ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT:

 

ARTICLE I: NAME OF ORGANISATION

The name of the Organisation (hereinafter referred to as the ‘ACO’) is the ‘Association of Camera Operators’.

The registered office of the Association will be situated in the United Kingdom.

The Association will be an incorporated and non-profit Association.

 

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE

The ACO is established for the following objectives: The Association of Camera Operators is a UK based voluntary organisation of professional feature film, commercials and television drama camera operators, specialising in the art of camera operating. The primary aim of the Association is to celebrate and promote the technical and creative skills of the Camera Operator and also to enrich these skills by being at the forefront of developments in technology and production methods.

Staging of action, the choreography of camera moves, composition and framing are all areas of expertise that the Camera Operator brings to the art of filmmaking along with the organisational and communication skills essential when dealing with cast and crew. We are proud of our role and the overriding benefit our skills bring to a production.

Our role and influence within the camera department makes our contribution to debates about new technology and workflow practices essential. We welcome the need to embrace new skills and ways of working and also recognise the need to give them a solid grounding in the creative and technical traditions of our craft and to ensure that they are applied in a beneficial and appropriate way.

The Association will provide a forum for the huge body of expertise that our skills represent and through our Association, with its website, seminars, training workshops and articles, show how the skills of the Camera Operator are central to the artistic and economic success of a production.

 

ARTICLE III: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Board of Directors of the ACO, hereinafter referred to as the “Board,” shall consist of at least eleven (11) Board Members.

Board Members shall be ACO Full Members and Full Time Camera Operators in good standing receiving the highest number of votes in the election of Directors. The term of office of all Board Members shall begin from the time of their election or appointment and continue until the next election. No other working classifications or categories of membership will be permitted to be elected, or appointed, to hold these positions

Two Board Members shall resign office annually, but can offer themselves for re-election. Names of new candidates must be sent by email not less than one month before the Annual General Meeting. Members are entitled to nominate any number of candidates provided the proposer is able to warrant the candidate’s willingness to stand for election to the Board.

 

ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS

President

The President shall be the chief executive officer of the ACO and shall preside at all membership meetings as well as meetings of the Board of Directors. The President shall be a member of all committees, and shall have general powers and duties not inconsistent with the Articles of Agreement and the Rules of the ACO as are usually possessed or are exercised by presiding officers. The President shall generally supervise, manage, and conduct the operation of the ACO according to the will and desires, with the advice and consent, of the Board of Directors.

Vice President

The Vice President shall, in the absence or disability of the President, perform the duties and exercise the powers of the President, and shall have other powers and perform such other duties as are or shall be imposed upon said officer by statute, the Rules of the ACO, and the Board of Directors.

Secretary

It shall be the duty of the Secretary to supervise and be responsible for the taking of minutes at all meetings, giving due notices of meetings, and keeping a record of the names, addresses of all members, showing the dates they became members, and the causes and dates of termination of membership of such persons who shall cease to be members.

Treasurer

It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to supervise the collection and disbursement of all funds of the ACO and have regular accounts kept in books belonging to the ACO, which shall be open to the inspection of any member in good standing. The Treasurer shall provide the Secretary with update information on paid members.

The Treasurer shall have such powers and perform such duties as are, or shall be, imposed upon such office by statute, or by the Rules of the ACO, or by the Board of Directors, or by the President.

 

ARTICLE V: VACANCIES IN OFFICE

An office shall be deemed vacant when the incumbent dies, resigns or is removed.

Any Board Member who absents himself for three consecutive Board meetings without proper apologies

Any duly elected or appointed Officer, upon changing to a working classification other than Camera Operator, may at the discretion of the Board, complete the current term of office.

 

ARTICLE VI: GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

The ACO shall hold not less than One (1) General Membership Meeting per year; dates time and place to be determined by the Board of Directors.

Members in good standing may attend General Membership Meetings.

 

ARTICLE VII: THE RIGHT TO USE THE LETTERS: “ACO”

Only full members in good standing shall have the right to place, or cause to be placed, the letters “ACO” after their names on the screen, or in publicity (screen or otherwise), or in which their names appear in connection with the Film, Video and Television Industries.

 

ARTICLE VIII: AMENDMENTS TO THE ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT AND RULES

All alterations to the Articles and the Rules of the ACO shall be made only as defined and shall in no way damage the integrity of this Articles or Rules.

A written proposal to amend the Articles of Agreement must first be read at a meeting of the Board of Directors. After debate, a vote shall be taken with respect to said proposed amendment whether or not to proceed. If approved, the Board will then take said proposed amendment under advisement for discussion and legal research, thereafter putting the proposed amendment into final form for presentation to the membership.

The proposed amendment shall be adopted if there is a majority vote.

 

ARTICLE IX: RULES OF THE ASSOCIATION

The Rules of the Association shall be deemed to be incorporated into these Articles providing that where any inconsistency would be created these Articles shall prevail over the Rules of the ACO.