Japan Socio-Gerontological Society

Bylaws
Chapter I. General Rules
Article 1.　
The name of this organization shall be The Japan Socio-Gerontological Society (hereinafter referred to as "the Society").
Article 2.　
A Secretariat of the Society shall be designated by the President, with the approval of the Board of Directors.
　
Chapter II. Purposes and Activities
Article 3.　　
The purpose of the Society shall be to promote the development of the socio-gerontological sciences through the conduct of scientific research on various problems in the given scientific areas, and to increase cooperation broadly with other related research areas.
Article 4. 　　
In order to achieve the purposes as set forth under Article 3 above, the Society shall perform the following activities.　
　　　(1)　Hold Scientific Conferences 　
　　　(2)　Hold General Assemblies 　
　　　(3)　Publish Official Journals and other publications　
　　　(4)　Such other activities as may be called for to achieve the purposes of the Society.
　
Chapter III. Membership
Article 5.　　
The membership of the Society shall be composed of the following:
　　　(1)　Regular Members (those who approve of the purposes of the Society and who have made payment of their membership dues as prescribed.)
　　　(2)　Supporting Members (those organizations or individuals who approve of the purposes of the Society and give assistance to the Society in support of its activities)
　　　(3)　Honorary Members (those persons who have given distinguished service to the Society)
Article 6.　　
A person wishing to be registered as a Regular Member shall fill out the necessary information on the prescribed application form and submit it, together with a letter of recommendation from one of the current members of the Society, to the Board of Directors for approval. 　
　　2)　An organization or person wishing to be a Supporting Member shall fill out the necessary information on the prescribed application form for membership and submit it, together with a letter of recommendation from one of the current members of the Society, to the Board of Directors for approval.
　　3) In principle, a person having served as an active member of the Society for over 20 years while having achieved distinguished attainments in the socio- gerontological sciences, and/or having made outstanding services to the Society, may be designated as an Honorary Member upon approval by the General Assembly based on the recommendations from one or more members of the Board and ensuing deliberation by the Board.
Article 7.　　
All Regular Members as well as Supporting Members shall pay their membership dues in accordance with the rules to be specified for this purpose. On the other hand, Honorary members shall be exempted from membership dues. Under any circumstances, none of the dues already paid shall be refundable. 　
Article 8.　　
A Regular Member or Supporting Member who wishes to resign from membership shall submit a letter of resignation describing the reasons for resignation. In an instance where a member has failed to pay dues for more than 3 years without justification, the member shall be notified of this delinquent status and membership shall be declared to be terminated. A former member wishing to be reinstated shall be required to pay all membership dues left unpaid.
Article 9.　　
A member of the Society may be expelled from membership by a decision to be made by the Board of Directors if and when the particular member is found to have damaged the reputation of the Society or otherwise committed an act counter to the purposes of the Society or an act in violation of the bylaws.
　
Chapter IV. Officers
Article 10.　　
The Society shall have the following officers: 　
　　　President 1 　
　　　Directors 24 　
　　　Auditors 2
Article 11.　　
Directors shall be selected from among Regular Members in accordance with the rules to be specified for this purpose. The total number of those Directors to be chosen from among Regular Members by election (i.e., Elective Directors) shall be 18, while the remaining 7 Directors shall be selected based on the recommendations by the Elective Directors, subject to approval by the General Assembly.
Article 12.　　
A President shall be elected by mutual agreement and voting from among the Elective Directors.
Article 13.　　
The President shall represent the Society and preside over the business of the Society. The President may select no more than 3 Directors so as to delegate to them the authority for managing regular business operations (as Managing Directors), and in case of an accident affecting the Bylaws President, to have the Managing Director responsible for administrative affairs, serve as an Acting President of the Society.
Article 14.　　
Directors shall constitute the Board of Directors for the execution of the Society's business.
Article 15.　　
Two Auditors shall be selected from among the Regular Members in accordance with the rules to be specified for this purpose.
Article 16. 　　
The auditors shall audit all the business transactions and accounts of the Society. Each year the auditors shall examine annual business reports and statements of accounts and submit an auditor's report to the General Assembly.
Article 17.　　
The term of office of an officer shall be 4 years. However, any officer other than the President, may be reappointed for additional terms.

Chapter V. Councilors
Article 18.　　
A number of Councilors shall be appointed by the President from among the Regular Members, based on the recommendations by the Board of Directors. Thereupon, a report on the Councilors thus appointed shall be submitted to the General Assembly.
Article 19.　　
The Councilors shall constitute the Council so as to give advice to the Board of Directors on various business matters of importance to the Society.
Article 20.　　
The term of office of Councilors shall be 4 years, although they may be reappointed for additional terms.
　
Chapter VI. Conference Leaders
Article 21.　　
For each Scientific Conference, a Conference Leader may be appointed by the President with the approval of the Board. The Conference Leader shall be responsible for convening and managing a Scientific Conference.
Article 22.　　
The term of office of a Conference Leader shall be for the period from the day immediately following the final day of the last Scientific Conference up to the final day of the particular Scientific Conference to which the Conference Leader has been appointed.
　
Chapter VII. Meetings
Article 23.　　
