The
name of the Association
1.
The name of the Association is: International Economic History
Association.
The
seat of the Association
2.
The seat of the Association is Utrecht.
The
duration of the Association
3.
The Association is established indefinitely.
The
aims of the Association
4.
The aims of the Association are:
a) To maintain
and develop personal contacts between scholars of all countries
interested in economic history in its broadest sense;
b) To periodically
organize academic meetings, and in particular international congresses
of economic history;
c) To encourage
all forms of research and publications relevant to the development
and diffusion of economic history.
The
means by which the Association wishes to achieve its aims
5.
The Association will endeavour to achieve its aims by means of
the organization of an international (world) congress. The goal
is to ensure that this world congress takes place at least once
every four years.
The
financial resources of the Association
6.
The financial resources of the Association are composed of:
a) The annual
subscriptions payable by member organizations;
b) Subsidies,
sponsorship and other sources of income that the Association has
access to or can raise.
The
annual term of the Association
7.
The Association's annual term is the same as the calendar year.
As
concerns membership
8.
Membership of the Association is open to scientific organizations
devoted to economic history in either general terms or in one
of its major specifications, who subscribe to the aims of the
Association and who declare themselves to be willing to participate.
As
concerns the application procedure
9.1.
Prospective members should apply, in written form, to the Executive
Committee of the Association.
9.2.
Admission to membership of the Association is decided by the General
Assembly on the basis of recommendation by the Executive Committee.
As
concerns the obligations of members
10.1
Members must pay an annual subscription, determined on the basis
of a recommendation of the Executive Committee and decided upon
by the General Assembly.
10.2
The subscription is due at the start of the Association's annual
term. No refunds can be made if membership is ended during the
annual term.
10.3
New members who join during an annual term must pay the subscription
as of the next following annual term; for the part of the year
during which the member was granted membership no subscription
shall be owed.
As
concerns the termination of membership
11.
Membership is terminated under any of the following situations:
a) Termination
by the member;
b) Termination
by the General Assembly;
c) Expulsion
from the Association by vote in the General Assembly.
As
concerns
termination of membership by the member
12.
If a member wishes to terminate membership then this member must
announce this in writing at least four weeks before the end of
the annual term.
As
concerns termination of membership by the General Assembly
13.1
The Association can end the membership of a member organization
if the member organizations has not paid the full subscription
for three consecutive years, if the member organization ceases
to exist, if the member organization fails to fulfil any other
duties in respect to the Association, or if for any other reason
it is not reasonable for the Association to continue the membership.
13.2
The termination of membership by the Association occurs during
the General Assembly; the General Assembly must inform the member
concerned in writing of the termination and of the reason for
the termination.
As
concerns expulsion
14.1
The General Assembly can, on the basis of a recommendation from
the Executive Committee, decide to expel a member; this decision
can only be made if the member is found to have breached the statutes,
regulations or decisions of the Association, or if the member
organization has conducted itself in a manner so as to have caused
undue harm to the Association.
14.2.
Directly following a decision of expulsion by the General Assembly
the Executive Committee notifies the member organization concerned,
in writing, of the expulsion and of the reasons for the expulsion.
As
concerns the organization of the Association
15.
The organs of the Association are:
a) The General
Assembly;
b) The Executive
Committee.
As
concerns the Executive Committee of the Association
16.1.
The Association has an Executive Committee that, besides the officers
to be mentioned, consists of 12 to 15 persons.
16.2
The General Assembly elects the Executive Committee from the directors
of the member organizations of the association. The Executive
Committee members can also be chosen from outside the directors
of the member organizations.
16.3
The Executive Committee consists of at least the following titled
officers:
a) President;
b) Vice-President;
c) Secretary
General;
d) Treasurer.
One person
may not hold more than one office.
16.4
The office of President is to be filled by the Vice-President
of the previous electoral term. If the Vice-President does not
accept the office then candidates for President may be nominated,
or self-nominated, to the Executive Committee by any serving member
of the Executive Committee, with the exception of the serving
President, or by any member organization of the Association. Candidates
for Vice-President may be nominated or self-nominated to the Executive
Committee by any serving member of the Executive Committee, with
the exception of the serving President, or by any member organization.
Candidates for the office of Treasurer shall be nominated by a
search committee appointed by the Executive Committee and chaired
by the President. Additional candidates may be nominated by any
serving member of the Executive Committee, with the exception
of the serving Treasurer, or by any member organization. Candidates
for the office of Secretary General shall be nominated by a search
committee appointed by the Executive Committee and chaired by
the President. Additional candidates may be nominated by any serving
member of the Executive Committee, with the exception of the serving
Secretary General, or by any member organization. For all positions
on the Executive Committee the Executive Committee will endorse
one or more of the nominees for election by the General Assembly.
