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Society Statutes of ISCOWA

NAME, PLACE and DURATION.

Art. 1 -

The International Society for the Environmental and Technical Implications of Construction with Alternative Materials (ISCOWA), hereafter referred to as "The Society", is registered in UTRECHT, The Netherlands and is established for unlimited time.

Art. 2 -

The Society is established in order to:
2.1. Promote and co-ordinate the study and exchange of information, both national and international, of the environmental and technical consequences of construction with alternative materials and of processing of materials including those of civil engineering works;
2.2. Assist in the organization and promotion of conferences and meetings;
2.3. Assist in the publication and circulation of technical papers, calenders of events and other relevant matter in the above described field;
2.4. Encourage education, training and research;
2.5. Consult with and bring together individuals and representatives of members, research establishments, academic bodies and institutions of governments and other bodies;
2.6. Collect and disseminate information on matters affecting the Society's objectives and exchange information with other organizations having similar objectives;
2.7. Stimulate fund rising for research activities and participate in meetings of governmental and international organizations, which are active in research planning and funding.

MEMBERS

Art. 3 -

3.1. Members are those who have applied for membership and have been accepted as such by the Board.
3.2. Members are obliged to accept the "Statutes of the Society" and pay the membership fee which is fixed by the Board.
3.3. Membership ends in the event of death, by renouncement and expulsion.
3.4. Renouncement of membership can always take place by written notification of the Board.
3.5. Expulsion is possible when:
.....a. The contribution fees are not fulfilled;
.....b. A member does not operate according to the statutes, rules and decisions of the Society, or is harmful for the Society.
3.6 Expulsion as described in the previous item takes place by the Board. The person concerned will receive as soon as possible a written notice of the decision of the Board; the person concerned can appeal within one month to the Members Council. The membership remains suspendid until the Members Council decide about the appeal.

FUNDS AND BALANCES.

Art. 4 -

4.1. The income of the Society is composed of:
.....a. Contributions and eventual subscription fees;
.....b. Legacies and donations;
.....c. Earnings from money accounts and sold literature;
.....d. Subsidies and other earnings.
4.2. The account year is the same as the calendar year.
4.3. The treasurer informs every year the members of income and expenses balances.

BOARD AND DIRECTION.

Art. 5 -

5.1. The Board - also called the Board of Direction - is composed of a minimum of seven members, which are chosen by the Members Council. The number of Board members is determined by the General Assembly.
5.2. The Board can appoint a maximum of five member-experts for a time period of maximal two years, with the possibility of reappointment. These members of the Board have no voting right.
5.3. The Board members are always appointed for a period of two years, and can afterwards be re-elected.
5.4. The General Assembly can decide about the expulsion of a member of the Board; for this decision it is required to have the majority of two thirds of the valid votes of those present.
5.5. Members of the Board are entitled to ask for resignation, by written notice and at least with three month in advance.
5.6. Members of the Board will not receive any payment from the Society, except for a compensation for made costs on behalf of the Society.
5.7. The Board is entitled to close contracts in order to get, alienate or encumber inventory property, to close contracts in which the Society functions as caution or as main debtor, or as guaranty of the debts of third parties.

Art. 6 -

6.1. The Board appoints under its members the direction functions.
6.2. The president, secretary and treasurer form together the executive committee.
6.3. The work procedures of the Board and executive committee and their competences, and the quality requirements which are demanded from members are to be regulated by internal regulations.
6.4. The president and the secretary can represent the Society in all matters; in case one of the two is impeded, the other can represent the Society.

MEMBERS COUNCIL

Art. 7 -

7.1. The General Assembly, hereafter called Members Council, is called by the Board two month in advance and preferably at the same moment of a conference.
7.2 Each member is to be allowed to the Members Council, and has the right to vote or can delegate in writing in the person of another member, nobody can at any time represent more than three members.
7.3. Resolutions can only be aproved if two thirds of the members are present or are represented.
7.4. Votes over affairs are cast orally, over persons are cast in writing. Over all proposals is decided by absolute majority of cast votes.

CONFERENCES

Art. 8 -

8.1. The Society will promote and assist the realization of conferences, which will in principle take place every two years in the country where the "Organization Committee" is settled.
8.2. The Board invites members to organize the conference and chooses one of them to be the "Organization Committee" and to organize the conference; the form and the contents of the conference will remain under the responsibility of the Board.
8.3. The Organization Committee is responsible for all matters concerning the organization of the conference and is also financially liable.
8.4. Conference minutes and reports are to be made in English.
8.5. The Society can organize other scientific meetings or be involved in the organization thereof; the Society shall never be financially liable for such involvment.

CHANGES OF STATUTES AND DISSOLUTION

Art. 9 -

9.1. Changes in the statutes can only take place after a decision of the Members Council, which has to be taken with a majority of two thirds of the votes of those which are present or are represented. The text of the changes to be voted are to be send to the members together with the meeting's invitation. The changes are only to be active after being rectified by notarial act.

Art. 10 -

10.1. The Society is to be terminated after a decision of the Members Council, which has to be taken with at least two thirds of the votes of those present or represented, which have to be at least two thirds of the members; or in those cases in which the law decides.
The meeting has to be called with explicit announcement of the proposal to terminate the Society and with the destination to be given within one month to the financial saldo of the Society.
10.2 In case no settlers are chosen during the meeting will the settlement be done by the Board.
10.3 An eventual positive saldo will be used for those purposes which have been decided by the Members Council to be the most corresponding with the aims of the Society.

GENERAL ARTICLE

In all cases where these statutes or other regulations do not give a definitive answer, the president will decide.