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Name - Duration - Central Office and Status
The European Society of Neuroradiology (hereafter "the Society") is constituted for an unlimited period. It is an international non-profit making association founded in Colmar (France) in 1969, with a registered office (hereafter "the Central Office") originally at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg (subject to the laws of the Departments of Rhin and La Moselle), and entered in the Register of the Tribunal d'Instance at Strasbourg, having been authorised by the Minister of the Interior. The Central Office shall in future be at the address of the Secretary General, or as otherwise directed by the Executive Committee. English will be its official language. The activities of the Society shall be in accordance with this Constitution, revised in 1999. No salary shall be paid to any Member for any reason as remuneration for their activities on behalf of the Society.
Purposes of the Society
These are as follows:
A. To promote the speciality of neuroradiology in all its aspects.
B. To co-ordinate work in and documents concerning neuroradiology and ensure adequate circulation throughout Europe, and further afield as required.
C. To co-ordinate relations between neuroradiology and general radiology and with the clinical specialities devoted to the nervous system.
D. To promote development of appropriate methods of teaching neuroradiology and to ensure that standards of training and (if appropriate) certification in neuroradiology are maintained.
E. To promote the formation of European national societies of neuroradiology and to co- ordinate relations between them.
F. To promote relationships with neuroradiological societies outside Europe.
Methods of achieving the purposes of the Society
The Society shall:
A. Hold a scientific meeting every year at a time and place designated by the Executive Committee; this meeting may, by agreement of the members, not take place in years in which the Symposium Neuroradiologicum is held in Europe.
B. Organise educational courses in neuroradiology.
C. Organise any other such meetings as will also promote its purposes.
D. Award prizes or make scientific awards for work aimed at these purposes.
E. Promote publication of an official journal and other appropriate documents.
Membership
The Society shall be composed of
A. Full Membership
This category shall be limited to medical practitioners who spend at least half their working time in the practice of neuroradiology, in a European country. New candidates for Full Membership will show that they have accomplished at least two years formal training in neuroradiology. Full Members who cease to spend at least half their working time in the practice of neuroradiology, or who work outside Europe, shall transfer to Associate Membership; they shall have the right to return to Full Membership on showing that they again fulfil the requirements.
Full Members shall enjoy all rights and privileges of membership of the Society, including the rights to vote, to serve on committees and to hold any office in the Society. They shall pay an annual subscription, the amount of which will be determined by the Society. The rights and privileges shall be forfeit if, over a period to be determined by the Society, currently two calendar years, the Member does not pay the annual subscription. Full Members whose membership lapses in this way will be eligible to apply for reinstatement on payment of the appropriate subscription.
B. Associate Membership
The category is open to any individual not eligible for Full Membership. Associate Members have all the rights and privileges of membership of the Society, but are not entitled to vote, nor to serve on Committees except as consultants, nor to hold any office in the Society. They will pay an annual subscription fee, the amount of which will be determined by the Society. The rights and privileges shall be forfeit if, over a period to be determined by the Society, currently two calendar years, the Member does not pay the annual subscription. Associate Members whose membership lapses in this way will be eligible to apply for reinstatement on payment of the appropriate subscription.
C. Corresponding Membership
This is an honorary category reserved for individuals otherwise eligible for Full Membership who work or reside outside Europe, and are judged by the Society to have made a significant contribution to neuroradiology. Conferment of Corresponding Membership will be proposed by the Executive Committee and must confirmed by a simple majority of voting Members. Corresponding Members will have all the rights and privileges of membership of the Society, but are not entitled to vote, nor to serve on Committees except as consultants, nor to hold any office in the Society. They are not required to pay subscription fees.
D. Honorary Membership
Honorary Membership is conferred by the Society upon individuals who are judged to have made outstanding contributions to neuroradiology. Conferment of Membership will be proposed by the Executive Committee and must be confirmed by a simple majority of voting Members. Honorary Members will have all the rights and privileges of Full Membership of the Society, with the exception that Honorary Members not otherwise eligible to be Full Members (e.g., because of their place of work or not being neuroradiologists) shall not be entitled to vote, nor to serve on Committees except as consultants, nor to hold any office in the Society. They are not required to pay subscription fees.
E. Honorary Presidents and Presidents of Congresses
A Full Member whose application to host the Annual Congress is accepted may adopt the title "President of the ... th Congress of the European Society of Neuroradiology". The Presidency terminates with the official closure of the Congress. During such Presidency he or she retains Full Membership.
