Art. 1: Name
The Society shall be called “The International Euphorbia Society” (henceforth referred to as “the Society”).
Art. 2: Seat
The seat of the Society is UK based.
Art. 3: Object
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The object of the Society shall be to advance the education of the public by the study, cultivation and conservation of plants of the family Euphorbiaceae, especially the tribe Euphorbieae.
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The Society shall achieve her aim by publishing a journal, maintaining a website and inviting her members to attend meetings and demonstrations.
Art. 4: Members
Active members of the Society are those who entry as member with consent of the Committee.
Art. 5: Membership
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Membership of the Society shall be open to all persons interested in the aim of the Society.
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All applications for membership shall be in writing and accompanied by one year’s membership fee as decided by the Committee.
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All subscriptions shall be due on January 1st. Notification will be given in the preceding issue of the journal. Subsequent journals will not be sent until membership fee is received by the Hon. Treasurer.
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The Committee shall have the power to expel any member for conduct detrimental to the best interests of the Society, subject to that member having had an opportunity to put case to the Committee.
Art. 6: End of Membership
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Membership ends as soon as
- the member expires;
- the member resigns;
- the member is resigned by the Committee for not meeting his obligations as laid down in the Constitution.
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In case the membership ends in the course of a present year, the whole annual contribution remains indebted.
Art. 7: Annual Contribution
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The members are bound to pay an annual contribution (“membership fee”) to the amount that is determined every year in the Annual General Meeting held.
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The Committee has the authority to grant exemption from paying the annual membership fee, e.g. in case its journal is presented as a complimentary copy or in exchange for copies of journals of other societies.
Art. 8: Rights and Privileges of Members
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Members shall have all the rights and privileges granted by the Constitution.
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Members shall receive the journal Euphorbia World; they shall be welcomed to submit papers to the journal. They shall be encouraged to consult the Website and the Reference Collection.
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Members shall be invited to attend the Annual General Meeting held by the Society once a year.
Art. 9: Management
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The Society shall be managed by a Committee consisting of three or more persons ("Committee members" or "Officers").
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The board of Committee members shall control all business of the Society.
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The board of Committee members shall meet one time each calendar year by calling an Annual General Meeting (AGM) with a minimum of 30 days notice to the members.
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The Committee shall see to it that at the AGM the following business shall be transacted, namely
- to receive the Hon. Chairman's report;
- to receive the Hon. Vice-Chairman's report;
- to receive the Hon. Secretary's report;
- to receive the Hon. Treasurer's report, incl. audited accounts for the preceding year,
- to receive the Hon. Membership Administrator's report;
- to receive the Hon. Editor's report;
- to receive the Hon. Website Officer's report;
- to receive the report of the Hon. Curator of the Reference Collection;
- to receive the Hon. Publicity Officer's report.
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At will an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) may be called by the Hon. Chairman or by any three Committee members as deemed necessary to discuss any relevant business, with a minimum of 30 days notice to the Comittee members.
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The Committee shall meet at such places, times and dates as it may decide, however, the AGM has to be held not later than December 31 of each year.
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Because attendance at the AGM is open to all members (Art. 8.3), the Committee shall give notice of date, time and place of the AGM by invitation, on the website and/or in the journal, the meeting date to be published with at least three months notice.
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The Committee may invite members for the position of a National Representative.
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The minutes of a meeting shall be made by the Hon. Secretary and sent to each Committee member.
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The minutes have to be approved by the Committee and signed by the Hon. Chairman at the subsequent AGM.
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The Hon. Treasurer shall take care that the fiscal period covers the calendar year from January 1 to December 31.
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The Hon. Membership Administrator shall maintain a membership list with members's names and addresses as well as submitted payments specified.
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The quorum necessary to decide about any transaction of business at a Committee meeting shall be at least three.
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Decisions made by the Committee have to be achieved by simple majority.
Art. 10: Executive positions/Committee Officers
Officers of the Committee, executing specified positions, shall be as follows:
- The Hon. President who shall act as a figurehead for the Society and advise on botanical accuracy of material considered for publication in the journal.
- The Hon. Vice President.
- The Hon. Chairman who shall take care of the external representation of the Society. He may assist other Committee members with regard to the preparation of the journal and other publicity material. He will chair Committee meetings, namely the AGMs and EGMs. In the absence of the Chairman, the Hon. Vice Chairman deputizes for the Chairman, but if he might also be absent, the Committee might invite one of its Committee members to act as Chairman for that particular meeting.
- The Hon. Vice Chairman who shall deputize for the Chairman. If needed, he may be invited to take care of all internal affairs of the Society.
- The Hon. Secretary who shall conduct the correspondence and business of the Sopciety; he will take care of the minutes and he will generally act in accordance with the decisionsof the Committee.
