Approved by the General Assembly June 2010.
STATUTES
1. Purpose of the Society
The purpose of the Nordic Demographic Society is to promote cooperation among demographers in the Nordic countries, to further contacts between Nordic demographers and demographers in other countries, and to promote research by Nordic demographers among the international community of scholars.
2. Members
All members of the national demographic associations of the Nordic countries automatically become members of the NDS.
3. Governing bodies
The governing bodies of the Society are the Constitutional Assembly and the Board of Governors.
The members of the Constitutional Assembly are appointed by the Nordic national associations, with a maximum of five members from each association. The Constitutional Assembly enacts the Statutes and By-Laws of the Society, reviews its activities and finances, and decides general Society policy. The agenda for a meeting in the General Assembly and a report on recent activities as well as any proposals to be discussed must be distributed to the boards of all national associations no later than four weeks before the meeting.
The Board of Governors is the Society’s executive body. It has one ordinary member appointed by each national society and a President appointed by the national society that will host the next meeting of the Constitutional Assembly. Each ordinary member of the Board of Governors has a personal substitute appointed in the same manner. The Board serves for a period of no less than one year but not more than four years. The Governors are members of the Constitutional Assembly but have no voting rights there.
Except for the issues mentioned in the next paragraph, decisions are made by simple majority among those present and voting at the meeting of a governing body.
4. Changes in the Statutes and abolition of the Society
Any change in these statutes requires a unanimous proposal from the Board of Governors and a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting at a meeting of the Constitutional Assembly.
BY-LAWS
1. Constitutional assembly
1. Elects a Presiding Officer and a Secretary for each of its meetings,
2. Reviews the President’s report on recent activities,
3. Reviews the Treasurer’s statement on the Society’s finances and the auditors’ report,
4. Reviews Society policy and makes recommendations,
5. Elects two auditors and their personal replacements, and
6. Consider any other proposals submitted
2. Board of Governors
Organization. The ordinary Board member appointed by the Swedish Demographic Association serves as the Treasurer of the Nordic Demographic Society. The ordinary Board member appointed by the Norwegian Demographic Association serves as Society Secretary. The Board of Governors elects one of its members as its Vice President. The Vice President may also serve as Society Treasurer or Secretary.
Economic responsibility. The Society is bound by the signature of the President of the Board of Governors or by the signature of any other member of the Board of Governors, so authorized by the Board. At the end of each calendar year, the Treasurer closes the accounts and presents a report to the Board. Before a meeting in the Constitutional Assembly the auditors review the accounts and present a report to the Assembly. Economic transfers between the national associations and the Nordic Demographic Society are made based on unanimous decisions by the Board of Governors.
Required tasks. The Board
– convenes the Constitutional Assembly at least every fourth year, but not more than once a year, normally in connection with a Nordic Demographic Symposium.
Recommended tasks. The Board
– may review demographic educational needs in the Nordic countries and may initiate suitable courses and workshops,
– may organize scholarly meetings and other arrangements in cooperation with other Nordic and international societies,
– may propose that the Constitutional Assembly elect one or more Honorary Presidents. An Honorary President is also an honorary member of the Constitutional Assembly.
3. Nordic Demographic Symposia
The national associations take turns organizing Nordic Demographic Symposia. The practical and scholarly details of symposium arrangements are the responsibility of the organizing association. Guidelines may be issued by the Board of Governors.
4. Revision of the By-Laws
The By-Laws may be changed by the Constitutional Assembly by a simple majority among members present and voting.