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 International Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (ISECS)
 Société internationale d'étude du XVIIIe siècle (SIEDS)
 

ISECS bylaws

A. ELECTIONS TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Candidacies

A1. The list of candidates proposed by the Executive Committee (Constitution, art. 10) shall be established no later than two years before the ISECS Ordinary General Meeting. It shall be circulated to the entire membership through the Constituent Societies within six months of its establishment along with a call for possible nominations by petition.

A2. Nominations by petition, presented according to constitutional specifications (50 signatures for the offices of President and First Vice-President; 25 signatures for all other posts), must reach the ISECS secretariat within six months following circulation of the list proposed by the Executive Committee, and at least one month preceding the latter's annual meeting.

A3. The Executive Committee shall register all acceptable nominations at least one year prior to the Ordinary General Meeting and add them to its own list. It may choose to add to the list further nominations, if approved by a two-thirds majority. During the same session the Executive Committee shall set up a three-member Election Commission charged with ruling on disputes concerning the election. Its members may neither be candidates nor sit on the Board of Elections.

A4. The ISECS secretariat shall provide Constituent Societies with all election-related documents, in both official languages, before the end of the calendar year preceding the Ordinary General Meeting (list of candidates, reminders of voting procedures and deadline for receipt of mail ballots, proxy-vote forms, ballots). Constituent Societies shall circulate these documents among their members at least three months prior to the Ordinary General Meeting.

Voting procedures

A5. A Board of Elections, consisting of non-candidate members of ISECS, shall be set up by the Executive Committee at the beginning of each Congress. It shall organise the balloting (in-person and proxy voting, mail-ballot check) and count the votes (see A9).

A6. Mail ballots must reach the ISECS secretariat no later than the opening day of the Congress. Proxy voting shall be authorised upon presentation of the official form signed by the proxy-giver, but no member shall act as proxy for more than three other members.

A7. No person, though a member of more than one Constituent Society, shall vote more than once. The voting register, established by the ISECS secretariat with the assistance of the Constituent Societies, shall be handed over to the Board of Elections at the start of the balloting. The voting register shall include only those members who are in good standing in their national societies as of the 31st of December preceding final establishment of the voting register.

A8. Ballots with identifying signs or more names than there are posts to fill shall be considered null and void. Votes for non-candidates shall be considered blank insofar as these votes are concerned, other portions of the ballot remaining valid.

A9. The voting and vote-count shall be public.

A10. Election results shall be announced to the Ordinary General Meeting by the outgoing President at the end of the Congress, and shall be posted.

Annexe: electoral calendar 1997-1999

A11. July 1997 - Executive Committee: Final approval of calendar; establishment of Executive Committee list of candidates.

A12. 31 October 1997 - Constituent Societies to receive bi-lingual version of by-laws, calendar, and list of candidates proposed by the Executive Committee, along with a call for possible nominations by petition.

A13. January 1998 - Constituent Societies to circulate the above texts by means of newsletter or circular.

A14. 1 June 1998 - Deadline for ISECS secretariat's receipt of nominations by petition.

A15. July 1998 - Possible further nominations by the Executive Committee; final list of candidates; setting up of Elections Commission.

A16. 31 December 1998 - Constituent Societies to receive all election-related documents (c.f. by-laws A4).

A17. April 1999 - Constituent Societies to send out above documents to their members.

A18. July 1999 - Congress opening: deadline for receipt of mail ballots; establishment of Board of Elections.

B. CONSTITUENT SOCIETIES

Definitions

B1. National societies are defined as those aiming to provide a forum for scholars of all disciplines from a particular country.

B2. Multinational societies are defined as those aiming to provide a forum for scholars of all disciplines from two or more countries located in one region of the world.

Representation on the Executive Committee

B3. If a delegate of a Constituent Society is unable to attend a meeting of the Executive Committee, he or she will be replaced by another duly accredited person of the Constituent Society's choosing.

C. FINANCIAL

The ISECS levy

C1. The basic ISECS levy will be £1.00 sterling.

C2. The basic ISECS levy will be increased at each Ordinary General Meeting by the same percentage as the average increase in subscriptions levied by Constituent Societies upon their normal members during the preceding four years.

C3. Constituent Societies will report all changes in their membership subscription to the ISECS Technical Secretariat.

