These Bylaws for the European Region of IAG were established at the founding meeting of the European Regional Council, modified in July 1983, reviewed in June 1989, and further actualized in August 1997. They were approved at the European Region Council in Berlin, July 1999 and by the IAG Council in Vancouver, July 2001. 

 

---

TITLE I. Name

 

ARTICLE 1. The Association is called the European Region of the International Association of Gerontology, herein referred to as the IAG European Region.

 

---

TITLE II. Aims

 

ARTICLE 2. The IAG European Region is defined in ARTICLE 19 of the International Association of Gerontology (IAG) Bylaws, and it shall conduct the affairs of the IAG for the European Region between the meetings of the International Council in accordance with the purposes of IAG as defined in

 

ARTICLE 3 of the IAG Bylaws. The governing bodies are the European Regional Council and its Executive Committee. ARTICLE 3. The IAG European Region has four main purposes in addition to any other affair as determined by the IAG Council:

 

a) To promote gerontological research in the biological, medical, behavioural, and social fields (social psychological fields) by member organizations and to promote co-operation among these organizations.

 

b) To promote training of highly qualified personnel in the field of ageing.

 

c) To promote the interests of the gerontological organizations in all questions pertaining to international matters.

 

d) To promote and assit in the arrangements for holding the European Congress of Gerontology at intervals determined by the Council, as well as assist in planning the International Congress of the IAG.

 

---

TITLE III. Membership

 

ARTICLE 4. Membership in the IAG European Region shall be by National Gerontological Organisations (Societies) admitted within the IAG (with the exceptions supported by the IAG) in countries within the European Region of the IAG (as determined by the IAG Council (ARTICLE 19 of IAG bylaws)). Individual members of National Organisations, which are in good standing in the IAG, are considered to be members of the IAG European Region.

 

ARTICLE 5. An Organisation (Society) will be a member of the IAG European Region once it has applied to the Secretary General of the IAG for membership by submitting its constitution and/or bylaws, a statement of its aims and goals, and any other requested information. Once the Organisation (Society) is admitted to the IAG, it will be admitted to the IAG European Region if the Country it represents is within the European Region as established by the IAG Council.

 

 

ARTICLE 6. Each member organization shall be updated with the payment of the annual dues to the IAG, based on the size of membership. New organizations must pay one-year?s dues before they are admitted to voting membership in the IAG Council (therefore in the IAG European Region Council).

 

ARTICLE 7. Any member-organisation in arrears with the IAG (ARTICLE 9 IAG bylaws) shall automatically result in loss of eligibility (right) to participate or to vote in the affairs of the European Region (Council) during the period of arrears.

 

---

TITLE V. Finances and Budget.

 

ARTICLE 8. The funds of the IAG European Region are made up as follows:

Approval by the European Council is required for acceptance by the IAG European Region of funds under c, d, e or f of this ARTICLE.

 

ARTICLE 9. The Executive Committee of the Region shall present for Council's approval at each Congress a budget proposed for Association activities for the period between European Congresses of the IAG European Region; and the Treasurer of the Region shall submit annual financial reports for review by the Executive Committee and for distribution to the Council. The Secretary of the Region shall receive all reports pertinent to the business of the Region and shall be responsible for maintenance of official records and for the transmission of these records to successors.

 

 

The governing bodies of the IAG European Region are: 1) The Council; 2) The Executive Committee.

 

1) The Council

 

ARTICLE 10. The IAG European Region is governed by a Council, which shall be composed of representatives of member-organisations in good standing (full paid-up) in the IAG within the European Region as defined by the IAG Council; and the members of the Executive Committee of the Region ARTICLE 20).

 

ARTICLE 11. Members of the IAG European Region Council are designated by each member-organisation in good standing according with the same principle as in the IAG Council (ARTICLE 14 IAG bylaws), which is currently:

Membership of organization Number of representative(s)

 

ARTICLE 12. The President of the Region is Chairman of the Council. A quorum of Council is one half and one of designated representatives from member organizations of the IAG European Region.

 

ARTICLE 13. The Council has full authority to manage the affairs of the IAG European Region, including election of officers of the Region, change in bylaws, approval of budget, assumption of commitments in behalf of the IAG European Region, determination of time and site of the European Congress, appointment of committees, etc.

 

ARTICLE 14. The bylaws of the Region can be amended in any regular meeting of the Region by a two-thirds vote in the Council with a quorum present provided the proposed amendment(s) has (ve) been submitted in writing at least 90 (ninety) days prior to the regular meeting of the Council has been sent to all the organizations in good standing in the Region. Regional bylaws must be in concert to provisions contained in the IAG bylaws. The IAG Council after any amendment has been introduced.

 

The date of mailing will be considered the date to comply with this bylaw.

 

ARTICLE 15. The Council shall, with a quorum present, elect by a simple majority of votes of the representatives, the President, Secretary and Treasurer for the Region, which shall be members of organisations in good standing in the IAG, subject to approval by the IAG Council in concert to provisions contained in the bylaws of the IAG.

 

ARTICLE 16. The European Council determines among the candidatures presented in advance by the national member societies, the place and date for each European Congress of the IAG and the time interval between them, usually each four years. These candidatures shall be sent to the Secretariat at least 90 (ninety) days in advance of the meeting of the European Council that takes place at Congress prior to the one solicited.

 

ARTICLE 17. The European Council shall hold meetings as often as necessary in the interest of the Region, at least each two years coinciding with international and regional congresses. Resolutions are taken by majority vote is required (e.g., article 14). In case of a tie, the President of the Region will have the deciding vote.

