CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVES
- The objectives of SCANDEM, the Scandinavian Society for Electron Microscopy (hereafter referred to as the Society) are:
- to provide an interdisciplinary forum for the presentation of papers, discussion and the general exchange of knowledge on electron microscopy.
- to collaborate with other societies to ensure that users of electron microscopy in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden are represented internationally.
CHAPTER TWO
THE MEMBERSHIP
Classes of Members
HONORARY MEMBERS
- Any person in or outside Scandinavia, eminent in electron microscopical sciences who has rendered exceptional service to sciences and/or the Society, shall be eligible as an Honorary Member.
Candidates must be nominated by five or more Members (not Honorary Members) of the Society.
The proposed nomination should be presenter to the Board (see By-Law 12), which has the responsibility for deciding in this matter. The Board is under no obligation to disclose the reasons for its decision. The Board can nominate its own candidate for an honorary membership. In that case there must be 3/4 majority for the proposal among the Board members.
MEMBERS
- A person interested in the objectives of the Society (By-Law 1) may become Member as soon as the annual fee is paid (By-Law 6).
COMPANY MEMBERSHIP
- Any company having interest in electron microscopy can apply for Company Membership. An unlimited number of the employees of a company holding a Company Membership may participate at the Annual or any other Meeting of the Society.
A Company Membership qualifies for one vote only at the General Assembly of the Society.
Payments
HONORARY MEMBERS
- Honorary Members are not subjected to the Registration Fee or the annual Fee.
MEMBERS
- The members shall pay an annual Fee to the Society. The Annual Fee shall be set at the General Assembly.
The Registration Fee for Meetings sponsored by the Society will be determined by the local organizers after consultation with the Executive Board (see By-Law 13) of the Society.
If possible, there will be a reduced Registration Fee for students at the Annual Meeting.
COMPANY MEMBERSHIP
- Companies holding a company membership are subjected to an Annual Fee, which is 10 times that of an individual member.
The Registration Fee at Society Meetings for employees of a company holding membership is the same as for individual members.
MEMBERSHIP LIST
- All Members including the Company Members of the Society are listed in the Membership List.
The Membership List shall be distributed to all members of the Society once a year.
Termination of membership
RESIGNATION
- Membership is terminated by written resignation after paying the Fees that may be due.
REMOVAL
- The Executive Board may exclude any member, or company member from the Society if the Annual Fee has not been paid.
REINSTATEMENT
- Any Member who has been excluded under By-Law 10 may be reinstated by the Executive Board (see By-Law 13) on payment of all arrears.
CHAPTER THREE
MANAGEMENT
BOARD
- The Board shall direct and manage the affairs and property of the Society. The Board consists of the President, the Vice President/General Secretary, the Treasurer, two members (one physicist and one biologist) from each of the member countries and an Exhibition Officer.
EXECUTIVE BOARD
- The Executive Board consisting of the President, the Vice President/General Secretary and the Treasurer has the responsibility for the daily affairs of the Society. The name of the Society is signed by the President or it can be delegated to the Vice President/General Secretary or to the Treasurer by the President.
ELECTION
NOMINATION BY MEMBERS
- Any Member may nominate one candidate to represent his/her country on the Board. Any Member is also free to nominate candidates for the offices of President, Vice President/General Secretary and Treasurer.
A written nomination should be delivered to the Vice President/General Secretary of the Society together with a written consent from the nominee to the effect that he/she will accept office if elected. Any Member, except Company Member or an employee of a company engaged in commercial aspects of electron microscopy, is eligible as President, Vice President/General Secretary, Treasurer and Member from each of the member countries. The Exhibition Officer is elected by the Company Members.
NOMINATION BY THE BOARD
- The Board shall nominate candidates for all offices on the Board.
NOMINATION BY THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
- The Executive Board may nominate candidates for all offices on the Board.
PUBLICATIONS OF NOMINATIONS
- At the Annual General Assembly a list of the names of all persons nominated to hold an office on the Board shall be presented by the Executive Board or a person to whom the chair is delegated.
