RECIPROCAL REGISTRATION AT LABORATORY ANIMAL SCIENCE MEETINGS.
Background
Until recently, it was normal practice at laboratory animal scientific meetings for the organising association to offer its own members a lower registration fee than was applied to non-members, including those non-members who were members of other organizations affiliated to ICLAS
This practice was first formally called into question at a meeting of the ICLAS General Assembly held in Seattle in 2003.The argument was that a two-tier system of registration that financially discriminated against members of other ICLAS member organisations acted as disincentive, particularly for foreign representatives, to attend meetings. As such, the practice was contrary to two of the ICLAS aims as laid down in the 2003 ICLAS constitution, namely:
- To promote and coordinate the development of Laboratory Animal Science throughout the world and as a matter of priority in developing countries
- To promote international collaboration in Laboratory Animal Science.
- A proposal was therefore made to replace the two-tier system with reciprocal registration. Under this practice, ICLAS members would be required to offer their own member registration rate to members of other ICLAS member organisations.
The implementation of this proposal would hopefully attract new ICLAS members and lead to an increase in the number of foreign ICLAS member representatives at scientific meetings. This in turn would facilitate greater international collaboration in laboratory animal science.
Successful reciprocal registration agreements already existed between some associations and those in attendance at the ICLAS Consortium held during the 2004 AALAS meeting were asked to discuss the proposal with their respective organizations with a view to possible implementation as ICLAS policy.
Reciprocal registration as ICLAS policy
Since the 2004 Consortium, the ICLAS Governing Board has been collating ICLAS members’ feedback to the proposal. The overwhelming response has been positive to the extent that at the last ICLAS GB meeting in September 2006, the GB considered it appropriate put forward the following motion formally endorsing reciprocal registration as ICLAS policy.
“It is a guiding principle of ICLAS that at scientific meetings the ICLAS organising member will offer their own members and members of other member organisations affiliated with ICLAS the same registration fee, as long as the organisation is a member in good standing that has paid its updated ICLAS dues.”
The motion was passed unanimously and the Secretary General was requested to notify all scientific members that reciprocal registration at scientific meetings is now official ICLAS policy.
To facilitate implementation of the policy, the ICLAS Secretary General will provide ICLAS members with an annually updated list of ICLAS scientific members with a contact person for each organisation in the event that confirmation of membership is required