Equipo Nizkor - The Thai Red Cross Society Act.

BY THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.

In B.E. 2436 Members of the Royal Family, Aristocracy and Gentry of the country gave donations to form a voluntary aid society for rendering medical assistance to the sick and wounded in the field. This Society was afterwards placed under the patronage of His Late Majesty King Chulalongkorn and was called "The Red Unalom Society" but the name was afterwards changed to "The National Red Cross Society of Thailand."

Her Majesty Queen Saowapha, now the Queen Mother, was the first President, and the Committee was composed of gentlemen and ladies of high rank. The Society conducted useful works such as founding the Chulalongkorn Memorial Red Cross Hospital and a Nursing School. Whereas it is now expedient that the constitution of the Society be recognized into a more effective form, it is hereby enacted as follows: -

CHAPTER I.
The objects of the Society
and the Appointment of the Committee.

Section 1. The Red Cross Society is a charitable Society and has the following objects:--

a) to receive the sick and wounded of all nationalities for treatment in permanent medical establishments of the Society;

b) to render assistance to those suffering from calamities, such as epidemics of infectious diseases and floods;

c) to train nurses tor Red Cross Service;

d) to conduct research work in medical science;

e) to render medical assistance to the Army and Navy in of peace and war.

Section 2. His Majesty the King is the Patron of the Society.

Section 3. His Majesty the King will appoint trustworthy persons as President and Vice-President of the Society.

Section 4. The President shall appoint a Committee composed of the following:-

1. Secretary-General

2. Assistant Secretary-General

3. Treasurer

4. Assistant Treasurer

5. Advisory Members

6. Directors of Detachments or Branches of the Society.

Section 5. The President and/or the Vice-President shall have full power in the administration of the Society and by Royal permission they are entitled to petition the King on the affairs of the Society and they both have the right to communicate with the Ministers of the State on all Red Cross matters.

Section 6. The Secretary-General shall be responsible for all the books and correspondence and it is his duty to see that all the rules and regulations of the Society are properly carried out. He shall keep the register of members of the Society and he shall have one assistant

Section 7. The Treasurer shall be responsible for all accounts of money and securities of the Society and shal order of the President or the Vice-President.

As regards receipts and payments, he must follow the rules and regulations of the Ministry of Finance. He shall have one assistant.

Section 8. The advisory members are eligible from persons who have rendered or are rendering valuable services to the Society and on the request of the President or the Vice-President, they shall carry out the duties assigned to them.

Section 9. The Director of a Detachment such as the Director of a hospital, Pasteur Institute, or a field Ambulance shall be responsible for the proper administration of such Detachment.

All Directors of Detachments shall have full power to issue rules and regulations for the internal management of their detachments, provided that such rules and regulations be first submitted to and be sanctioned by the Vice-President.

Section 10. His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to grant the Royal permission to the Committee to collect by lawful means money for the funds of the Society.

CHAPTER II
Members of the Society

Section 11. Any persons, men and women, who have rendered valuable service or subscribed to the funds of the Society, or who have been specially invited by the Vice-President, may become members of the Society.

Section 12. Members are divided into four classes:-

a) Special Members

b) Honorary Members

c) Extraordinary Members

d) Ordinary Members.

Section 13. Special Members are those persons who become members on invitation of the Vice-President.

Section 14. Honorary Members are those persons who give or have given, since B.E. 2457, to the funds gifts or money to the value of not less than Baht 5,000 at one time.

Section 15. Extraordinary Members are those persons who subscribe to the funds a sum of not less than Baht 200 a year.

Section 16. Ordinary Members are those persons who hold a Red Cross nursing certificate or who subscribe to the funds not less than Baht 30 a year.

Section 17. Any person who wishes to become a member as mentioned in Section 14, 15 and 16, shall send a written declaration to the Vice-President or the Secretary-General signifying his intention to do so. The Vice-President will admit such person or not as he thinks fit. Should the person be admitted, his name shall be entered in the register by the Secretary-General and due notice shall be given him by the Vice-President or the Secretary-General.

Section 18. Members shall have the right to call in medical officers of the Society to attend and treat them in cases of sickness at the rate of half the fee paid by non-members.

Section 19. Subscription may be sent to the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary-General or the Treasurer of the Society.

Section 20. All Extraordinary and Ordinary Members who have failed to send in their subscription before the end of the year following that upon which it is due, shall cease to become members and their names shall be erased from the register.

Section 21. Members wishing to resign from membership may do so by sending a written notice to the Secretary-General, but they must pay all their debts due to the Society before such resignation.

Section 22. As this Society is a charitable institution, any public servant who is forbidden by ministerial regulations to join a society without special leave, may join this Society as if such leave had been applied for and obtained.

CHAPTER III.
The Emblem of the Society.

Section 23. The Emblem of the Society is a Red Cross on a white back ground, the same as that of all Red Cross Societies of all nations.

It is frobidden any one residing in this country to use the Red Cross emblem for any purpose such as trademarks, labels, etc, except by permission of the Committee.

Section 24. There shall be a broach for members of the Society. This broach shall be made of gold or silver with enamel. The shape is circular having a diameter of 2.5 centimetres. Between the arms of the Red Cross, the back-ground is of white enamel with gilt rays representing the Chakri. In the centre of the Red Cross there is a medallion bearing the initials of His Late Majesty. This broach may be worn on the breast.

Section 25. Only the Committee or Members of the Society shall have the right to wear this broach, which shall be distributed to every member of the Society.

Any one ceasing to be a member shall return this broach to the Society.

CHAPTER IV.
Penalties

Section 26. Any person who shall use or employ the Red Cross emblem for any purpose without proper permission from the Committee shall be liable to a penalty of imprisonment not exceeding 3 months, or to a fine not exceeding Baht 1,000 or to both imprisonment and fine as stated above.

Section 27. Any person who not being a member of the Committee wearing a Red Cross broach shall be liable to a penalty of imprisonment not exceeding 3 months, or to a fine not exceeding Baht 1,000 or to both imprisonment and fine as stated above.

Section 28. Proceedings under this Act may be instituted only by the public prosecutor.

CHAPTER V.
Enforcement of the Act.

Section 29. This Act shall commence and take effect from the day upon which it appears in the Government Gazette and the Act for preventing the misuse of the Red Cross Emblem B.E. 2454 shall cease to take effect thereafter.

Section 30. The Minister of Local Government, the Minister of Interior, the President and the Vice-President of the Society shall have charge and control of the execution of this Act.

Section 31. The President and the Vice-President shall have full power to make rules and regulations governing the Society.

Proclaimed on the 12th day of June in the year B.E. 2461.

12Jun1918

The Thai Red Cross Society Act

[Source: National Implementation of IHL, International Committee of the Red Cross.]

Legislation
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