download
PDF version
Glaucoma Research Society
Zug, Switzerland
| I. Name, Seat, Purpose,
Activities and Financing |
| Article 1 - Name and Seat |
There is hereby formed under the name of
Glaucoma Research Society
an association as defined by articles 60 et seq. of the
Swiss Civil Code.
The seat of the Glaucoma Research Society (“The Society”)
is in Zug, Switzerland.
| Article 2 - Purpose and Activities |
The Society is a public interest, non-profit scientific
association of ophthalmologists, scientists, and other persons
concerned with the subject of glaucoma.
The purpose of The Society is to enhance the understanding
of glaucoma, what it is, what causes it, and how best to
diagnose and treat it. The Society’s specific aims
and activities are in particular:
| a) |
To establish personal contacts and to
promote exchanges between persons engaged in glaucoma
research and the diagnosis and treatment of patients
with glaucoma; |
| b) |
To organize, every second year, The Meeting of the
Glaucoma Research Society (“The Meeting”
as referred to in Chapter IV of these by-laws), and
to arrange other meetings as deemed appropriate; |
| c) |
To encourage research work on glaucoma; |
| d) |
To encourage collaborative studies of glaucoma. |
The financial resources of The Society will come in particular
from gifts, grants, legacies and dues. The dues for each
Member, payable once every two years, shall be received
by the Treasurer six months before the General Assembly.
The amount shall be proposed by the Executive Committee,
and voted upon by the active membership at the General Assembly.
Article 4 - Categories of
Members |
The Society shall have up to three categories of Members:
| a) |
Active Members
Membership is limited to 75 Active Members.
An Active Member shall be active in research as evidenced
by an average annual production of at least two articles
on subjects related to glaucoma in peer-reviewed journals. |
| b) |
Senior Members
A Senior Member is a member who has been an Active Member
but now, because of changes in career direction, is
no longer as actively involved in glaucoma research
and no longer produces two or more articles in peer
reviewed journals per year. Senior Members are invited
to attend the General Assembly and The Meeting, but
do not need to present papers. They are not required
to pay dues, have no right to bring a guest, and no
right to vote. |
| c) |
Honorary Members
It is not necessary for an Honorary Member to have been
an Active and / or Senior Member of The Society. This
honorary status may be conferred on individuals who
in the view of The Society have been outstanding contributors
to knowledge on glaucoma and related subjects. Honorary
Members are invited to attend the General Assembly and
the Meeting. They are not required to pay dues, have
no right to bring a guest, and no right to vote. |
Article 5 - Admission of
New Members
|
The mechanism for the election of an Active Member is as
follows: An Active Member of the Society may propose one
and second one other candidate member. The Executive Committee
will decide which nominees will be selected for candidate
membership. Those selected will be invited to attend The
Meeting and present a paper relating to their work. The
paper can be on any subject relating to glaucoma and should
be previously unpublished work. It is the aim of The Society
to maintain as wide a geographical distribution of Active
Members as possible. This factor will be taken into account
when deciding on candidate membership. Active Members will
be elected after the Meeting by the Executive Committee.
Senior Members are selected from amongst the Active Members
by the Executive Committee, and are then invited to become
Senior Members.
Honorary Members may be so designated by the Executive
Committee, who may from time to time receive nominations
from the membership. Following ratification at the General
Assembly, the President will invite an individual to the
honorary membership category.
Article 6 - Termination of
Membership
|
Membership of the Society will be terminated if:
| a) |
An Active Member does not attend two consecutive
Meetings of The Society unless he or she provides reasons
for non-attendance which are acceptable to the Executive
Committee; |
| b) |
The Member shall indicate to the Executive Committee
that he or she wishes to resign, or |
| c) |
There is non-payment of dues. |
The Executive Committee, by a three-quarters majority of
those present, shall decide on whether or not to terminate
a membership (Active or Senior). The decision of the Executive
Committee must be ratified by the membership at the General
Assembly of the Society.
Members whose membership is terminated have no claim whatsoever
in respect of any assets of the Society.