He or she may also invite one or more suitable distinguished individuals to be Honorary President(s) of the Congress. These need not be Members of the Society, and have no other rights or privileges; their Honorary Presidency ceases when the Congress is closed. Honorary Presidents may also be designated on a similar basis for didactic Courses organised on behalf of the Society.
Individuals who are considered suitably distinguished may be nominated as Honorary Presidents of the Society. Nominations should be made to the Secretary General. They will then be considered by the Membership Committee, who will make a recommendation to the Executive Committee. Conferment of this honour, which is for life, will require ratification by the General Assembly.
F. Emeritus Membership
A Full, Associate or Honorary Member who is no longer in active practice may apply to the Membership Committee to modify his or her status. Emeritus Members have all the rights and privileges of membership of the Society, but are not entitled to vote, nor to serve on Committees except as consultants, nor to hold any office in the Society. They are not required to pay subscription fees.
G. Corporate Membership
The category is open to companies active in fields related to neuroradiology and interested in closer collaboration with the Society. Corporate Members may send two delegates to the General Assembly, but they will not have the right to vote. Corporate Members shall pay an annual subscription, the amount of which will be determined by the Society. The rights and privileges shall be forfeit if, over a period to be determined by the Society, currently one calendar year, the Corporate Member does not pay the annual subscription. Corporate Members whose membership lapses in this way will be eligible to apply for reinstatement on payment of the appropriate subscription.
Election of Members
Only Full Members may propose individual candidates for membership of the Society. Anyone wishing to become a Full Member must seek an existing Full Member to act as his or her sponsor. The latter must certify that the applicant has had the requisite training and/or certification and spends at least half of his or her time in the practice of neuroradiology. The application will then be passed to the relevant National Delegate, who will countersign it but may, if necessary, seek further details about the applicant before doing so. Applications will then be sent, via the Central Office, to the Membership Committee. Once this Committee is satisfied as to the suitability of the candidate for Full Membership, the application will be passed to the Secretary General for proposal at the next General Assembly. Candidates will be elected by a simple majority of voting Members. Successful applicants will become Full Members as from the general Assembly at which their application is approved.
Applications for Associate, Corresponding or Corporate Membership will be passed, via the Central Office, to the Membership Committee, who will verify the appropriate category of membership. This Committee will also review the status of Members in the light of any change in their circumstances, e.g., place or type of work. Proposals for Honorary Membership or Honorary Presidency should be made to the Secretary General.
Termination of Membership
Membership may be terminated by:
a. The member resigning
b. The member being removed from the list of Members by direction of the Executive Committee (advised by the Membership Committee) for serious causes, or for actions of such nature as to hinder the purposes of the Society laid out in 2
c. For failure to pay annual subscriptions for a period to be determined by the Society, currently two years (or one year in the case of Corporate Members)
The administrative bodies of the Society
The administrative bodies shall be:
A. The Executive Committee
B. The Council of National Delegates
C. The General Assembly
D. The Committees
E. The Central Office
The Executive Committee
The Executive Committee is formed by the following officers:
A. The Presidency
I. The President
II. The Vice-President
III. The Past President
B. The Secretariat
I. The General Secretary
II. The Treasurer
C. The Counsellors
I. The Chairman of the Council of National Delegates
II. Up to three Members-at-Large, elected by the General Assembly.
The Executive Committee is responsible for managing and directing the scientific, financial and other activities of the Society. It shall meet when directed by the President, or at the request of a majority of its members.
Election of Officers
Any Full Member of the Society can seek election as Vice-President, Secretary General, Treasurer or Member-at-Large of the Executive Committee. These Officers shall be elected at the General Assembly to serve according to the provisions of this Article. The procedure for their election shall be as follows.
A. Notice of candidature, with the names of the candidate and two Sponsors, who shall also be Full Members shall be sent, at least three months before the General Assembly, to the Secretary General, who will ascertain, by reference to the Membership Committee, that the candidate is in good standing as a Full Member. The lists of candidates shall be inserted in the convocation to the General Assembly. [When suitable arrangements have been made, this should be changed to: Ballot papers issued by a disinterested professional body will be provided at a suitable time preceding the Assembly, and will be returned, by post, to that body.]
B. Voting for each office shall be by secret ballot, unless there is only one unopposed candidate, in which case a show of hands clearly indicating majority agreement will suffice. [When suitable arrangements have been made, this should be changed to: Voting shall be by secret postal ballot, scrutinised by a disinterested professional body.]
