ISORBE

International Society of Radiolabeled Blood Elements

By-laws

ISORBE BY-LAWS

ISORBE is a Society registered in Austria under the Austrian Associations Act of 2002 (Österreichisches Vereinsgesetz 2002). The official statutes are written in German and translated into English below:

Statutes of the Society

1.Name, Seat, and Scope of Activities

The INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF RADIOLABELED BLOOD ELEMENTS FOR IMAGING INFECTION AND INFLAMMATION (abbreviated: ISORBE) is an association of scientists from various disciplines with a special interest in labeling techniques and applications of blood elements, as well as related topics. The society’s address is: ISORBE, Nadlergasse 1, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.

2. Purpose of the Society

The purpose of the society is to foster scientific contacts and exchange research experiences in this field worldwide. Specific goals include promoting research, resolving controversial issues, and supporting young scientists in this field.

3. Activities

The society organizes conferences, workshops, training courses, publications, and disseminates scientific information. It supports the development of new radiopharmaceuticals, standardizes and improves techniques, and makes them accessible to the scientific community for both basic and applied research. The society also maintains a website and regularly publishes news updates.

4. Financing

The society is a non-profit organization. The necessary funds come from membership fees, grants, or donations.

5. Composition of the Society

The society consists of Ordinary Members, Corporate Members, and Honorary Members. The governing bodies of the society are the Presidium, the Executive Board, and the General Assembly.

6. Ordinary Members

Membership is open to scientists actively working in the field of blood element labeling or having a scientific interest in related topics. Membership can be applied for by written request to the Secretary or via electronic forms on the society’s website. Applications must be approved by the Presidium. Membership begins upon acceptance of the application and ends by death, resignation via written declaration to the Presidium, or exclusion by a 4/5 majority of the General Assembly. Applicants from developing countries, technologists, and students are eligible for a 50% reduction in membership fees.

7. Rights and Obligations

Members may participate in the General Assembly and have the right to vote for Presidium members. They may attend all events organized or supported by the society. Members are required to support the society’s activities, pay the annual membership fee, and comply with the society’s resolutions. Members receive an ID and password to access protected areas of the website and participate in online activities.

8. Corporate Members

Corporate Members are individuals or companies that make significant donations to the society. Companies may designate a representative as a member. Corporate Members have the same rights as Ordinary Members but cannot vote or be elected to the Presidium.

9. Honorary Members

Persons who have made outstanding contributions to the society can be appointed as Honorary Members. Any member of the society can propose candidates for honorary membership, but no later than three months before the General Assembly. If a candidate is confirmed by a 2/3 majority of the members during the assembly, he/she will receive a certificate from the President at the next meeting. Honorary Members have the same rights as Ordinary Members, do not pay membership fees, receive society news, and can vote for the Presidium.

10. Presidium

The Presidium consists of up to 10 members, elected by a majority vote at the General Assembly. The term of office is four years. Every two years, at the society’s congress, half of the Presidium (four members) are re-elected. Presidium members may be re-elected. The Presidium elects among its members the President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Newsletter Editor, who serve for two years or until the next Presidium election.

11. Responsibilities of the Presidium

The Presidium represents the members of the society and may be entrusted with special tasks, including financial and scientific matters. The Presidium is quorate when all its members have been invited and at least half are present. Decisions are made by a simple majority; in case of a tie, the President has the casting vote.

  • The President represents the society externally and signs all relevant correspondence. After consulting the Presidium, the President makes the final decision.
  • The Secretary takes over the President’s duties if the President is unable to act. The Secretary handles the society’s correspondence, organizes all activities in close collaboration with the President, including processing membership applications, updating the website and the membership database, and working with the Newsletter Editor.
  • The Treasurer manages financial matters, including collecting fees and donations, and presents an annual financial report to the Presidium and General Assembly. The Treasurer is authorized to manage the society’s financial affairs and to represent the society in this function externally. Payments from the society’s account require authorization from both the President and the Treasurer.
  • The Newsletter Editor is responsible for editing, publishing, and distributing society news. The Newsletter Editor may propose up to two deputy editors, subject to Presidium approval.

12. Board of Directors

A member who has actively contributed to research on blood element labeling or has significantly supported the society’s activities can be proposed for the Board of Directors by the Presidium or members. A candidate must be confirmed by a 2/3 majority during the next General Assembly. This position is permanent unless revoked by a majority vote of the Presidium.

13. Responsibilities of the Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is the scientific advisory body to the Presidium. A board member must actively support the society’s activities and objectives, particularly within their country.

14. Symposia and Conferences

The most important scientific event of the society is an International Symposium on Radiolabeled Blood Elements, which takes place every two years. The symposium is organized by a local program chair in consultation with the society’s Presidium.

The name of the program chair and the venue can be proposed by the members and must be approved by the Presidium. The venue should be selected by a majority vote of the general assembly 2 to 4 years in advance.

