German Society of Human Genetics

Constitution

§ 1

(1) The German Society of Human Genetics has its seat in Munich, and shall be entered into the register of associations. The society pursues exclusively and directly non-profit purposes in accordance with the section “Steuerbegünstigte Zwecke” (“tax-privileged purposes”) of the Tax Code.

(2) The objectives of the Society are to encourage research, education, and practice in all areas of human genetics. For this purpose, the Society organizes conferences to publish scientific achievements, and workshops to discuss research topics and the interest of subspecialties of human genetics. In addition, the Society shall integrate the various scientific and clinical specialty areas of human genetics.

§ 2

The Society shall act in a non-profit manner, it shall not as its main goal aim to be profitable or economically viable.

§ 3

Resources of the Society shall be used exclusively to serve the purposes laid down in the constitution. Members shall not receive any benefits from the assets of the Society.

§ 4

No one will receive reimbursement of expenses that do not comply with the objectives of the Society, nor will they receive reimbursement of expenses that are considered disproportionately high.

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§ 5

In the event of the dissolution of the Society or in the event of an abandonment of its original purpose, the property of the Society will be passed on to a public body, or on to any other tax-advantaged corporate body, with the specification that it serves the purposes contained in § 1, section (2) of the constitution.

§ 6

not applicable

§ 7 Membership

(1) Regular members of the Society may be individual persons; sustaining members may be individual persons or corporate bodies. Honorary members may be nominated. These honorary members enjoy all of the rights of regular members. The Society may also appoint researchers as corresponding members;

(2) Admission to regular membership shall take place upon a written application to the Council. The application must be supported by a written recommendation of two regular members. Successful admission will be dependent upon the written acknowledgment of the Council. In the case of a refusal of admission, an appeal may be made to the General Meeting. The appeal will be decided by a simple majority.

(3) Admission to sustaining membership shall require a written application and be subject to approval of the Council; admission will be effective only upon written notification.

(4) The appointment of a corresponding member requires a regular member to submit an application to the Council. After a hearing of the Scientific Advisory Board, the Chair appoints a committee to review the application. The decision of the committee will be presented for approval at the next General Meeting.

(5) The appointment of an honorary member must be proposed by the Council. Only the Council has the right to propose candidates for honorary membership. The honorary member is approved by a simple majority vote of the General Meeting. Acceptance of honorary membership is mandatory.

(6) An individuals membership shall end

(a) upon the death of the member,

(b) upon written notification by the member of the desire to terminate their membership; the notice must be received by the Chairman or the secretary,

(c) through a decision of Council in the case of non-fulfillment of payment obligations after two written requests,

(d) through a decision of the General Meeting. The Council must submit a written statement indicating the reasons for termination to the respective member no later than four weeks prior to the General Meeting. Objections to termination may be presented in written or oral form at the membership meeting. Written objections must be read out loud at the General Meeting.

Members who have resigned must pay membership fees of the current year and cannot lay claim to any property of the Society.

§ 8 Membership Fee

The annual fees to be paid for membership shall be determined by decision of the General Meeting. The honorary and corresponding members are exempt from a membership fee.

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§ 9 Bodies of the Society

The Society is made up of the following bodies:

(1) The Council

(2) The Scientific Advisory Board

(3) The General Meeting

Bodies work on an honorary basis.

§ 10 Council

(1) The Council consists of the Chairman, two Vice Chairmen, the Secretary, and the Treasurer.

(2) Organization and execution of the annual scientific conference is the responsibility of the Conference Chair. The office of Conference Chair may be assigned to any member of the Society by the General Meeting upon nomination by the Council. The Conference Chair is selected two years prior to a conference and will remain a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for a period of 3 years.

(3) Judicially and extra-judicially the Society is represented by the Chairman of the Council.

(4) The Council will be elected by the General Meeting for a term of 2 years. The term of office will begin the first day of the month following the election. The term of office will end upon election of the subsequent Council. One re-election of Council members in the following term shall be possible. Election to a subsequent term shall only be possible after 4 years (2 terms of office) have elapsed since the end of the person's previous term on the Council.

(5) The Council shall carry out all activities of the Society unless they are not assigned to another body of the Society. The Council shall act according to the decisions of the General Meeting.

(6) The Chairman of the Council calls and chairs the meetings of the Council and the General Meeting; he is responsible for the agenda of the meetings.

(7) Council decisions are made by a majority vote of its statutory members. All Council members must participate in Council decisions. Resolution in writing is possible.

§ 11 Scientific Advisory Board

(1) The Scientific Advisory Board shall broadly represent the various fields of human genetics affiliated to the Society. The Board shall assist and advise the Council.