C. The results of the elections shall be announced at the General Assembly; the candidate for each post who has received the largest number of votes will be declared to have been elected. Should voting be tied, the election will be repeated, by secret ballot, at the same General Assembly.
D. Newly-elected Officers will take office immediately after the General Assembly.
E. The Officers constituting the Presidency will serve for one term, the length of which has been decided by the Society (currently two years), and will not be eligible for re-election.
F. The Officers of the Secretariat will serve for the term determined by the Society (currently three years), but will be eligible for re-election.
G. The Chairman of the Council of the National Delegates will serve for the term laid down in the Constitution (currently three years) and will not be eligible for re-election.
H. The Members-at-Large will serve for two years and will not be eligible for re-election.
Duties of the Officers
President:
The President shall be the presiding Officer of the Society and will perform all duties which custom and practice associate with his or her office. The President shall preside over meetings of the Executive Committee, including its meeting with the Council of National Delegates.
The President, with the approval of the Executive Committee, and taking into account offers from individual members, and their competence, shall appoint Full Members to standing and ad hoc Committees. The President may personally convene an Advisory Board to be consulted upon specific items concerning the Society.
The President shall serve for two years. This will be preceded by two years as Vice-President and followed by a further two years as Past President. If for some reason the President becomes unable or unwilling to continue in office before the end of his or her normal term, the Vice-President shall assume the post of President until the next General Assembly or a Special Business Meeting convened for this purpose. If at the time of that Assembly the Vice-President would normally become the President, this should be ratified. If the Vice-President has by this time served only one year, his or her position as President for the next two years may be ratified.
Vice-President:
The Vice-President will co-operate with the President as appropriate and assume the duties of the President if the latter is unable to serve, temporarily or, as indicated in the preceding clause, permanently. He or she will also carry out such other duties as may reasonably be assigned by the President. The Vice-President will take over the post of President, after one term of two years in office.
If for some reason the Vice-President becomes unable or unwilling to continue in office before the end of his or her normal term, the post will remain vacant until the next General Assembly or a Special Business Meeting convened for this purpose. The Executive Committee will seek nominations for this post, in the usual way. The newly-elected Vice-President will then serve until the end of the term of office of the current President.
Past President:
After one term in office the President will automatically become Past President for a period of two years. He or she will co-operate with the President as appropriate, and will also carry out such other duties as may reasonably be assigned by the President. If for some reason the Past President becomes unable or unwilling to continue in office before the end of his or her normal term, the post will remain vacant until the end of the term of office of the current President.
Secretary General:
The Secretary General will be in charge of the Central Office, in collaboration with the Treasurer. He or she will maintain the requisite records of the Society, including those concerning membership and the transactions at the General Assembly. He or she will also carry out such other duties as may reasonably be assigned by the President. The Secretary General will serve for three years, but will be eligible for re-election.
If for some reason the Secretary General becomes unable or unwilling to continue in office before the end of his or her normal term, his or her duties will be assumed by the Treasurer until the next General Assembly or a Special Business Meeting convened for the purpose of electing a new Secretary General. The Executive Committee will seek nominations for this post, in the usual way. The new Secretary General will then serve for three years from the time of that General Assembly or from the following one if a Special Business Meeting is held in the sixth months preceding it.
Treasurer:
The Treasurer will assist the Secretary General in supervising the Central Office. He or she will be responsible for administering the funds of the Society, keeping a record of financial transactions, and providing a financial report to the General Assembly. He or she will also carry out such other duties as may reasonably be assigned by the President. The Treasurer will serve for three years, but will be eligible for re-election; elections for Treasurer should preferably occur one year after those for Secretary General.
If for some reason the Treasurer becomes unable or unwilling to continue in office before the end of his or her normal term, his or her duties will be assumed by the Secretary General until the next General Assembly or a Special Business Meeting convened for the purpose of electing a new Treasurer. The Executive Committee will seek nominations for this post, in the usual way. The new Treasurer will then serve for three years from the time of that General Assembly or from the following one if a Special Business Meeting is held in the sixth months preceding it.
The Executive Committee may, in collaboration with the Rules Committee, propose to the General Assembly a variation in the length of service of the Officers, including the Members-at-Large should early retirement or other events disturb the normal sequence of changes of Officer.
