AAABG Home Site

25th AAABG CONFERENCE 2023

The 25th Conference of the Association for the Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics (AAABG) was held in Perth, WA from 26-28th July 2023. Individual papers can now be downloaded as well as the full proceedings.

An additional 22 papers have been published in a Special Edition of Animal Production Science.

24th AAABG CONFERENCE 2021

The 24th AAABG conference was held in hybrid form from the Adelaide Convention Centre from 2nd - 4th November 2021. Individual papers can be downloaded as well as the full proceedings.

An additional 29 papers have been published in a Special Edition of Animal Production Science.

An observation for 40 years of AAABG

A correspondence from James Litchfield, on how the ram client benefits from genetic improvement.

AAABG Rules (the constitution)

The AAABG was formerly known as the Australian Association for Animal Breeding and Genetics. It is now named the Association for the Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics. The Association is Incorporated in the state of South Australia.

Note: At the 16th Ordinary General Meeting of AAABG recommendations were made for changes to the rules of the Association relating to election of AAABG Fellows (Rule 9) and all rules relating to membership subscriptions (rules 10, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 29). With some procedural amendments these changes were adopted by the meeting. The amended rules must now be approved by the relevant statutory authority in South Australia. When approval is received the current rules listed here will be revised.

THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF
ANIMAL BREEDING AND GENETICS INC.

1.The name of the Association shall be The Association for the Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics Incorporated.

OBJECTIVES

2.The objectives of the Association shall be:

to promote scientific research on the genetics of animals;
to foster the application of genetics in animal production;
to promote communication among all those interested in the application of genetics to animal production, particularly breeders and their organisations, consultants, extension workers, educators and geneticists.

3. To meet these objectives, the Association will:

hold regular conferences to provide a forum for:

presentation of papers and in-depth discussions of general and industry-specific topics concerning the application of genetics in commercial animal production;
scientific discussions and presentation of papers on completed research work and on proposed research projects;

publish the proceedings of each Regular Conference and circulate them to all financial members;
use any such other means as may from time to time be deemed appropriate.

MEMBERSHIP

4. The founding members of the new association are the financial members of the Australian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics Inc.

5. The Association shall consist of Ordinary Members, Corporate Members, Honorary Members and Fellows.

6. Any person interested in the application of genetics to animal production may apply for membership of the Association and, at the discretion of the Committee, be admitted to membership as an Ordinary Member.

7. Any organisations interested in the application of genetics to animal production may apply for membership and, at the discretion of the Committee, be admitted to membership as a Corporate Member. Each such corporate Member shall have the privilege of being represented at any meeting of the Association by one delegate appointed by the Corporate Member.

8. Members who have rendered eminent service to the Association may be elected to Honorary Membership by the Committee, and be informed of such election by announcement at the next Ordinary General Meeting.

9. Persons who have rendered eminent service to animal breeding in Australia and/or New Zealand or elsewhere in the world, may be elected to Fellowship of the Association by the Committee, and be informed of such election by announcement at the next Ordinary General Meeting.

10. Honorary Members and Fellows shall not be required to pay an annual subscription. Honorary Members and Fellows of the Australian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics Incorporated will be accepted in the same categories of membership by The Association for the Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics Incorporated.

OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE

11. The officers of the Association shall consist of President, Vice-President, President-Elect, Treasurer and Secretary.

12. The business of the Association shall be conducted by a Committee of Members of the Association consisting of the officers and four other members. The President or Vice-President shall preside at meetings of the Committee but, in their absence, a chairman may be elected by members present. Four members shall constitute a quorum. All committee decisions shall be by simple majority of its members expressed verbally or by post. The chairman shall have a casting vote, if necessary.

13. The officers of the Association and other members of the committee shall be elected by a ballot of the Ordinary Members and Corporate Members at each Ordinary General Meeting.

14. Nominations for the officers of the Association and other members of the Committee may be put forward by any two Members with the written consent of the candidates; nominations shall be sent to reach the Secretary at least one month before the Ordinary General Meeting. If insufficient nominations are received from Members, the Committee shall make the necessary nominations to fill vacancies. The Secretary shall send a voting paper to all Members at least three weeks before the meeting. Election will be by those present at the Ordinary General Meeting and by those unable to attend who have sent to the Secretary the voting paper, duly completed and reaching the Secretary before the day of the meeting.

15. The officers and other members of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election subject to the limitation that they shall not serve in any one capacity for more than three consecutive terms, or for more than six consecutive terms as a Member of the Committee in any capacity. At least three members of the Committee shall be livestock producers. Any vacancy occurring in the Committee during a period of office may be filled by the Committee until the next election.

16. The transfer of authority from the outgoing to the incoming officers and Committee shall take place at a joint meeting held within 60 days of the Ordinary General Meeting at which the election takes place. The Committee may appoint Corresponding Members to maintain contact in areas not adequately represented on the Committee. Such corresponding Members shall not have voting rights in the Committee, but may attend committee meetings as observers.

