CONSTITUTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL FIELD EMISSION SOCIETY

(June 2016)

 

The International Field Emission Symposium evolved from its predecessor, the Field Emission Symposium, which began in l952.  From 1956 to 1998 the Symposium was held annually. A loosely knit organization, including an elected steering committee, attended to the business matters of the Symposium from l975 until 1985.  In order to assure regularity in the actions of and related to the Symposium and perpetuity thereof, the International Field Emission Society was established by overwhelming majority vote of the attendees of the business meeting at the 33rd International Field Emission Symposium, l985.  The original Constitution was approved at the 1985 meeting, and was subsequently amended at the 39th IFES (Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1992), at the 43rd IFES (Moscow, Russia, 1996), at the 49th IFES (Seggau, Austria, 2004), at the 50th IFES (Guilin, China, 2006) and at the 53rd IFES (Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 2012).

 

Article I          NAME

The name of the organization shall be the International Field Emission Society.

 

Article II        OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the International Field Emission Society shall be generally to promote progress in the science, education and technology of field emission and related phenomena, and specifically to provide a forum for the formal and informal discussion and dissemination of knowledge in these areas.

 

Article III       MEMBERSHIP AND DUES

Membership of the Society shall consist of those who pay the required dues to the Treasurer of the Society or a representative of the Treasurer.

 

Article IV       INTERNATIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE

IV.1 The executive governing body of the International Field Emission Society shall be the International Steering Committee (ISC). Subject to this Constitution, the ISC may develop rules for its own procedures.

IV.2 Meetings.  The ISC shall meet as necessary (at least once) during each Symposium, and may conduct business by e-mail between Symposia.

 

IV.3 Membership of the ISC shall be in the following categories:

1.  Elected members, elected as set out below.
2.  Ex-Officio members. The Treasurer, and the Chairman of the Symposium being                            planned/held, if not elected members, shall be ex-officio non-voting ISC                                        members.
3.  Coopted members. The ISC may if it wishes, appoint one or more additional non-voting members (known as a "coopted members") for a finite period of office.

IV.4  Elected-member positions. Except as may be temporarily provided elsewhere in this Constitution, the following shall apply to the elected-member positions. There shall be nine elected-member positions on the ISC. Each position shall be organized as a sequence of three-Symposia periods of office. Each period of office shall have a year of termination, linked to the schedule of Symposia. At each Symposium, three periods of office shall end, and three new periods of office shall start. The positions for which new periods of office start shall be filled by an election taking place at the Symposium.

IV.5 Resignations and casual vacancies. An ISC member may resign by notifying the President or the Secretary. The ISC may appoint a Society member to fill a casual vacancy thereby created, and this person shall become a voting ISC member.  He or she shall serve only until the next Symposium.

A casual vacancy existing at the time of a Symposium shall be filled as part of the normal election procedure, as described below. The person so elected shall serve for only the residue of the period of office relating to the position to which he/she has been elected.

IV.6  Ballot. Elections shall be conducted by means of a secret ballot. Arrangements for the ballot shall be made by the Local Organizer, in accordance with the instructions of the ISC. In the event of a tie in the ballot, the election shall be decided by the toss of a coin.

The three three-Symposia periods of office available shall be filled by the top three candidates in the ballot. An unfilled casual vacancy shall be filled by the next-placed candidate in the ballot; casual vacancies with the longer residual periods of office shall be filled first.

IV.7  Nominations. The persons eligible for nomination are those Society members present during the nomination session, which should normally, but not necessarily, occur during the second day of technical sessions of the Symposium. In order to be valid, a nomination must be proposed by one Society member and supported by two other Society members. Retiring ISC members shall not be eligible for nomination at the Symposium at which they retire, except that this rule shall not apply to a person who (immediately prior to retirement) has served on the ISC for one Symposium or less.

IV.8 Period of office. Periods of office of elected ISC members shall end/begin immediately prior to the election of the Officers of the Society that takes place during an ISC meeting at the end of the Symposium.

 

 

 

 

IV.9   TEMPORARY RULES

1. Until the end of the 2016 Symposium the elected ISC members shall be those persons currently holding these positions. At this Symposium, all elected members who have served a three-Symposium period of office (or the residue of such a period) shall retire. At this Symposium three new periods of office shall start.
2. From the 2016 Symposium to the 2018 Symposium there shall be ten elected-member ISC positions. At this Symposium, all elected members who have served a three-Symposium period of office (or the residue of such a period) shall retire. At this Symposium three new periods of office shall start.
3. These temporary rules shall lapse from the Constitution after the end of the ISC meeting held at the end of the 2018 Symposium.

 

Article V         OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY

The Officers of the Society shall be the President, Vice?President and Secretary.  The Officers shall be elected by the ISC at the end of each Symposium from among its elected members. The Officers shall serve until the end of the following Symposium.  They shall be eligible for immediate re?election to office at each Symposium during the period in which they remain elected members of the ISC.

