Formal rules of the International Rasmus Malling-Hansen Society

§ 1: Name

 

The name of the Society is:

 

 

The International Rasmus Malling-Hansen Society

 

 

The Society was established on the 6th of May 2006 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

 

 

§ 2: Purpose

 

Rasmus Malling-Hansen and his inventions and discoveries deserve to be known by a much larger world-wide audience.

 

 

The Society therefore has the purpose:

 

a) to collect, register, archive and translate all available information about   Rasmus Malling-Hansen and his life and activities

 

b) to publish all this material on The Rasmus Malling-Hansen Home Page

 

c) to exchange this information and material among members of the Society, museums, popular science journalists, institutions, libraries as well as companies and private collections on a world-wide scale

 

d) to prepare and supply teaching and illustrative material

 

e) to produce a regular newsletter in English with all new discoveries

 

f) to organize exhibitions

 

g) to identify areas where more research is needed

 

h) to seek financial support from all possible sources to finance the activities of the Society.

 

 

The Society exclusively and directly pursues its purposes for the benefit of the public.

 

Financial means can be used only for purposes in compliance with the rules.

 

 

Membership of the 7-person Board is honorary and done free of charge. Members do not receive any financial contribution or profit shares of the Society's fund. No person or institution should be favored by expenses which contradict the purposes of the Society.

 

 

§ 3: Admission of members

 

1.  All private persons and corporate bodies can become a member of the Society by paying the annual fee

 

2.  Persons who have rendered outstanding services to the "International Rasmus Malling-Hansen Society" can be granted honorary membership if a majority of the General Meeting so decides. The Management Board reserves the right to grant other distinctions

 

3. The annual fee is claimed and valid for a calendar year.

 

 

§ 4: Exclusion of members

 

1.  If serious evidence can be presented, the exclusion of a member can be called by the Management Board in written form. Reasons for exclusions are behavior detrimental to the Society and violation of its rules, interest and decisions.

 

 

§ 5: Bodies of the Society

 

The Society consists of the following bodies:            

 

a) The Management Board

 

b) The General Assembly.

 

 

§ 6: The Management Board

 

The Management Board consists of seven members with equal rights who are charged with the management of the Society, the publication of the journals and auditing and accounting. The Management Board nominates the President and two Vice-Presidents.

 

 

The Management Board is elected for two years by the General Assembly and by postal votes. Reelection is possible. A tie is decided by lot

 

An auditor, who is not a member of the Management Board, has to be elected by the members present at the General Assembly.

 

No later than three months before the General Assembly, the Management Board has to ask all members to designate candidates for the election of the new Management Board. The Management Board has to be notified of the suggestions within a month, counting from the date of the letter.

 

The invitation to the General Meeting has to include the list of the proposed candidates who have agreed to stand for election.

 

The Management Board must present the following agenda at the General Assembly:

 

a) Report of the Management Board

 

b) Financial report for the past two financial years, presented by the Auditor

 

c) Approval of the Management Board

 

d} Election of the Management Board and the Auditor

 

e) Fixing of annual membership fees

 

f) Approval of the budget for the coming year

 

g) Other topics to be discussed.

 

 

Other topics to be discussed at the General Assembly should be sent to the President by e-mail at least 5 weeks before the General Assembly.

 

 

§ 7: General Assembly

 

 

1.  The General Assembly has to be summoned every two years by a letter or e-mail and by publication on the homepage, at least 30 days before the assembly. The summoning must contain the agenda of the coming meeting. 

 

2. The General Assembly shall take place in Copenhagen, at the School of the Deaf-Mutes, in  a week-end in the months of May or June.

 

The General Assembly is entrusted with the following tasks and spheres of competence:

 

a) Election and if necessary relieving the Management Board or its individual members of duty

 

b) Decisions on alterations of the draft rules

 

c) Dissolution of the Society.

 

3.  A special General Assembly can be summoned on a given occasion by the Management Board if min. 5 members agree to it.

 

 

§ 8: Quorum

 

1.  Every General Assembly convened according to the rules has a quorum.

 

2.  The passing of a resolution to dissolve the Society requires at least the consent of 2/3 of all members. If a member is unable to attend he has to pass a postal vote.

 

3.  Alterations of rules require the consent of 2/3 of members attending the meeting.

 

4.  If nothing else is laid down, resolutions are taken with relative majority of the votes cast by members present at the meeting.

 

5.  The invitation to the election of the Management Board should include the forms that would enable postal vote by name for all the members.

 

6.  A list of all candidates who stand for election/postal vote has to be prepared. The Management Board is obliged to ask the suggested candidates whether they agree to stand for election.

 

 

§ 9: Financial Year

 

The financial year begins on 1st of January and ends on 31st December each year.

 

 

§ 10: Foundation

 

On May the 6th 2006

 

Count Adam Knuth of Knuthenborg (Denmark), Christian Barnholdt (Denmark), Sverre Avnskog (Norway), Dieter Eberwein (Germany), (Uwe H. Breker (Germany), Jan William Rasmussen (Denmark), Mogens Bang (Denmark), Henning Eriksen (Denmark), Carsten Erik Noe (Denmark), Lars Mathiesen (Denmark), Jacob Erlangsen (Denmark), Elsebet Erlangsen (Denmark), Sally Salminen (Denmark), Stefan Beck (Switzerland), Jos Legrand (Netherlands), Fritz Niemann (Germany)  

founded the "International Rasmus Malling-Hansen Society" in Copenhagen/Denmark.

 

 

§ 11: Final regulations

 

If the Society is dissolved it goes into liquidation. If the General Assembly does not decide otherwise, liquidation is carried out by the Management Board in office. After the meeting all remaining assets, especially a collection and/or a library which may have been purchased to this date has to be transferred to a public institution (e.g. Museum) which will be nominated by the General Assembly.

 

 

§ 12: Certification of decisions at meetings

 

A written register of all decisions made at the meeting has to be kept and signed by a member of the Management Board.