BYLAWS OF THE
TAIWAN GLYCOSCIENCE ALLIANCE*
BYLAW I NAME AND OBJECTS
Section l. The name of this organization shall be the Taiwan Glycoscience Alliance (hereafter referred to as the TGA).
Section 2. The goals of the TGA shall be the stimulation of interest in the glycosciences in Taiwan, including research, education and research dissemination in both printed and oral form. The TGA will provide a forum in which all Taiwanese glycoscientists can meet and organize and will act as the Taiwan representative in international glycoscience initiatives.
BYLAW II MEMBERS AND AFFILIATES
Section l. (a) Membership in the TGA is open to any individual residing in Taiwan with an interest in glycoscience who indicates their wish to join the TGA. Applications for membership shall be solicited through the TGA website.
Section 2. Members shall have the privilege of (1) participating in the scientific activities of the TGA and furthering its objectives, (2) attending business meetings, voting and holding office, (3) attending all social functions of the TGA, (4) receiving all notices, bulletins, reports and special publications of the TGA.
Section 3. Any Member may resign their membership in the TGA by submitting their resignation to the Secretary of the TGA.
Section 4. If a Member does not participate in any TGA activities over a period of three years, the Secretary will attempt to contact the Member by electronic mail or other means and ask if they remain interested in being a Member. Should no response be received within three weeks, the Member will be removed from the list of Members.
Section 5. At the discretion of the Executive Committee, individuals and organizations located outside of Taiwan may be named as TGA Affiliates. Such designation carries a term of five years and may be renewed at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
BYLAW III OFFICERS
Section l. The Officers of the TGA shall be Members and shall consist of a Chair, a Chair-Elect, a Past-Chair and a Secretary.
Section 2. Duties of Officers.
(a) The duties of the Chair shall be to preside at meetings of the TGA and of its Executive Committee; to execute the decisions and recommendations of the Executive Committee; to appoint, with the advice and approval of the Executive Committee, such committees as may be required to act upon special matters of business; and to perform such other functions as are prescribed in these bylaws and as are generally required of a Chair. The Chair will serve as the convenor of the annual TGA scientific meeting (currently referred to as GlycoRetreat).
(b) The duties of the Chair-Elect shall be to perform the duties of the Chair in the absence of the latter and to aid the Chair in presiding at meetings of the TGA.
(c) The duties of the Past-Chair shall be to provide input as needed on TGA matters.
(d) The duties of the Secretary shall be to keep a record of the proceedings of the TGA and of the Executive Committee, maintain a list of members, to send electronically to members such notices as the business of the TGA may require.
Section 3. Executive Committee.
(a) The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of the TGA and five elected Members-at-Large
(b) The Members-at-Large shall include no more than two individuals affiliated with Academia Sinica.
(c) The Executive Committee shall be the governing body of the TGA and shall convene at least once a year.
(d) The duties of the Executive Committee shall be to pass on all policy matters of the TGA, to fill any vacancies in office that may occur between elections and, in general, to act in any exigency not specifically provided for in these bylaws.
(e) The Chair of the TGA may invite to any meeting of the Executive Committee, other interested members of the TGA as the occasion may arise.
(f) Quorum to hold an Executive Committee meeting is the presence of at least one-half of the Executive Committee members.
Section 4. Election of Officers and Members-at-Large.
(a) Prior to March 1, the Secretary shall solicit nominations for officers and Members-at-Large from the Members of the TGA. Instructions shall be given on the form that preference should be given to qualified members of the TGA who have not yet held the office to be filled, that preference for the office of Chair-Elect should be given to a qualified member of the TGA with previous experience on the Executive Committee, and that the incumbency of one office does not disqualify a member from holding another. The deadline for the return of the nominations shall be March15.
(b) Election of officers shall take place by an electronic ballot sent to members of the TGA by the Secretary. Electronic notification of the ballot shall be done by April 1, with a deadline for receiving votes to be April 15 A plurality of the vote of the members voting shall be required for election. Results of the voting shall be announced at the annual TGA scientific meeting, by electronic mail and posting on the TGA website, by June 1.
Section 5. Terms of Office.
(a) The terms of the Chair, Chair-Elect and Past-Chair shall be two years.
(b) The terms of the Secretary and five Members-at-Large shall be two years.
(c) A Member can serve more than one term as the Secretary or Member-at-Large, but only one term as the Chair, Chair-Elect or Past-Chair.
(d) The Chair-Elect shall succeed to the office of Chair at the expiration of the Chair’s term of office or to fill a vacancy in the office of Chair occurring during his term of office as Chair-Elect. The succession of the Chair to Past-Chair with assumption of its duties occurs then after the new Chair begins their term.
(e) The terms of all officers shall begin immediately after the annual TGA scientific meeting (currently referred to as GlycoRetreat) in odd numbered years. Should, for whatever reason, the meeting not be held, the Executive Committee will decide on the start date for the subsequent term.
(f) Vacancies in any office shall be filled by the Executive Committee. The incumbent so selected shall serve until the next regular election. The Chair may make interim appointments between Executive Committee meetings when necessary.
BYLAW IV COMMITTEES
Section l. The Chair with the advice of the Executive Committee shall appoint committees as needed to manage properly the business of the TGA and to further its objects. All committee members must be TGA Members.
BYLAW VI DUES
Section l. Members of the TGA pay no annual dues.
BYLAW VII MEETINGS
Section 1. An annual meeting of the TGA membership shall be held at least once a year, typically at the annual scientific meeting. TGA business requiring vote of the membership shall be conducted at this meeting or in such other manner as may be required, such as by special meeting or by ballot. When the scientific meeting cannot be held due to extenuating circumstances, an online meeting will be held.
Section 2. Special meetings of the TGA membership may be called by the Executive Committee.
BYLAW VIII ABSTRACTS SUBMITTED FOR PRESENTATION
Section l. The Executive Committee shall be empowered to approve or reject any seminar or poster submitted for presentation at a meeting of the TGA.
BYLAW IX AMENDMENTS
Section l. Any proposed amendment to these bylaws shall be submitted in writing over the signatures of not less than five members of the TGA to the Secretary who shall then place it before the Executive Committee at the next meeting of this body. The Secretary shall then send the proposed amendment along with the recommendations of the Executive Committee to the membership for vote by electronic mail ballot. The proposed amendments shall be approved by a two-thirds majority of the members voting.