Archived material.  As of August 2002, Trond Schumacher [<trond.schumacher@bio.uio.no> or <trondsc@darwin.uio.no>] became president of IMA

INTERNATIONAL MYCOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION
Statutes [and dues rates]


Preamble
1. The Association shall be called the International MycologicalAssociation (IMA).

Objective
2. The objective of the IMA, a non-profit making organization, is the encouragement of mycology in all its branches, particularly through the sponsoring of International Mycological Congresses, the representation of mycological interests at an international level, and encouraging liaison with, and development of national, regional and international bodies which have mycological interests.

Management
3. The affairs of  the IMA are managed by:

3.1 The General Assembly, convened by the President on the occasion of an International Mycological Congress. All full congress registrants may participate and vote at the General Assembly, which has no continuing responsibility. Votes taken at a General Assembly are subject to ratification by two-thirds of the Sustaining Organizations and Affiliated Organizations, each Organization having a single vote (except in the case of Statute changes; see 9.1). Such ratification can be effected by either mail ballot, pro- or retroactive, or by a vote of representatives, one per Organization or nominated to act in this capacity at the General Assembly. In the event that a motion passed at a General Assembly is not ratified, that motion lapses.

3.2 The Executive Committee, composed of: (a) a maximum of twelve non-office holding members elected by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Executive Committee from nominations received not later than a date notified to Congress participants from Sustaining and Affiliated Organizations, Individual Members, or the Executive Committee; and (b) a representative of each Sustaining Organization; (c) the Officers.

3.3 The Officers, comprising a President, two to four Vice-Presidents, a Secretary-General and a Treasurer.

The Officers are elected by the General Assembly from nominations made by the Executive Committee. When necessary in the period between two General Assemblies the Executive Committee may appoint any of these Officers.

The term of office of each Officer terminates at the close of an International Mycological Congress, with the exception of the Secretary-General and Treasurer who may be re-elected without restriction.

3.4 Committees for special purposes may be appointed either by the General Assembly or the Executive Committee.

4. The Executive Committee shall ensure that the affairs of the IMA are conducted in accordance with the decisions of General Assemblies.


Membership
5.1 Membership of the IMA is open to: (a) national or international societies, associations or other groups having mycological interests, and (b) individuals having mycological interests. Such memberships shall be recognized as Sustaining or Affiliated Organizations, and Individual Members respectively.

5.2 Sustaining Organizations shall pay dues as defined in para 6.3 and may appoint a single voting member to the Executive Committee; Affiliated Organizations shall pay dues as defined in para 6.3, and do not have the power to appoint a voting member to the Executive Committee.

5.3 New Sustaining and Affiliated Organizations shall be recognized by a majority vote of the Executive Committee.

5.4 Honorary Presidents may be elected by the General Assembly on the proposal of the Executive Committee, provided that the number at any given time does not exceed five. Honorary Presidents are elected for life, receive all Committee papers, and are not required to pay dues; they are non-voting members of the Executive Committee.


Finance
6.1 The income of the IMA may come from any source, but principally consists of: (a) subscriptions from Sustaining and Affiliated Organizations and Individual Members; (b) a levy included in the registration fees of any surpluses from International Mycological Congresses; (c) donations; and (d) interest on funds held.

6.2 The expenses of the IMA consist of (a) administrative expenses of the Officers, and (b) all other expenses approved by the Executive Committee.

6.3 The subscriptions of an Individual Member shall be one unit, that of Sustaining Organizations twenty units, and that of Affiliated Organizations three units. The value of the unit is fixed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Executive Committee, subject to ratification as in para. 3.1. 

[The unit value of US$ 20 was set at the Regensberg Congress in 1990.  Currently dues, therefore, are as follows:
6.4 The subscriptions of Sustaining and Affiliated Organizations are due annually. Those of Individual Members become due at each International Mycological Congress, and cover the period to the next Congress.  Full Congress members paying a levy as in para. 6.1(b) are automatically Individual Members until the subsequent Congress.

6.5 A Sustaining or Affiliated Organization two years in arrears, or an Individual Member who has not paid the subscription due within two years of an International Mycological Congress, shall, on notice having been given by the Treasurer, be deleted from membership.

6.6 Administration of the funds of the IMA is the responsibility of the Treasurer who shall present accounts annually and forward estimates for at least one year ahead to the Executive Committee and all Sustaining and Affiliated Organizations. A summary of the accounts for the period between Congresses is be presented to the General Assembly at each International Mycological Congress. The accounts shall be audited by an auditor nominated by the Executive Committee but who is not a member of that Committee, or of any other Committee established by the IMA, or an Officer of the Association.


International Mycological Congresses
7.1 The IMA will encourage national and regional mycological groups to offer to host International Mycological Congresses (IMCs) at intervals to be determined by the Executive Committee.

7.2 Proposals to host future congresses must be received by the Secretary-General not less than five months before each IMC.

7.3 The venues and dates for future IMC's will be selected by the Executive Committee from the proposals received by the due date, and their decision will be announced to the General Assembly of the IMA.

7.4 The IMA Executive Committee will appoint a minimum of one and a maximum of three representatives to the Organizing Committee established for each IMC by the proposing national or regional groups.

7.5 The Organizing Committee will: (a) invite suggestions for symposia and workshops from all its Sustaining and Affiliated Organizations; (b) submit
an outline programme to the Secretary-General for circulation and comment not less than 18 months prior to the IMC being planned; (c) include an IMA levy in the Registration Fee as advised by Executive Committee; and (d) be responsible for all aspects of the organization and conduct of the Congress.


Regional Committees
8.1 Regional Committees are appointed as in para. 3.4.

8.2 Such Committees comprise a national representative for each country in the region; a Chairman and Secretary are to be elected by the national representatives from amongst their number.

8.3 Procedures for the establishment and methods of operation of Regional Committees are subject to ratification by the Executive Committee.

8.4 Regional Committees will be encouraged to hold at least one meeting between each IMC.


Statutes
9.1 The Statutes of the IMA can be modified only by a two-thirds majority of those eligible to vote at a General Assembly and are subject to ratification by Sustaining and Affiliated Organizations within twelve months of the meeting of the General Assembly. In ratifying modifications
to the Statutes, each Sustaining and Affiliated Organization will have a number of votes equivalent to the square root of their membership, and ratification shall require a two-thirds majority of votes.

9.2 Any proposals to modify the Statutes must be received by the Secretary-General at least five months before the General Assembly and shall be circulated to the Executive Committee and Sustaining and Affiliated Organizations at least three months before the Assembly. In cases of extreme urgency, the Executive Committee shall have the right to suspend a particular paragraph of the Statutes until the following General Assembly which shall have the right to approve or reject the changes.


General
10. A motion to dissolve the IMA must be approved by a two-thirds majority of those present and eligible to vote at a General Assembly, including nominated representatives of at least half of the Sustaining and Affiliated Organizations.  If the IMA is dissolved any funds remaining after all outstanding liabilities are discharged shall be used for scientific purposes in the field of mycology as agreed by the dissolving General Assembly.

The above Statutes were approved by the General Assembly of the IMA held during the Fourth International Mycological Congress at Regensburg, Germany, on 3 September 1990.

[Member Societies] [Upcoming Meetings][Officers][Regional Committes] [Awards][Publications][Home]