Balkan Cities Association of Nephrology, Dialysis, Transplantation and Artificial Organs

BANTAO

 

Statute

 

 

 

 

STATUTE OF BANTAO

 

I.          DENOMINATION, LEGAL STATUS, REGISTERED ADDRESS AIMS AND DURATION

Article 1

DENOMINATION AND LEGAL STATUS

An association is formed under the denomination “Balkan Cities Association of Nephrology, Dialysis, Transplantation and Artificial Organs” (BANTAO).

Article 2

REGISTERED ADDRESS

The registered address of the Association shall be in Varna.

 Article 3

AIMS AND ACTIVITIES

BANTAO was founded out of mutual will for friendship, collaboration and peace between the Balkan people.

The aims of the Association are:

 a)         To encourage, promote and realize relations, collaboration and friendship across political boundaries between scientists and health professionals of Balkan cities in the fields of: Basic and Clinical Nephrology, Paediatric Nephrology, Haemodialysis, Peritoneal Dialysis, Kidney Transplantation, Artificial Organs, Hypertension, Urinary Tract Infections, Autoimmune Diseases and Renal Pathology.

b)         (i)         To organize a Congress every two years in a different Balkan city. A rotation must be followed in various cities from different countries.

            (ii)        In case that a city can not undertake the Congress in its turn, another Balkan city in the rotation principle should take over.

(iii)       The official language of the Congress is English.

c)         BANTAO is open for collaboration with other Associations and/or Societies in order to achieve its goals.

 

These aims shall be achieved mainly by the organization of congresses, meetings and seminars and by the publication of journals and reports.

  

Article 4

DURATION

 The Association is established for an unspecified period.

 II.         MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION

 Article 5

MEMBERS

 a)         There are three types of members in the Association, namely, Ordinary Members, Senior Members and Honorary Members.

b)         Any nephrologist and other related health care professional, mainly working in a country of the Balkan Peninsula, can become an Ordinary Member of the Association individually.

 c)         Those Balkan nephrologists working in a country outside the boundaries of the Balkan Peninsula are also eligible for Membership of the Association.

Senior Membership will be opened to Members of the Association who have reached retirement but would like to continue their Membership. They will not have to pay a Membership fee, but will have the right to receive information about the Association and to attend the Congress paying the reduced Ordinary Member’s registration fee

            (e)        Persons who have particularly distinguished themselves in the field of Nephrology and persons who have contributed to the development of the Association may be appointed as Honorary Members of the Association

  

Article 6

ADMISSION 

All applications for Membership shall be submitted to the Board for approval, which shall decide by a simple majority for admission by the General Assembly.

 III.       MEMBERS’ RIGHTS

 

Article 7

GENERALITIES

 Each Ordinary Member who has paid his or her membership fee shall be entitled to:

a)         receive information on the activities of the Association;

b)         attend the annual congress of the Association at a reduced registration fee;

c)         receive the Journal published by the Association in electronic or printed version.

Article 8

MEMBER’S RIGHTS

Ordinary Members shall be are entitled to attend the General Assembly and take part in voting have the right to vote provided they have paid their membership fee. Ordinary Members of the Association are eligible to be elected for as a member of the Board.

Article 9

HONORARY MEMBERS’ RIGHTS 

Honorary Members shall be entitled to the same rights as Members of the Association as defined in Article 8 above.

 Article 10

RESIGNATION

Any Member shall be is entitled to resign from the Association at any time His or her resignation shall be sent by submitting an application of resignation to the General Secretary.

Article 11

DISMISSION

 a)         In the event of repeated violation of the Association’s Statute by a Member, the Member concerned cancould be excluded expelled from the Association. The decision to exclude expel the Member shall be taken by the Board by a simple majority of votes.

b)         Any Ordinary Member who fails to pay his membership fee for over a period of four years shall be automatically excluded expelled from Membership of the Association.

IV.       FINANCIAL RESOURCES

Article 12

RESOURCES 

The resources of the Association are:

a)         the biannual membership fee, and

b)         gifts, donations and legacies

 Article 13

MEMBERSHIP FEE

 The amount of the biannual membership fee shall be decided by the Board.

 V.        ASSOCIATION BODIES

Article 14

ASSOCIATION BODIES

The bodies of the Association are:

a)         The General Assembly, and

b)         The Board

  

A.        GENERAL ASSEMBLY

  

Article 15

ATTRIBUTIONS

The General Assembly of Members shall be is the supreme body of the Association. The General Assembly enjoys full powers with the exception of those that are attributed to other bodies.