16.5
For the remaining Executive Committee positions the following
procedure is followed. The slate of endorsed nominees presented
to the General Assembly by the Executive Committee will include
all those serving Executive Committee members who are allowed
and willing to serve a second term. For the open seats the following
procedure is followed. Every member organization can recommend
one person for each open seat. The Executive Committee shall then
endorse one of more candidates for each seat. When drawing up
the slate of endorsed nominees the Executive Committee will take
into account the suitability of the nominees and will attempt
to ensure that the Executive Committee is a reflection of the
diversity of scholars of all member organizations and of economic
history in its broadest sense.
16.6
The slate of nominees prepared by the Executive Committee in the
year before the World Congress should be circulated to all member
organizations and published on the internet. Individuals originally
recommended to the Executive Committee but not endorsed by the
Executive Committee can be reinstated to the slate by any member
organization. This can be accomplished by writing to the General
Secretary at least three months in advance of the General Assembly
meeting. One such re-submission would be allowed per member organization.
These re-submissions should be accompanied by evidence that the
individual so nominated is willing and able to serve.
As
concerns the suspension or dismissal of members of the Executive
Committee
17.1
The General Assembly may always suspend or dismiss members of
the Executive Committee.
17.2
If, within three months of being suspended, a member of the Executive
Committee has not been dismissed then the suspension is terminated.
As
concerns the duration and the end of Executive Committee membership
18.1
The General Assembly elects Executive Committee members for the
period up until the next World Congress, this entails that the
Executive Committee elections take place at every World Congress;
any member of the Executive Committee may stand for re-election
for one additional term.
18.2
Executive Committee membership can come to an end as a result
of:
a) Suspension
by the General Assembly;
b) Resignation
of the Executive Committee member; if the Executive Committee
member resigns then he must take into account a notification period
of 28 days.
18.3
If Executive Committee membership ends as a result of the end
of the period for which the member was originally elected and
no successor has yet been elected, then the Executive Committee
member remains in his or her position until the General Assembly
has either chosen someone to fill the position or has decided
not to fill it, unless it cannot reasonably be required that the
member continues in his or her Executive Committee tasks.
As
concerns the meetings and decision making process of the Executive
Committee
19.1
A meeting of the Executive Committee can be called by the President
and/or by the Secretary General.
19.2
The convening of a meeting of the Executive Committee must be
announced at least two months in advance.
19.3
At meetings of the Executive Committee one half of the members
are necessary to constitute a quorum.
19.4
The Executive Committee takes its decisions on the basis of simple
majority voting.
19.5
Every Executive Committee member has the right to vote in the
Executive Committee meetings.
19.6
If the vote results in a tie vote then the President will reopen
the issue to discussion. If at a second vote the result is still
a tie then the President casts the deciding vote.
As
concerns the tasks of the Executive Committee
20.
The tasks of the Executive Committee include the following:
a)
The Executive Committee determines the academic programme of every
World Congress.
b)
The Executive Committee is responsible for executing the decisions
of the General Assembly and for ensuring the realization of the
aims of the Association.
c)
The Executive Committee proposes changes in the membership of
the Association and it submits nominations for elections of Committee
members to the General Assembly. It submits a detailed report
on its activities to the General Assembly.
d)
The overall responsibility for each World Congress rests with
the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will sign a letter
of understanding with the Organizing Committee and/or the person
or institution in charge of the organization of the World Congress.
In this letter the responsibilities and obligations of both parties
are regulated. This will include the obligation to present the
accounts of the World Congress to the Executive Committee within
a year after the World Congress is organized.
As
concerns limitations on the Executive Committee's authority
21.
No Committee member may, without prior permission from the General
Assembly, enter into agreements to acquire, dispose of or encumber
registered property or conclude agreements whereby the Association
acts as surety or as a joint and several co-debtor, guarantees
the obligations of a third party or provides security for the
debt of a third party.
As
concerns the tasks of the office-holding members of the Executive
Committee
22.1
The President is charged with the tasks of:
- Ensuring
that the statutes and decisions of the Association are adhered
to;
- Chairing
all meetings of the Executive Committee and the General Assembly;
- Acting
as an advisor to the Organizing Committee of the World Congress.
22.2
The Vice-President is charged with the tasks of:
- Performing
the tasks of the President in the case of the latter's absence;
- Serving
as Chair of the Organizing Committee of the World Congress.
