The ICOHTEC statutes

ICOHTEC Statutes approved by Constitutive Assembly August 27th 1968 [as amended August 22, 1974, August 1, 1985, and August 24, 1993]

Title I. - Name and Headquarters.

Article 1
There is hereby created an association entitled: "International Committee for the History of Technology", ordinarily to be designated by the acronym ICOHTEC. The duration of this association has no set time limits.

Article 2
The headquarters of the association is at Bath, U.K. The headquarters can be transferred to any other place by a simple decision of the Executive Committee.

Article 3
The association is ruled by the present statutes, whose English text provides the definitive interpretation, and by the laws relative to non-profit associations in the different countries where its activities will take place.

Title II. - Aims and Means.

Article 4
The aims of the organization are as follows:

• To establish close working relationships among specialists of different disciplines in order to foster international cooperation for the study and development of the history of technology.
• To promote the study of appropriate historical subjects, on the one hand by establishing and extending the scholarly bases of the history of technology, and on the other hand by contributing to the resolution of certain contemporary national or international problems.
• To facilitate research and documentation for scholars in all countries in the history of technology by exchange of information and by the creation of the material means necessary for this objective.

Article 5
The means which ICOHTEC will utilize in order to attain its goals are the following:

• establish itself in the greatest possible number of countries and recruit the greatest possible number of qualified members therein;
• create working groups, permanent or temporary, charged with conducting joint studies;
• assist the work of these groups with the financial means which may be available;
• organize meetings, colloquia, and seminars in order to make possible the direct cooperation of its members;
• establish and maintain at the disposition of its members indispensable informational documents and scientific exchanges;
• publish the results of its works and give them the widest possible dissemination;
• cooperate with national or international scientific organizations which pursue similar goals, or adhere to one of these intenational organizations.

Title III. - Members.

Article 6
The association is composed of:

• honorary members,
• ordinary members, and
• benefactor members.

With the three categories designated above, the following can be members: individuals, in their own name; and legal entities (such as corporations), according to the legislation prevailing in their respective countries.
In each country the members of ICOHTEC will constitute a Group when the national situation permits it.

Article 7
The title of honorary member can be conferred by the Executive Committee on those persons who have rendered exceptional services to the association. Regular or benefactor members can acquire honorary status on the presentation of their candidacy by two existing members of the association; the Executive Committee will pass on each such candidate.

Article 8
The dues of regular members are fixed by the General Assembly. The dues for benefactor members will be equal to ten times the regular membership dues. When a national Group exists, dues can be paid through it.

Article 9
Membership in the association can be terminated by resignation, and by cancellation of membership through non-payment of dues for three years, or for any serious reason as determined by Executive Committee. The party involved in the latter action must first be called upon to furnish an explanation, and he can appeal the decision of the Executive Committee to the General Assembly.

Title IV. - Administration and functioning.

Article 10
The General Assembly of the association constitutes the highest organ of ICOHTEC. It consists of all members of the association and delegates of the national Groups. The delegates of the national Groups dispose of a number of votes proportional to the number of their members. The regulation for this proportional representation will be fixed by the General Assembly.

Article 11
The General Assembly ordinarily will meet once every four years. The members will be individualy notified of this meeting by the president one year in advance and no later than three months before the date fixed by the Executive Committee. Outside of that, extraordinary and obligatory meetings of the General Assembly can be called: (1) if the majority of the members of the Executive Committee request it; (2) if at least twenty-five percent of the active members request it.

Article 12
The officers of the General Assembly are the officers of the association. The quorum of the General Assembly is fixed at 25% of the legal members present or represented. If this quorum is not reached, the General Assembly can meet in the same place within 24 hours; and could then deliberate no matter how many are present. Article 13 The General Assembly will take note of the agenda prepared by its officers; it can adopt or modify it in complete freedom. It will hear reports on the financial situation and activities of the association; approve the accounts of the activities carried on since its preceding meeting, and the receipts of the treasurer; vote the budget for future activities prior to its next meeting. It discusses and adapts the program of scholarly activities, and in a general fashion all questions relating to its activities are put on the agenda at the initiative of any of its members.