These powers are mainly as follows:

a)         dismissing of Members from the Association, except those whose exclusion is incurred by failure to pay their subscription fee

b)         dismissing of Board Members from the Board

c)         approving the appointing of Honorary Members of the Association

d)         approving Board decisions about the composition of the Board

e)         approving the next Congress venue

 

Article 16

CONVENING ANNOUNCEMENTS

 The General Assembly shall be convened by the Board once every 2 years at least.

In principle, the General Assembly shall be held during the Congress of the Association every two years.

An ordinary General Assembly may only discuss an item not included on the Agenda if the majority of voting Members present agree to discuss it.

Any Member present at the General Assembly may propose an item for discussion.

 

Article 17

DECISIONS 

The General Assembly shall reach its decisions and hold its elections by a simple majority of votes cast by those Members entitled to vote.

Voting shall take place by a show of hands unless the General Assembly decides otherwise.

  

Article 18

PRESIDENCY 

The General Assembly shall be chaired by the President of the Association, or in his absence, by the General Secretary.

  

B.         THE BOARD MEMBERS

 

Article19

COMPOSITION 

a)         The Board members are members of the Association

b)         The Board shall be composed of the President, the President Elect, the General Secretary, the Editor in Chief of BANTAO Journal and Past Presidents of the Association.

  

Article 20

ATTRIBUTIONS

 The Board is the executive body of the Association.

The Board shall be responsible for:

a)         electing proposing new Board and Ordinary members to be approved by the General    Assembly.

b)         managing the Association.

c)         choosing the venue for Congresses and organizing these and organize the Congress.

d)         nominating a sub-committee for the selection of papers or other advisory committees.

f)          maintaining relations with other organizations.

  

Article 21

BOARD MEMBERS

 The President

             The President of the Board is elected by the BANTAO Board.

            The term of office of the President is two years and is not renewable.

            The President is responsible for the regular management of the Association and its development. He / she shall report on its activity to the board and to the General Assembly.

 

Past President

 At the end of his / her term of office the President automatically becomes Past President.

 

The President Elect

                             The President Elect is nominated by the BANTAO Board and elected by the General Assembly among candidates of the cities of the country where the next Congress will be held according to the rotation described in 3 (b).

            The term of office of the President Elect is two years and is not renewable.

            The President Elect is the President of the next Congress.

            At the end of his / her term of office the President Elect automatically becomes the President of the Association.

 The General Secretary

a)         The General Secretary shall be nominated by the president and approved by the Board General Assembly for a period of office of two years.

b)         The General Secretary shall draft the Agenda of Board Meetings and the General Assemblies; records the minutes; co-ordinates the activities of the Association, acting in compliance with the Association Statute; submits a report of his/her activities, and regularly updates the list of Members of the Association; collects biannual Membership fees; makes payments on behalf of the Association; he/she shall manage the Association account, draws up balance sheets and circulates same them to the Members annually. He/she shall act in compliance with the wishes and directives of the Board and in accordance with the Statute of the Association.

Article 22

PUBLICATIONS

 The Association is the owner and publishes a journal under the name BANTAO Journal (BJ).

The Association maintains its own web-site (www.bantao.org).

The BANTAO Journal Editor in Chief

The Editor takes care of the publication of the Association’s Journal. He/she acts in strict co-operation with the Board.  The Editor is nominated by the Board, approved by the General Assembly and elected for a period of four years.

 

Article 23

OPERATION

 

The Board shall meet according to the needs. Convening Announcements shall be sent to Members 30 days before the date of the meeting.

The Board shall reach its decisions by a simple majority of Members present.

The Board shall be entitled to exclude any Member of the Board who has not attended two consecutive meetings without acceptable reason.

  

Article 24

REPRESENTATION

 The President, the President Elect, the General Secretary shall represent and commit the Association towards third parties by the joint signature of any two of the aforementioned.

  

VII.      DISSOLUTION

Article 25

DISSOLUTION

The General Assembly shall have the faculty at any time to decide by a two third majority of present votes cast on possible proposed addition or changes of articles of the Statute or the dissolution of the Association.

 Article 26

LIQUIDATION

 In the event of dissolution and unless the General Assembly appoints other liquidators, liquidation shall be performed by the Board.

  

Article 27

DISTRIBUTION OF ASSETS

After payment of debts, and in accordance with a decision of the General Assembly, any assets shall be assigned to a purpose similar to that pursued by the Association.

Under no circumstances shall assets be distributed among Members of the Association.

 

VIII.     REGULATIONS

 

Article 28

REGULATIONS

 The Board shall be entitled to draft regulations governing application of the articles of Statute.

 

IX.       JOURNAL

 

Article 29

COPYRIGHT

 The Association holds the copyright on all articles published in its reports or in its journal and web-site.