STATUTE OF THE ASSOCIATION WITH THE NAME
“MINIMAL INVASIVE EXTRACORPOREAL TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY”
1st Article
Constitution, Seat
I. An Association of Cardiac Surgeons, Cardiac Anaesthesiologists, Clinical Perfusionists or other scientists involved with minimal extracorporeal circulation is constituted with the name of “MINIMAL INVASIVE EXTRACORPOREAL TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY- MiECTiS”. The precise translation of this name in each language will be used for the international relations of Association.
II. The city of Thessaloniki is designated as the Seat of the Association.
2nd Article
Aim
Aims of Association are:
I. the development of cardiac surgery worldwide,
II. the promotion of minimal invasive extracorporeal circulation technology,
III.the collaboration, the participation and the exchange of experiences and professional opinions with other related national or international institutions and associations.
3rd Article
Means of Realization of Aims
The Association seeks the realization of its aims with every legal means and mainly through:
I. finding means which facilitate communication between the members,
II. organizing speeches and lectures of scientific content,
III.organizing training seminars and wet-labs,
IV.creating and publishing consensus statements as well as scientific manuscripts and statements on the use of minimal extracorporeal circulation technologies,
V. publishing newsletters, creating a website, promoting opinions of the members, designing studies, etc.
VI.promoting continuous development of minimal invasive extracorporeal technologies,
VII.acting through collaborations with related scientific associations.
IX.the organization of scientific congress is defined as the major event of the Association. The congress is named “MiECT Symposium” and takes place every two (2) years. Chairman of congress is set ‘ipso jure’ the President of the Society. The Secretary of the congress is set by the President. The place, time and location of the congress are decided by the President. The congress preferably takes place during the month of June in the country where the President works. The President and the Secretary are fully responsible for the finances of the Symposium.
4th Article
Membership
I. Association membership is honorary. Any individual that possesses the title of cardiac surgeon, cardiac anaesthesiologist, clinical perfusionist or scientist from other field involved with minimal extracorporeal circulation and shows a proven interest in the field of minimal invasive extracorporeal circulation is eligible to apply for membership. This interest should be established with at least one of the following criteria:
1) work in a recognized centre that implements minimal invasive extracorporeal circulation,
2) at least one publication in a scientific journal or abstract in an international congress in the field of minimal invasive extracorporeal circulation,
3) active membership in one of the following related scientific associations:
“Extracorporeal Life Support Organization – ELSO”, the “International Society for Minimal Invasive Cardiac Surgery – ISMICS” and the “International Society for Rotary Blood Pumps – ISRBP”,
4) attendance of at least one MiECTiS congress.
II. Anyone that was deprived from the right to found a union of persons cannot be member of the Association. Also it cannot be member of the Association anyone who was deprived of the license to exercise the profession.
III. Membership is related to one person only and is acquired on the day of the registration.
IV. Registration is confirmed by the Steering Committee upon application of the interested person.
VI. Application for membership should be accompanied by reference from two members of the Association.
5th Article
Rights of the Members
I. Each member of Association is eligible to:
a. participate equivalently in the General Assemblies,
b. express his opinions with vote,
c. elect the elected members of Association,
d. be elected,
e. leave from the Association freely.
II. Members of Association that have withdrawn can re-apply for membership.
6th Article
Obligations of Members
I. The members of Association should:
a. contribute in the achievement of the aims of the Association,
b. attend in the meetings of Association,
c. demonstrate solidarity,
d. obey to the legislation and the provisions of Statute, the Aims and Scopes of the Association and the decisions taken by the Council and the General Assembly of the members.
II. Every infringement of the provisions of law that concerns the Associations and Statute, attracts the disciplinary control of responsible individuals.
7th Article
Disciplinary Control
I. The Disciplinary Control is exerted by the Steering Committee, according to his his crisis, and includes:
a. reprehension,
b. expulsion from the Association.
II.The decisions that concern the exercise of disciplinary control should be taken with secret voting.
8th Article
Deletion of Members
I. The Steering Committee can decide the deletion of a member from the Association for an important reason from those that are reported in the Statute and the relative legislation.
