and role ofpersons serving on the “Executive Committee” as that termis referred to in the Rules and from all other references in theexisting Rules to the various other “committees” that can andhave been formed by the “Council” from time to time.Hence, all references to the expression “committee” in theAct should be read and construed as referring to the“Governing Council” for the purposes of communicationand interpreting the proposed draft amended Rules.The expression “committee” is defined in the Act to mean:“In relation to an association, means the committee of theassociation established under Section 60(1).”Section 16(d) of the Act specifies matters that are requiredto take place in order for an association to become incorporatedunder the Act, which states: “An association or a groupof five or more persons proposing to form and incorporate an associationmay, by resolution: (d) appoint at least 3 members ofthe association or of the group proposing to form and incorporatean association to be the inaugural members of the committee ofthe incorporated association if the application is successful.”Hence, by virtue of section 16(d), in order for an associationor group of 5 or more persons to validly incorporate underthe Act and indeed to remain incorporated under the Act,there must have been a resolution (ie a recorded vote)to approve the appointment of at least 3 members to formthe inaugural committee (ie in this case the GoverningCouncil).Section 60 of the Act states:“(1) An incorporated association must have a committee of atleast 3 members of the association.(2) The committee of an incorporated association has themanagement of the association.”Section 61 of the Act provides:“The inaugural members of the committee of an association incorporatedunder this Act are, unless the rules of the associationotherwise provide, taken to be:(a) For an incorporated association under section 19 – thepersons appointed under section 16(d):......”Therefore, by virtue of Section 16(d) and Section 61, it isa pre-condition that the composition of the committee(ie under the Rules, the “Governing Council”) at theestablishment of incorporation of the association and at alltimes thereafter by virtue of Section 60 be comprised of thosemembers of the Society who have been appointed by a validresolution of the members (ie by election). Any changes to thecomposition of the ‘committee’ (ie Governing Council) mustbe notified to the registrar-general pursuant to Section 62.The existing Rules provide for a complex and difficult interpretativeprocedure for the election of members of each of the‘Divisions’, ‘Specialist Groups’ or ‘Branches’, however, do notprovide any Rules for the nomination and election of membersto Governing Council (ie ‘committee’ as read in the Act).Hence regardless of what the Act provides, having a set ofRules for the election of members to each Division andSpecialist Group without rules for the election of personsto the Governing Council (again read as referring to ‘committee’)is of itself justification requiring correction at least.Although there is no requirement under the Act forparticipants of the Divisions, Specialist Groups or Branchesto have been elected, given that the existing Rules alreadydo so, the proposed draft Rules provide for the participantsof each Division to elect by simple majority resolution anominee of that Division as the Divisional Representativeon the Governing Council and such nomination is requiredto be endorsed by the Society in General Meeting.It is important to point out that it is the ratification of aparticular Division to have representation on the GoverningCouncil for the term of office set out in the Rules ratherthan the individual who is a participant in that Divisionso as to enable the particular Division to have differentparticipants of that Division representing the Division onthe Governing Council throughout the term.The purpose of the model proposed for the compositionof the Governing Council is to provide and ensure equalvoice, equal representation, clear transparency and objectivityfor the broad membership of the Society and notthose comprising the greatest in number of members of aparticular Division or Specialist Group to the disadvantageof smaller Divisions or smaller Specialist Groups.On behalf of the Governance CommitteeJim Ross, Brad Pillans, Laurie Hutton,Chris Yeats and Sue FletcherTAG September 2012| 11
