By-laws
§1.
The Nordic Fertility Society (NFS) is a federation of the four independent Nordic Fertility
Societies (The Danish Fertility Society (DFS), The Swedish Society of Reproductive Medicine
(SSRM), Norsk Forening for Assistert Befruktning (NOFAB), Suomen Fertiliteettiyhdistys (SFY))
and for the single IVF clinic in Iceland. Members of these societies and NFS should work actively
for an increased basic understanding in reproductive medicine and improved clinical treatment for
male and female infertile patients.
The four Nordic fertility/reproductive medicine societies (NoFAB, SSRM, SFY and DFS) will each
pay an equal annual fee to NFS. This fee will be decided by the NFS board. Further, the NFS
board will decide a reduced and fair fee for the clinic in Iceland.
§2.
The objectives of the society are:
- To create a forum for the exchange of information between all types of specialists and all professions involved reproductive medicine by increasing the knowledge within the social, psychological, ethical, reproductive medicine, genetic and clinical fields in order to increase the basic understanding and improve treatment of involuntary childless couples.
- To participate in and encourage further development in reproductive medicine and further education of the members of the federation.
- To encourage the members to increased collaboration within the Nordic countries - and within the four Nordic national reproductive medicine/fertility Societies (new).
- To guide in ethical, legislative and political questions in the Nordic countries - and in the four Nordic national reproductive medicine/fertility societies (new).
- To facilitate the work of the members according to the highest standard within clinical and laboratory work.
- To work for cooperation with other relevant societies in the Nordic countries as well as internationally.
- To work for prevention of infertility.
- To invite and be responsible for arranging Nordic summer meetings with not less than 24 months´ interval and in uneven years (second revision, Sept 2013).
§3.
Approved 08.Aug 2012:
Member of the NFS are all member of the four national societies plus everyone working at the fertility clinic in Iceland. Honourable members can be appointed by the General Assembly on recommendation by the Board. Resignation from the society shall be effected before the end of a year.
§4.
Approved 08.Aug 2012:
The board of the NFS federation consists of twelve members. The NFS board shall consist of the president together with the elected chairmen of the Swedish, Norwegian, Finish, and Danish national fertility societies. Further each of the four national fertility societies shall appoint a national representative to be member of the NFS board. The national societies should aim that the national representative is of a different profession than the chair of the national society.
The president of the Nordic Fertility Society must be elected directly by members at the NFS annual generally assembly.
The term of office for the president is 2 years with the possibility of one re-election for a maximum of 4 years.
The chairmen of the four national fertility societies shall be members of the NFS board in their capacity of national chairmen and thus be replaced when new chairmen are elected in the national societies. National representatives are appointed by the boards of the national fertility societies. Their term of office for the national representatives shall be 2 years with the possibility of one re-appointment for a maximum of 4 years. The clinic in Iceland shall appoint one member for the NFS board. Further, the chairmen of the previous and the next NFS meeting shall be ex-officio members of the board but without voting rights."
In case of parity of votes on the board, the president of the NFS board has two votes.
Before the general assembly every second year, the NFS board members propose candidate(s) for the NFS president. Only the president must be elected at the general assembly. The term of office for the Board members and the President shall be two years. Re-election can take place once for the president. The maximum period on the board for the five national representatives is four years.
If one of the Board members retires from the NFS Board earlier than 6 months before a scheduled general assembly the national society will be requested to replace the retiring member.
Two auditors to approve the accounts shall be appointed by the General Assembly. The accounts of the Society shall be adopted by the General Assembly.
§5.
(Sept 2013)
The Board shall facilitate and ensure that a specialist meeting with a General Assembly will be organized in the Summer with at least 24 months ́ intervals. The meetings shall rotate between the Nordic countries.
The Board shall make sure that the meeting is arranged at the time and in the form decided by the General Assembly. Consideration must be shown for the fact that the members of the Society have different professional backgrounds so that the members will have the greatest possible benefit of the meetings.
The organizer of the meetings shall report to the board. The board shall instruct the organizer under consideration of the professional program and approve this and the practical implementation of the meeting including also the financial aspects. The Board shall make sure that the organizer shall make efforts to make the meetings as inexpensive for the members as possible. The Board shall make sure that meeting minutes, both professional and organizational, are published in the form and in the magazines decided by the General Assembly at any time. The Board shall be entitled to appoint the committees and work groups as necessary. Financial responsibility for the meeting shall rest with the local organizer if the organizers exceed the budget approved by the Board.
§6.
The chairman shall decide when board meetings are to be held. Board meetings shall also be called should three board members so demand. Minutes shall be kept of all Board meetings. A meeting shall be legally competent to transact business when at least four members are present. In case of parity of votes the vote of the chairman shall be decisive.
§7.
(Sept. 2013).
The expenses of the Society shall be covered by an equal annual fee from each of the national Nordic Fertility/Reproductive Medicine societies (NoFAB, SSRM, SFY and DFS). The annual fee from the Nordic fertility societies and the fee from Iceland shall be determined by the NFS board. Further, the NFS board will decide a reduced and fair fee for the clinic in Iceland.
Economical surplus (profit), from arranging congresses, meetings and other arrangements will be delivered to the NFS.
§8.
The official languages of the Nordic Society will be Nordic and English.
§9.
Proposals concerning changes of the Articles of Association, exclusion and other important matters shall be announced not later than two weeks before the General Assembly.
§10.
Decisions of the General Assembly shall be adopted by the members present by simple majority. In case of parity of votes, a new proposal shall be put forward to be voted for on this or a later meeting.
§11.
Approved 23.Aug 2019:
Changes of the Articles of Association can be approved by the boards of the national societies at least 4 weeks before and then adopted at the subsequent General Assembly.
§12.
The Board shall make sure that a circular letter with professional and organizational information is regularly issued to the members.
§13.
Approved 19.Aug 2022:
In case the society possesses a credit card, it will be under the name of the treasurer of the Nordic Fertility Society. The treasurer is responsible for the use of the credit card and will agree on the payments with the president of the society. If the treasurer changes, she/he will inform the bank of this change and the new treasurer will become the card holder. Both the president and the treasurer are authorized to sign for the society.
§14.
Approved 19.Aug 2022:
In case an on-site biannual meeting and/or general assembly cannot be held due to a force majeure situation, alternative solutions can be used, for example a virtual NFS meeting and / or general assembly can be arranged.
Approved at the Nordic meeting of representatives
Stockholm, May 21, 1996
Revised Sunne, January 4, 1997, Approved at the General assembly, June 23, 1998 Change in By Laws § 4 approved at the general Assembly, Reykjavik, August 5th, 2000.
Change in By Laws § 4 approved and effectuated at the General Assembly, Lillehammer, January 6, 2002. Change in By Laws § 4 approved at the general Assembly, Espoo, Finland, August 4th, 2006.
Change in By Laws § 4 approved and effectuated at the General Assembly, Oslo, January 5, 2008. Change in By Laws § 1 to 4 approved at the general Assembly, Helsinki, Finland, August 8th, 2012 Change in By Laws § 1 to 4 and 5 and 7 was suggested September 14th, 2013.
Changes in §1-4 were approved at the GA 8th, August 2012 and effectuated in Haugesund, January 4th, 2013.
Changes in § 1-4 and 5 and 7 were suggested September, 2013 and was approved and effectuated at the GA and the extraordinary GA in Haugesund, January 4th, 2014.
Change in § 11 suggested suggested and approved at GA in august 2017 and approved and effectuated at the GA 23. August 2019.