22.3
The Secretary General is charged with the tasks of:
- Maintaining
the archives of the Association;
- Recording
the minutes and decisions of meetings of the General Assembly
and of the Executive Committee;
- Being
responsible for the correspondence of the Association;
- Compiling
an annual report on the state of affairs within the Association;
- Being
responsible for the making of public announcements on behalf of
the organization and communicating with the appropriate officials
of the member organizations of the Association.
22.4
The Treasurer is charged with the tasks of:
- Controlling
and having overview of the financial resources of the Association,
and dealing with the financial administration;
- The collection
of debts owed, and the payment of any outstanding debts or bills
that the Association has;
- Compiling
an annual financial report;
- Assembling
an annual budget estimate;
- Making financial
reports to the General Assembly as directed by the Executive Committee;
- Serving
as a member ex officio of the Organizing Committee for the World
Congress and advisor as to the financial responsibility within
this Organizing Committee.
22.5
The Executive Committee must ensure that the General Assembly
can always appraise itself of the financial situation of the Association,
and of the Association's rights and obligations.
As
concerns representation
23.1
Apart from the legal representation of the Association by the
entire Executive Committee, the Association can also be represented
by the President, or the Vice-President, and the Treasurer or
the President, or the Vice-President, and the Secretary General.
The signatories to such documents may be bound by the directions
of the General Assembly or the Executive Committee.
23.2
The Executive Committee may empower one or more fellow Executive
Committee members with complete or partial legal authority to
represent the Association in its dealings with third parties;
this authorization must be given in writing. A general authorization
will be made known to third parties by being published in the
commercial register of the Chamber of Commerce of the location
where the Association is registered.
As
concerns the convening of a meeting to the General Assembly
24.1
The General Assembly consists of one representative from each
member organization of the Association, and an alternate. The
General Assembly will meet at least once on the occasion of each
World Congress, organized by the Association. No person can be
a representative for more than one member organization. Members
of the Executive Committee are not automatically representatives
of their member organization.
24.2
The Executive Committee convenes ordinary or extraordinary meetings
of the General Assembly in writing, and draws up the agenda for
the meetings.
24.3
The Executive Committee may convene a General Assembly as often
as this is deemed necessary, but at a minimum they must occur
during every World Congress.
24.4
The call for a meeting must be made, by means of an invitation
either handed to the member organizations or sent to their addresses,
at least two months prior to the meeting's scheduled date. The
agenda for the meeting must be handed or sent to the member organizations
at least one month before the meeting.
24.5
Every member organization has the right to put forward agenda
items; member organizations have to propose such agenda items,
in writing, to the Secretary-General at least one month before
the meeting; the Secretary-General must disclose these agenda
items, in writing, to the other member organizations, at least
14 days before the meeting.
24.6
The President of the Association or, in his or her absence, the
Vice President shall preside over meetings of the General Assembly.
24.7
A meeting of the General Assembly must be called if one tenth
of the member organizations requests one; the member organizations
must make this request in writing and in doing so make known their
reasons for the request; the Executive Committee must then call
a meeting within 28 days of the request; if the Executive Committee
fails to comply with the request within 14 days then those member
organizations that requested the meeting can call one themselves
by using the method described above or by a general call by email
to all the member organizations; if necessary the meeting will
provide for its own chair-person and be responsible for the recording
of the minutes of the meeting.
As
concerns the voting and quorum of the General Assembly
25.1
Only member organizations have the right to vote; all member organizations
have one vote.
25.2
Except for in situations laid down in these statutes, the General
Assembly takes its decisions on the basis of simple majority voting.
25.3
Decisions of the General Assembly that is organized at the World
Congress are valid when at least one third of the member organizations
is present. At other meetings of the General Assembly a quorum
of one half of the member organizations is required.
25.4
In the event of a tie vote a new vote will be carried out and
the President may vote as he or she sees fit, observing Book 2,
Article 38, paragraph 3, of the civil code of the Netherlands
1).
As
concerns the tasks of the General Assembly
26.
The General Assembly is the supreme authority of the Association.
It has within its power to determine all matters which are not
reserved to the Executive Committee. In particular it is responsible
for:
a) Approving
reports from the Executive Committee and the accounts of the Association;
b) Conducting
the election of the President, the Vice President, the Secretary
General, the Treasurer and the other members of the Executive
Committee;
c) Authorizing
all changes in the Statutes of the Association;
d) Taking
decisions for the dissolution and liquidation of the Association;
e) On the
recommendation of the Executive Committee, conferring the title
of Honorary President upon a retiring President of the Association.
The immediate past President will be a non-voting member of the
Executive Committee for one term.
f) Choosing
a President if the serving President is not succeeded by the serving
Vice-President.
As
concerns regulations
27.
The Executive Committee establishes regulations for its own tasks.
