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The Sensometric Society
 

Rules of the Sensometric Society

 1.       Title and aims

The group shall be known as the "Sensometric Society".

The main aim of the group is to:

•     increase the awareness of the fact that the field of sensory and consumer science needs it own special methodology and statistical methods;

•     improve the communication and co-operation between persons interested in the scientific principles, methods and applications of sensometrics;

•     act as the interdisciplinary institution, world-wide, to disseminate scientific knowledge on the field of sensometrics.

 

2.       Membership

Membership of the group shall be open to all persons interested in sensometrics.

The committee may suspend membership of any person subject to such a decision being accepted at the next meeting, either the Biennial General Meeting or a General Meeting of the Group. In such cases, the suspended member shall continue to enjoy all privileges of membership until the next meeting and will be informed in writing of the committee's decision.

 

3.       Management of the Group

The management of the Group shall be vested in a committee; the Chairperson of that committee shall be the senior officer of the Group.

 

4.       Officers and committee

The officers of the group shall be the Chairperson, the vice Chairperson, the honorary Secretary and the honorary Treasurer.

The committee shall consist of the officers plus four ordinary members. The duties of the officers are outlined in the appendix.

5.       Officers and committee – Election and Retirement

The members of the committee shall be elected at a biennial general meeting by the society members attending the meeting.

Their terms shall end with the closing of the Sensometric Society’s conference 4 years from their elections.

In case the biennial general meeting is not held during a Sensometric Society’s conference, their terms shall end with the closing of the biennial general meeting itself.

At each biennial general meeting, two officers and two ordinary members shall be elected for a full term.

Any vacancy occurring amongst the officers or any other members of the committee may be filled by the committee and the member so elected shall remain in office for the unexpired period that his/her predecessor would have served. The subsequent general meeting should approve the nomination or elect any other person for the same period.

Officers and members shall not be eligible for consecutive periods in the same position, except if they have not served a full 4-years term. In that case, they are eligible for a subsequent full term.

Officers and members can be re-elected on the committee in a different position to the one previously held.

 

6.       Committee business

Committee meetings of the group shall be called by the Chairperson or by written request to the honorary secretary by at least three members of the committee. The honorary secretary shall notify all committee members of the date, time and place of all committee meetings giving not less than 5 weeks notice of such a meeting.

At meetings of the committee, the chair shall be taken by the chairperson or, in his/her absence, by the vice-chairperson. In the absence of both, the chair shall be taken by one of the other officers elected by those members of the committee present at the meeting.

Any question involving a decision shall be decided by a simple majority of votes of those members of the committee present. In case of parity of votes, the vote of the chairperson shall count twice.

The committee may set up sub-committees for specific purposes. Any such sub-committee shall remain directly responsible to, and may be dissolved at any time by, the committee. The committee shall also have power to invite additional persons to its meetings to discuss specific items on the agenda; such persons shall have no voting rights.

The quorum of the committee shall be four members which must include an officer.

 

7.       Finances

There shall be a fund known as the 'Sensometrics Fund', to enable the objectives of the group to be met. These objectives shall be:

•     the arranging of conferences, meetings, newsletters, exhibitions and courses of instruction in sensometrics;

•     any other educational purpose that the committee may approve;

•     any other activity that may be approved by the committee for the purpose of furthering the study or application of sensometrics and allied subjects.

The fund and income thereof shall be administered and dealt with by the committee.

The committee shall have the following powers:

•     to collect and receive donations, subscriptions, grants and other payments;

•     to accept gifts of property

•     to use invested moneys or interest thereof for income;

•     to decide for what purposes moneys are to be applied;

•     to accumulate income;

•     to invest moneys and change investments from time to time;

•     to open and maintain a bank account or accounts and to draw cheques provided that any cheque so drawn shall need the signatures of any two officers.

The members of the committee and any appointed sub-committee may charge to the fund reasonable travelling, hotel and other expenses for attendance at meetings or in the execution of their duties.

The costs and expenses of the fund shall be paid from the fund.

The honorary treasurer shall keep proper records of all financial transactions of the fund. Such records shall be made available for inspection by the committee, provided that at least fourteen days notice of such an inspection shall be given.

The records of the financial transactions of the fund shall be laid before the biennial general meeting.

8.       Biennial general meeting

The biennial general meeting shall be held each second year at a place and time to be determined by the committee. All members of the group shall be entitled to vote.

All members of the group shall be given 2 months notice of the time and place of the biennial general meeting and shall be asked to nominate those officers and members of the committee to be elected at the biennial general meeting. Such nominations shall be received by the honorary secretary at least three weeks before the date of the biennial general meeting. Any member shall be able to place items on the agenda of the biennial general meeting provided at least three weeks notice is given to the honorary secretary.

The biennial general meeting of the group shall be chaired by the Chairperson or, in his/her absence, by the vice-Chairperson. In the absence of both, the chair shall be taken by one of the officers elected by members present at the meeting.