Article 7 - Members’
Rights
|
Active Members have in particular the following rights:
| a) |
Participation in the General Assembly,
with in particular the right to vote; |
| b) |
Drawing up of proposals for inclusion in the agenda
of the General Assembly; |
| c) |
Participation in The Meeting, conferences, meetings
etc. organized by
The Society; |
| d) |
Nomination or seconding of new members. |
| Article 8 - Members’ Liabilities |
Only the assets of The Society shall be drawn from in satisfaction
of any obligations of The Society. The Members of The Society
will not be liable for any obligation of The Society. The
only financial obligation of Active Members shall be the
payment of dues (article 3).
| Article 9 - Bodies of the Society |
The bodies of the Society are:
A. General Assembly (Business Meeting)
B. Executive Committee - Officers
A. General Assembly (Business Meeting)
The General Assembly of the Active Members is the supreme
authority of The Society. The General Assembly has the following
powers:
| a) |
Modification of the by-laws of The Society.
For acceptance, the proposed modification requires a
two-thirds majority of the total of Active Members present
at the General Assembly. Such a vote may only take place
if at least a third of its Active Members are present
(attendance quorum); |
| b) |
Ratification of honorary membership (article 5 par.
3) and termination of member-ship (article 6 par. 2)
as proposed by the Executive Committee; |
| c) |
Election of the President, the Secretary, the Treasurer
and the other members of the Executive Committee from
the candidates proposed by the Executive Committee;
|
| d) |
Removal of members of The Society’s bodies upon
just cause (article 65 par. 3 Swiss Civil Code); |
| e) |
Approval of the Executive Committee’s report
on the activities of The Society and the financial statements;
|
| f) |
Discharge of the Executive Committee from liability; |
| g) |
Discussion by all Members of any and all other points
of the agenda; |
| h) |
Approval of the amount of the dues to be paid by the
Active Members (article 3); |
| i) |
Dissolution of The Society. To dissolve The Society,
a two-thirds majority of the total of Active Members
present at the General Assembly is required. Such a
vote may only take place, if at least a third of its
Active Members are present (attendance quorum). |
| Article 11 - Ordinary General
Assembly, Agenda and Decision-making |
The Ordinary General Assembly to which all Members shall
be invited shall be held at least every two years.
The agenda for the General Assembly of the Members shall
be mailed to each Member at least six weeks in advance of
the General Assembly. All members have the right to bring
suggestions to the notice of the Executive Committee in
time for them to be included in the agenda if they fall
within the powers of the General Assembly.
All Members are permitted to speak at the General Assembly
and to discuss issues, but only Active Members will be entitled
to vote. Each Active Member shall have one vote. Only the
Active Members present shall be entitled to vote. Voting
by proxy or by correspondence is not permitted.
The General Assembly shall decide by simple majority of
those in attendance unless provided otherwise by law or
under these by-laws.
| Article 12 - Extraordinary General
Assembly |
An Extraordinary General Assembly may be convened:
| a) |
By a decision of the Executive Committee;
or |
| b) |
If at least one-fifth of the Society’s Members
with the right to vote make such a request in writing
(article 64 par. 3 Swiss Civil Code). The request shall
specify the items for the agenda and set out the reasons
why the agenda items cannot wait until the next Ordinary
General Assembly to be considered. An Extraordinary
General Assembly shall be held within three months of
receipt of the request. |
B. Executive Committee - Officers
The Executive Committee is responsible for the management
of The Society and shall represent it towards third parties.
