BYLAWS
OF THE
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR TWIN STUDIES
Article I - NAME
The name of the Corporation is International Society for Twin Studies (the "Society").
Article II - MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Composition. There shall be two classes of Member: Individual Members and Organizational Members.
A. Individual Members. Any twin researcher, or twin, parent of twin, or other individual who supports the objectives of the Society and is willing to contribute to the achievement of those objectives is qualified to be an Individual Member. Applications to be an Individual Member shall take effect upon approval by the Board and payment of the required dues. Individual Members in good standing are entitled to submit nominations for candidates for office, to attend the Society's meetings, to vote on all matters on which Members may vote under these Bylaws, and to hold office in the Society.
B. Organizational Members:
ISTS
Any officially organized group of individuals, such as Twins Clubs, Parents of Twins Clubs, or other organizations which supports the objectives of the society and is willing to contribute to the achievement of those objectives is qualified to be an organizational member of ISTS. Applications to be an Organizational Member shall take effect upon approval by the Board and payment of the required dues. Each Organizational Member in good standing is entitled to submit nominations for candidates for office, to send one or more delegates to the Society's meetings, and to have one voting representative vote on all matters on which Members may vote under these Bylaws.
COMBO
Organizational Members of ISTS automatically become members of the Council Of Multiple Births (COMBO). Each Organizational Member is entitled to nominate representatives for the positions of Chairperson of COMBO, Vice Chairperson of COMBO and COMBO Directors. The Chairperson of COMBO also becomes the ISTS Board Member representing Organizational Members.
Section 2. Dues. Annual dues or fees for the two membership classes shall be determined by the Board of Directors. Dues shall be payable upon notification. Members in arrears two years in payment of dues shall be dropped from the rolls three months after notification of delinquency, and shall at that time lose their good standing in the Society. However, they shall be eligible for reinstatement on payment of a fee fixed by the Board of Directors in addition to their current dues. Individual members, who are students or for at most two years in post-doctoral positions are entitled to lower annual dues as determined by the Board of Directors.
Members who are not in good standing at the time of nomination procedures, or of the Business Meeting, or of any mail ballot shall not be entitled to vote and shall not be eligible for office.
Article III - OFFICERS
Section 1. Elected Officers. The elected officers of the Society shall be:
A. President. The President shall represent the Society and convene and preside at all meetings of the Society and the Board of Directors, unless unable, in which case the Secretary General or a designated Board Member shall serve instead.
B. Secretary General. The Secretary General shall carry out the decisions of the Board of Directors, conduct the correspondence and supervise the business offices of the Society. In consultation with the individual officers in charge, the Secretary General shall coordinate the activities of the Society and shall be responsible for the publication and distribution of the Society's newsletter and other documents. The Secretary General shall act as President if the President is incapacitated or resigns and may, upon consultation with the President, act on the President's behalf. The Secretary General shall prepare and maintain custody of minutes of the Board of Directors and Members' Meetings and be responsible for authenticating records of the Society. The Secretary General shall perform the duties and exercise the authority of the Secretary as provided under the Virginia Code.
C. Board member for Organizational Members The Board Member for Organizational Members shall represent the Organizational Members of the Society and act as Chairperson of the Council of Multiple Birth Organizations.
D. Board members. Six Board members shall represent different scientific disciplines. The Board Members shall promote interest in twin research and in the activities of the Society among individuals and organizations particularly in the scientific discipline with which they identify. They shall endeavour to locate sources of financial support for the programs of the Society and particularly the meetings, especially to enable prospective participants from their own country to attend the International Congresses.
Section 2. Terms of Office.
A. Elected Officers shall be elected at Business Meetings conducted in
conjunction with each International Congress, which shall occur every three years.
B. The term of office of Elected Officers shall be three years. Elected Officers shall take office on the first day of the calendar year following their election and shall remain in office until the last day of the calendar year during which new elections have taken place.
Section 3 Eligibility. Any Individual Member in good standing or nominee of an Organizational Member in good standing is eligible for any of the elective offices. The outgoig President cannot be re-elected and automatically becomes immediate Past President. Any Individual Member in good standing or nominee of an Organizational Member in good standing can be appointed to any of the appointive offices. Each Organizational Member in good standing may nominate one candidate for the office of Chairperson of COMBO/Board Member for Organizational Members; such candidate must be a recognized participant of the respective organization but need not be an Individual Member of the Society.
Section 4. Incapacity. If the President is incapacitated or resigns, the Secretary General shall act as President; or if the Secretary General is unavailable, the Board of Directors shall designate one of its members to act as President. If such officer is incapacitated or resigns, the Board of Directors may designate a substitute. Incapacity shall be determined by the Board of Directors.
Article IV – SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
Section 1. Membership Promotion. The Secretary-General and the Editor-in chief of Twin Research shall review applications for Membership. All board members will assist in promoting membership in the Society.
Section 2. The Board of Directors will invite all Individual Members and Organizational Members to submit nominations for candidates to the elective offices; receive such nominations and review them, making sure that nominators are Members in good standing and that nominees are allocable; select for each office the three nominees who have received the most nominations; and present the slate of officers to the Business Meeting. Two members of the board will assist the Secretary General in this procedure,
Section 3. After the election of new officers, , the Board will decide what ad hoc committees and other necessary Working Groups to establish, continue, or discontinue. Chairpersons of
Specific Working Groups are appointed by the Board of Directors.
Article V - BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. The Board of Directors shall be comprised of the Elected Officers of the Society, the Editor-in-chief of Twin Research and the immediate Past President. In addition, the chairperson of the organizing committee of the next International Congress is a ex officio member of the Board once the time and place of the Congress has been decided (see section 2, point E) until the Congress has been held.