The business transacted shall be:

•     to agree to the minutes of the previous biennial general meeting and of any general meetings held during the previous year;

•     to elect a teller for the meeting;

•     to decide on membership questions under rule 2;

•     to receive the Chairperson's report;

•     to receive the honorary secretary's report;

•     to receive the honorary treasurer's report;

•     to receive the honorary treasurer's records of financial transactions;

•     to elect the officers of the committee whose period of office have expired;

•     to elect two ordinary members of the committee;

•     to determine the subscription to be paid by members during the period till the next biennial general meeting;

•     to transact any other business of which due notice shall have been given to the honorary secretary.

The quorum for the biennial general meeting shall be ten members or ten per cent of the membership whichever is the lower figure and must include an officer of the group.

In years without biennial general meeting, general meetings of the society shall usually be held with the same transacted business except for regular elections. These meetings shall be held at a place and time to be determined by the committee. They may alternatively be held virtually as phone conference or similar.

9.       Extraordinary general meetings of the group

An extraordinary general meeting (EGM) of the group can be called by the committee at any time provided that not less than 6 weeks notice shall be given of the time and place of the meeting to all members.

An EGM general meeting of the group shall be called by the committee at the written request of ten members of the group. Such a meeting must be held within 6 weeks of such a request being received either by the Chairperson or honorary secretary. The request must specify the item or items to be discussed or voted upon. The committee may, at such an EGM, add an item to the agenda, provided that at least fourteen days notice shall be given to members of a resolution or amendment to a resolution to be voted upon.

The quorum for an EGM shall be ten members or ten per cent of the membership of the group whichever is the lower figure.

The Chairperson of the group shall chair an EGM or, in his/her absence, the vice-Chairperson. In the absence of both, the chair shall be taken by the honorary secretary or, in his/her absence, the honorary treasurer. If no officer is present, the members present shall elect a Chairperson for the meeting from amongst the members present at the meeting.

 

10.   Sensometrics Meetings

A Scientific Sensometrics Meeting will be organised every two years. For this meeting a scientific committee and an organising committee will be formed. The meeting will be in the spirit of the 1st through 5th Sensometrics Meeting, this means a rather informal meeting with a scientific focus and ample opportunities to discuss and meet fellow scientists interested in sensometrics. This meeting shall not have any commercial aims, but will serve the aims in section 1 of this constitution. Candidates for organising this meeting will be sought and appointed by the committee.

 

11.   Tellers

At the biennial general meeting or any EGM, a teller shall be elected, who will be responsible for telling of any votes taken. The teller shall not vote.

12.   Minutes

The honorary secretary shall keep written records of the proceedings of all biennial general, EGM and committee meetings. Such records shall be available for inspection by all members of the group provided that no less than 6 weeks notice, in writing, shall be given to the honorary secretary.

 

13.   Changes in the rules

Changes in the rules of the group may be made at the biennial general meeting provided that:

•     at least 100 days before the biennial general meeting, the honorary secretary shall be given, in writing, such proposed changes to the rules

•     the honorary secretary shall circulate with the notice of the biennial general meeting, the proposed changes to the rules

•     no change in the rules shall be effective until voted upon at the biennial general meeting.

Such a change shall require that at least tow-thirds of members present at the meeting shall vote for such a change.

 

14.   Rules of the group

A copy of the rules of the group shall be made available to any members on written request to the honorary secretary.

 

15.   Membership

The committee shall keep a list of members. This list shall be available to any member for his/her personal use. It must not be used for any commercial purposes.

16.   Dispersion of funds

In the event of the group being wound up, all funds and assets of the group remaining after payment of any debts shall be given to a group with similar aims. If such another group cannot be identified, the funds and assets shall be given to an educational institution to support teaching in sensometrics, as decided by an EGM.

 

Appendix: Duties of officers

The duties and powers of the officers include but are not limited to the following:

Chairperson:

•     representation of the society in relation to other institutions and the general public

•     overall responsibility for assigning duties to committee members/officers

•     arrangement and calling for the general meetings and any committee meetings (in collaboration with the secretary)

•     leading the general meetings and any committee meetings

Vice Chairperson:

•     take full responsibilities of the chairperson in case of his/her absence

Honorary Treasurer:

•     financial management of the society

•     collection of membership fees

•     signing for agreed upon expenses

•     membership secretary (maintaining an up-to-date record of (new and renewing) members and passing the information on to Elsevier (for FQAP subscriptions)

Honorary Secretary:

•     arranging the agenda for any meetings (in collaboration with the chair)

•     keeping notes on all meetings, writing out the minutes and distribute them among the society’s members in an appropriate way

•     administer the rules and any other documents of the society

Any duties may be delegated to other members of the society as deemed necessary or helpful by the responsible officer. He/she shall duly monitor the delegated tasks and remain responsible to the general meeting, though.

At the direction of the chairperson, the ordinary members of the committee usually perform special tasks that arise.

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