The powers of the Executive Committee will include in particular:
| a) |
Election of Active and Senior Members
and the proposing to the General Assembly of Honorary
Members (article 5); |
| b) |
Proposing to the General Assembly of termination of
membership (article 6 par. 2); |
| c) |
Preparation of the General Assembly - including proposals
for candidate members for the Executive Committee -
and preparation of The Meeting every two years; |
| d) |
Maintenance of active contact with glaucoma symposia
and glaucoma specialists in different countries in order
to make a broad, international understanding of glaucoma; |
| e) |
Administration of the financial and other administrative
affairs of The Society; |
| f) |
Formulation of policies and information of the Active
Members. |
| Article 14 - Composition and
Election |
The Executive Committee shall consist of the President,
the Secretary, the Treasurer (“Officers”) and
the Past-President plus three individuals (“Non-Managing
Members”) elected, with the exception of the Past
President, by the General Assembly of The Society. As The
Society is an international one, it is expected that the
Non-Managing Members of the Executive Committee will reflect
this. The term for the Non-Managing Members shall be four
years. A Non-Managing Member of the Executive Committee
may be re-elected once in the capacity of an Officer. All
members of the Executive Committee may be elected for one
further term in the capacity of President. The President
shall remain on the Executive Committee one extra term as
Past-President. Members of the Executive Committee are elected
for terms of 4 years. The Executive Committee shall be elected
so as to assure that their terms start in a staggered fashion.
The Officers of the Society shall consist of the President,
the Secretary and the Treasurer.
The President will be responsible for
calling and running the meetings of the Executive Committee,
as well as the General Assembly of The Society and The Meeting.
The Secretary is responsible for recording
the activities of the meetings, corresponding with the Members,
and for keeping a record of the activities of The Society.
The Treasurer shall be responsible for
monitoring the financial status of The Society, keeping
its financial records, and making recommendations regarding
the financial status of The Society to the Executive Committee,
or through the Executive Committee, to the Members.
IV. The Meeting of the Glaucoma Research Society
(The Meeting)
| IV. The Meeting of the Glaucoma
Research Society (The Meeting) |
The Meeting of the Glaucoma Research Society of the International
Congress of Ophthalmology shall be held at two year intervals.
The Meeting shall be organized and run by the Executive
Committee under the direction of the President of The Society.
Attendance at The Meeting shall be limited to Active, Senior
and Honorary Members with the following exceptions:
| a) |
Each Active Member may bring one guest;
this guest should preferably be engaged in the work
to be discussed at The Meeting. Active Members are required
to attend The Meeting in order to invite a guest; |
| b) |
Up to twenty observers from the region in which The
Meeting takes place may be invited; |
| c) |
Up to five other individuals may attend The Meeting
at the discretion of the Executive Committee. |
| Article 18 - Scientific Papers |
The format of The Meeting is decided by the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee may decide, for example, that abstracts
of papers to be discussed at The Meeting be distributed
to each Active Member at least six weeks prior to The Meeting.
| Article 19 - Scientific Papers |
The Executive Committee shall decide who is invited to
deliver the Goldmann Lecture. The person(s) invited need
not be a member(s) of The Society. The lecturer will be
awarded the Society’s Goldmann Medal.
| V. Dissolution and Liquidation |
The Society may be dissolved by a two-thirds majority of
the total of Active Members present at a General Assembly.
Such a vote may only take place, if at least a third of
its Active Members are present (attendance quorum).
Any liquidation of the Society shall be carried out by
the Executive Committee, unless it transfers this task to
a third party.
| Article 22 - Official Language |
The official language of The Society is English. Meetings
shall be conducted in English, and correspondence and papers
shall be written in English.
| Article 23 - Communications |
All communications, notices etc. in relation to The Society
may be made by post, fax, or email, or by any other usual
and reliable means of communication.
| Article 24 - Registration in
the Commercial Register |
The Executive Committee may decide to register The Society
at the Commercial Register of its seat.
These by-laws have been adopted unanimously at the founding
meeting of The Society held on 2 March 2007 in Zug, Switzerland
and enter in force immediately upon their adoption.
On behalf of the 7 founding members:
Professor Makoto Araie, MD, University of Tokyo, Tokyo,
Japan
Professor Franz Grehn, MD, University Eye Hospital, Würzburg,
Germany
Professor Anders Heijl, MD, Malmö University Hospital,
Malmö, Sweden
Professor Raymond Paul LeBlanc, MD, Dalhousie University,
Halifax, Canada
Professor Don Minckler, MD, Estelle Doheny Eye Institute,
Los Angeles,
California, USA
Professor Richard K. Parrish II, MD, Bascom Palmer Eye
Institute, Miami,
Florida, USA
Professor Remo Susanna Jr, MD, University of São
Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
|