As
concerns the annual accounts
28.1
Within six months of the end of every financial year the Executive
Committee will draw up an annual report.
28.2
Besides the annual accounts the annual report will include at
least the following: - the report of the auditing committee; -
a proposal regarding the selection of the members of the auditing
committee; - the potential candidates for any vacant positions;
- a proposal as to the level of the annual subscription; - an
explanatory note to all the components mentioned in this article.
28.3
The annual accounts include at least: the financial accounts of
the Executive Committee (including a financial balance and an
overview of income and expenditure) and an explanation of the
components.
28.4
The annual report will be submitted to the member organizations
by email.
28.5
The Treasurer will, in writing or by email, justify his or her
financial management; once the General Assembly has approved the
annual accounts, the treasurer is relieved of his or her responsibility.
28.6
The General Assembly can, prior to approving the annual accounts,
decide to have an accountant, or similarly qualified individual,
inspect them.
28.7
Approval of the annual accounts by the General Assembly occurs
by means of each member organization sending the Executive Committee
an email wherein they state their approval of the annual accounts
they have received.
As
concerns the budget estimate
29.1
At least three months prior to the start of every financial year
the Executive Committee will draw up a budget proposal for the
following financial year and send this to all member organizations;
this budget proposal must be accompanied by an explanation.
29.2
The General Assembly must approve the budget proposal before the
end of the Association year by sending an email to Executive Committee
wherein they state their approval of the budget proposal.
As
concerns commissions and working groups
30.1
The General Assembly or the Executive Committee may establish
commissions or working groups.
30.2
The General Assembly annually appoints an auditing committee of
three members, who are not members of the Executive Committee,
to investigate the accounts and responsibility of the Executive
Committee; this auditing committee reports its findings to the
General Assembly.
As
concerns amendments to the statutes
31.1
The General Assembly can decide to amend the statutes; such a
decision can only be made in a general meeting by a two-thirds
majority vote of members of the Association present at the meeting
of the General Assembly.
31.2
A meeting as described in paragraph one of this article must be
called by the Executive Committee, in writing, at least two months
in advance, and notification must be given that at this meeting
amendments to the statutes or the dissolution of the Association
will be proposed.
31.3
The Executive Committee must send the text of the proposed change
to the member organizations at least two months in advance of
the meeting.
31.4 The
Secretary General passes on to the member organizations all written
proposals for changes in the statutes received not later than
three months before the meeting of the General Assembly.
As
concerns the dissolution of the Association
32.1
The General Assembly can decide to dissolve the Association; such
a decision can only be taken in a meeting of the General Assembly
where two-thirds of the members are present or represented, and
with at least a two thirds majority of the vote.
32.2
If the quorum described in paragraph one of this article is not
present then the Executive Committee may decide to call a new
General Assembly; in the second meeting, regardless of the number
of members present, the decision is made on the basis of simple
majority voting.
As
concerns the liquidation of the authority and assets of the Association
33.1
If the Association is dissolved the General Assembly shall decide
on the disposal of the assets of the Association and act as liquidator,
unless a decision is made to choose to designate this role to
a person authorized to conduct the liquidation of the Association.
33.2
The liquidation must occur in observance of the requirements laid
down in Book 2, Article 23, section a. up to and including c.
of the civil code of the Netherlands 2).
33.3
In the event of a financial surplus as a result of liquidation
the General Assembly must decide how such money is to be spent
in a way that respects and is mindful of the aims of the Association.
33.4
After liquidation, the annual books and documents of the liquidated
Association must be kept for a minimum of seven years, by the
person appointed to do so by the General Assembly; within eight
days of the end of the liquidation process the person so appointed
must report to the commercial register of the Chamber of Commerce
his or her responsibility in this respect.
As
concerns conflicts
34. The
General Assembly acts as arbitrator in the case of any dispute
between the Association and any of its member organizations.
The
address of the Association
35.
The address of the Association is Drift 10, 3512BS, Utrecht.
The Statutes
have been adopted by the General Assembly meeting in Utrecht August
6th, 2009.
1) This provision
allows for statutes of an Association to declare that a person
or persons who is a part of another organ of the Association or
is not a member may have voting rights in the general meetings
of the Association. The number of votes cast by such persons must
not be more than half the number of votes cast by the members.
2) This legal
text sets out the obligations of person chosen to act as liquidator,
in the eyes of the Dutch law. These include the obligation to
declare for bankruptcy if it becomes obvious that the assets will
not cover the debts, the responsibility of deciding what happens
to excess assets, the publication in a national newspaper of the
local council building where details of the liquidation accounts
can be viewed, and that the responsibilities of the liquidator
end when, to the liquidators knowledge, no more assets exist.