The President shall be the presiding officer of the Board of Directors.
Section 2. Powers and Responsibilities. The Board of Directors shall be the governing
body of the Society. Its powers and responsibilities shall include the following:
A. To carry out the goals of the Society and the decisions of its membership, to formulate program policies, and to conduct the affairs of the Society;
B. To determine the privileges of, and the dues and fees to be paid by, Individual Members and Organizational Members of the Society;
C. To authorise a board member or a member of the Society to organize a scientific meeting or other activity conducent with the goals of the society and to endorse that activity as an official activity of the society.
D. To determine incapacity of Society officers and elect new officers if appropriate;
E. To determine the time and place of the International Congresses on Twin Studies, after consulting the membership, and to make such decisions and appointments as are needed for the organization of such Congresses;
F. To convene and organize the Business Meetings of the Society;
G. To assist in organizing Working Group meetings in off-Congress years, and to collaborate with other bodies as may be appropriate in order to foster interest in twin research;
H. To authorize public statements on behalf of the Society; and,
I. To propose amendments to the Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws.
Section 3. Meetings. The Board of Directors shall meet at least twice during its term of office. There will be one meeting of the outgoing Board of Directors and one meeting of the entering Board of Directors, respectively before and after the Business Meeting held in conjunction with each International Congress. The Directors present at any of these meetings shall constitute a quorum for transacting business.
Section 4. Special Meetings. Other meetings of the Board of Directors may only be called by the President. For these special meetings, the quorum for transacting business shall consist of seven Directors.
Section 5. Between Meetings. Between meetings, Society business shall be conducted by the Secretary General acting on his or her own initiative or that of another officer. For any relevant matter, the Secretary General shall consult with the President and, if appropriate, apprise the entire Board of Directors of the proposed action. The proposed action shall be reconsidered in the case of three or more disapprovals.
Article VI - BUSINESS MEETINGS
Section 1. Time. Business Meetings of the Society shall be held in conjunction
with the International Congress in years in which the International Congress is convened or at a meeting specially called for this
purpose. Notices of such meetings shall be mailed to each Individual Member and
Organizational Member at least 60 days in advance, including a proxy form.
Section 2. Duties. Business Meetings of the Society shall be convened by the Board of Directors of the Society. Members shall review the past activities of the Society and establish general policies governing future programs, make what modifications may appear desirable in the organization and functioning of the Society including amendments of the Articles of
Incorporation or the Bylaws, and in Congress years, elect the new officers, who will constitute
the Board of Directors of the Society.
Section 3. Membership. All Individual Members of the Society may attend the Business Meeting. Each Organizational Member may send one or more delegates to the Business Meeting.
Section 4. Voting Rights and Quorum. Each Individual Member in good standing and each Organizational Member in good standing shall have one vote. When more than one representative is sent by an Organizational Member to the Business Meeting, a voting representative should be designated. The voting Members present in person at the Business Meeting or who have effectively submitted a proxy for such Business Meeting, shall constitute a quorum for transacting business. The Business Meeting shall vote by simple majority of voting Members present in person or by proxy, except on proposed amendments to the Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws, which require a two-thirds majority of those voting Members present in person or by proxy for approval.
Section 5. Voting Procedures and Elections. The Chairperson of the Nominating Committee or the Secretary General shall present the slate of officers and explain the voting procedures. Two tellers, appointed by the President, shall distribute one ballot to each voting Member, shall then collect the ballots, count the votes, and report to the President, who shall give the results of the election. Other matters may be decided by the Business Meeting by show of hands unless secret ballot is requested by the majority. Voting by proxy shall be permitted. An appointment of a proxy becomes effective when received by the Executive Secretary before the date of the Business Meeting or other Meeting to which it is intended to apply.
Article VII – PUBLICATIONS And Finances
Section 1. 'Twin Research' is the official publication of the Society and is owned by the Society. Reduced subscription rates to the official publication shall be charged to Society Members.
The Editor in chief of the journal of the Society is an ex officio member of the Board. The Editor-in-chief will be responsible for the operation of the journal and its scientific content. The Editor-in-chief shall collaborate with the Secretary General in maintaining up-to-date addresses of Society Members. The Editor-in-chief will report yearly to the Board regarding the activities and finances of the Journal, and shall send bills for, and receive, annual dues, which include a subscription to the Journal. The editor-in-chief shall also act as Treasurer and administer the funds of the Society in consultation with the Secretary General and according to the instructions of the Board of Directors.
At the end of the year in which a new Board of Directors has been elected, the Editor-in-chief shall present to the Board an audited statement of the receipts and expenditures of the funds of the Society during the foregoing three years. The approved statement shall be published in the next following issue of the Society's newsletter.
Section 2. A newsletter of the Society shall be published periodically and distributed principally as email to all members or on the Society website through the office of the Secretary General.
Article VIII - COUNCIL OF MULTIPLE BIRTH ORGANIZATIONS
Section 1. The Council shall consist of one representative from each Organizational Member. The Chairperson of the Council shall be the Board Member for Organizational Members.
Section 2. Organizational Members of the Society in cooperation with Individual Members shall promote awareness of the special needs of multiple birth infants, children, and adults and shall advocate for improved care of multiples. COMBO may from time to time, as resources are available, undertake projects of interest to multiples and/or parents and expectant parents of multiples.
Article IX - AMENDMENTS
These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds majority of Members voting at a Business Meeting or Special Meeting called for this purpose. Amendments must be proposed either through a recommendation of the Board of Directors, by a petition from fifteen Individual Members, or by a simple majority of the Organizational Members.
End of bylaws
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