The Society shall hold the following meetings: 　
　　(1) General Assemblies　
　　(2) Board Meetings 　
　　(3) Council Meetings 　
　　(4) Scientific Conferences 　
　　(5) Committee Meetings 　
　　(6) Such other meetings as may be called for by the President
Article 24.　　
The General Assembly shall be organized by Regular Members of the Society so as to have deliberations on such matters as pertaining to approval of Officers, Honorary Members, business reports and statements of accounts for the business year concerned, the business plans and budgetary proposals for the next business year, as well as such other matters as needed. 　
　2) The General Assembly shall be held once a year concurrently with a Scientific Conference. 　
　3) The General Assembly shall be convoked by the President. 　
　4) The General Assembly shall have two Presiding Officers to be designated with the approval of the Board. 　
　5) All decisions to be made by the General Assembly shall be made by a majority vote of those Members in attendance, or in case of a tie in a vote, by the decision of the Presiding Officers. 　
　6) An extraordinary session of the General Assembly shall be called by the President upon the request of more than one-fifth of all the Regular Members or upon the request of the Board or the Council.　
　7) All the decisions made by the General Assembly shall be notified in writing to all the Regular Members.
Article 25.　　
Directors and Auditors shall constitute the Board of Directors. Conference Leaders and Honorary Members may also attend Board meetings to present their views and comments. 　
　2) In principle, the Board shall be called to meet by the President twice a year. However, the Board may also be called to meet for extraordinary sessions if and when found necessary by the President. 　
　3) The President shall be required to call the Board to meet as soon as possible, upon receipt of a request thereto from more than one-third of the Directors or from the Auditors with the reasons for holding such a meeting provided by them.　
　4) In order to convene the Board, all Board members shall be given advance written notice of the purpose of the proposed meeting as well as the date, time and place of the meeting. 　
　5)　Board meetings shall be presided over by the President. A quorum of at least two-thirds of the Directors shall be required for the holding of a Board meeting. 　
　6)　However, all those Board members who have presented their views and comments in writing on the issues to be discussed at the proposed meeting, as well as those who have delegated their voting rights in writing to other Board members shall be regarded as "in attendance" at the meeting. 　
　7)　All decisions to be made at a Board meeting shall be made by a majority vote of all the Directors in attendance, or in case of a tie in a vote, by the decision of the Presiding Officer. 　
　8)　The Board of Directors shall refer to the Council for its deliberations and advice, such matters of importance as pertaining to the Society's business reports and statements on accounts for the business year concerned, the business plans and budgetary proposals for the next business year, as well as other issues that may be determined as necessary by the Board, and have them presented to the General Assembly for its approval.
Article 26.　　
The Council shall be called to meet by the President once a year. However, the Council may also be called to meet for extraordinary sessions if and when found necessary by the President. 　
　2)　The President shall be required to call the Council to meet as soon as possible, upon receipt of a request thereto from the Board of Directors or from more than one-fifth of the Councilors. 　
　3)　In order to convene the Council, all the Council members shall be given advance written notice of the purpose of the proposed meeting as well as the date, time and place of the meeting. 　
　4)　Council meetings shall be presided over by the President.
　5) 　A quorum of at least three-fifths of all the Councilors shall be required for a Council meeting to be held. However, all those Councilors who have presented their views and comments in writing on the issues to be discussed at the proposed meeting, as well as those who have delegated their voting rights in writing to other Council members shall be regarded as "in attendance" at the meeting. 　
　6)　All the decisions to be made at a Council meeting shall be made by a majority vote of all the Councilors in attendance. However, in case of a tie in a vote, the Presiding Officer shall decide the issue.
Article 27.　　
The Scientific Conference shall be held once a year. 　
　2)　All the research papers or reports to be presented at any Scientific Conferences sponsored by the Society shall be limited to those of the Society members.
Article 28.　　
In order to fulfill the purposes of the Society, the President may establish various Committees as needed. 　
　2)　Each Committee shall prepare a summary report on all the issues discussed and the decisions made by the Committee and submit it to the Board of Directors for its approval. 　
　3)　The chairman of each Committee may attend the Board meetings to present their views and comments. 　
4)　Rules for each individual Committee shall be set forth separately.
　
Chapter VIII. Finances
Article 29.　　
The fiscal year of the Society shall be from April 1st of a given year through March 31st of the following year.
Article 30.　　
Funds for conducting the affairs of the Society shall be raised by annual dues from members, subsidies, voluntary contributions and revenues from business activities of the Society.
　
Chapter IX. Supplementary Rules
Article 31.　　
These Bylaws may be amended by a vote of at least two-thirds of the Society members in attendance at a General Assembly.
Article 32.　　
These Bylaws shall come into force as of June 19, 2003. However, notwithstanding the provisions under Article 17 and Article 20, the terms of office of all those Officers and Councilors who will have been appointed prior to the effective date of these Bylaws shall be governed by the old rules.
　
　
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　Internal Rules Governing Membership Dues
　1. Amounts of Membership Dues shall be as follows:
　　　Annual Dues for a Regular Member 10,000 yen
　　　Annual Dues for a Supporting Member 50,000 yen
　2. These internal rules may not be changed unless decided
　　　by the Board of Directors and by the General Assembly.
　3. These internal rules shall come into force as of April 1, 2003.
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