 

ARTICLE 18. Members of the Council shall be notified of the agenda 90 (ninety) days in advance for the date of the meeting. The date of mailing will be considered the date to comply with this bylaw.

 

ARTICLE 19. Resolutions of the Council shall be signed and recorded by the President and the Secretary of the Region.

 

2) The Executive Committee

 

ARTICLE 20. Composition of the European Executive Committee. It consists of its three officers, the President, the Secretary and the Treasurer and at present five other members, which are the Immediate Past-President, the President of the Next European Congress and the respective Chairman of all three Standing Committees of the Region.

 

ARTICLE 21. The administration of every day affairs of the Association, its representation before external organizations, co-ordination of activities of Committees, and so on, fall within the authority of the Executive Committee of the Region. The Executive Committee is also empowered to authorize its treasurer, or for a limited period of time another of its members, to sign the documents necessary for conducting its business.

 

ARTICLE 22. The term of office of members of the Executive Committee shall be for a period of four years (normally from one European Congress to the next), elected by vote of the European Regional Council. Candidates must be standing with the IAG. Officers are eligible for no more than two consecutive terms of office for the same post.

 

Candidates for the Offices of President, Secretary and Treasurer must be proposed by a National Organisation (society) in good standing in the IAG to the Secretary of the Region well in advance to allow for distribution of proposed candidates to National Organisations at least 30 (thirty) days in advance to the Council Meeting in which the Elections will take place.

 

ARTICLE 23. Role of Offices for the European Region

 

a) The normal meetings of the European Executive Committee are held when necessary and if possible annually and in conjunction with major gerontological meetings in Europe and the International congresses. Decisions are made according to the majority vote of the members present. The chairman has the deciding vote. The members of the European Executive Committee shall be notified of the date of the meeting ninety days before, and of the agenda thirty days in advance of the meeting. The date of mailing will be the date to comply with this bylaw.

 

b) Between the meetings the business of the European Executive Committee is conducted in writing and decisions are taken on the basis of a majority vote of the members, who respond in writing within thirty days.

 

ARTICLE 25. A Manual of Operating Procedures of the Association will be submitted by the Executive Committee for Council approval and constitute an appendix to Regional bylaws. The Manual is advisory only and is intended as a guide to desirable practice regarding the duties of the Officers, dissemination of information on actions by the Executive Committee and planning and implementation of the European Congress as well as Task Forces in the region. The European Council will periodically review and approve by a majority vote of those present and voting, changes in the Existing Manual. 3) The Standing Committees

 

ARTICLE 26. Standing Committees are to be established along the pattern of major scientific-professional areas of the IAG (biology, medicine, social and behavioural sciences, practice and policy). The Region Council shall ratify chairpersons and Secretaries of the Standing Committees.

 

ARTICLE 27. The European Region has three Standing Committees.

 

a) The Biological, Clinical and Behavioural and Social Science Research Sections are currently the Standing Committees in the European Region and function according to their respective Bylaws. These Standing Committees may create subcommittees within their specialities according to their Bylaws.

 

b) Bylaws for the Standing Committees shall be in concert with provisions contained in the European Region bylaws and the IAG bylaws. Changes in these Bylaws are to be approved by the European Regional Council and then have to be confirmed by the present bylaws. Representativeness in the Standing Committees shall follow article 11 in the present Bylaws.

 

c) Officers for each Standing Committee will be the Chairperson and Secretary, Both are to be elected according to bylaws of their respective Standing Committee, on its default the same procedure as for the election of officers for the European Council will be followed (articles 11 and 22). Eligible candidates must be members of European Organisations in good standing in the IAG.

 

---

TITLE VII. The IAG European Congress of Gerontology

 

ARTICLE 28. The IAG European Congress of Gerontology shall convene at intervals, dates, and places determined by the IAG European Region Council (article 16).

 

ARTICLE 29. For the organization of an IAG European Congress of Gerontology, the following committees will operate:

 

a) The European Congress of Gerontology Program Committee will consist of 10 members. The chairman and the secretary of the European Region are ex officio members. The European Standing Committees shall nominate one member each. The president of the next European Congress of Gerontology, who shall be a member of a constituent organization, is also an ex officio member. The constituent organization(s) in the Country, where the next Congress is to be held, will nominate four further members to this committee.

 

b) The Local Organisation committee is the responsibility of the Local Organisation in the country where this Congress is to be held.

 

c) The Economical committee is the responsibility of the Local Organisation committee. It shall inform of the financial result of the Congress to the Executive Committee of the European Region within a time period of six months after the congress. If there is a profit after the congress, a 25 per cent. Should be transferred to the treasury of the I.A.G European Region, for its financial support. The Treasurer of the I.A.G.- European Region will be a member of this committee.

 

d) Procedures and activities related to planning and implementation of Congresses might be detailed in a Procedure Manual, to be approved by the Regional Council.

 

---

TITLE VIII. Claims on the IAG European Region

 

ARTICLE 30. A terminated member organization (society) or individual as well as the claimant of deceased members have no rights to the funds of the Region. They may neither claim the membership fees paid by themselves or others, nor they may insist upon a statement, a rendering of accounts, the affixing of seals, or a stocktaking.

 

---

TITLE IX. Dissolution of the IAG European Region

 

ARTICLE 31. Disolution of the Region might take place after decision of the IAG Council and might be proposed by the Regional Council to the IAG with a two-third-majority vote of member-organisations in good standing in the IAG. If the Region is dissolved, the Regional Council shall have the authority and responsibility to allocate and dispose of the Assets of the Association.