DMS Bylaws
[Unofficial translation: Stephen Wessels, 2012]
Adopted by the general meeting on February 1, 1963, with amendments approved by general meetings on November 17, 1987, January 13, 1993, February 10, 1994, March 20, 2013.
OBJECTIVE:
§1. It is the objective of the Danish Microbiological Society to promote and communicate microbiological research and to promote the interests of Danish microbiologists nationally and internationally.
(2) The Society is a member of the International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS). The Society’s Board constitutes the national committee. The Society is associated with the Federation of European Microbiological Societies (FEMS).
(3) Delegates to international organisations are nominated, or appointed, according to the following procedure: The Society’s scientific divisions propose delegates for their respective fields to the Board. The Board appoints delegates for those fields that are not represented by the scientific divisions and submit a coordinated proposal to the respective organisations.
MEMBERS:
§2. As its members the Society can accept both Danish and non-Danish microbiologists who agree to the Society’s objectives.
§3. A request for membership is done by filling the registration form at the homepage of the Society or by sending an e-mail to the committee or secretary of the Danish Microbiological Society. Admission of honorary memberships is described in § 5.
§4. If a member wishes to surrender his or her membership, the member must submit a written request to this effect to the Board prior to January 1 of the year to give up the membership.
(2). The Board is empowered to delete a member from the Society’s list of members if the person has not paid membership dues for two consecutive years, despite written warnings.
§5. By decision of a general meeting, and subsequent to a proposal by the Board or by at least ten of the Society’s members, the Society can award honorary membership. Such members do not pay membership fees but have the same rights as the Society’s ordinary members.
MANAGEMENT OF THE SOCIETY:
§6. The Society is managed by the Board consisting of 11 members: a president, a vice-president, a treasurer, and a secretary, as well as seven other members. The composition of the Board shall reflect the Society’s divisions.
(2). The president is elected directly by the general meeting (cf. §13), while the Board is to appoint the vice-president, treasurer, and secretary and the remaining seven from among its members.
§7. The Board members are elected for 2 years at a time, but re-election can take place. The incumbency of the president is, however, limited to 3 consecutive election periods. After leaving the office of president, they may be elected to the Board again, though not for the office of president. After two years’ absence from that office, they may be re-elected as president.
Maximum Term Limits for Board Members: Board members may be re-elected a maximum of three times, meaning that a Board membership can last for a maximum of eight years. This rule will be applied retroactively from 2020, meaning seniority will be counted from that year.
§8. The Society’s accounts are to be audited by two accountants who are elected from among the members at the ordinary general meeting. However, one of the accountants may be a state-authorized public accountant who is not a member of the Society. Re-election is permitted.
(2). The audited account must be made available for general viewing at a place to be announced by the Board at least 8 days prior to the general meeting.
ACTIVITIES OF THE SOCIETY
§9. The Society’s year is the calendar year.
§10. Payment of membership dues is to be announced in January of each year. The size of the dues is to be determined by the Board and must be approved by the general meeting.
§11. Meetings in the Society are to be announced in writing to each member, and if possible and appropriate in the relevant scientific publications. Such announcements are normally to be made public at least 7 days before the meeting in question.
(2). All written announcements from the Board are to be accompanied by the Society’s full address.
§12. For presentation at the general meeting, the Board is to prepare an annual report, that contains a brief overview of the Society’s activities the past year.
GENERAL MEETING. AMENDMENTS TO BYLAWS AND DISSOLUTION OF THE SOCIETY:
§13. The Society’s general meeting is to be held once a year in the first quarter of the year.
The agenda is to contain the following topics: 1. Election of meeting leader. 2. Annual report of the Society’s activities the past year. 3. Presentation of the audited financial summary of costs for approval. 4. Proposals from the Board or from members. 5. Election of Board. 6. Election of financial auditors. 7. Other topics.
§14. Extraordinary general meetings may be held if the Board finds it necessary, or if at least ten members submit a written request to the Board for one. The latter must take place three weeks or less after the request was sent (date of postmark).
§15. Proposals or subjects to be discussed or acted upon under Topic 4 at an ordinary general meeting must be submitted to the Board in writing and must be received by the Board before the general meeting.
§16. The general meeting must be announced in writing at least 8 days before the meeting (date of postmark). The agenda must be announced, cf. §18.
§17. The general meeting is to be led by a person elected by hand count. The general meeting makes its decisions by simple majority of vote, except for those given in §§ 4, 18, and 19.
(2). All elections (except for that of the meeting leader) shall take place by secret, written ballot, if just one member so wishes. Decision in the case of equal votes is made by draw.
§18. Amendments to these bylaws may only be made following approving vote at an ordinary general meeting. The full wording of the amendment is to be sent out to all members and accompanying the announcement of the general meeting.
(2). A proposed amendment may only be voted upon if it was made known to the members upon announcement of the general meeting.
(3). Approval of the proposed amendment is only valid when two-thirds of the members present at the meeting vote for the proposal.
§19. Dissolution of the Society can only take place if based on a proposal from the Board or on a written and motivated proposal that has been submitted to the Board by at least twenty members. The proposal must first be debated and approved by an ordinary general meeting, and subsequently, by an extraordinary general meeting. The latter must take place at least three weeks after, and at the most two months after, the ordinary general meeting. To be valid, the proposal must be approved by both general meetings by a two-thirds majority. In the case of the dissolution of the Society, the final general meeting determines the disposition of the Society’s capital and other actives.