DUTIES OF COMMITTEE

17. In the event of any question or matter arising out of any point which is not expressly provided for under these rules or under the provision of the Associations Incorporation Act, 1985 and amendments, the Committee shall act as seems to be best for the interests of the Association.

18. Prior to each Ordinary General Meeting, the Committee shall appoint an official auditor to audit the accounts of the Association.

19. The Committee shall appoint an Editor of the Association's Proceedings who may co-opt Associate Editors.

20. The Committee may appoint such sub-committees as it considers necessary for carrying on the work of the Association; and shall have the power to co-opt members or non-members of the Association to serve on such sub-committees.

21. No sub-committee shall act without the consent of the Committee of the Association.

22. The Committee shall be empowered to recommend the removal of a member of the Association if it is considered that the interests of the Association require it. Any such recommendation shall be submitted to a General Meeting of the Association. If two-thirds of the Members present vote by a ballot in support of the recommendation, the Member in question shall thereupon cease to be a Member of the Association.

FINANCE

23. The Annual Ordinary Subscription, which shall include the cost of the proceedings of the Regular Conference, shall be proposed by the Committee and approved by the Ordinary General Meeting. The Annual Corporate Subscription, payable by Corporate Members, shall be four times the Annual Ordinary Subscription.
[The 12th Ordinary General Meeting approved an increase in the annual ordinary subscription to $A30 effective 1 January 1998.]

24. The financial year will commence on January 1.

25. Subscriptions shall be due on the first day of the financial year of the Association, and no Member shall be entitled to the privileges of membership until the subscription for the year is paid.

26. Any Member whose subscription is one year in arrears and who has been duly notified of the fact by the Treasurer, shall cease to be a Member of the Association, but shall be eligible for re-election.

27. No part of the income or other funds of the Association may be used or be available to be used for the private pecuniary profit of any Member, trustee, person, persons or organisation associated with the Association apart from any usual professional, business or trade charges in connection with services provided to the Association.

28. Notwithstanding rule 40, rule 27 may not be altered or amended in any way or rescinded other than with the approval of the New Zealand Commissioner of Inland Revenue.

29. New Members or those whose membership has lapsed in accordance with the provisions of rule 26 shall pay a joining fee equal to half the Annual Ordinary Subscription. [Ammendment by the 12th Ordinary General Meeting:] New members only who are full time students may, on application to the Committee, have the joining fee waived.

CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS

30. The Association shall hold a Regular Conference at intervals determined by the Committee.

31. The venue for the Regular Conference shall be as determined by the Ordinary General Meeting.

32. Persons who are not Members of the Association may be invited by the Committee to participate in and present papers to the Regular Conference.

33. For participation at the Regular Conference and in the proceedings thereof co-authors who are not Members of the Association must be introduced by a Member of the Association. Ex-Members who are no longer considered by the Committee to be bona-fide may not be co-authors.

34. Any group of Members may organise regional, special interest or particular topic meetings in the period between Regular Conferences. Such meetings may be held only with the approval of the Committee.

35. The Ordinary General Meeting shall be held during the Regular Conference of the Association, at which the business of the Association shall be transacted.

36. The officers shall present their reports at the Ordinary General Meeting.

37. A Special General Meeting may be summoned at any time by the Secretary on the written request of ten Members. At least six weeks notice of the Ordinary or any Special Meeting and of the business to be transacted thereat shall be given.

38. Members may vote in person or by proxy at any Ordinary General Meeting or Special General Meeting.

COMMON SEAL

39. The Committee shall procure and provide for the safe custody of the seal which shall be used only by the authority of the Committee and every instrument to which the seal is affixed shall be signed by a member of the Committee and shall be counter-signed by the Secretary or by a second member of the Committee or by some other person appointed for the purpose.

CHANGE OF RULES

40. The rules of the Association shall not be changed unless a two-thirds majority of all the Members voting at the Ordinary or a Special General Meeting shall vote in favour of such a change.

41. Any such change must be in accordance with the objectives of the Association as set out in rule 2. No change to the rules may be approved if it would affect the rules on the winding up of the Association.

42. Notice of the suggested change must reach the Secretary at least one month before such Ordinary or Special General Meeting and the Secretary then shall notify all Members of any such suggested change at least two weeks before the meeting. Any Member unable to attend shall be allowed to vote by sending to the Secretary a pre-circulated voting paper, duly completed, and reaching the Secretary before the day of the meeting. The chairman of the meeting shall add such written votes to those recorded by Members attending in person.

WINDING UP

43. The Association may be wound up in accordance with the provisions of Part 5 of the Associations Incorporation Act, 1985, and amendments.

44. In the event of the winding up of the Association, the distribution of any assets remaining after the payment of all its debts and liabilities shall be made to an incorporated society or incorporated societies having the same or similar objects to those of this Association.