DGfZ
Par.1 Name, Registration, Business Year
The society is named "Deutsche Gesellschaft für Zytome-
trie e.V." and is registered in the: Vereinsregister of the
City of Heidelberg. The busisness year of the society corres-
ponds to the calendar year.
Par.2 Goals of the Society
The society is an interdisciplinary scientific
association. Its particular interest is devoted to cytometry
and to its promotion. The society follows exclusively and
directly scientific goals of public interest. It organizes
annual meetings and other meetings to exchange scientific
ideas and to favor the development in all areas of analytic
and preparative cell research.
Par.3 Membership
The society has:
a) personal members
b) supporting members
c) honoray members
Personal members of the society can be scientists with
interest in the area of cytometry. They have an active and
passive election right. Supporting members can be industrial
companies, scientific institutes or societies of public
interest which are ready to support the goals of the society.
Supporting members have an active election right which can be
exerted by a representative.
Membership applications have to be presented to the
executive committee in written form following recommendation
by two personal members. Council decides definitively in case
the executive committee declines a membership application.
Scientists with high merits can be proposed as honorary
members by society members. They are elected as honorary
members by a majority vote of the executive committee and
council. Honoray members have the same rights as personal
members but are exempt of the payment of annual dues.
Par.4 Termination of Membership
The membership can be terminated at the end of a current
year by written declaration to the executive committee.
Membership furthermore ends with the death of personal
members, with the liquidation of industrial companies, with a
payment deficit of membership dues of more than one year
despite a written reminder or by exclusion following an
unanimous vote of executive committee and council.
Par.5 Membership Dues
The amount and due date of the membership dues are
decided by the membership assembly. Personal members presently
not exerting their profession can be exempted from the
payment dues by the executive committee following written
demand.
Par.6 Organs of the Society
The organs of the society are:
a) executive committee
b) council
c) membership assembly
Par.7 Executive Committee
The executive committee of the society consists of the
president, the vice president, the treasurer and the
secretary.
Executive committee in the sense of Par.26 BGB are the
president and the president elect. Each of them can represent
the society alone
Par.8 Tasks of the Executive Committee
The executive committee executes the business of the
society and represents the society in all matters except for
those which are assigned by the constitution to another organ
of the society.
Par.9 Office term of the Executive Committee
The members of the executive committee are elected for
two years by the membership assembly usually from candidates
of the council. The old executive committee remains in office
until the election of a new executive committee. The vice
president can be elected president to assure a sufficient
continuity in the direction of the society. President and vice
president cannot be immediately reelected at the end of their
respective terms. Reelection of treasurer and secretary is,
however, possible.
Par.10 Decision Process in the Executive Committee
The executive committee usually decides on motions in
sessions. Executive committee sessions are convoked by the
president or in case of hindrance by the vice president at
least 14 days in advance. At this time the agenda of the
executive committee meeting has to be provided. The council is
invited to executive committee meetings. The president or the
vice president can decide alone in urgent matters.
The executive committee can decide when at least two
members of the executive committee are present one of whom has
to be the president or the vice president. The session of the
executive committee is chaired by the president or the vice
president. Decisions are by majority of votes. At equal votes
the chairman's vote decides.
An extraordinary session of the executive committee can
be convened by the executive committee or when at least half
of the council members or 20% of the members demand it.
The decisions of the executive committee are fixed in a
protocol which has to be signed by the session chairman. The
protocol should contain the place and time of the executive
committee session, the names of the participants, the text of
the passed motions and the voting result.
Par.11 Council
The council advises the executive committee of the
society. It fixes the guidelines for the work of the society
jointly with the executive committee. It furthermore assists
the executive committee with the preparation and practical
realization of meetings, recommends the acceptance of members
to the executive committee and acts as instance of revision.
The council determines replacing members of the executive
committee for the remainder of the office terms in case of
premature leave.
The council is composed of six society members. They
are elected for three years by the membership assembly. Two
council members are elected each year. Relection is possible.
Par.12 Membership Assembly
The yearly membership assembly at the annual meeting
decides upon the exoneration of the executive committee
following their annual business and financial report. It
furthermore decides on the meeting place and meeting date of
the next annual meeting, on motions, on election or recall of
the executive committee, on the annual dues, on changes of the
constitution and bylaws and on the dissolution of the society.
The president or in case of absence the vice president acts as
chairman of the membership assembly.
The invitation to all membership assemblys is performed
by written notice through the executive committee including
the agenda and candidate proposals four weeks in advance. The
candidate proposal can be supplemented by the membership
assembly.
The convocation of an extraordinary membership assembly
is regulated by Par.10 third paragraph of this constitution.
The members of the executive committee are elected
separately by secret vote with majority. In case no majority
is obtained during the first vote, a second vote between the
two candidates with the highest votes decides.
Par.13 Quorum
The quorum in the membership assembly and the council is
given if more than one third of the members is present.
Otherwise voting may be done by a mail ballot.
Par.14 Audit
The financial declarations by the executive committee are
provided following approval by a public auditor or by two
personal members of the society. The auditors of the society
cannot be members of the executive committee or the council of
the society. They are appointed by the membership assembly for
a period of two years.
Par.15 Protocol
A protocol on the membership assembly has to be provided
and signed by the president or the vice president together
with the secretary or alternatively by a protocol writing
member appointed by the membership assembly. The protocol is
communicated to the membership and has to be approved by the
next membership assembly.
Par.16 Constitution Changes and Dissolution of the Society
Proposals for changes of the constitution have to be
addressed to the executive committee in order to be discussed
at the next membership assembly. Following approval by at
least two third of the members of a membership assembly
reaching the quorum, the altered constitution has to be
presented to the local financial office for approval prior to
the application at the register court.
The dissolution of the society is only possible in an
extraordinary membership assembly reaching the quorum, by a
three quarter majority of the present members. The assembly
has to be convoked four weeks prior to the envisaged date.
Upon dissolution of the society or cessation of the goals
defined in Par.2 the assets of the society will fall to a
similar scientific institution of public interest for the
advancement of cellular research according to the decision of
the membership assembly.
Par.17 Public Interest
The Gesellschaft fr Zytometrie adresses exclusively and
directly goals in the sense of the paragraph "tax exemption
goals" of the: Abgabenordnung and excludes any personal
benefits.
Funds of the Society can only be used for goals
compatible with the constitution. Members do not receive
allowances of society funds. No person may be favoured by
expenditures which are foreign to the goals of the society or
by disproportionate allowances.
All officers of the society work on a honorary basis.
Par.18 Foundation Rules
The preparative work towards the foundation of the
society is performed by a foundation council consisting of
nominated members.
All applicants who join the society prior to the first
membership assembly are considered members following a simple
majority vote of the foundation council.
The two councilors elected with the highest number of
votes will remain three years in offices, the following for
two and one year respectively until the subsequent elections.