Constitution

(Revised on September  2,  2000)

Article 1

An international association to be known as the European Association for Chinese Studies (EACS), hereafter referred to as “The Association”, governed by the present constitution, is hereby established between the undersigned and any other person subscribing to its constitution.

Article 2

The Association shall be registered as a non-profit organisation in a country of Europe.

Article 3

The purpose of the Association shall be to promote and foster, by every possible means, all scholarly activities related to Chinese studies in Europe. The Association shall not engage in any political activity.

Article 4

The Association shall consist of Ordinary Members, Corporate Members and Honorary Members. Ordinary Members shall be individuals of any country who support the aims of the Association. They shall be admitted on payment of an annual fee to be determined by the Board. Corporate Members shall be organizations which desire to support the aims of the Association by payment of an annual fee to be determined by the Board. Honorary Members shall be elected by the Board in recognition of eminent contributions to the aims of the Association, and shall not exceed ten in number.

Article 5

The Board shall determine each year the amount of the membership fee

Article 6

The status of Member of the Association may terminate under the following circumstances: death; resignation (addressed to the President); suspension by decision of the Executive Committee; exclusion by decision of the Board.

Article 7

The Association shall be governed by a Board, which shall be assisted in its work by an Executive Committee.

Article 8

The Board shall be made up of 24 members. The Board shall elect an Executive Committee from among its members. Meetings of the Board shall require a quorum of at least a majority of its members. All decisions shall be made by a simple majority vote of members present and voting. An evenly balanced result shall be decided by the President’s casting vote. If there is no majority on a multiple-choice decision, the President shall organise up to two further ballots until a majority emerges. In the second and third ballots only the three items and two items that have received the highest number of votes in the previous round shall be maintained.

Article 9

The President, who shall be ex officio a member of the Board, shall be elected by secret ballot at the General Assembly. Nominations for this election, signed by two Ordinary Members of the Association, must be received by the Secretary at least two months before the date of the General Assembly. The outgoing President shall ensure that at least one nomination is in the Secretary’s hands by that date. The President shall be the chair of the Association, the Board and the Executive Committee. The remaining 16 members of the Board shall be elected by secret ballot at the General Assembly. Those who receive the highest numbers of votes shall be elected, provided that the Board shall include no more than three residents of any single country. For this purpose the President shall count as one of the three. Candidates for membership of the Board shall apply formally to the Secretary before the date of the General Assembly.

Article 10

The President and members of the Board shall be elected for a period of two years. They may be re-elected for two further consecutive terms of office.

Article 11

The Board shall meet at least once a year and more often if necessary.

Article 12

The Board shall elect one Vice-President, a Secretary, an Assistant Secretary and a Treasurer from among its members.

Article 13

The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, the Secretary and the Treasurer. It shall meet at least once every year. During the intervals between full Board meetings, the Executive Committee shall have the power to administer the Association, to enact the decisions made by the Board and the General Assembly, and to take any initiative for the promotion of the Association. The Executive Committee shall be responsible to the Board for its actions. For important matters affecting the structure, the organisation, the financial resources, and  the constitution of the Association, the Executive Committee shall obtain the approval of the majority of Board members. The consent of Board members may be obtained by correspondence, including electronic vote. The details and the results of the voting shall be made known to all Board members.

Article 14

The Board is vested with the broadest powers to manage and direct the Association. The Board may appoint small committees on an ad hoc basis for specific duties. Such committees shall be responsible to the Board and shall submit a report on the specific missions entrusted to them. The minutes of Board meetings shall record all decisions made by the Board. The minutes shall be signed by the chair and the secretary.

Article 15

The President shall convene the meetings of the General Assembly and the Board, shall preside over all assemblies, and shall represent the Association in all acts of civil life.

Article 16

In cases when the President is absent or unable to perform the required duties, they shall be taken over pro tempore by the Vice-President.

Article 17

The Secretary shall be in charge of all correspondence, files, convocations to meetings and to assemblies and the drafting of the minutes of Board meetings.

Article 18

The Treasurer shall be responsible for the day-to-day management of the funds of the Association, book-keeping, and collection of all documents related to financial operations. The Treasurer shall keep a regular record of all operations carried out and shall report thereon to the Board and to the General Assembly. The Treasurer may be assisted in this work by a chartered accountant selected by the Board. The Treasurer shall not transfer the ownership of any assets of the Association without the Board’s consent.

Article 19

The General Assembly of the Association shall comprise all members. It shall convene once every two years at a date set by the Board. Members shall receive notice to attend containing a provisional agenda for the assembly. The General Assembly can also convene on the initiative of at least one quarter of the members, who shall submit their proposal to the Board.

Article 20

The General Assembly shall receive reports by the President, the Secretary and the Treasurer on their respective responsibilities; shall approve or correct the accounts; and shall discuss all matters on the agenda prepared by the Board. The General Assembly shall also appoint two auditors to examine and check the accounts of the past two-year term. They shall submit a report to the General Assembly, which shall then declare the term closed.

Article 21

Decisions at the General Assembly shall be taken by a simple majority of members present and voting. The decisions shall be recorded in the minutes approved by the Chair and the Secretary.

Article 22

The Association shall derive its financial resources from the following: Annual membership fees; public and private grants; income from its own property; proceeds from the organisation of special events, services and publications; individual gifts; any legally acceptable resource or grant.

The income and property of the Association shall  be applied solely towards the promotion and purposes of the Association, as set forth in this Constitution, and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividend, bonus, or otherwise by way of profits to members of the Association.

Article 23

The articles of the Constitution may be amended only by the General Assembly. The members shall be given notice of proposed amendments two months before the assembly.

Article 24

The adoption of an amendment by the General Assembly shall require the approval of at least two thirds of the members present.

Article 25

Only the General Assembly shall have the power to dissolve the Association. The dissolution shall require the approval of two thirds of the members present.

Article 26

The Board may draw up a set of rules of procedure for the application of the Constitution and the proper functioning of the Association.

Article 27

The President shall be responsible for taking all measures necessary to establish the Association and register the amendments to its Constitution.

Article 28

The articles of the Constitution shall enter into force immediately upon approval by the General Assembly.

Article 29

In case of dissolution, the General Assembly shall appoint one or more officers to take charge of the disposal of assets. Their powers shall be determined by the General Assembly. The members of the Association shall not receive any portion of the assets. The net assets shall be transferred to one or more institutions that pursue similar aims. The General Assembly shall establish a list of the institution(s) to which the assets will be transferred.