IOIBD By-Laws

Rule 1	The title of the Organization shall be The International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IOIBD).
Rule 2	Its objectives shall be to organize multi-national studies and promote multi-national communications pertaining to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) with special reference to the assessment of activity, therapeutic trials and studies into epidemiology, course and prognosis.
Rule 3	The Organization shall consist of physicians, surgeons and medical and non-medical scientists and those who are actively engaged in research into IBD.
Rule 4	The officers of the Organization shall be elected by the General Assembly after nomination by the Nominating Committee and shall consist of: Chairman elected for three years and not eligible for immediate re-election to that office. Deputy Chairman elected for three years and not eligible for immediate re-election to that office. Scientific Secretary elected for three years and eligible for immediate re-election to that office for only one further period of three years. Deputy Scientific Secretary elected for a three year period and eligible for immediate re-election to that office for only one further period of three years. Treasurer elected for a three year period and eligible for further three year periods at the discretion of the AGM. The Nominating Committee will consist of the past Chairman (who will chair the Committee) and two members that will be elected by the AGM for a three year period. Members of the Nominating Committee would not be able to be nominated for any other position. At least two months prior to the AGM, the Nominating Committee will present a nomination for each position on the Executive Committee. At the AGM, the Chairman of the Nominating Committee will present the report. Nominations from the floor are permitted, but if the potential nominee is not present, written confirmation of the nominee’s willingness to stand will be required.
Rule 5	The day-to-day affairs of the Organization shall be the responsibility of the Executive Committee, which shall consist of: Chairman, ex-officio Deputy Chairman, ex-officio Scientific Secretary, ex-officio Deputy Scientific Secretary, ex-officio Treasurer, ex-officio Plus four further members, elected by the membership, each to serve for four years and not eligible for immediate re-election to membership on the Executive Committee unless elected as an officer.
Rule 6	Candidate for membership of the Organization must be proposed in writing by two existing members, to the Scientific Secretary. One of the proposers should come from a different country to that of the nominee. Candidates should normally be of sufficient seniority to exercise some measure of autonomy within their own institutions. The Scientific Secretary will circulate the names of the proposed candidates in writing to the Executive Committee for comment, at least one month in advance of the meeting. The Executive Committee will have the sole responsibility for electing new members. Any member has the right to be informed upon request of all actions taken on all membership nominations by the Executive Committee.
Rule 7	The AGM shall consist of: A business meeting to determine policy, to elect officers and ordinary members of the Executive Committee, to consider the financial state of the Organization and to decide on the locations of future AGMs. A scientific meeting for the presentation of completed scientific work, for the review of scientific work in progress and for discussion of possible future scientific work. In addition, topics dealing with IBD may be included at the discretion of the local organizer and the Scientific Secretary.
Rule 8	For each AGM , a local organizer shall be appointed at a previous business meeting. The local organizer will be responsible for all local arrangements involving the AGM. All correspondence concerning the meeting should be sent to the local organizer who must maintain close liaison with the Scientific Secretary. The final responsibility for the program of the scientific meeting rests with the Executive Committee who should approve the structure of the program at the mid-year Executive Committee meeting. The local organizer responsible for each AGM will become a member of the Executive Committee for the year leading up to the AGM for which he or she is responsible.
Rule 9	Members are expected to travel to AGMs at their own expense, but meals and accommodations will be covered by the Organization.
Rule 10	Any member (active and senior) attending fewer than 2 out of 4 consecutive AGMs shall be deemed to have resigned unless there are extenuating circumstances condoned by the Executive Committee. Members should be elected for five year terms. Criteria for re-election include service to the IOIBD and/or continued activity in the field of inflammatory bowel disease.
Rule 11	Any member who retires from or otherwise substantively changes the professional position he or she occupied at the time of election to the Organization, or who becomes 67 years old shall so notify the Scientific Secretary in advance of the first AGM following the effective date of that retirement, change, or birthday. At that same AGM, the Executive Committee if it determines that the retirement or change has removed the member from the conformity with the criteria for active membership shall ordinarily transfer that member to senior status with all rights of ordinary membership maintained, except that of holding office or Executive Committee membership. Rule 10 (first sentence) will also apply to senior members.
Rule 12	Members wishing to bring scientific or social guests to an AGM must obtain the agreement of the local organizer. Furthermore, any member brining a guest will be held responsible for that guest’s expenses.
Rule 13	A category of corporate membership shall comprise pharmaceutical and other biomedical companies or health foundations that are broadly supportive of clinical or therapeutic research in IBD and that are invited to corporate membership by the Executive Committee. Corporate membership implies fixed annual dues. The amount of these dues for corporate embers shall be determined by the Executive Committee at each AGM. Corporate members shall each have the right to designate a maximum of two individuals who shall enjoy all the rights of ordinary membership except those of nominating candidates for membership, voting, holding office or Executive Committee membership. They may attend the AGM. Additional guests of corporate members are subject to the same regulations as guests of ordinary members.
Rule 14	The Organization will generally seek publication of all its organizational studies regardless of their particular results or conclusions. No data shall be published under the byline of the IOIBD unless they have been presented at a plenary scientific session of an AGM. Publications carrying the imprimatur of the IOIBD must have the approval of a two-thirds majority of the Executive Committee following any appropriate consultations with particularly interested or expert members. Any free papers presented at AGMs remain the exclusive intellectual property of their authors.
Rule 15	The Executive Committee shall have the right to call additional general meetings.
Rule 16	A change in the rules shall require a majority of two-thirds of the Executive Committee and of the members attending the relevant AGM.
Rule 17	As an officer for the Organization, the Treasurer is responsible for the signing of checks and transfer of money to and from the accounts of the Society and the Foundation.