By-laws

1. Name, location and working field of the society
The International Society of Radiolabeled Blood Elements (abbreviation: ISORBE) is an association of scientists of all disciplines whose particular interest is in the area of labeling techniques and applications of blood elements and related topics. The address of the society is: ISORBE, Nadlergasse 1, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.

2. Aim of the Society
The aim of the Society is to maintain scientific contacts and exchange research experience in the field mentioned above worldwide. Special goals of the Society are to promote research, resolve controversial issues and support young researchers in this area.

3. Activities
The activities of the Society are: to organize conferences, workshops, teaching courses, publications and editions of scientific information, to promote the development of new radiopharmaceuticals, to standardize and improve techniques and to make them available to the scientific community interested in basic and applied research in the field.

The Society also maintains a dedicated web page in the World Wide Web and publishes News at regular intervals.

4. Funds
The Society is a non-profit organization. The funds necessary are derived from membership fees, grants or donations.

5. Composition of the Society
The Society is composed of Ordinary Members, Corporate Members and Honorary Members. The organs of the Society are: the Presidium, the Board of Directors and the Members’ Assembly.

6. Ordinary members
Membership is open to scientists actively working in the scientific area of the blood element labeling or having a scientific interest in the related topics. Membership can be obtained by a written application to the Secretary or via electronic forms obtained through the Society’s web page. The applications must be approved by the Presidium. Membership starts with acceptance of the application and ends by death or letter of retirement addressed to the Presidium or by exclusion by a 4/5 majority vote of the general assembly.

Applicants from developing countries, technologists and all students qualify for special 50% fee reduction.

7. Rights and obligations
Members are allowed to attend the general members’ assembly. They have the right to vote to elect members of the Presidium. They are allowed to attend all meetings organized or sponsored by the Society. Members are obliged to support the activities of the Society, pay annual membership fee and follow the decisions made by the Society. They have the right to obtain an ID and a Password to access restricted areas of ISORBE’s web page and to participate in on-line activities.

8. Corporate members
Corporate membership consists of those individuals or commercial companies, who shall offer generous donations to the Society. Commercial companies may designate one individual to be the member. Corporate members have the same rights as Ordinary members except the possibility to vote for the Presidium and are not eligible for the Presidium.

9. Honorary members
Persons having rendered outstanding and distinguished merits to the Society can be elected as a Honorary member. Any individual member of the Society is privileged to recommend persons for Honorary membership, however, no later than 3 months prior to the members’ assembly. If a nominee for Honorary membership is approved by a 2/3 majority vote of the members during members’ assembly, then he/she is handed over an appropriate certificate by the President during the forthcoming meeting. Active members of the Presidium are not eligible for Honorary membership during their acting period.

Honorary members have the same rights as Ordinary members, do not pay their annual membership fee, receive the news and vote for the Presidium.

10. Presidium
The Society is administered by a Presidium consisting of up to 10 members elected by majority voting during the general assembly between received candidatures. Members of the Presidium are in charge for 4 years. Every 2 years, possibly on the occasion of the Society Congress, half of the Presidium (4 members) is elected. Members of the Presidium can be re-elected.

The Presidium, during its first meeting, will nominate the President, the Secretary, the Treasurer and the Editor in Chief of the Newsletter, who will stay in charge for 2 years or until the next Presidium is elected.

11. Duties of the Presidium
The Presidium represents the Society members. It may be delegated to take care of special activities including Society’s financial and scientific affairs. The votes of the Presidium will be valid if at least 5 members (half + 1) are present.

The President represents the Society officially to the public. All relevant correspondence has to be undersigned by the President. He/she has the final decision after consulting with the members of the Presidium.

The Secretary takes the position of the president in the event that the President is unable to discharge the activities of the Society or attend its meetings. The Secretary handles correspondence of the Society and administrates all activities in the close cooperation with the President, including Society membership applications. The Secretary is also responsible of updating the ISORBE web page, the member’s data base and collaborates with the News Editor.

The Treasurer takes care of the financial aspects such as collections of membership fees, contributions and donations. He/she shall give a written report of the financial situation of the Society annually to the Presidium and to the members’ assembly.

The News Editor is responsible for editing, publishing and distributing the Society’s news. She/he can propose up to two Associate Editors to be approved by the Presidium.

12. The Board of Directors
A member that has actively contributed in the field of research of labeling blood elements and/or has significantly contributed to improve the Society’s activities, can be proposed by the Presidium or by members to be part of the Board of Directors. A nominee must be approved by a 2/3 majority vote of the members during the next members’ assembly. This position is permanent unless revised by the Presidium by majority voting.