The Council of National Delegates
The Council will consist of the National Delegates. It will act as a strategic Committee of the Society, promoting studies and projects for the development of neuroradiology in European countries, and may be consulted on any matter of interest to the Society. The National Delegates will work to improve communications between the Society, the national societies and the individual Members of the Society.
The National Delegates will be elected by their national neuroradiological societies, by a process to be determined locally; the President of the national society will notify the Chairman of the Council of National Delegates of the names and term of office of the elected Delegate. Where there is no national society in European country, the Full Members of the Society working in that country will elect a National Delegate from their number, by simple majority vote. They shall serve for a period of three years, unless otherwise determined by the national society, and will be eligible for re-election, unless this is not permitted by the national society.
The Council will be co-ordinated and promoted by a Chairman, elected by the National Delegates from among themselves. The election, by simple majority, will be organised by the outgoing Chairman. The Chairman will serve on the Executive Committee, with full voting rights. The Council of National Delegates shall be convened at least once a year, normally at the Annual Congress, under the presidency of its elected Chairman, and may also meet with the Executive Committee.
The General Assembly
The General Assembly will normally be held in conjunction with the Annual Scientific Meeting. The Secretary General shall send the convocation to the Assembly to all Members at least six weeks before the date set for the Assembly. All Members may attend the Assembly, but only Full and Honorary Members may vote [will receive ballot forms]. The General Assembly may take place and decisions may be taken only when the number of members with voting rights present is at least one fifth of the combined numbers of Full and Honorary members; it will be the responsibility of the Secretariat to ensure that this requirement is fulfilled. If it is not, a further Meeting shall be convened, at which a quorum shall be deemed to be present regardless of the number of Full and Honorary Members present. The convocation to this latter meeting shall be sent to all Members not less than 30 days before the date set for the Meeting.
The following will be elected at the time of the General Assembly: the Vice-President, the Secretary general, the Treasurer, the Membesr-at-Large of the Executive Committee, and the President of the next Annual Scientific Meeting whose President has not as yet been appointed. New Members in any category will be elected and registered.
Changes to the Constitution will be discussed and ratified, if approved, at the General Assembly. All such matters as are indicated in the agenda shall be discussed. Any Members present may raise Any Other Business of interest to the Society, but shall first notify the Secretary General in writing of his or her intention to do so. Decisions made at General Assemblies will be made by a simple majority (or by the largest number of votes cast, if more than two choices are available) of voting Members, except as otherwise indicated in this Constitution.
Special Business Meetings may be convened by the President on written request of one third of the combined numbers of Full and Honorary Members. The agenda for such Meetings shall be included in the convocation to them, and no business other than that indicated by the agenda shall be conducted. The convocation to a Special Business Meeting [and any relevant ballot papers] shall be sent to all Members at least 30 days before the date set for the Meeting.
Committees
Standing Committees
The members and Chairmen of these Committees shall be appointed by the Executive Committee, and the Chairmen's appointments shall be ratified at the General Assembly or a Special Business Meeting. Any Full member may offer him- or herself for consideration as a Committee member and should do so by informing the President-Elect of his or her willingness to serve. Membership will normally be for one term of three years, with the possibility of appointment for one further term. The Committees shall be authorised to co-opt such further ad-hoc members as circumstances demand by agreement among the existing appointed members, without reference to the Executive Committee; the latter will, however, be advised of such arrangements. The activities of the Committees shall be reported to the Executive Committee and to the General Assembly.
The list of Standing Committees will be kept under review, taking into account the needs of the Society. They currently include the following.
A. Technical Committees
I. Rules Committee
II. Membership Committee
III. Audit Committee
B. Scientific Committees
IV. Publication Committee
V. Scientific Programme Committee
VI. Scientific Award Committee
VII. Education Committee
C. Subspeciality Committees
VIII. Interventional Neuroradiology Committee
IX. Paediatric Neuroradiology Committee
X. Head and Neck Neuroradiology Committee
Rules Committee
This Committee shall consist of five members, including the Chairman. It shall be responsible for interpreting the Constitution. It will also keep it under review, taking into account the views of the Members of the Society, and its changing needs. It will advise the Executive Committee of proposals for modifications to the Constitution. With the agreement of the Executive Committee, it will prepare proposed changes for presentation to the Members.
Membership Committee
This Committee shall be responsible for receiving new applications for membership from the Secretary General and/or Central Office, and for allotting the appropriate category to candidates. It will also review the suitability of existing Members for the category of membership in which they are currently placed, having at its disposition the information required to do this. It will provide the Executive Committee with proposals for membership, to be approved at the General Assembly.
