Statutes Committee Terms of Reference

The Secretary General is the Chair of the Statutes Committee. He will, after consultation with the President, determine the membership of this committee.

At least one Councillor from Belgium is normally a member of this committee because the Statutes are based on Belgian law. As long as Belgian law requires it, one member of the committee must be Belgian. The STD is usually represented by the Scientific Secretary.

The committee normally meets in the days just before the ECM. The meeting is convened by the Secretary General who will send out an Agenda to committee members.

The duties of the Statutes Committee are:

• To consider and, if necessary, propose to the Executive Council amendments to the Statutes and Bylaws of the Union. The text of all changes, in both languages of the Union, must be dispatched to the members of the Union at least 6 months before the Triennial General Meeting. It is usual to contact the Belgian Ministry of Justice prior to this to ensure that the changes are in compliance with Belgian Law.
• To establish and continually up-grade the material for a Procedures Manual to assist Officers and Chair of Committees and Divisions and improve the administration of the Union activities.
• To monitor new applications for membership of the Union, to ensure that the Statutes and Bylaws of applicants are acceptable and that the new societies are the only groups representing vacuum and related interests in their countries (or regions) and that their interests cover the whole field of vacuum science, technology and its application.
• To assess changes to Statutes of Members as notified to the Committee and to determine if they are significant enough to require decision by the Trennial General Meeting as to the continuing membership of that Member. Otherwise to recommend to the Executive Council that membership should continue.
• To monitor applications by the Union for membership in and interaction with other National and International organizations and to report on progress of such activity to the Executive Council.
• To consider the provisional agenda for all meetings, in particular for the Triennial General Meeting which should be tabled at the meeting held at least 4 months prior to this General Meeting.
• To consider any other matters relating to Statutes and Procedures which the Union may require.