1. Function of Bye-laws
The bye-laws are the regulations that define the day-to-day operation of the society. If any incompatibility arises between a bye-law and the Constitution, the latter must take precedence.
2. Ordinary Membership
Persons who take an active interest in behavioural pharmacology shall be eligible for election to Ordinary Membership. It is expected that those admitted to Ordinary Membership will normally have a degree of Ph.D. or its equivalent, or will have a record of published work establishing their commitment to the subject.
3. Subscription
(I) Each Ordinary Member shall pay a Subscription for two years the amount of which will be determined from time to time at general Meetings and which is DM150 from September 1994. Subscriptions shall become due on 1st January.
(II) In considering any proposed change in the level of subscription fees, the Committee shall be guided by the views of the members as expressed at the General Meeting.
(III) A candidate on election shall not be admitted to the privileges of membership until his/her subscription has been paid. A member who has not paid the subscription by April 1st of any year will lose all privileges of membership, including eligibility for reduced registration fees for meetings of the Society, or for journal subscriptions at Society rates, during that calendar year. The Executive Committee, at its discretion, may vary the date by which subscriptions must be paid to obtain privileges.
(IV) In exceptional circumstances, the Executive Committee may agree to waive the membership fee.
4. Student Membership
Persons who can provide evidence that they are bona fide students shall be eligible for election to Student Membership: this shall entitle them to all the privileges of membership. Student membership shall normally be limited to a maximum period of five years. Fees for student membership may be set by the EC from time to time.
5. Corporate membership
Industrial organizations with a commitment to behavioural pharmacology shall be eligible for acceptance as Corporate Members. Named persons who individually would meet the requirements for Ordinary Members may represent Corporate Members at society meetings but not more than one third of the total number of members of the Society shall be in this category. Applications will be examined by the Executive Committee. The Corporate Membership fee will be set by the Executive Committee in the same manner as the fees for other categories of membership. The fee from September 1994 is DM2000 for two years. The fee will enable the subscribing organization to send two representatives to meetings of the Society, without paying the registration fee. Representatives will have the same rights as Ordinary Members of the Society (including the right to vote at General Meetings and in Elections). The representatives will be named persons who shall meet the normal requirements for Ordinary Membership.
6. Applications
Applications for new membership will be examined by the Executive Committee. All personas seeking admission as Ordinary or Student membership shall apply on forms provided by the General Secretary. Decisions of applications will be made by the Executive Committee, which will take account of the qualifications and experience of applicants. In order to speed up such decisions, the Executive Committee will normally delegate responsibility for them to the Chair and Secretary, subject to confirmation by the Executive Committee.
7. Election of the Committee
In electing members of the committee, the general meeting will be guided by the results of a postal ballot organized in the following way.
(1) Nominations. The General Secretary shall send a call for nominations to the Committee to all members not less than twelve weeks before the General Meeting at which elections are due. Nominations shall be made in writing on the form provided, must be countersigned by the person nominated, and must be returned by the deadline specified by the general secretary, normally not more than 4 weeks following the call. The nomination form shall indicate the number of positions that will be vacant, and the retiring officers and ordinary members of the Committee.
(2) Ballots. Six weeks before the General Meeting, the General Secretary shall send to each member a ballot list containing the names of all persons properly nominated for each contested position on the Committee Elections shall be by postal ballots which must be returned within four weeks. The results shall be announced at the General Meeting of the Society when they will be presented for approval by the membership.
(3) Selection criteria. Members shall take account of the need to represent adequately different fields of study and different geographical regions when making nominations and when voting.
(4) Re-elections. The officers of the Society and ordinary members of the Committee, having served their approved period of tenure of office, shall be ineligible for re-election in the same capacity until a further period of two years has passed (except for the Treasurer, who may be elected for a second term).
8. Newsletter
The Committee shall arrange for a newsletter to be distributed to the membership by appointing a Newsletter Editor who will be co-opted on to the Executive Committee if not already a member.
9. Access to meetings
The proceedings of meetings shall be private, and shall be open only to registered participants. No part of the proceedings shall be recorded in detail, whether by camera, audio-or video-tape or by any other means, without the express written agreement of both the presenter, and of the executive committee. Papers or poster presentations shall only be made at meetings with the approval of the Executive Committee, following invitation or submission of abstracts in approved form. The Executive Committee shall have the right to exclude papers from presentation or publication on ethical grounds, and the Executive Committeeís decision shall be final.
10. Publications
The Executive Committee shall arrange the publication of the proceedings of scientific meetings as abstracts, and in fuller form when the executive committee considers such activity would be to the advantage of the Society.
11. Procedure for change in bye-laws
No alteration, addition or deletion to the bye-laws shall be made except at a General Meeting open to all members. Written notice of a proposed alteration (which must be compatible with the EBPS Constitution, as registered at the court at Tubingen), including a proposer and two seconders who shall be members of the society, shall be given to the General Secretary at least 12 weeks before the meeting. The General Secretary will then arrange a postal ballot and shall report the outcome at the general meeting. No alteration recommended by the majority of those voting in the postal ballot shall be made unless a simple majority of those voting at the general meeting are also in favour of it.
12. Procedure for change in Constitution
No alteration, addition or deletion to the Constitution shall be made except at a General Meeting open to all members. Written notice of a proposed alteration, including a proposer and two seconders who shall be members of the society, shall be given to the General Secretary at least 12 weeks before the meeting. The general secretary shall determine whether the proposed change is compatible with the legislative requirements of the Tubingen court and in such cases will arrange a postal ballot and shall report the outcome at the general meeting. No alteration shall be accepted unless three quarters of those voting at the General Meeting are in favour of it. The Executive Committee shall arrange for such changes to be registered with the court.