The local program chair is responsible for organizing the event at a suitable location in their country, developing the scientific program in collaboration with the Presidium, and securing the necessary funds. A preliminary budget must be submitted to the Presidium for approval, and a final financial report must be prepared at the end of the symposium. Fifty percent (50%) of the net profit from the symposium is donated to the society. The society does not provide financial support for these symposia and assumes no responsibility for any financial loss.

The President may grant the society’s patronage to other local or international events, provided they align with the society’s objectives and do not involve any financial interest.

15. General Assembly

The General Assembly consists of Ordinary and Honorary Members. Members may participate in the assembly if they can provide proof that they have fully paid their membership fees by the time of the meeting.

Corporate Members and Auditors are also allowed to attend. The General Assembly takes place every two years, usually during the society’s regular meeting. A written invitation with the agenda will be sent out at least four weeks in advance.

Items may be added to the agenda and discussed under “Miscellaneous” if the assembly agrees. If no society meeting takes place within two years, the General Assembly must still be held once, preferably in conjunction with other international events.

The General Assembly has a quorum if 33% of the society’s members are present. If this quorum is not met, the meeting will be postponed by 30 minutes. After this period, it will be considered quorate regardless of the number of members present. Elections and decisions at the General Assembly are generally made by a simple majority of the valid votes cast. However, decisions to amend the society’s statutes or to dissolve the society require a qualified two-thirds majority of the valid votes cast.

Duties and responsibilities of the General Assembly:

  • Receiving and discussing the annual reports of all Presidium members.
  • Acceptance and approval of the financial report.
  • Discussion of the general policies of the Presidium.
  • Expressing individual views to the Presidium.
  • Election of four new Presidium members.
  • Voting on amendments to the society’s statutes.
  • Election of Honorary Members and approval of the Board of Directors.
  • Proposal of new candidates for future society meetings.
  • Decision on the dissolution of the society by majority vote.

An extraordinary General Assembly may be convened either by the Presidium or upon a written request by at least 40% of the regular members submitted to the President. Once a decision to hold an extraordinary General Assembly has been made, the agenda notification period is typically at least six weeks.

Candidacies for the executive board, proposals for amendments to the statutes, suggestions for organizing future meetings, and other topics to be discussed at the next General Assembly must be submitted to the President at least six weeks before the meeting to be included in the agenda and distributed to members at least four weeks before the assembly.

16. Voting

Voting during the General Assembly is conducted by a simple show of hands. However, a member may request that a vote be conducted anonymously. The election of Presidium members is conducted anonymously and in writing by naming up to four candidates. Each member may vote on behalf of two additional members if a written proxy and a photocopy of a valid ID are provided.

The President sets the date and time of the vote at least four weeks in advance. The President appoints three members to serve on the election committee.

17. Registered Office of the Society

The official registered office of the society remains at the location where it was officially registered in Vienna in 1990 following the 5th ISORBE Conference.

18. Auditors

The Auditors are selected by the President and confirmed by the Secretary. They review the society’s finances every two years. The Treasurer must provide the Auditors with all necessary information and data in a timely manner. The Auditors submit a written report to the President, which is made available to the General Assembly during the biennial conference.

19. Arbitration Tribunal

The society’s internal Arbitration Tribunal is responsible for settling all disputes arising from the society’s membership relations. It serves as a ” Schlichtungseinrichtung” within the meaning of the Vereinsgesetz 2002 of 2002 and is not an arbitration tribunal under §§ 577 ff of the Austrian Code of Civil Procedure (ZPO).

The Arbitration Tribunal consists of three regular society members. It is formed as follows: One party to the dispute nominates a member as an arbitrator in writing to the Presidium. Upon request by the Presidium, the other party to the dispute must nominate a second arbitrator within 14 days. After being notified by the Presidium, the two nominated arbitrators must elect a third regular member as the chairperson of the Arbitration Tribunal within 14 days. In the event of a tie, the decision is made by drawing lots. Members of the Arbitration Tribunal may not belong to any governing body of the society—except for the General Assembly—whose activities are the subject of the dispute.

The Arbitration Tribunal reaches its decision after granting both parties a hearing, in the presence of all its members, by a simple majority vote. It makes its decision to the best of its knowledge and conscience. The tribunal’s decisions are final within the society and must be issued within three weeks.

20. Dissolution of the Society

The society may be dissolved by a two-thirds majority vote of the General Assembly, provided that at least half of the members are present. Alternatively, the society may be dissolved through a postal vote conducted by the President, requiring a two-thirds majority among the members.

If the society holds any assets at the time of dissolution, the General Assembly must decide on the liquidation process. Specifically, it must appoint a liquidator and determine the recipient of any remaining assets after all liabilities have been settled. These assets should, as far as possible and permitted by law, be transferred to an organization with similar or related objectives; otherwise, they should be allocated to charitable purposes.