(2) The Scientific Advisory Board consists of:

(a) Chairs of the Annual Conferences, (§ 10,2)

(b) Members, elected upon application by regular member,

(c) Committee Speakers may participate in Scientific Advisory Board meetings without voting right.

(3) The term of Scientific Advisory Board membership and the mode of re-election shall correspond to the term of membership and re-election mode of the Council. The Chair of the annual scientific conference shall be a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for three years after his election. Members of the Scientific Advisory Board shall not be simultaneously members of the Council.

(4) Matters in dispute between the Council and the Scientific Advisory Board shall be presented to the General Meeting for decision (§ 13, 3, h).

§ 12 Committees

For special activities defined by the General Meeting, committees may be appointed. Members of the committees are elected to two year terms by a simple majority vote. Re-election of committee members and their speakers is possible for two subsequent terms. After termination of the second term, a re-election is possible only after 4 years (2 terms) have elapsed since the end of the person's previous committee membership.

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§ 13 General Meeting

(1) A General Meeting shall take place at least every 2 years during a scientific conference. The meeting shall be called by the Chair of the scientific conference. Notice of membership meetings shall list the agenda and shall be sent to all members at least 6 weeks in advance of the meeting. The meeting may also be called by the journal medizinischegenetik.

(2) An extraordinary General Meeting must be called by the Chair in the same manner, if

(a) the Council decides on an extraordinary General Meeting by simple majority vote, or,

(b) at least 20% of all regular Society members submit a written request to the Chairman of the Council.

(3) Duties of the General Meeting are:

(a) Election and dismissal of the Council

(b) Acceptance of the activity report and the financial report

(c) Appointment of auditors and acceptance of the auditor's report

(d) Approval of the Council

(e) Exclusion of members (§ 7, 6, d)

(f) Election of Scientific Advisory Board members (§ 11, 2, b)

(g) Decisions according to § 7 (4) and § 7 (5)

(h) Decisions according to § 11 (4)

(i) Decisions according to 12

(k) Changes in the Statutes

(l) Decision according to § 10 (2)

(m) Dissolution of the Society

(n) Hearing of applications submitted by the Council or a member concerning organization, administration, or aim of the Society.

(4) Agenda items for vote must be received by the Chairman in written form no later than 5 months before the General Meeting. Agenda items submitted later than 5 months before the General Meeting may be voted on after previous approval by the General Meeting. Applications for changes in the statutes must be communicated to all members in full wording together with the meeting invitation. Delayed applications may be submitted for vote at the General Meeting after previous approval by the General Meeting.

(5) The quorum of the General Meeting is constituted when the meeting has been called and opened according to the statutes. All regular members are entitled to vote. The right to vote may only be exercised in person. A mailed ballot is not permissible.

(6) Upon a majority decision of the General Meeting elections may be held in secret. The Council and members of the Scientific Advisory Board, according to § 11,2, b, shall be elected by secret ballot.

(7) In general, resolutions of the General Meeting are approved by a simple majority. Abstentions or failures to vote will not count. Each regular member is entitled to vote. For election of the Chairman of the Council, an absolute majority is required; for election of other members of the Council, a relative majority is required. Changes in the statutes can only be decided by a two-thirds
majority vote of the regular members present at the General Meeting. A two-thirds majority is also required for:

(a) Re-election of the Chairman

(b) Exclusion of a member

(c) Dissolution of the Society

(d) Voting on applications received later than 5 months before the General Meeting.

(8) Minutes are to be taken for the General Meeting. Meeting minutes must be signed by the Chairman and the Secretary.

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§ 14 Dissolution

(1) Dissolution of the Society can only be decided upon by a General Meeting attended by at least two thirds of the regular members.

(2) If there is no majority decision at a general meeting convened for this purpose a further General Meeting shall be called within 14 days which can decide the dissolution of the Society even with less than the requisite number of members present.

(3) The General Meeting deciding the dissolution shall decide on the application of the Society's assets by a simple majority. After payment of all outstanding obligations, the Society's assets shall only be used in accordance to objects of § 1 (2); assets fall to a non-profit successor Society or to the “Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft”.

Gießen, the 3rd October of 1987
signed

Karl Sperling Hartwig Cleve
Hans-Hilger Ropers Tiemo Grimm
Klaus Zang Friedrich Vogel
Ulrich Wolf Gunter Röhrborn
Christa Fonatsch E. Schleiermacher
Wolf Gutensohn Jürgen Horst
Ulrich Langenbeck Walther Vogel
R.A. Pfeiffer

Registered at AG München (“Registergericht”) as AZ:
VR 12341.

modified:

Bonn, 30.03.1990
Ulm, 12.04.1991
Mainz, 09.04.1992
Innsbruck, 17.04.1997

Last modification by decision of the General Meeting in Marburg, 2.10.2003

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