Every large association needs an executive body to sustain it and to carry out its aims. ISECS has had such a body since 1971. At first it consisted of no more than a president, three vice-presidents, a secretary and a treasurer. This comparatively small group expanded over the years in proportion to the growing membership of the society. Thus the secretary and treasurer were flanked by assistants and all constituent societies were invited to send a delegate to the annual board meetings. In due course the larger societies (with more than 750 members) became entitled to two delegates while six 'elected' and four 'co-opted' members were added in order to assure a just representation of the various nationalities and the diverse disciplines of eighteenth century studies.

At present the ISECS Executive Committee consists of 17 elected members, 3 coopted members, the Technical Secretary, and 30 delegates of the different constituent societies.

Elections to the Executive Committee are held every four years coinciding with the International Congresses of ISECS, at which event the elected members and the delegates then choose the co-opted members. The full Executive Committee meets once a year, while the Standing Committee, consisting of the President, the First Vice-president, the Secretary General and the Treasurer, meets in between to take care of the Society's routine business (correspondence, applications for membership, dues payments, announcements of forthcoming events, publications, the Directory, etc.).

The annual Executive Committee meeting last for two or three days and is held in one of the constituent societies' countries. The Society's business is discussed, decisions concerning the running of the Society are taken (frequently by vote), the Standing Committee is heard, projects are discussed, and, most important of all, the quadrennial International Congresses on the Enlightenment are planned and carefully prepared.

Apart from the business meeting, the yearly Executive Committee gathering offers the delegates and elected members the opportunity to get to know each other and to partake in a symposium and sometimes an excursion organized by the hosting society.

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