II. The deletion of member is decided:
a. if he/she has not attended three (3) consecutive General Assemblies,
b. if he/she is condemned final for felony or heavy delinquency.
III. A member that has been deleted after decision of the Steering Committee can reapply for membership if the reason for the deletion does not exist or remains insignificant.
9th Article
Resources
The Association is non-profitable. Participation in the Association is strictly honorary and does not include financial subscription.
10th Article
General Assembly
I. The General Assembly represents the greatest and sovereign body of the Association. It represents the will of the members.
II. Chairman and Secretary of the General Assembly are the President and the Secretary of the Association.
III. The General Assembly meets regularly one (1) time every two years during the Congress, urgently when it is asked by the Steering Committee.
11th Article
Meeting of the General Assembly
I. Every member of the Association arrives in person in the General Assembly.
II. All members of the Association have the right for voting.
III.Decisions are taken with absolute majority between the present members. In the event of equal number of votes, the vote of the President of the Assembly predominates.
IV.The decisions of General Assembly related to voting or to personal issues are taken with secret voting.
V.Decisions are considered invalid provided that they have been taken at infringement of provisions of this Statute.
VI.The proceedings of the General Assembly are signed by the President and the Secretary of the General Assembly and are kept.
12th Article
Competences of the General Assembly
I. The General Assembly, when it sits, discusses only subjects that are brought for discussion.
II. Subjects that have been rejected by the General Assembly could be discussed again.
III. Subjects that should be discussed exclusively in the General Assembly are:
a. report of the work of the Steering Committee after the expiry of its service,
b. election of the Steering Committee members,
c. monitoring and control of the Steering Committee,
d. any modification in the Statute,
e. approval of internal regulations,
f. suspension of work of the Association,
g. resolution of the Association.
IV. In the cases with elements e, f, g and h in order to take a decision participation of half of the members of the Association and one (1) more is mandatory. The decision is taken with a majority of at least three fourth (3/4) of the voters.
13th Article
The Steering Committee
I. The Association is managed from a Steering Committee that consists of seven (7) persons: one (1) President, one (1) Vice-president, one (1) Secretary and four (4) Members. All Steering Committee Members are honorary; they are not paid and they are elected by the General Assembly of the members of the Association with two (2) surrogate members for a service of two (2) years.
II. If a member of the Council leaves, he/she is substituted from a surrogate member.
III. The attribute of President, Vice-president as well as Secretary cannot coincide in the same person.
IV. The members of the Steering Committee are interdependently responsible for the course of work of the Association, unless they disagreed at the decision-making process and their disagreement has been registered in the proceedings.
V. The Steering Committee sits regularly once (1) per year, urgently when asked by the President or by four (4) members. It is found in quorum provided that they are present at least four (4) of members. Given the international nature of the Association, distance communication with any available means is allowed.
VI. The President when absent is substituted by the Vice-President or the Secretary.
VII. The decisions are taken with majority of the present members and in the event of equal number of votes the vote of the President predominates.
VIII. In the event that four (4) from the members of the Steering Committee resign together with the surrogate members, administration of the Association is undertaken by a provisional Managing Committee and General Assembly is scheduled.
14th Article
Competences of the Steering Committee
The Steering Committee:
a. manages the Association,
b. practices disciplinary control of the members, and if this not possible, this control goes to the General Assembly,
c. decides the registration of members as well as their deletion,
d. calls for the meetings of the General Assembly via the President and the Secretary,
e. executes the decisions of the General Assembly,
f. has the assiduity of observation of provisions of Statute,
g. represents the Association in front of third parties,
h. decides the disposal of expenses for the realization of aims of the Association,
i. determines and rates the issues that the Association works with,
j. founds offices outside the official seat of the Association,
k. cares for scientific publications and website,
l. organizes recreational events,
m. deals with every issue related with the Association.
