Rules
§1
Aim and scope
"Nordic
College of Caring Science" (NCCS) is an axxociation promoting
the scientific development and advancement of caring science, basic
to all caring practice. The study of human caring is related to
health, well-being, illness and alleviation of human suffering,
in different life situations, contexts and cultures, with emphasis
on human dignity and integrity. The purpose of NCCS is to develop,
support and contribute to new scientific knowledge on a national
and an international level. The endeavour is to prepresent the interests
of all researchers of the caring field in the Nordic countries.
§2
Membership
Membership
can be granted to active researchers and/or teachers connected with
postgraduate studies/preparatory research studies or something similar
within the sphere of activities referred to in §1. Supporting
membership can be granted to an institution, organization or suchlike.
Admission is granted by the board of directors.
The annual meeting can, on the proposal of the board, confer the
distinction of honorary member on a person who is or has been important
for research in the field in question.
Resignation from the association if effected by a written notice
to the board.
A member who has not paid his/her membership fee for the last two
years is considered to have resigned from the NCCS.
A member who directly counteracts the aims of the NCCS can be excluded
from the association by the decision of the annual meeting.
§3
The meeting of the association
A
regular annual meeting is held every year. The arrangement of the
meeting devolves on the member countries in turns. The time for
the annual meeting is decided on by the board as follows:
a)
The regular annual meeting is as a rule held in March - April. An
extraordinary annual meeting can be held when the board thinks fit
or if at least one fifth of the members of the NCCS request it.
A written statement of the reasons for it should always be given.
b) The annual meeting can be arranged in
connection with some Nordic or other international research conference.
In this case the annual meeting can exceptionally be held at some
other time than has been stated above, and the rotation with respect
to the arrangement of the meeting can be temporarily changed.
c) Another association meeting than the annual meeting can be arranged
when the board calls for it.
§4
The board of directors
a)
The board of directors is responsible to the annual meeting for
its management and should present a written report on its work.
The board is in charge of the activities of the association and
is, in the interval between the annual meetings, the decision- making
and executive authority.
b) The board consists of five members and three deputy members and
is elected for a period of three years. The board should have inter-Nordic
representation. The first time, two of the members and one deputy
member are elected for a period of one year. A member of the board
can be re-elected for another three-year term of office.
c) The chairperson of the NCCS board is appointed at the annual
meeting. The board elects among its members a vice-chairperson,
a secretary and a treasurer.
d) The board is by the chairperson summoned to a meeting at least
twice a year or if at least two of the members of the board ask
for a meeting to be called.
e) The board constitutes a quorum if more than half the number of
members are present. The motion that is supported by the majority
of the votes is regarded as the resolution of the board. Where the
voting is even, the decision, if the vote is based on personality,
is by drawing lots. Otherwise, the chairperson's vote decides.
f) Minutes are kept at each meeting and the minutes are checked
by the chairperson and
a scrutinizer.
g) An "administrative person" is connected with the board.
He/she is responsible for the continuity of the work, provides the
NCCS with a permanent address, takes care of certain administrative
tasks etc. in accordance with principles laid down by the board.
§5 The Scandinavian Journal
of Caring Sciences (SJCS)
a)
The annual meeting appoints, on the recommendation of the board,
a cooperation committee and the editors of the journal.
b) The cooperation committee, whose main task is to answer for economic
questions in connection with the publication of the journal, should
consist of three members, the chairperson of the NCCS, the treasurer
of the NCCS and the editor-in-chief of the journal.
c) The cooperation committee should before the annual meeting draw
up a budget for the next year of activity.
d) The cooperation committee should for the auditors prepare a statement
of accounts for the past year of activity by the 1st of March.
e) The editors of the journal should be independently responsible
to the board for the publication of the journal and its scientific
standard. The editorial staff should consist of nine representatives,
of which at least six should be NCCS members. The aim is that it
should include representatives of all the Nordic member countries.
The editor-in-chief is appointed by the annual meeting and should
be an NCCS member. The term of office for the editorial staff and
editor-in-chief is four years. The editorial members can be elected
for two consecutive periods.