The President of the Society shall organize and preside over the meetings of the ISC and shall report to the Society members on the activities and decisions of the ISC.

The Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President in situations when the President is unable to function.

The Secretary shall keep written notes on the meetings of the ISC and shall make these notes available to the ISC.

 

Article VI       TREASURER

The Treasurer shall be appointed by and serve until replaced by the ISC.  The Treasurer need not be an elected member of the ISC.  If not an elected member, the Treasurer will be an ex officio (non voting) member of the ISC.  The Treasurer shall receive and disburse funds required for the operation of the International Field Emission Symposium and the ISC by such means as shall be devised by the ISC.  The Treasurer shall prepare an annual financial statement for presentation to the ISC, and to the Society (at the next Business Meeting).

 

Article VII      INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD AND OTHER COMMITTEES

The ISC has the power to set up an International Advisory Board for the Society, and to determine the conditions of membership of this Board.

The ISC, at its discretion may appoint people to committees, for various specific purposes.

 

Article VIII    SYMPOSIA OF THE INTERNATIONAL FIELD EMISSION SOCIETY

There shall be Symposia held at least every two years at a place and hosted by someone designated at least two years in advance by the ISC. The designated person will have the duty of arranging the Symposium under the direction of the ISC, and may choose to convene a Local Organizing Committee which will have the status of a sub-committee of the ISC.

 

Article IX       BUSINESS MEETING

There shall be a business meeting of the Society held during each Symposium, chaired by the President or a delegated representative. Any decisions at the Business Meeting will require a quorum of 25 Society members.  Matters for discussion at the Business Meeting should be submitted in writing to the President or Secretary before the start of formal sessions at the Symposium.

 

Article X         CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION

Modifications, deletions, or additions to the Constitution shall be presented at the Symposium Business Meeting with at least 1 day prior notification, and shall require a two-thirds majority of the Society membership attending the Business Meeting.

 

 

 