15th Article
Competences of the President
The President:
a. calls together with the Secretary the Steering Committee and the General Assembly of members in regular or urgent meetings,
b. cares for the implementation of the decisions of the Steering Committee and the General Assembly of members,
c. represents the Association in front of third parties unless a different decision is made by Steering Committee or the General Assembly,
d. signs contracts according to the decisions of the Steering Committee,
e. conducts with the Secretary and signs the correspondence,
f. decides his entrusting of competences to the Vice-President,
g. organizes as Chairman the Congress of the Association every two years in a location of his choice, preferably in the country where he/she works,
h. names a member of the Association as Secretary of the upcoming MiECT Symposium; the Secretary of the Symposium participates in Steering Committee meetings without having the right to vote.
16th Article
Competences of Vice-President
The Vice-President:
a. substitutes the President during his absence,
b. takes the place of the President, in the event that President resigns until the regular or urgent General Assembly of members takes place, as it is forecasted by the Statute,
c. becomes the new President at the end of the service of former President of the Council.
17th Article
Competences of Secretary
I. The Secretary:
a. runs the Secretariat of the Association.
b. cares for the electronic and printed correspondence of the Association signing together with the President.
c. keeps the proceedings of the meetings of the Steering Committee.
d. holds the seal of the Association and stamps the documents.
e. keeps the proceedings of the General Assembly and the Steering Committee meetings.
f. has the responsibility with the President for precisely keeping the Books and Elements of the Association.
II. The Secretary, when he/she is absent, is substituted by one of the other members of the Steering Committee.
III. The Secretary works for the Association from his country.
18th Article
Elections
I. Elections take place every two years during the General Assembly of members.
II. Six (6) members are elected for the Council: Vice-president, Secretary and four (4) Members for a service of two (2) years.
III. Exclusively at the Founding General Assembly of the Association election of the President of Steering Committee will take place for a period of two (2) years.
IV. Any member of the Association who wants to be elected for the Steering Committee applies to Secretary of the Association in a deadline that is fixed by the Steering Committee.
V. The names of candidates for the Steering Committee in alphabetical order are announced to the members and are registered in the same ballot.
VI. With secret voting the members of Association elect the elected members marking a cross to the left of the name. There are different categories for the Vice-President, the Secretary and the members of the Steering Committee.
VII. Those who take more votes are elected (eight in total). These are the Vice-President, the Secretary and four members who constitute the Steering Committee; the next two are surrogate members.
VIII. In the event of equal number of votes, a draw takes place between the candidates with equal number of votes.
IX. Those who are elected for the Steering Committee are constituted in body and they arrange the responsibilities that are reported in the paragraph I of 13th Article in order to undertake the administration of the Association.
19th Article
Compensation for the Members
Members of the Steering Committee are not allowed to provide services with relation of dependent work or contract with the Association.
20th Article
Modification of Statute
I. The Association has the right to modify the Statute with constitutive majority.
II. Each modification comes to effect the next day from the registration in the relative Books of Court.
21st Article
Internal Regulations
I. Subjects that concern the internal operation of the Association are regulated with internal regulations.
II. These Regulations after decision of the Steering Committee are imported to the General Assembly for approval and come to effect after their publication in the Books of Court.
22nd Article
Dissolution of Association
I. The dissolution of Association is decided by the General Assembly of members with constitutive majority.
II. The proposal for the the dissolution of the Association comes from the Steering Committee or from at least four out of seven (4/7) of the members and is approved by an urgent General Assembly of the members.
III. After decision from the Court the Association it can be dissolved for infringement of law that controls the Associations or Statute.
23rd Article
Seal and Signal
I. The Association has a round seal that carries the name of the Association.
II. The Steering Committee can decide to design a special signal as well as its modifications. Every change of the signal can be performed with modification of Statute.
24th Article
Books of the Association
The books that are kept obligatorily by the Association are:
a. Registration Book of members of Association. In this all members of the Association are registered.
b. Book of Proceedings of Steering Committee meetings.
c. Book of Proceedings of General Assembly of members.
25th Article
Final Provision
This Statute that is constituted from twenty-five (25) articles, is approved today by the founding members and is signed as follows:
Thessaloniki, 14 /06/ 2014
THE FOUNDERS