The International directory

C4. In the year preceding that of the Ordinary General Meeting, the ISECS Executive Committee may, if necessary, raise an additional levy from each national society not exceeding the basic levy for that year, and the income from this additional levy will be devoted to the publication and distribution of the International directory.

C5. ISECS will distribute one free copy of the International directory to all members of Constituent Societies in so far as their members are covered by the additional levy under C4 above.

C6. Individuals who are members of more than one Constituent Society will be entitled to receive one additional copy of the Directory upon written request.

C7. Separate accounts will be maintained for the Directory and these accounts will be presented to the Executive Committee by 31 July in the year following publication.

Investment

C8. The funds of ISECS will be lodged permanently in one country, and its financial transactions will be audited by a professional accountant of that country appointed from time to time by the Executive Committee.

C9. Reserve funds will be invested on six-month deposit with an officially recognised institution of that country, at the highest rate of interest available.

Expenditure

C10. ISECS income will be expended only under the following budget headings, upon the written authority of the Treasurer-General or President, and the percentage allocation for each budget heading will be established according to the following guidelines:

To reserves for International directory45%
To reserves for general purposes10%
Cost of annual Executive Committee meeting (general)10%
Cost of annual Executive Committee meeting (travel)5%
Operating expenses: Secretary5%
Operating expenses: Treasurer5%
Operating expenses: Technical Secretariat15%
Miscellaneous5%

C11. The expenditure in one year will be based upon the receipts of the previous year, and not upon the forecasts of current income.

Financial reports

C12. The Treasurer-General of ISECS will prepare the following documents at 31 March of each year, and they will be circulated to members of the Executive Committee with the agenda for the following meeting:

i. Accounts for the previous calendar year;
ii. Balance sheet as at the end of the previous calendar year;
iii. Subscription report as at 31 March of the current year;
iv. Budget for the following calendar year.

C13. Cumulative four-year versions of the accounts will be presented at the Ordinary General Meeting of ISECS, together with a balance sheet as at the end of the previous calendar year.

C14. After each Ordinary General Meeting, the incoming Treasurer-General will prepare a draft four-year version of the budget for submission to the Executive Committee by 31 March following his or her election.

The Treasurer

C15. To ensure continuity of control, the Treasurer-General of ISECS will hold office from 1 January of the year following his or her election, for a period of four years.

Non-convertible currencies

C16. Constituent societies that are unable to pay the ISECS levy by reason of exchange control regulations or similar force majeure will pay an agreed equivalent in their local currency into a bank account in the name of ISECS or into a fund under public control. A formal annual statement of account, showing credits, debits and the balance, will be submitted to the Treasurer-General by 28 February every year. The balance will be made available to the Treasurer-General or to a nominee appointed by the Standing Commitee, on one month's written notice.

C17. Constituent societies paying in a non-convertible currency will receive one copy of the International directory per ten members, for distribution to research libraries. The size of the membership for this purpose will be the average paid membership during the three years preceding the publication of the Directory. Each society will receive a minimum of twelve copies.

Unpaid dues

C18. The delegates of constituent societies that have not paid the ISECS levy for two or more years will be unable to vote at meetings of the Executive Committee. Members of constituent societies that have not paid the ISECS levy for one or more of the previous four years will not receive the International directory until all arrears have been paid.

D. CORPORATE MEMBERS

Membership and dues

D1. Corporate bodies may become members of ISECS by virtue of membership of a Constitutent Society.

D2. Constituent Societies pay dues on behalf of corporate members amounting to five times those of individual members. Corporate members are thereby entitled to receive the International directory free of charge.

E. DIRECT MEMBERS

Membership and dues

E1. All those who join ISECS directly pay an annual subscription amounting to fifty times the basic levy (see C1).

F. ASSOCIATED SOCIETIES

F1. Societies may be either admitted as constituent members of ISECS or they may be associated to ISECS.

F2. Associated societies may include societies wishing to be admitted as constituent members but of which the constitution does not meet the criteria of ISECS, societies suspended as constituent societies for failing to observe the constitution or bylaws of ISECS and all groups which may wish to associate themselves with the activities of ISECS without becoming full constituent members. Such societies shall be admitted as associated societies by decision of the Executive Committee. They will be able to make their activities known via the ISECS Bulletin, to have their members listed in the International directory and to be kept informed of the activities of ISECS.

 
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