Details

The constitution of the IERE was based on its articles of association, and later its Royal Charter and bye-laws, which established its organisational structure. The IWT was incorporated in 1932. It merged with and took the name of the BritIRE in 1941. It was granted armorial bearings in 1956, and received its Royal Charter in 1961. The BritIRE changed its name to the IERE in 1964. The Charter and Bye-Laws were occasionally amended to incorporate new developments such as changes in the membership regulations. The Institution’s governing body was the General Council, elected by the corporate members. It was responsible for the overall policy of the institution, appointing members to committees, and, as the activities of the institution expanded, managerial and financial decision-making. A President was elected annually, beginning in 1932, and a General Meeting was held every year. Special General Meetings were also occasionally called to discuss urgent matters such as the merger with the IEE. Officers of the Local Sections also held regular meetings. Below the Council were the Standing Committees, which oversaw day-to-day professional matters such as education and training, and institution affairs such as finance and the running of the library. The Standing Committees also sent representatives to various outside bodies. The names and functions of the standing committees did occasionally change - for example in 1985 the Education and Training Committee became two separate committees. Alongside the standing committees, other committees could be created to deal with institution issues as they arose - for example the petition for the Royal Charter or the need for a new headquarters building. Below the Standing Committees were the Group Committees, which represented the interests of the various specialised Groups within the institution. New Groups were created quite frequently, each one requiring a governing committee. The majority of the records consist of minutes and papers of the Council, General Meetings and Committees. However they are by no means complete. The committee records have large gaps - there are no records from some of the Standing Committees. There is only a small amount of material from the President’s office, and there are few records of the Local Sections Officers’ meetings. However most committees sent reports to Council, so it is possible to study the whole of the institution’s activity through the reports, minutes and papers of the Council.