Audit Committee
This shall consist of three members, including a Chairman. The Committee will review the accounts prepared by the Treasurer each year and shall retain a certified accountant for these purposes, and for certifying the annual report of the Treasurer.
Publication Committee
This Committee will consist of three appointed members, including the Chairman, plus the most senior editor of the official journal of the Society who is a Full Member of the Society, and the editor appointed to that journal by the Society. It shall promote publication of appropriate documents by the Society and shall be consulted about any projected publication by or on behalf of the Society.
Scientific Programme Committee
This Committee shall consist of three appointed members, including the Chairman. The President of the forthcoming Annual Scientific Meeting is a member ex-officio from the time of the end of the previous Meeting until the end of the Meeting he or she organises. This Committee shall co-operate with local scientific committees and be responsible, in collaboration with the Secretariat, for the scientific organisation of the meeting(s) of the Society.
Scientific Award Committee
This will consist of three appointed members, including a Chairman. It shall supervise any prizes or awards the Society may sponsor. One award, dedicated to the memory of George Ziedses des Plantes is currently given for the best scientific paper(s) given by a junior radiologist at the Annual Scientific Meeting.
Education Committee
This shall consist of the two most recent and the next two organisers of the European Course in Neuroradiology, ex officio, plus an appointed member, who will serve as Chairman. The Committee will co-operate with local scientific committees and shall be responsible, in collaboration with the Secretariat, for the scientific organisation of didactic courses organised by or on behalf of the Society. It will proposes places, topics and Presidents for courses to the Executive Committee and General Assembly for approval.
Interventional Neuroradiology Committee
This shall consist of five members, including the chairman, active in interventional neuroradiology. It shall be responsible for drawing up training standards and for appropriate educational activities, in collaboration with the Education Committee.
Paediatric Neuroradiology Committee
This shall consist of five members, including the chairman, active in paediatric neuroradiology. It shall be responsible for drawing up training standards and for appropriate educational activities, in collaboration with the Education Committee.
Head and Neck Neuroradiology Committee
This shall consist of five members, including the chairman, active in head and neck neuroradiology. It shall be responsible for drawing up training standards and for appropriate educational activities, in collaboration with the Education Committee.
Other Committees
Ad hoc Committees may be established by the Executive Committee and an Advisory Board may be set up by the President, as indicated above. The period for which these bodies are appointed will normally be determined at the time they are convened.
The Central Office
The supervision of the Central Office will be the responsibility of the Secretary General and Treasurer.
Meetings
The Officers of the Society will hold such meetings as are deemed appropriate, which shall be organised locally by a Full Member appointed by the Society, following such guidelines as may currently be laid down. These will normally include an Annual Congress (and General Assembly), and one or more didactic courses. Other courses, in subjects such as Interventional or Paediatric Neuroradiology, may be arranged with a frequency to be determined.
Financial Management - Responsibility
All financial contributions to the Society, including subscriptions and other fees and donations, together with income from the educational and other activities of the Society, are to be paid to the Treasurer. The amount and conditions of the annual subscriptions shall be proposed by the Executive Committee and submitted to the General Assembly for approval.
The funds of the Society shall be used to finance the Central Office, to organise the meetings of the Society and, where possible, to set up a trust to support research and education in neuroradiology.
The Executive Committee shall assume collective responsibility for its actions, including those relating to disbursement of funds. It shall not, however, be held responsible for actions by individual Members of the Society or by its Committees which it has not previously approved, unless it is deemed to have exercised insufficient control over them.
Changes in the Constitution
The Constitution may be amended at any General Assembly or at a Special Business Meeting (convened for that purpose on written request of one third of the combined numbers of Full and Honorary Members), by a two thirds majority of the voting members present. Proposed amendments must be presented to the Members in the convocation to the General Assembly or Special Business Meeting. [Alternatively, a secret postal ballot may be organised for this purpose by a disinterested professional body, in which case a two-thirds majority will also be decisive, providing the number of valid votes cast corresponds to at least one fifth of the combined numbers of Full and Honorary Members.]
Dissolution - Disposal of Property
The Society may be dissolved only at a General Assembly or a Special Business Meeting convened for this purpose, by a three-quarters majority of Full and Honorary Members present. If the final balance sheet shows a profit, this shall be transferred to an non-profit organisation with aims similar to those of the Society.
