§ 1.
Name
Scandinavian Society for Surgery of the Hand (SSSH).
§ 2.
Objects
SSSH is an organization which represents national Hand Surgery Societies in Scandinavia and the Baltic region.
Section 2.
The aims of the Society are as follows:
– To foster and promote research and collaboration among the Scandinavian and Baltic societies for surgery of the hand.
– To promote the dissemination of knowledge and to facilitate education by close collaboration among Scandinavian and Baltic societies for surgery of the hand.
– To establish and promote a web based platform of knowledge and facilitate communication within the hand surgical activity in Scandinavia and the Baltic countries.
– To promote supplementary training in hand surgery in the Scandinavian and Baltic countries through financial support as recommended by the Board.
§ 3.
Membership
Ordinary members of Scandinavian and Baltic societies for hand surgery automatically become members of SSSH. Retired members and honorary members shall pay no subscription. Such members can continue their membership of SSSH irrespective of lapsed membership in one of the national societies. Other hand surgeons may apply for associate membership.
§ 4
Honorary membership
Honorary members shall be distinguished surgeons or persons of distinction whose merit is esteemed by the Society. The Board proposes honorary membership. A two-thirds majority is required by the General Assembly. Honorary members have the right to vote only if they fulfil the conditions of ordinary membership of SSSH.
§ 5
Board
The executive body of the Society shall be known as the Board. The Board representatives are appointed by the national societies and shall consist of:
– A representative from Norsk Forening for Håndkirurgi
– A representative from Svensk Handkirurgisk Förening
– A representative from Dansk Selskab for Håndkirurgi
– A representative from Suomen Käsikirurgiyhdistys/ Handkirurgförening i Finland
– At least one representative from a Baltic society for surgery of the hand or any other member society.
Section 2.
The board will appoint a secretary and a treasurer among its members.
Section 3.
The Board shall appoint the Webmaster of SSSH. The Webmaster shall assist in the work of the Board but shall have no voting right except if he or she is a member of the Board according to Section 1.
Section 4.
As a guideline, the President of the Society shall by rotation be the representative from the national society, that organizes the upcoming scientific meeting.
The President shall hold office from one scientific meeting of the Society until the next.
Section 5.
Following any casual vacancy, the national society for surgery of the hand shall appoint a new member of the Board and the person so appointed shall be entitled to hold office until the conclusion of the next general assembly of the Society.
Section 6.
A quorum exists when a majority of the members of the Board are present. The presence of the President is mandatory.
Section 7.
The agenda for an upcoming board meeting shall reach the board members at least four weeks before the date of the meeting.
Any member of the Society who wishes to table a formal resolution shall give notice in writing to the President at least five weeks before the date of a planned meeting. The Board decides at every meeting the date for the next meeting.
Section 8.
A board meeting called for the casting of a special resolution can be requested by a member of the Board in writing and the calling of the Board shall take place as soon as practicable but at most six weeks after the request.
Section 9.
The Board will receive no fee for attending board meetings but travel and accommodation expenses can be reimbursed. The participation fee for the scientific meetings will be waived for the members of the Board.
Section 10.
The Board can agree and set compensation for the Webmaster function and for other special assignments of work from a member of the Board.
Section 11.
Minutes of board meetings shall be prepared and published on the webpage of the Society.
§6
Scientific meeting
Each national society shall by rotation organize a scientific meeting (usually every two years). The turn shall be announced by the Board to the general assembly two turns in advance.
Section 2
The national society organizing the upcoming scientific meeting shall appoint a person with esteemed merit in hand surgery to hold a honorary ”Moberg Lecture”.
Section 3
If the net financial result of a scientific meeting is positive, the organising society must transfer 50 per cent of the surplus to the SSSH.
§7
General Assemblies.
The General Assembly is the authority of the Society.
There shall be a General Assembly in connection with every scientific meeting of the Society.
The members of the General Assembly are the ordinary members of the SSSH joining the meeting.
The date, time and venue together with the agenda shall be issued in writing to all members of the Society with at least fourteen days notice.
Section 2.
At any General Assembly of the Society a chairman is elected.
At any General Assembly a resolution put to the vote shall be decided on a show of hands unless a poll is demanded. Only subjects from the agenda can be resolutions put to the vote. The by-laws can only be altered by the vote of at least three quarters of the members of the Society present at the General Assembly.
Section 3.
At the General Assembly the agenda shall consist of at least:
1. Election of chairman by recommendation of the Board
2. Approval of the minutes of the last General Assembly
3. Report from the Board
4. Report by the Treasurer
5. Presentation for approval of the budget for the forthcoming period.
6. Election of an auditor as proposed by the national society organising the present scientific meeting
7. The Board’s proposal for annual subscription
8. Proposals received
9. a.o.b.
§8
Finances
The General Assembly shall determine annual subscription after the presentation of the budget. The national societies for surgery of the hand shall accept the annual subscription as agreed at the General Assembly and they shall pay directly to SSSH according to the number of their members at the time of the General Assembly of SSSH.
Section 2.
The Board shall not put the Society under any obligation by signing agreements or purchases beyond the net capital of the Society.
§ 9.
Dissolution
Any of the Scandinavian or Baltic national societies for surgery of the hand may at any time decide to terminate its involvement in the Society, in which case the members from this country will be excluded as ordinary members of the Society and the national society will not be entitled to receive any assets from the Scandinavian Society.
Section 2.
Complete dissolution of the Society can only be decided at a General Assembly by a majority of at least three quarters of the members of the Society present at the General Assembly.
Section 3.
In case of complete dissolution, any finances and liabilities shall be split among the national societies according to the number of their members.