§6 The nominating committee
The
annual meeting elects a nominating committee consisting of three
people from different Nordic countries. The task of the nominating
committee is to draw up proposals for the officials that the annual
meeting has to appoint. The members of the nominating committee
are elected for a period of three years and can be re-elected for
an additional three-year term of office.
§7
Co-opted members of the board
The
board can co-opt people from countries which are not represented
on the board. The task of these people is to constitute a resource
for the board when faced with questions demanding intimate knowledge
of the countries in question.
§8 Economic administration
a)
The budget year should be the same as the calendar year. The basis
for an audit should be at the disposal of the auditors by the 1st
of February.
b) Money and valuable documents should be kept in safe custody.
c) The board should at the annual meeting present an annual report
on possible scholarship funds.
d) Voting members can submit motions. A written motion should be
at the board's disposal at the latest two months before the annual
meeting.
e) Every member who has paid his/her membership fee for the current
calendar year has one vote. Supporting members and honorary members
do not have the right to vote. The voting is open unless someone
requests vote by ballot. The motion that has received the majority
of the votes counts as the resolution of the meeting. Where the
voting is even, the decision is made by drawing lots. The right
to vote can be claimed by proxy with respect to each individual
question.
f) A board member is not allowed to take part in deciding about
liability with regard to
an action for which he/she is responsible; nor in the election of
auditors.
g) At the annual meeting the following items should be dealt with:
1. Election of chairperson of the annual meeting
2. Election of secretary and two members to check the minutes/count
votes
3. Investigation of summons to attend the meeting
4. Presentation of the annual report and the auditors' report
5. Adoption of the balance-sheet
6. Adoption of the report and accounts
7. Allotment of possible surplus
8. Decision concerning possible scholarship fund means
9. Decision concerning compensation to board members, auditors and
other functionaries
10. Establishing the annual subscription
11. Drawing up the budget for the next budget year
12. Election of board members
13. Election of chairperson of the NCCS board of directors
14. Election of auditors and their deputies
15. Election of national contact in each member country
16. Election of nominating committee and the chairperson of
17. Motions
18. Date and time for the following annual meeting
19. Other items
h) The minutes of the meeting should be signed by the chairperson,
the secretary and scrutinizers and be accessible for thirty days
after the meeting. The board members of the countries in question
should provide translations and explain words if necessary.
i) Notice to attend the annual meeting should be given in writing
at least five weeks before the day of the meeting.
§9
Audit
a)
Examination of the management of the board and the audit with regard
to NCCS and SJCS are carried out by two auditors, one a chartered
accountant elected by the board, the other a lay auditor appointed
at the annual meeting. For the lay auditor a deputy is appointed.
b) The auditors should before the annual meeting submit to the board
a report addressed to the annual meeting, in which discharge from
responsibility is granted - or refused.
c) If there is any ground for complaint, the auditors should request
an explanation for it before it is included in the report.
§10 Membership fee
The
membership fee is fixed by the annual meeting and is to be paid
at a time and in a manner determined by the board. Honorary members
pay no membership fee.
§11 Alteration of
the rules
An
alteration of the rules presupposes either a unanimous decision
of a regular annual meeting or a majority decision at two consecutive
annual meetings.
§12 Dissolution
In
order to dissolve NCCS a three fourths majority is needed at two
consecutive annual meetings.
If NCCS is dissolved, possible assets should, after all debts have
been paid, be allocated as scholarships among the members. The scholarships
will be advertised and the selection will be made in a way decided
by the annual meeting, on the proposal of the board. The annual
meeting will appoint a working party to deal with the scholarships.
Notes
The
rules were revised at the annual meeting at Stockholm on September
14, 1987.
The rules were revised at the annual meeting at Oslo on April 8,
1989.
The rules were revised at the annual meeting at Oslo on April 2,
1992.
The rules were revised at the annual meeting at Oslo on March 17,
1995
The rules were revised at the annual meeting at Helsinki on June
13, 1997.
The rules were revised at the annual meeting at Copenhagen on March
27, 1998.
The rules were revised at the annual meeting at Vasa on March 9,
2001.