The list should show which candidates are nominated by the Board, Executive Board or individual Members.
BALLOT
- If no candidate has been nominated under the provision of By-Laws 14 and 16 the persons nominated by the Board shall be automatically elected without a ballot.
All votes to offices on the Board shall be determined by simple majority, by show of hands. In the event of the votes being equal in number, the Chairman has the deciding vote. The Chairman shall then declare the names of the officers elected on the Board.
CHAPTER FOUR
MEETINGS
- The Society shall organize one Annual Meeting, which consists of a General Assembly and a Scientific Meeting.
BUSINESS MEETING
- The Annual General Assembly shall be the decisive authority of the Society. It shall take place in connection with the Scientific Meeting. The Members shall be notified at least 4 weeks before the General Assembly. Each Member holds one vote.
The General Assembly is chaired by the President, or if he/she is not present by the Vice President/General Secretary or any other Board Member appointed by the Board.
The Treasurer shall present a report which summarizes the financial situation of the Society per December 31 of the preceding year.
Accounts shall be audited annually by two Auditors appointed by the General Assembly one year in Advance. The General Assembly may also appoint one or more alternate Auditors.
The time and location of the Annual Meeting will be decided at the General Assembly at least two years in advance. The Annual Meeting shall alternate among the Scandinavian countries.
The General Assembly or the Board can appoint committees deemed necessary for the administrative and for the scientific work of the Society.
The Vice President/General Secretary shall distribute the Minutes of the General Assembly to all Members not later than 6 months after the Meeting. Voting during the General Assembly is determined by simple majority by show of hands.
SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS
- The program of a Scientific Annual Meeting shall preferably cover biology and physics.
Lectures and poster sessions shall be conducted according to a program distributed to the Members before the Annual Meeting.
The Vice President/General Secretary in collaboration with the President and the local organizers shall be program co-ordinators of the Proceedings of the Annual Meeting.
If sufficient funds are available, the local organizers shall invite guest lecturers after approval by the Executive Board.
The Vice President/General Secretary of the Society is the Editor of the Proceedings of the Annual Meeting.
SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING
- The Annual General Assembly or the Board decides if there shall be a Special Scientific Meeting (“Winter-Symposium”) the following year. Topics and organizer(s) shall be appointed for the Special Meeting.
COMMERCIAL EXHIBITIONS
- At Annual Meetings or Special Meetings the local organizers are free to rent space to companies which would like to exhibit instruments and supplies for electron microscopy. Earnings from such arrangements are included in the total budget of the Meeting.
RESPONSIBILITIES FOR LOCAL ORGANIZERS
- The local organizers of any Meeting of the Society are responsible for the practical arrangements.
The organizers of an Annual Meeting shall present plans and a preliminary budget to the Executive Board.
The local organizers shall keep books of account of all the income and the expenses of the Meeting. The Books shall be audited by two persons elected by the General Assembly.
The earnings from an Annual Meeting shall be transferred to the Treasurer of the Society before December 31 of the same year.
The Board of the Society is not legally responsible for any budgetary deficit incurred by the organizers of an Annual or Winter meeting.
MOTION OF BY-LAWS
- Motion to alter or revoke any existing By-Law or make any new By-Law(s) shall be considered by an Annual General Assembly. Such a motion requires 2/3 of the given votes.
TERMINATION OF EXISTENCE
- A resolution terminating the existence of the Society can only be taken at a General Assembly. The resolution requires that the proposal has been presented to the Membership in due time before the Meeting, and that 2/3 of the given votes are in favour of the proposition.
In case the Society ceases to exist the assets of the Scandinavian Society for Electron Microscopy are transferred to the International Federation of Societies for Electron Microscopy (IFSEM).
These By-Laws were accepted on June 13, 1995 by the General Assembly at the 47th Annual Meeting of SCANDEM held in Trondheim, Norway. The By-Laws replace the By-Laws of 1986.