1. Definition of the European Society of Rheology

Membership of the European Society of Rheology (hereinafter called The Society) is open to all European national societies and groups devoted to rheology (hereinafter called Rheology Groups) belonging to the International Committee on Rheology. The Society is set up under the laws of the European Union and shall be governed by this Constitution. The Society shall come into being after the Constitution has been approved by at least two thirds of the Rheology Groups which belong to The Society. Membership of a Rheology Group may be terminated by The Society if financial obligations or other duties of membership are not fulfilled. A Rheology Group may revoke membership by the end of a calendar year only. In the case of dissolution of the The Society, any net worth of The Society falls to the Scott Blair collection*.

2. The Aims of The Society are

• To encourage European, and wider international, collaboration in all aspects of rheology.
• To promote rheology and be active at national and international level in seeking funds for rheological research, education and training.
• To act as a steering body for the European Rheology Conference and delegate its organisation to a Rheology Group.
• To publish a Newsletter and circulate this to the Rheology Groups and their individual members.
• To collect news of conferences and other rheological activities and disseminate this in the Newsletter and in other appropriate ways.
• To investigate the possibility of further European publications, and consider how these may be made available to Rheology Groups and their individual members.

3. The Society shall be governed by a Committee and its Officers

The Committee shall consist of one delegate from each Rheology Group belonging to The Society, together with the Officers. The Delegates shall be appointed by the Rheology Groups in whatever way the Rheology Groups wish (without restriction imposed by the Society), normally for a period of at least four years. The Delegates shall elect Honorary Officers of The Society, not necessarily from among the Delegates. The Officers shall be the President, Past-President, Secretary and Treasurer. The Officers shall be elected for a period of four years. The President shall be Past-President for the next four-year period. Neither the Secretary nor the Treasurer shall be permitted to hold office for more than eight years consecutively. No monies of The Society shall be used for travel or other personal expenses of Delegates or Officers.

The Committee shall meet on the occasion of each European Rheology Conference, and on such other occasions as are deemed necessary. Decisions of the Committee shall be taken, as far as possible, by consensus. If a vote is necessary, it shall be decided by a qualified majority. This is defined to be more than half of those eligible to vote. Decisions may be taken following a postal ballot, with communications to the Secretary by letter, FAX and electronic mail being acceptable.

The Officers shall normally meet once a year to execute the policy of The Society as defined by this Constitution and the decisions of the Committee.

4. Operation of The Society

A subscription shall be levied on each Rheology Group, in proportion to its membership, at a rate determined by the Committee. The subscription for a calendar year shall be due in September of the previous year. Failure to pay the subscription will result in a withdrawal of services (e.g. the News-letter) and privileges of membership, and will render the member liable to termination of membership by the Committee. The Committee shall have power to seek further financial levies in pursuit of its agreed aims, either from the European Rheology Conference, though its organisers, or from members of The Society when necessary.

Rheology Groups shall make every effort to accord the same privileges to individual members of all Rheology Groups belonging to The Society as they accord to their own individual members, e.g. access to and discounts at conferences.

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Information dated 2nd February 1998.