Society UpdateFrom the AJES Hon Editor’s deskAJES Impact Factor 2011The two-year impact factor for AJES is 1.417 with a rankingof 80 out of 150 in the Geosciences Multidisciplinarysubject category. Although there has been some volatilityin AJES impact factors over the last 15 years, this is the thirdhighestimpact factor for this period. The two-year impact factorhas been greater than 1.0 every year since 1999.New simplified access to online AJESSeveral members have had difficulty accessing AJES online sowe have been working with Taylor and Francis publishers toprovide an easier process. The model we are moving to isSociety Member access. We envisage starting the roll-out ofthis access model in early October. Retired members are likelyto be contacted first. This model relies on each memberindividually authenticating their identity once and once only.After that is done, as long as a member is financial there willbe no interruption to online access.The GSA will communicate directlywith members during the roll-out ofthis different model.Upcoming in AJESTwo big thematic issues 59/5 (Archean evolution — YilgarnCraton: Guest editors Kevin F Cassidy and Stephen Wyche) and59/6 (Evolution and geodynamics of the Indo-Australian plate:Guest editors Myra Keep and Wouter P Schellart) were recentlypublished in time for the IGC. Issues 7 and 8 will includeresearch papers and discussion and replies although they willbe reduced in length to make up for the extra pages used inearlier issues. Early in 2013 we will publish an issue ongeological CO 2 storage, edited by Alex Golab and Sue Golding,with an introduction by Peter Cook. Some of the papers fromthis volume are already available on the AJES.AWARDSFollowing from the June issue (TAG 163), the remainingcitation for the DI Groves Award for volume 58 and forthe AB Edwards Awards for volumes 57 and 58 arepresented here. The FL Stillwell, DI Groves and AB EdwardsAwards were presented at the GSA Awards Presentation atthe IGC in Brisbane in August.AB Edwards Medal winnersIn the June issue (TAG 163), we announced the AB Edwards Medalfor the best paper in AJES Vol. 57 (2010) — A guide formineral exploration through the regolith in the Yilgarn Craton,Western Australia, by Ravi Anand and Charles Butt. We alsoannounced the winning paper in AJES Vol. 58 (2011) — A criticalreview of genesis modelling for the Hamersley BIF-hosted iron oresof Western Australia, by Richard Morris and Malcolm Kneebone. Inthis issue we publish the background to all the award winners andto Anand and Butt’s paper.Ravi AnandThe Yilgarn Craton is one of the world’s principal mineral provinces,with considerable resources of gold, nickel, bauxite and iron ore, aswell as lesser amounts of a wide range of other commodities.As such, it is a major target for exploration. However, as most of thecraton has been exposed to subaerial conditions since at least theLate Proterozoic, it has had a long history of weathering and erosionunder a wide variety of climatic conditions. This has resulted in awidespread and complex regolith cover. This diverse and extensiveregolith cover poses considerable difficulties for exploration — aswell as opportunities in terms of different sample media and thedevelopment of resources within the regolith itself. The developmentof appropriate geochemical exploration procedures has been thesubject of considerable research by government, universities andindustry for nearly 50 years. This guide attempts to summarise theresults of this research in a single, stand-alone document to assistmineral explorers. It provides a synthesis of the characteristics andevolution of the Yilgarn landscape and advice on appropriate strategiesand techniques for exploring through different types of cover,based on current knowledge and best practice. Because broadly similardeeply weathered regolith-dominated terrains occur elsewherein Australia and, indeed, in other continents, many of the principlesdiscussed here can be more widely applied.12 |TAG September 2012
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Page 3 and 4: From the PresidentHello — let me
Page 5 and 6: Society UpdateBusiness ReportThe Se
Page 7: Society UpdateTowards a GSA Climate
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Page 17 and 18: Society UpdateEducation&OutreachIam
Page 19 and 20: Society UpdateHeritage MattersThe p
Page 21 and 22: Newsfrom the DivisionsJoint GSA Vic
Page 23 and 24: Newsfrom the Specialist GroupsSpeci
Page 25 and 26: NRG updateThe news is all good for
Page 27 and 28: Dana in AustraliaIn November 1839 t
Page 29 and 30: Feature 2The Square Kilometre Array
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Page 33 and 34: (see http://anz2012.com.au/), which
Page 35 and 36: Remote sensed data is becoming incr
Page 37 and 38: AwardsGSA MEDALSThe Geological Soci
Page 39 and 40: As well as speaking at the 34th Int
Page 41 and 42: Principal sponsor Vale exhibited a
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Page 47 and 48: Calendar201215-17 OctoberMines and
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