At no time will the General Assembly take into consideration motions or resolutions emanating from one or more of its members, even if they constitute a majority, if these motions or resolutions present a religious, political, or philosophical character which does not have a direct and strict relationship with the scholarly work of the association.

Article 14
The Executive Committee will consist of the six officers (Article 17), the immediate past president, the immediate past secretary general, and twelve other members. The six officers and six of the twelve other members are to be elected by ballot at the regular meeting of the General Assembly every four years; unless one third of the members present at the General Assembly request a postal ballot of all members currently in benefit, in which event the the secretary general shall conduct such a postal ballot within one month of the General Assembly.

Article 15
The Executive Committee will meet once a year, at least to the extent where the means disposed of by ICOHTEC will permit. In case it is financially impossible to do so, its deliberations and decisions can be carried on by correspondence. The president must carry on such consultations at least once a year. In any event the Executive Committee must meet at least once every four years before and after the General Assembly. The quorum of the Executive Comittee consists of six members present or represented.

Article 16
The Executive Committee cooperates in the preparation of and oversees the operation of the program and budgets. In the interval between the sessions of the General Assembly it makes all the decisions which circumstances require, submitting these decisions to ratification by the General Assembly.

Article 17
The officers will be as follows: a president, two vice-presidents, a secretary general, a treasurer, and an editor. The duties of the president are described below (Article 19). The secretary general will be the chief administrative officer responsible for the regular operation of the entire organization, and making arrangements for the Executive Committee meetings and the symposia of ICOHTEC. The duties of the treasurer are described below (Article 20). The editor will be responsible to the secretary general for all publications of ICOHTEC. The president is elected for one term of four years, while the other officers may be elected for up to three terms. In case of death or resignation of one of the officers, the Executive Committee will elect one of its own members to fill the remainder of the unexpired term.

Article 18
The officers will meet once a year and consult by correspondence at least once in the interval between their annual meetings. The officers assure the execution of the decisions taken by the General Assembly and the Executive Committee, to which it is responsible for its action.

Article 19
The president represents ICOHTEC in all necessary circumstances, in particular in all legal acts. He or she can delegate the exercise of his/her representative function to any other member of the Executice Committee or of the association after having received the approval of the other officers.

Article 20
The income of the association consists of:

• the dues of its members,
• the subventions of private organizations or public organizations of a national or international character, and
• the sums which are directed to it by one of these organizations in accordance with a contract for the execution of studies or of agreed work.

The treasurer will be solely responsible for establishing the accounts of the organization. He will be responsible for and will maintain a complete account of receipts and expenditures, in accordance with commonly accepted accounting practices; he will present an annual financial report to the Executive Committee.

Article 21
The Executive Committee should appoint from time to time a Programme Committee, consisting of at least three officers and three other members, to co-ordinate the programme of each symposium. The Programme Committee, in conjunction with the local Organzing Committee will determine the theme and contributers to weach symposium.

Title V. - Modification of statutes and Dissolution.

Article 22
The statutes can be modified only on the initiative of the Executive Committee, or of one-tenth of the regular members composing ICOHTEC, submitted to the officers at least six months before the General Assembly which must decide on them. In this case the quorum of the Assembly is constituted by one.third of the members of ICOHTEC present or represented. If the quorum is not reached, and the assembly is convoked anew on the action of the president less than one month after the first meeting, it can then deliberate no matter how many members are present or represented. Decisions can be taken only by a two-thirds majority of members present or represented.

Article 23
The General Assembly if called to pronounce on the dissolution of the association is convoked especially for that purpose. The quorum consists of one half plus one of the legal members present or represented. If this quorum is not obtained, the assembly will be convoked anew on the order of the president less than one month after the first meeting;it can then deliberate no matter how many members are present or represented. Dissolution can be decided by a two-thirds majority of members present or represented.

Article 24
In case of dissolution the property of the association can be turned over, after consultation with UNESCO or any non-governmental organization recognized by UNESCO, to an organization pursuing similar ends to those of ICOHTEC.