- The Hon. Treasurer who shall receive, expend, keep and submit proper accounts of all monies of the Society in accordance with the decisions of the Committee, and shall present proper accounts, duly audited by an appointed accountant at each AGM.
- The Hon. Membership Administrator who shall keep a record of the members to the Society and will send out journals to paid-up members.
- The Hon. Editor who shall be responsible for the preparation and publication of the journal of the Society, liaising with the Chairman and the designer.
- The Hon. Assistant Editor who shall be responsible for liaising with the Editor and assisting him.
- The Hon. Website Officer who shall be responsible for maintaining the website of the Society as related to its aim.
- The Hon. Curator of the Reference Collection who shall keep a collection of plant specimens that are representative to the aim of the Society.
- The Hon. Publicity Officer wo shall be responsible for publicizing the activities of the Society at every event, arranging advertising, social events and conventions and whatever else may be agreed from time to time by the Committee.
Note 1: The following executive positions are held in store, namely:
a. the Hon. Seed Bank Secretary who shall be responsible for the purchasing and distribution of seeds related to the aim of the Society;
b. The Hon. Librarian who shall be responsible for setting up and maintaining a comprehensive library of printed and photographic material to the aim of the Seciety.
Note 2: More than one position might be executed by one and the same person.
Note 3: If any Committee member resigns or is otherwise unable to continue his duties, the Committee shall have the power to co-opt an interim replacement to guard the continuity of the Society until the next AGM.
Art. 11: Term
- Committe members sit for a term of three years; they may stand for re-election for further terms.
- When the continuity of management is endangered because more than one Committee members do not stand for re-election, the Committee may decide for spreading the term in less that three years according to a beforehand fixed schedule.
Art. 12: Election and nomination of Committee members (Officers)
- The Hon. President and the Hon. Vice President are elected for life.
- All other Officers shall be elected in conformity with the term as stated in the Constitution.
- Committee members may stand for re-elections.
- Candidate Committee members are all members of the Society.
- Candidate Committee members can either be nominated by the Committee and/or be nominated by at least two ordinary members ("seconders"). In the last case the nomination, in writing, bearing the signature of the candidate and the two seconders, has to be submitted to the Secretay not less that one month prior to the AGM.
- Candidate Committee members nominated by the Committee are accounced on the agenda of the next AGM to be held; candidate Committee members nominated by at lease two seconders are presented at the next AGM before the meeting commences.
- The (re-)election of Committee members shall be by simple majority vote by the members present at an AGM, as well when the number of nominations exceeds the number of vacancies.
- A list of elected Officers appears in each issue of the journal on the colophon.
Art. 13: End of Committee membership
- Committee membership ends as soon as
- the Committee member expires;
- the Committee member resigns or ends his membership with the Society;
- the member is dismissed or suspended by a two-thirds majority of members present at an AGM, a suspension expires after a period of three months.
- In case as mentioned above the Committee is authorized to rearrange the executive positions of the Committee members.
Art. 14: National Representatives
National Representatives, as invited by the Committee, shall take care of the interests of the members living in the regions for which the representatives are responsible. They may collect membership fees from members and shall send out from time to time reminders to possible defaulters. Cashed contributions the representatives will hand over to the Committee as agreed with them.
Art. 15: Alteration or addition to the Constitution
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Any alteration or addition to the Constitution has to be made at an AGM.
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Any alteration or addition to the Constitution has to be proposed by at least three Committee members.
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Any alteration or addition to the Constitution is open to the members for proposal; notice to propose an alteration or addition shall be given to the Secretary not less than one calendar month prior to an AGM and shall bear the signature of the proposer and of two seconders.
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A copy of the proposed alteration or addition shall be announced on the agenda of an AGM sent to the members.
Art. 16: Dissolution
The Society may be dissolved by a resolution passed at an AGM or EGM held in accordance with the Constitution. Such relosution may give instructions for the disposal of any assets held by or in the name of the Society provided that if any property remains after the satisfation of all debts an liabilities, such property shall not be paid to or distrituted amongst the members of the Society, but shall be given or transferred to such other charitable institution or institutions having objects similar to some or all of the objects of the Society as the Society shall determine, and insofar as effect cannot be given to this provision then to some other charitable purpose.
Art. 17: Authority
The Committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of the Constitution and its decision shall be final.
NOTE
A revision of the Constitution was proposed and agreed on the Annual General Meeting of the I.E.S. held on 10 September 10 2011, at Blankenberge, Belgium. Members can propose alterations and additions (Art. 15.3).
Drawn up on behalf of the I.E.S. Committee by the Secretary, Pj. Lawant, at Twisk, The Netherlands, on October 23, 2011. |
