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European Brain and Behaviour Society

European Brain and Behaviour Society

Society Rules

The European Brain and Behaviour Society – BYLAWS

Name and Objectives

1. The Society shall be called "The European Brain and Behaviour Society".

2. The object of the Society shall be the furtherance of scientific enquiry within the field of the interrelationships of brain mechanisms and behaviour by the holding of periodic meetings at which papers may be read and discussions held and by such other activities as may be decided upon by the Society, and the dissemination of information and educational material made available as a consequence of research in the interrelationships of brain mechanisms and behaviour.

Members

3. Membership is open to persons of sufficient scientific standing, ability and continuing interest in the field defined in Rule 2, namely, the field of scientific enquiry into the interrelationships of brain mechanisms and behaviour, as interpreted by the Society in accordance with these Rules.

4. The members shall consist of Ordinary Members and Honorary Members, admission to any class being subject to the principle stated in Rule 3 and all classes being subject to the relevant provision of Rule 24.

5. Application for ordinary membership shall be accompanied by the applicant’s Curriculum Vitae and publications list.

6.a. Young scientists who are engaged on higher degrees may apply for Student Membership at a reduced subscription rate, the reduced rate being available for the duration of their studies. Each year the reduced rate membership will be allowed following confirmation of their student status by their supervisor.

6.b. Senior scientist in retirement are ordinary members, designated as emeriti members at a reduced subscription rate.

7. Membership in the Society is granted by the Board member(s) appointed by the Board to handle membership applications.

8.a. Honorary Membership shall be by invitation only. Honorary Membership may be granted to persons of outstanding eminence and seniority.

8.b. The total number of Honorary Members shall not exceed fifteen.

8.c. Honorary Members can only be elected by a 2/3 majority in a secret ballot (see also article 16.2 of the constitution) at an Annual General Meeting. No person shall be presented for election without the approval of the Committee.

8.d Honorary Members shall not be liable to pay any subscription and shall not be present during the transaction of business except at the Committee's invitation. They shall, on the same terms and conditions as Ordinary Members, be entitled to attend all scientific sessions, to receive any publications issued by the Society and to subscribe to any journal or other publication at the rates applicable to Ordinary Members. Nominations for Honorary members should be submitted to the committee before the AGM.

Board and Committee

9. The business of the Society shall be conducted by a Board consisting of the President, the President-Elect, the Secretary, the Treasurer, supported by a Committee of seven (7) ordinary members, and it shall have the power to co-opt not more than three (3) non-voting members, as the need arises, for one year.

Election of Officers and of Members of the Committee

10. Elections shall take place by postal and/or electronic ballot of the members of the society and the results announced at the Annual General Meeting. The Secretary, or another member of the committee, will be appointed as the returning officer.

11. The President-Elect shall be elected for 1 year from among the Ordinary Members. He/she shall then serve as President for two (2) years and shall not be re-elected for a consecutive term (but may be co-opted to the Committee for the following year).

12. The Secretary and Treasurer shall hold office for three years and shall always be eligible for re-election to the Committee. At the end of their term, each may be co-opted onto the committee for one further year.

13. Ordinary Members of the Committee shall be elected for three years and shall not be eligible for re-election in the following year, at the end of which time they can again become eligible for election to the Committee for a period of three years.

13.a. In case the Secretary, treasurer, or a member of the committee leaves the committee before completing his/her term, the president will nominate a replacement , who will serve for the remainder of the term. If the President leaves the committee, the committee will designate from among themselves an Acting President, until a President-elect has been elected. If the President Elect has been elected (s)he will assume the role of Acting president until the next AGM when beginning the normal term as President.

14. Co-opted members of the Committee shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting, when they shall be eligible for election as Ordinary Members or for co-option as a non-voting member again.

15. Nominations for membership of the Committee shall be received by the Secretary four months before the AGM. Such nominations may be made by any Ordinary or Honorary Member (including members of the committee) and should be seconded by at least one other Ordinary or honorary member.

Subscription and Finance

16. Each Ordinary Member shall pay an annual subscription, the amount to be fixed or altered only by a vote at an Annual General Meeting, that will entitle him/her to attend all Meetings (Scientific and General) of the Society and to receive (except as may otherwise be decided by the Committee) any publications issued by the Society. Subscriptions shall be payable in advance and fall due on January 1 in each year. If a subscription has not been paid by April 1 in any year, the Treasurer shall notify the Member concerned; and if, after a further reasonable period, the subscription remains unpaid, the Treasurer shall report to the Committee, which may take action under Rule 24. The Annual General Meeting shall decide whether reduced subscriptions can be allowed to members from difficult areas.

Meetings

17. The Society shall meet at least once a year. The Meetings shall be held at such time and place as may be determined by the Committee, and approved at a meeting of the Society.

18. An Annual General Meeting shall be held each year. At the said Meeting the Secretary shall present a Report and the Treasurer shall present a Financial Statement.

19. At least one month's written notice of all General Meetings shall be given to all Members.

20. The President shall take the Chair at any General Meeting or, in the absence of the President, any member of the Committee may be chosen by the Committee to preside. In the absence of the Secretary, the Committee shall appoint an Acting Secretary for the duration of said Meeting. The quorum for any General Meeting shall be a minimum of twenty Ordinary and Honorary Members, including the committee.

21. An Extraordinary General Meeting may be summoned at any time by the Committee or (on a written requisition signed by at least ten per cent of the Ordinary Members) by the Secretary. The Notice convening the Meeting (or, in the latter event, both the Requisition and the Notice) shall specify the resolution or resolutions to be moved thereat and no business other than that arising out of the resolution(s) so specified shall be dealt with or transacted at such a meeting. At least two weeks notice of an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be required.

22. In case of a tie vote within the Committee, the President shall have a casting vote.

Alteration of Rules

23. These rules may be altered, revoked, amended or added to in any manner and to any extent at the Annual General Meeting or at any Extraordinary General Meeting specially convened for that purpose, but notice of the proposed alteration shall be given in the Notice convening the Meeting and any such alteration shall require a two-thirds majority of those present and voting thereon.

Resignation and Expulsion

24. Any Member of the Society may, by written notice signed by himself and addressed to the Secretary at least one calendar month before his/her subscription becomes due and on payment of all arrears of subscriptions payable by him/her, retire from Membership in the Society. The Committee shall have power, pursuant to a resolution passed at any Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting of the Society, to request the resignation of any Member, including any committee member, without assigning any reasons for so doing, or in default of such resignation to expel such Member from the Society. However, in the latter case the Committee shall afford such Member an opportunity of being heard by the Committee on the subject of his/her expulsion from the Society before implementing such expulsion.

Oslo, May 1995 Revised in Paris, October, 1995 and June 1997, Rome, September, 1999, Barcelona 2012, Lausanne 2020.

Revised at the AGM online meeting, June 2024