<p><strong>(June 2016)</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>The International Field Emission Symposium evolved from its predecessor, the Field Emission Symposium, which began in l952.  From 1956 to 1998 the Symposium was held annually. A loosely knit organization, including an elected steering committee, attended to the business matters of the Symposium from l975 until 1985.  In order to assure regularity in the actions of and related to the Symposium and perpetuity thereof, the International Field Emission Society was established by overwhelming majority vote of the attendees of the business meeting at the 33rd International Field Emission Symposium, l985.  The original Constitution was approved at the 1985 meeting, and was subsequently amended at the 39th IFES (Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1992), at the 43rd IFES (Moscow, Russia, 1996), at the 49th IFES (Seggau, Austria, 2004), at the 50th IFES (Guilin, China, 2006) and at the 53rd IFES (Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 2012).</p> <p> </p> <h2>Article I          NAME</h2> <p>The name of the organization shall be the International Field Emission Society.</p> <p> </p> <h2>Article II        OBJECTIVES</h2> <p>The objectives of the International Field Emission Society shall be generally to promote progress in the science, education and technology of field emission and related phenomena, and specifically to provide a forum for the formal and informal discussion and dissemination of knowledge in these areas.</p> <p> </p> <h2>Article III       MEMBERSHIP AND DUES</h2> <p>Membership of the Society shall consist of those who pay the required dues to the Treasurer of the Society or a representative of the Treasurer.</p> <h2> </h2> <h2>Article IV       INTERNATIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE</h2> <p><strong>IV.1</strong> The <em>executive governing body </em>of the International Field Emission Society shall be the International Steering Committee (ISC). Subject to this Constitution, the ISC may develop rules for its own procedures.</p> <p><strong>IV.2</strong> <em>Meetings.  </em>The ISC shall meet as necessary (at least once) during each Symposium, and may conduct business by e-mail between Symposia.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>IV.3 </strong><em>Membership</em> of the ISC shall be in the following categories:</p> <ol> <li> Elected members, elected as set out below.</li> <li> Ex-Officio members. The Treasurer, and the Chairman of the Symposium being                            planned/held, if not elected members, shall be ex-officio non-voting ISC                                        members.</li> <li> Coopted members. The ISC may if it wishes, appoint one or more additional non-voting members (known as a "coopted members") for a finite period of office.</li> </ol> <p><strong>IV.4</strong>  <em>Elected-member positions. </em>Except as may be temporarily provided elsewhere in this Constitution, the following shall apply to the elected-member positions. There shall be nine elected-member positions on the ISC. Each position shall be organized as a sequence of three-Symposia periods of office. Each period of office shall have a year of termination, linked to the schedule of Symposia. At each Symposium, three periods of office shall end, and three new periods of office shall start. The positions for which new periods of office start shall be filled by an election taking place at the Symposium.</p> <p><strong>IV.5 </strong><em>Resignations and casual vacancies</em>. An ISC member may resign by notifying the President or the Secretary. The ISC may appoint a Society member to fill a casual vacancy thereby created, and this person shall become a voting ISC member.  He or she shall serve only until the next Symposium.</p> <p>A casual vacancy existing at the time of a Symposium shall be filled as part of the normal election procedure, as described below. The person so elected shall serve for only the residue of the period of office relating to the position to which he/she has been elected.</p> <p><strong>IV.6  </strong><em>Ballot. </em>Elections shall be conducted by means of a secret ballot. Arrangements for the ballot shall be made by the Local Organizer, in accordance with the instructions of the ISC. In the event of a tie in the ballot, the election shall be decided by the toss of a coin.</p> <p>The three three-Symposia periods of office available shall be filled by the top three candidates in the ballot. An unfilled casual vacancy shall be filled by the next-placed candidate in the ballot; casual vacancies with the longer residual periods of office shall be filled first.</p> <p><strong>IV.7</strong>  <em>Nominations</em>. The persons eligible for nomination are those Society members present during the nomination session, which should normally, but not necessarily, occur during the second day of technical sessions of the Symposium. In order to be valid, a nomination must be proposed by one Society member and supported by two other Society members. Retiring ISC members shall not be eligible for nomination at the Symposium at which they retire, except that this rule shall not apply to a person who (immediately prior to retirement) has served on the ISC for one Symposium or less.</p> <p><strong>IV.8</strong> <em>Period of office. </em>Periods of office of elected ISC members shall end/begin immediately prior to the election of the Officers of the Society that takes place during an ISC meeting at the end of the Symposium.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><strong>IV.9   TEMPORARY RULES</strong></p> <ol> <li>Until the end of the 2016 Symposium the elected ISC members shall be those persons currently holding these positions. At this Symposium, all elected members who have served a three-Symposium period of office (or the residue of such a period) shall retire. At this Symposium three new periods of office shall start.</li> <li>From the 2016 Symposium to the 2018 Symposium there shall be ten elected-member ISC positions. At this Symposium, all elected members who have served a three-Symposium period of office (or the residue of such a period) shall retire. At this Symposium three new periods of office shall start.</li> <li>These temporary rules shall lapse from the Constitution after the end of the ISC meeting held at the end of the 2018 Symposium.</li> </ol> <p> </p> <h2><strong>Article V         OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY</strong></h2> <p>The Officers of the Society shall be the President, Vice?President and Secretary.  The Officers shall be elected by the ISC at the end of each Symposium from among its elected members. The Officers shall serve until the end of the following Symposium.  They shall be eligible for immediate re?election to office at each Symposium during the period in which they remain elected members of the ISC.</p> <p>The President of the Society shall organize and preside over the meetings of the ISC and shall report to the Society members on the activities and decisions of the ISC.</p> <p>The Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President in situations when the President is unable to function.</p> <p>The Secretary shall keep written notes on the meetings of the ISC and shall make these notes available to the ISC.</p> <p> </p> <h2>Article VI       TREASURER</h2> <p>The Treasurer shall be appointed by and serve until replaced by the ISC.  The Treasurer need not be an elected member of the ISC.  If not an elected member, the Treasurer will be an <em>ex officio</em> (non voting) member of the ISC.  The Treasurer shall receive and disburse funds required for the operation of the International Field Emission Symposium and the ISC by such means as shall be devised by the ISC.  The Treasurer shall prepare an annual financial statement for presentation to the ISC, and to the Society (at the next Business Meeting).</p> <p> </p> <h2>Article VII      INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD AND OTHER COMMITTEES</h2> <p>The ISC has the power to set up an International Advisory Board for the Society, and to determine the conditions of membership of this Board.</p> <p>The ISC, at its discretion may appoint people to committees, for various specific purposes.</p> <p> </p> <h2>Article VIII    SYMPOSIA OF THE INTERNATIONAL FIELD EMISSION SOCIETY</h2> <p>There shall be Symposia held at least every two years at a place and hosted by someone designated at least two years in advance by the ISC. The designated person will have the duty of arranging the Symposium under the direction of the ISC, and may choose to convene a Local Organizing Committee which will have the status of a sub-committee of the ISC.</p> <p> </p> <h2>Article IX       BUSINESS MEETING</h2> <p>There shall be a business meeting of the Society held during each Symposium, chaired by the President or a delegated representative. Any decisions at the Business Meeting will require a <em>quorum</em> of 25 Society members.  Matters for discussion at the Business Meeting should be submitted in writing to the President or Secretary before the start of formal sessions at the Symposium.</p> <p> </p> <h2>Article X         CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION</h2> <p>Modifications, deletions, or additions to the Constitution shall be presented at the Symposium Business Meeting with at least 1 day prior notification, and shall require a two-thirds majority of the Society membership attending the Business Meeting.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>