Membership
The Membership Committee consists of eight members, six being elected by the Council, to include a representative of employed optometrists and a representative of self-employed optometrists. One member of the Committee represents dispensing opticians; this is usually the be dispensing opticians' representative on Council. To make up the eight members of the Committee, the Chairman is appointed by the Chairman of the Association from among the Board of Directors. In addition the Committee may invite an observer to join the Committee to represnet student members.
Functions:
responsibility for membership matters generally;
to develop and review benefits for members;
to provide advice to members on matters such as finance, pensions and insurance etc.;
to advise on the wider aspect of business issues as they relate to optometric practice;
to work with the Head of Communication in the organisation of conferences in its area of interest;
to oversee the running of elections;
to deal with the relationship between the Association and local associations;
to provide the interface between the AOP and students.
It may have sub-committees which meet on an ad-hoc basis to progress specific subjects.
The Committee meets three times a year
The Chairman of the Committee is Vivian Bush, an optometrist from East Yorkshire. Other members of the committee are:
Ted Cadman, an optometrist from Cheshire
John Goacher, an optometrist from Leeds
Ian Lucas, an optometrist from Staffordshire
Kennedy Rath, an optmetrist from Essex
Robert Rodger, an optometrist from Anglesey
Dimple Shah, an optometrist from East Sussex
Ian Shaw, from Preston
David Shannon, an optometrist from London
Richard Ward, a DO from Hampshire
Aoife McCaughey, students' representative