13. Duties of the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is the scientific consulting board of the Presidium. A member being part of the Board of Directors must also actively contribute to promoting the activities and scopes of the Society, particularly in his/her country.

14. Symposia and meetings
The main scientific event of the Society is an International Symposium on Radiolabeled Blood Elements held every two years. The symposium is to be organized by a local program chairman in consultation with the Presidium of the Society. Names of the local program chairman and the site of the symposium can be proposed by the members and approved by the Presidium. The site of the forthcoming conference should be elected 2 – 4 years in advance by the majority vote by the general assembly. The local program chairman of the symposium is responsible for the organization in a suitable place in his/her country to compose the scientific program in cooperation with the Presidium of the Society and to raise the necessary funds.

The local chairman will also submit to the Presidium a preliminary budget to be approved and a final financial report at the end of the symposium. Fifty per cent (50%) of net profit obtained from the symposium is donated to the Society. The Society does not financially support these symposia and is not responsible for any negative balance.

The President can give the patronage of the Society to other local or international meetings with no financial interest, provided the meeting is within the scopes of the Society.

15. The Members’ Assembly
The Members’ Assembly is made up of Ordinary and Honorary members. Members may attend the assembly provided they produce evidence that they have fully paid their membership fees by the time of the Members’ Assembly. Corporate members and auditors may attend. The Members’ Assembly takes place every 2 years and normally during the regular meeting of the Society. The written notice of the agenda is given at least 4 weeks in advance.

Items can be added to the agenda and discussed under “other items” if approved by the Assembly. If there is no meeting of the Society during a period of 2 years, the Member’s Assembly must still take place once, possibly in occasion of other international events.

The Members’ Assembly can make decisions only if 33% of the members of the Society are present. If this is not the case, the Assembly’s business meeting is postponed for 30 minutes. At this time it can make decisions irrespective of the number of the Society members present.

The Members’ Assembly has the following functions and responsibilities:

• To receive and discuss the Annual Report of all members of the Presidium.
• To accept and approve the financial report.
• To discuss the general policy put forward by the Presidium.
• To present individual views to the Presidium.
• To elect 4 new members of the Presidium.
• To vote on changes in the Statute of the Society.
• To elect Honorary members and approve the Board of Directors.
• To propose new candidatures for the following Society meetings.
• To implement the dissolution of the association by notifying majority of the Society.

An extraordinary Members’ Assembly may be called either by the Presidium or if at least 40% Ordinary members propose this in writing to the President. After a decision to hold an extraordinary Members’ Assembly has been taken, the time of notification of the Agenda shall be normally at least 6 weeks.
Candidatures for the Presidium, suggestions to modify the Statute or for organizing the next Society meeting and any other item to be discussed during the next members’ assembly, should be addressed to the President at least 6 weeks before the Members’ Assembly, to be added to the meeting agenda and to be circulated amongst members at least 4 weeks before the Members’ Assembly.

16. Voting
Voting during general assembly is carried out by simple hand raising. A member, however, may demand that a vote be performed anonymously. Voting for the election of members of the Presidium is carried out anonymously in writing by naming up to 4 candidates. Each member can vote for two more members providing the written delegation and photocopy of a valid ID card.

The President defines, at least 4 weeks in advance, date and time for voting.

The President nominates 3 members for the polling station.

17. Seat of the Society
The official seat of the Society is identical to the place where it is officially registered in Vienna in 1990 after the 5th ISORBE Conference.

18. Auditors
The auditors are selected by the President and approved by the Secretary. They will audit the finances of the Society every two years. The Treasurer must provide all necessary information and data to the auditors in due time. The auditor will send a written report to the President to be made available to the assembly during the bi-annual conference.

19. Arbitration Committee
All disputes resulting in between members belonging to the membership of the Society will be referred to the arbitration committee chosen by the Presidium. The committee will consist of 5 members of the Society, one member will be chosen as a chairman. The arbitration committee will settle the matter with majority voting. This decision will be the final one.

20. Dissolution of the Society
The Society can be dissolved by a 2/3 majority vote of the Members’ Assembly if at least half of the members are present at the meeting. Alternatively, the Society may be dissolved by mail ballot from the President to the members of the Society by a 2/3 majority vote. The majority of the Members’ Assembly will decide on the distribution of any remaining funds.