The Organic Chemistry Section of the KNCV was established and approved by a resolution of the KNCV Members’ Council in July 1925. The section bylaws were approved by the section’s general meeting on December 14, 2007, and by the KNCV Board on January 23, 2008.
1. PURPOSE
The purpose of the Section is:
To promote knowledge of organic chemistry in the broadest sense and to represent the general interests of organic chemists in the Netherlands.
2. METHOD
The objective is pursued by organizing meetings, symposia, and days for specific and open presentations; establishing working groups; maintaining contacts with like-minded groups in the Netherlands and abroad; and by utilizing other appropriate legal means.
3. MEMBERSHIP
Membership is open to those who endorse the objectives of the section and are willing to fulfill the obligations associated with membership.
Membership in the section is terminated by written notice no later than one and a half months before the end of the current association year, by death, or by non-payment of dues. The general meeting decides on expulsion on other grounds.
4. RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF MEMBERS
Members of the section have the right to vote at the general meeting and have the right to participate in the section’s activities. Members of the section are obligated to pay the annual membership fee. Members are expected, to the best of their ability, to actively contribute to the achievement of the section’s objectives.
Students who have been members of the section for at least one year may apply for a travel grant for an internship at a foreign institution or university. To do so, they must submit a request, their resume, a brief internship plan, and a statement from the relevant internship supervisor to the section secretary. The secretary ensures that the request is reviewed by two board members not involved in the matter and then notifies the applicant of the decision within six weeks. Recipients of an internship grant are expected to submit a brief internship report upon completion. A maximum of five internship grants of 500 euros are made available annually.
5. BOARD
The section’s board consists of at least five and at most seven members. The members of the section board are elected by the section members from among themselves. At least two board members must be KNCV members. The aim is to achieve a balanced distribution of members from universities, research institutes, and industry. The members of the board step down after a term of office of no more than three years. They are eligible for immediate reelection once.
Candidates for the board are nominated by the board. Members may add candidates to such a nomination. To do so, the signatures of at least five members of the section are required for each candidate. Appointments are made by the general meeting after it has first made a selection—if there are more candidates than vacancies.
The section’s board keeps the general board of the KNCV informed of the section’s activities.
On behalf of the secretary and treasurer of the section, the KNCV secretariat is responsible for maintaining a membership list of the section, sending out notices of meetings, collecting dues, and performing any other administrative or accounting tasks.
Meetings of the board are convened by or on behalf of any board member; the date and time of such meetings shall be communicated to all board members as soon as possible, but no later than two weeks prior to the meeting, along with a list of the items to be discussed. The chairperson is required to convene a meeting within three weeks of receiving a written request to that effect from two or more members of the board, which request must also specify the topic to be discussed. This topic must be the first item on the agenda after the minutes of the previous board meeting have been approved. The secretary shall ensure that appointments made by the board are communicated to the members as soon as possible.
Members of the board are entitled to reimbursement of reasonable travel and accommodation expenses incurred for attending a board meeting or for holding a discussion in the interest of the section, in the event that their own employer is unwilling or unable to reimburse these expenses.
If a board member is absent during a fiscal year, the board may appoint a successor to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the fiscal year. In the event that the section is without a board for an extended period, the KNCV board may decide to temporarily assume this responsibility. A general members’ meeting will then be convened as soon as possible to find a solution to this problem.
6. MEETINGS AND GATHERINGS
To pass valid resolutions, at least half of the board members must be present at board meetings. In the event of a tie, the proposal is considered rejected. Blank votes are considered not cast.
Meetings and gatherings of the section are convened by the section’s board. If at least ten members of the section deem it necessary, the board shall call a general meeting.
The meetings and gatherings of the section are announced by the section board by sending a circular to all members of the section; this circular must be sent at least fourteen days before the date of the meeting. A relevant announcement may also be included in the C2W.
At least once a year, a general meeting is held to discuss section matters. The meetings are chaired by the section chair or, if the chair is unable to attend, by one of the other board members. This meeting is held during a regular section meeting.
7. FINANCES
Each member pays an annual dues. The amount of these dues is determined by the members during a general meeting, based on a proposal from the board. The dues for non-members of the KNCV are increased by the necessary administrative costs for the KNCV. Dues must be paid at the beginning of the association year. Once a year, the treasurer presents the financial report and accounts during a general meeting.
An audit committee consisting of two members reviews the books for the past year prior to the first meeting of the current year; upon the recommendation of the audit committee, the treasurer is discharged. The members of the audit committee are appointed by the general meeting.
The section occasionally supports international symposia and makes an annual financial contribution to the Backer Prize for the best dissertation in the field of organic chemistry.
The financial report for a calendar year must be submitted to the KNCV Board by March 1 of the following year.
8. VOTING
Resolutions of a members’ meeting are adopted by a majority of votes, cast either orally or in writing. Votes on individuals are cast in writing by means of sealed, unsigned ballots; votes on matters are cast orally, unless the meeting decides otherwise. Blank or signed ballots are invalid.
If, in the first open vote on individuals, an absolute majority of the valid votes cast is not obtained, a runoff vote shall take place between the two individuals who received the most votes. In the event of a tie in the latter case, the decision shall be made by lot. In the event of a tie regarding matters, the board shall decide.
At least ten members must be present for decisions to be made at a members’ meeting. If a resolution cannot be passed at a members’ meeting due to insufficient quorum, a new members’ meeting shall be convened within fourteen days, which must take place within six months thereafter and which meeting shall be authorized to pass resolutions regardless of the number of members present. The agenda of such a meeting shall expressly state that a resolution may be passed at this meeting regardless of the number of members present.
9. GENERAL PROVISIONS
Amendments to these bylaws may only be made by a resolution of the general meeting, adopted by a majority vote, and with the approval of the KNCV Board. The section may be dissolved by the KNCV General Members’ Meeting upon a proposal from the section’s members’ meeting, adopted by a majority vote, provided that at least two-thirds of the voting members are present. If this latter requirement is not met, a new members’ meeting shall be convened for this purpose after a period of at least two and no more than six months, at which the proposal to dissolve the section may be adopted by a majority vote. Upon dissolution of the section, any remaining funds shall be transferred to the KNCV.
If a section wishes to establish international contacts, this must be done in consultation with the KNCV board and preferably within the framework of the existing international organizations in which the KNCV participates.
10. FINAL PROVISION
In cases not provided for in these bylaws, the section’s board is authorized to decide independently; it is therefore accountable to the general meeting.