(Draft, October 2008)

ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of this association is the EUROPEAN RESEARCH GROUP ON MILITARY AND SOCIETY, acronymed E R G O M A S.

ARTICLE II: PURPOSES

ERGOMAS is an association of European scientists who study and analyse the relationship between the military and society, and related phenomena. It focuses on Europe . Joint transnational research and intercultural comparisons in thematically oriented interdisciplinary working groups constitute the core of ERGOMAS. ERGOMAS promotes empirically and theoretically oriented European research cooperation and international scientific communication.

ERGOMAS is a public, non-profit, politically and ideologically independent professional organization of scientists. Its purposes shall be pursued by the activity of Working Groups and the Biennial Conferences of ERGOMAS.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

Any scientist sharing the purposes of the association and paying the membership fee may be a member of this organization, no matter what academic discipline, profession, theoretical and ideological orientation, and citizenship he or she has. Scientific organisations may be associate members of ERGOMAS. Applications for membership are accepted by the Board of Chairpersons.

Members who have paid their fee are entitled

1. to attend, to participate in, and to vote at the Biennial Business Meeting of ERGOMAS;
2. to vote in all mail ballots conducted by ERGOMAS;
3. to participate in other general activities sponsored by ERGOMAS;
4. to receive copies of ERGOMAS Newsletters.

ARTICLE IV: WORKING GROUPS

1. Working Groups shall be constituted of scientists working on thematically related topics. Their purpose is to conduct joint transnational research, intercultural comparisons in a thematically oriented, preferably interdisciplinary way.
2. Working Groups shall be accepted by the Board of Chairpersons upon request of at least six members who have declared their intention to form a new Working Group.
3. Each Working Group shall have a Coordinator, elected by the group members.
4. The name of the Working Groups, the Coordinators, and the current members have to be published in the ERGOMAS Newsletter.
5. If a Working Group Coordinator does not report for two years, the WG is considered inactive and is cancelled. This has to be published in the ERGOMAS Newsletter.

ARTICLE V: MANAGEMENT OF ERGOMAS

The steering body of ERGOMAS shall comprise:

• the Board of Chairpersons;

• the Biennial Business Meeting of members, and members who vote in mail ballots.

1. The Board of Chairpersons

1.1 The Board of Chairpersons shall include the following members:

• the Chairperson;
• the Secretary;
• the Coordinators of the active Working Groups and the Treasurer;
• the webmaster for issues related to the website of ERGOMAS

1.2 The Chairperson

1.2.1 The Chairperson is the Executive Officer of ERGOMAS and represents the association in fora interno et externo. He or she shall serve for one term of two years. Re-election is possible.

1.2.2 The Chairperson's duties shall include:

• to propose programs and policies designed to promote the purposes of ERGOMAS;
• to convene and to preside over meetings of the Board of Chairpersons and the Biennial Business Meeting of members.

1.2.3 The Secretary's duties shall include:

• The Secretary in collaboration with the Chairperson shall be responsible for the Newsletter.

1.2.4 In case of disability of the Chairperson in charge, the most senior Working Group Coordinator takes over the Chairmanship until the next formal elections at the end of the term.

1.3 The duties of the Board of Chairpersons shall include:

• to cooperate in order to promote the purposes of ERGOMAS;
• to support the preparation of the Biennial Conference;
• to nominate chairperson candidates for ERGOMAS;
• to decide in case of disputes over internal issues of ERGOMAS;
• to hold at least Biennial Council Meetings and to fix the amount of membership fees/dues;
• to make general decisions on the allocation of funds;
• to choose the location and the organizer of the Biennial ERGOMAS conference;
• to report their activities to the Biennial Business Meeting of members;
• to decide upon membership applications;
• to accept the establishment of Working Groups;
• to exchange information with the established Working Groups;
• to edit the ERGOMAS Newsletter;
• to update the membership-list and the list of Working Groups and their members at least six months prior to the upcoming Conference;
• to nominate the webmaster of ERGOMAS;
• to run a website on Internet.

2. The Biennial Business Meetings

2.1 The Biennial Business Meetings shall consist of all European members having paid their dues; only they are eligible to vote.

2.2 The Business Meeting' s rights include:

• to receive and consider the Board of Chairpersons' reports;
• to elect the Chairperson(s) upon nomination of the Board of Chairpersons;
• to nominate and elect the treasurer;
• to relieve the treasurer (acceptance of accounts).

ARTICLE VI: AMENDMENTS

Amendments to the Bylaws shall be declared ratified if approved by two-thirds of the ERGONAS members voting at the Biennial Business Meetings.

ARTICLE VII: ENACTMENT