Rules of Procedure of the AFCP
Rules of Procedure of the Association Française des Conférenciers Professionels adopted by the Ordinary General Assembly of the 9th March 2021.
PREAMBLE
The present rules of procedure are designed to complete several points regarding status. It must be given to all members, including new members.
Art 1 –– REGISTRATION OF A NEW MEMBER
Registrations for new members are open without restrictions for the following status:
- Friend (to support the AFCP)
- Explorer (to discover the job of Master of Conference/MC)
- Student (on presentation of a student card)
- Company (non-personal membership for one or several pending memberships), reserved to companies whose main or side activity is not public speaking.
A selective accession procedure is organized for each candidate to the status of “Speaker,” “Professional Speaker,” “MC,” or “Professional MC.”
The conditions to get the status are defined by the Board of Directors and are published in the welcome booklet and on the AFCP website. These conditions may be revised at any point by the Board of Directors in the light of the ever-changing conditions of our field of activity.
Once the registration procedure is complete, the jury offers three possible choices:
- The status of Friend or Explorer
- The status of “Speaker” or “MC”
- The status of “Professional Speaker” or “Master of Conference”
The status of “Honorary Member” may be granted by the Board to any speaker whose reputation is widely established.
A yearly membership to the status of “Friend” may be granted by the Board to any head of an organization which actively promotes the AFCP and its members (for example, the Speakers Bureau).
Art 2 –– STATUS EVOLUTION
Any member with the status of Explorer may ask that their status be changed for the status of “Speaker”, “MC,” “Professional Speaker,” or “Professional MC,” as soon as the conditions declared by the Board are met.
Art 3 –– CERTIFICATION
Any member with the status of “Professional Speaker” or “Professional MC” may ask for a certification.
The certification may be granted by decision of the Board of Directors to speakers that are members of the AFCP and whose professional reputation is widely established.
The granted certification is valid for a period of 5 years. It may be lost if the member is dismissed or if the member does not renew their membership.
The certification conditions are defined by the Board and are published in the welcome booklet and on the AFCP website. These conditions can be revised at any point by the Board in the light of the ever-changing conditions of our field of activity.
Art 4 –– USE OF THE REFERENCE TO THE AFCP AND USE OF THE AFCP LOGO
Valorization of members and their potential evolution within the AFCP comes with an appropriate use of the AFCP logo and references to the AFCP.
Members who wish to state their membership to the AFCP must mention their status in a clear and unambiguous manner. Furthermore, any reference to their status must be accompanied by the association’s website page explaining the different status (https://association-conferenciers.com/statuts-des-adherents).
Any use of the AFCP logo must be accompanied by the member’s status in a clear and unambiguous manner. In case of doubt on the terms of use of the AFCP or on the mention of their status, the member shall consult the Board of Directors or the appropriate Committee if it exists.
Consequently, any misleading or inexact reference to the status of a member or any misleading or inexact mention to the membership of a decision-making body, to a committee, to a board, or to the representation of the association shall lead to an immediate dismissal.
In the event of non-renewal of their membership, the former member is no longer allowed to use any reference to the AFCP, or to the AFCP logo, except for historical references. Historical references must be accompanied by the former member’s status in a clear and unambiguous manner and mentioning the dated period of his membership.
In case of dismissal, a former member is no longer allowed to use any reference to the AFCP or to use the AFCP logo.
In the case of repeated non-compliance from a member, the latter shall be dismissed for life.
Art 5 –– ETHICS
A Code of Ethics is available on the association’s website ((https://www.association-conferenciers.com/charte/). Membership to the association shall be effective only after the signing of the Code by the new member.
Members who have not yet signed the Code must sign it within the week following the implementation of the rules of procedure. If, after one reminder, a member has still not signed the Code, they shall be dismissed from the association.
Any confirmed failure to the Code’s terms, after investigation and adverbial debate between the member and the Board, shall lead to the immediate dismissal of the member in breach with the Code.
Art 6 –– ELECTIONS and BOARD OF DIRECTORS
To be in accordance with the President’s mandate, administrators are elected for a two-year mandate.
This mandate is renewable.
To be eligible or re-eligible to the Board, one must:
- Be up-to-date with their subscriptions,
- Not be a member of the Board of another association of speakers, except for the Global Speaker Federation (GSF).
To be elected, the candidate must collect at least 50% of the General Assembly’s votes cast.
The number of members of the Board may increase or decrease depending on the number of members, in the following proportions:
- Less than 50 members: up to 7 administrators
- Between 50 and 100 members: up to 9 administrators
- Between 100 and 150 members: up to 11 administrators
- Between 150 and 200 members: up to 13 administrators
- Beyond 200 members: up to 15 administrators.
Art 7 –– PREPAYMENT INDEMNITIES
Mandates are not paid.
Only the administrators and/or elected members of the Bureau may claim for the refunding of expenses incurred by their missions and upon supporting documents, following the conditions defined by the Board of Directors.
The expenses incurred by members of the association shall be refunded if the association’s Treasurer has previously deemed the refund necessary to the proper functioning of the association.
Art 8 –– COMMITTEES
Committees may be constituted or interrupted upon approval of the Board of Directors. Members are welcomed to contribute to these commissions.
Committees are autonomous and shall provide any information, feedback, or propositions regarding the progress of the association and members of the Board.
The members of the Board may, at any point, freely decide to take part in a committee or to withdraw from a committee, so as to guarantee its proper functioning.
Art 9 –– ALLOWANCES and ENTRY FEES
The price of yearly subscriptions and entry fees regarding the status of “Speaker,” “Professional Speakers,” “MC,” and “Professional MC” are voted by the Ordinary General Assembly.
The Board of Directors shall decide upon the amount of the subscriptions regarding other member status or exceptional conditions for membership, for example a historical member or an honorary member.
Art 10 –– MODIFICATIONS OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE
Modifications of the Rules of Procedure are voted by the General Assembly by a majority vote. (50% +1).
