Statutes of the EuroLam

Article 1: Name

The “EuroLam” society is an international association of ophthalmologists from Europe and Latin America.

Article 2: Aims of the Society

The aims of the association are:

a) To establish personal contacts and to promote the scientific exchange of knowledge between specialists in Europe and Latino America.
b) To initiate, facilitate, and support research work and publications in ophthalmology.
c) The association aims to organize symposia and scientific meetings by offering its members a forum for the exchange of ideas.
d) To promote the diffusion of specific knowledge to the ophthalmologists in Europe and Latino America.
e) To keep contact with similar groups in other continents.

Article 3: Non-profit status

The association is a non-profit organization:

a) The activities of the Society are unselfish. It is precluded to pursue economically selfish purposes.
b) Its means are allowed to be used only in accordance with the aims of the Society.
c) Members do not out of the means of the Association.
d) No person is allowed to benefit from the society as a result of a disproportionately high compensation or as a result of allocations respectively expenses which are not in accordance with are not in accordance with the aims of Eurolam.

Article 4: Financial resources

a) The Eurolam society may acquire financial resources by donations from other societies, private persons, government or industrial organizations.
b) The annual dues may be established and ratified by the Board. c)A financial report is presented by the General Secretary each year.

Article 5: Membership

Members:

a)All European and Latin American ophthalmologists who are active in the field of ophthalmology are eligible for membership of the association. A new member has to be proposed by two active members.
b)Voting members are founding members, honorary members, and ordinary members except for non-European members as well as research scientists from the industry.
c)The Executive Committee decides whether a new member is acceptable. d)Other societies may join or become associated.
c)Membership shall terminate upon the occurrence of any of the following events: Death, Resignation of a member by a written notice to the board, Expiration of the period of membership due to failure to pay annual dues, The Board may decide the expulsion of the member has engaged seriously prejudicial to the purposes and interests of the Society.
e)Expulsion: The member shall be given 15 days prior written the notice and the reasons for the proposed expulsion. The member shall be given an opportunity to appeal to the General Assembly and to be heard either orally or in writing at least 5 days before the effective date of the proposed expulsion. After this disciplinary hearing, the Board can decide by a two-thirds majority whether the expulsion should take place or not. The decision of the Board shall be final and binding. Any action challenging an expulsion or termination of membership must be commenced within one year of the date of the suspension, expulsion or termination.

Article 6: The board

The general management of Eurolam shall be vested in an elected Board. The management of the association is done by:

a)The Annual General Meeting.
b)The Committee.

Article 7: General Meeting

The association shall have an ordinary Annual General Meeting at least once a year before or after one of the symposia, which it organizes. The members are empowered during the Annual General Meeting:

a)To elect members of the Committee. b)To decide on the expulsion of members.
c)To modify the statutes of the Club.
d)To approve the affiliation of the Club to other organizations.
e)To decide matters of principle submitted by the Committee.
f)To dissolve the association.

Article 8: The Committee

The Committee consists of five to ten members who are elected by the members at the Annual General Meeting. They shall be chosen as far as possible from different countries, and equally distributed between Europe and Latino America. The Committee shall appoint from among its members a president, a vice-president, a secretary, and a treasurer.

The Committee shall conduct all affairs of the association that are not expressly reserved to the Annular General Meeting. It is empowered to undertake any activities, which are in harmony with the declared aims of the association, provided these do not exceed the financial resources of the latter. Its decisions are taken by simple majority vote of all its members either at committee meetings or by e-mail correspondence.

The term of a Committee member should usually not exceed four years. The president is also elected for a term of four years. In general, the president should have served on the Committee for at least two years before being elected. He cannot be re-elected. To maintain the continuity, the Secretary can be re-elected.

Article 9: Publications

The association shall have the right to publish the scientific journal, newspaper and other print and electronic materials as approved by the Board.

Article 10: Dissolution

The association can be dissolved only by a decision of the members at the Annual General Meeting. To become effective, such a dissolution must be voted by a majority of two-thirds of the members present.
The present statutes were adopted by the founding members at the first General Assembly held in Vienna on 23 May 2008.

The President
Borja Corcostegui

The Secretary
David E. Pelayes

Statutes of the EuroLam