Deutsche Gesellschaft für Zytometrie
(DGZ)

Constitution

DGZ

Par.1 Name, Registration, Business Year

The society is named "Deutsche Gesellschaft für Zytome- trie e.V." and is registered in the: Vereinsregister of the City of Heidelberg. The busisness year of the society corres- ponds to the calendar year.

Par.2 Goals of the Society

The society is an interdisciplinary scientific association. Its particular interest is devoted to cytometry and to its promotion. The society follows exclusively and directly scientific goals of public interest. It organizes annual meetings and other meetings to exchange scientific ideas and to favor the development in all areas of analytic and preparative cell research.

Par.3 Membership

The society has:
a) personal members
b) supporting members
c) honoray members

Personal members of the society can be scientists with interest in the area of cytometry. They have an active and passive election right. Supporting members can be industrial companies, scientific institutes or societies of public interest which are ready to support the goals of the society. Supporting members have an active election right which can be exerted by a representative.

Membership applications have to be presented to the executive committee in written form following recommendation by two personal members. Council decides definitively in case the executive committee declines a membership application.

Scientists with high merits can be proposed as honorary members by society members. They are elected as honorary members by a majority vote of the executive committee and council. Honoray members have the same rights as personal members but are exempt of the payment of annual dues.

Par.4 Termination of Membership

The membership can be terminated at the end of a current year by written declaration to the executive committee. Membership furthermore ends with the death of personal members, with the liquidation of industrial companies, with a payment deficit of membership dues of more than one year despite a written reminder or by exclusion following an unanimous vote of executive committee and council.

Par.5 Membership Dues

The amount and due date of the membership dues are decided by the membership assembly. Personal members presently not exerting their profession can be exempted from the payment dues by the executive committee following written demand.

Par.6 Organs of the Society

The organs of the society are:
a) executive committee
b) council
c) membership assembly

Par.7 Executive Committee

The executive committee of the society consists of the president, the vice president, the treasurer and the secretary.

Executive committee in the sense of Par.26 BGB are the president and the president elect. Each of them can represent the society alone

Par.8 Tasks of the Executive Committee

The executive committee executes the business of the society and represents the society in all matters except for those which are assigned by the constitution to another organ of the society.

Par.9 Office term of the Executive Committee

The members of the executive committee are elected for two years by the membership assembly usually from candidates of the council. The old executive committee remains in office until the election of a new executive committee. The vice president can be elected president to assure a sufficient continuity in the direction of the society. President and vice president cannot be immediately reelected at the end of their respective terms. Reelection of treasurer and secretary is, however, possible.

Par.10 Decision Process in the Executive Committee

The executive committee usually decides on motions in sessions. Executive committee sessions are convoked by the president or in case of hindrance by the vice president at least 14 days in advance. At this time the agenda of the executive committee meeting has to be provided. The council is invited to executive committee meetings. The president or the vice president can decide alone in urgent matters.

The executive committee can decide when at least two members of the executive committee are present one of whom has to be the president or the vice president. The session of the executive committee is chaired by the president or the vice president. Decisions are by majority of votes. At equal votes the chairman's vote decides.

An extraordinary session of the executive committee can be convened by the executive committee or when at least half of the council members or 20% of the members demand it.

The decisions of the executive committee are fixed in a protocol which has to be signed by the session chairman. The protocol should contain the place and time of the executive committee session, the names of the participants, the text of the passed motions and the voting result.

Par.11 Council

The council advises the executive committee of the society. It fixes the guidelines for the work of the society jointly with the executive committee. It furthermore assists the executive committee with the preparation and practical realization of meetings, recommends the acceptance of members to the executive committee and acts as instance of revision. The council determines replacing members of the executive committee for the remainder of the office terms in case of premature leave.

The council is composed of six society members. They are elected for three years by the membership assembly. Two council members are elected each year. Relection is possible.

Par.12 Membership Assembly

The yearly membership assembly at the annual meeting decides upon the exoneration of the executive committee following their annual business and financial report. It furthermore decides on the meeting place and meeting date of the next annual meeting, on motions, on election or recall of the executive committee, on the annual dues, on changes of the constitution and bylaws and on the dissolution of the society. The president or in case of absence the vice president acts as chairman of the membership assembly.

The invitation to all membership assemblys is performed by written notice through the executive committee including the agenda and candidate proposals four weeks in advance. The candidate proposal can be supplemented by the membership assembly.

The convocation of an extraordinary membership assembly is regulated by Par.10 third paragraph of this constitution.

The members of the executive committee are elected separately by secret vote with majority. In case no majority is obtained during the first vote, a second vote between the two candidates with the highest votes decides.

Par.13 Quorum

The quorum in the membership assembly and the council is given if more than one third of the members is present. Otherwise voting may be done by a mail ballot.

Par.14 Audit

The financial declarations by the executive committee are provided following approval by a public auditor or by two personal members of the society. The auditors of the society cannot be members of the executive committee or the council of the society. They are appointed by the membership assembly for a period of two years.

Par.15 Protocol

A protocol on the membership assembly has to be provided and signed by the president or the vice president together with the secretary or alternatively by a protocol writing member appointed by the membership assembly. The protocol is communicated to the membership and has to be approved by the next membership assembly.

Par.16 Constitution Changes and Dissolution of the Society

Proposals for changes of the constitution have to be addressed to the executive committee in order to be discussed at the next membership assembly. Following approval by at least two third of the members of a membership assembly reaching the quorum, the altered constitution has to be presented to the local financial office for approval prior to the application at the register court.

The dissolution of the society is only possible in an extraordinary membership assembly reaching the quorum, by a three quarter majority of the present members. The assembly has to be convoked four weeks prior to the envisaged date.

Upon dissolution of the society or cessation of the goals defined in Par.2 the assets of the society will fall to a similar scientific institution of public interest for the advancement of cellular research according to the decision of the membership assembly.

Par.17 Public Interest

The Gesellschaft f〉 Zytometrie adresses exclusively and directly goals in the sense of the paragraph "tax exemption goals" of the: Abgabenordnung and excludes any personal benefits.

Funds of the Society can only be used for goals compatible with the constitution. Members do not receive allowances of society funds. No person may be favoured by expenditures which are foreign to the goals of the society or by disproportionate allowances.

All officers of the society work on a honorary basis.

Par.18 Foundation Rules

The preparative work towards the foundation of the society is performed by a foundation council consisting of nominated members.

All applicants who join the society prior to the first membership assembly are considered members following a simple majority vote of the foundation council.

The two councilors elected with the highest number of votes will remain three years in offices, the following for two and one year respectively until the subsequent elections.

DGZ

Questions and comments to:
G.K.Valet, Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Am Klopferspitz 18a, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany, Tel: +49/89/8578-2518, -2525, Fax: +49/89/8578-2563, E-mail: valet@vms.biochem.mpg.de
INTERNET adress: http://www.biochem.mpg.de/valet/dgz.html
Last edit: Feb.18, 1996

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Zytometrie (DGZ)