Standing Rules for The Young Academy
As adopted at the General Meeting of Members of The Young Academy on 17 March 2008.
1. Terms
• Board: the Board [bestuur] of The Young Academy within the meaning of Article 7 of the Regulations governing The Young Academy;
• Committee: a body of The Young Academy charged with a specific task; • TYA: The Young Academy [De Jonge Akademie];
• General Meeting of TYA: the General Meeting of The Young Academy within the meaning of Article 4 of these Standing Rules;
• Members: Members of TYA within the meaning of Article 4 of the Regulations governing The Young Academy;
• TYA Regulations: The Regulations governing The Young Academy as adopted by the General Board of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences [Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van
Wetenschappen, KNAW];
• Theme: a component of The Young Academy within which one or more specific primary activities are grouped;
• Chairperson: the Chairperson of the Board within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the TYA Regulations.
2. Members
1. Members of TYA make active efforts on behalf of TYA. They attend a General Meeting at least once each year and take an active part in at least one theme or committee.
2. Members who are unable to be active within TYA for a lengthy period due to particular circumstances, or who can only be less active, must inform the Board.
3. If a member is inactive for a lengthy period, the Board shall encourage him/her to become more active within TYA.
4. If a member has been inactive for a lengthy period, the Board may request him/her to submit a request for discharge to the KNAW.
3. Board
1. The Board shall appoint one of its members for each theme and each committee who shall then act as the contact and as organiser or “remote supervisor”. The Board shall otherwise divide up its tasks as it feels necessary.
2. Efforts shall be made to appoint two or three new members to the Board each year. In exceptional cases, however, a greater number of new Board members may be appointed.
3. The General Meeting of TYA shall choose new Board members annually, no later than in the month prior to the start of the Board’s term of office.
4. The Board shall make annual proposals regarding the election of new Board members within the meaning of the previous paragraph of this article. All members shall be notified of said proposals at least two (2) weeks prior to the meeting. Individual members may put forward their names as candidates until a week prior to the General Meeting; all members must be notified of the candidacies no later than five (5) working days prior to the meeting.
5. The Chairperson shall be elected to that position. The other members shall be chosen as ordinary members of the Board.
6. If there are the same number of candidates as there are places, election shall be by acclamation. If there are more candidates than there are places, or more than one candidate for the position of Chairperson, voting shall be by means of written ballot papers. If in the initial ballot on the choice of persons there is no absolute majority of the members who are present, a second ballot shall be held. Such second ballot shall be restricted to the candidates who received the most votes in the initial ballot, namely as many as the number of places plus one (1) (or in the case of an equal number of votes, as many persons more). If the vote is tied in the second ballot, the issue shall be decided by a drawing of lots.
7. In the event of unforeseen personal or practical circumstances, a member of the Board may request the General Meeting of TYA to grant him/her honourable discharge; such request shall not be refused without good reason.
8. Members of the Board may be suspended or dismissed by the General Meeting of TYA in response to a proposal by at least two (2) members of the Board or at least ten (10) members. Suspension or dismissal may be effectuated for the reasons specified in Article 5(4) of the TYA Regulations, and also if the Board member concerned is seriously remiss in the performance of his/her obligations as a member of the Board.
9. In the event of a Board member being dismissed within the meaning of paragraph 7 or paragraph 8 of this article, the Board shall be empowered to appoint a Board member for the rest of the period of office of the Board member who has been dismissed. The provisions of paragraphs 4 to 6 of this article shall apply mutatis mutandis. If the period of membership concerned is less than one (1) year, then, notwithstanding what is provided in Article 7(2) of the TYA Regulations, re-election as a member of the Board shall be possible.
10. Notwithstanding what is provided in Article 7(2) of the TYA Regulations, members of the Board who were appointed in 2005 shall be re-electable for a period of one (1) year.
4. Meetings of Members
1. The members shall deliberate and adopt resolutions regarding matters concerning the whole of TYA during a General Meeting (General Meeting of TYA). When necessary, the Board may decide that such General Meeting (or part of such General Meeting) shall be held behind closed doors.
2. At least two (2) General Meetings shall be held each year, namely no later than in the month prior to the start of the Board’s term of office to discuss the annual report for the preceding year and no later than in September to discuss the proposed programme of action and budget for the coming year.
3. The Board shall determine the dates of the planned General Meetings for the following year and shall notify all members of those dates in good time.
4. A General Meeting shall also be held if the Board or at least five (5) members wish such to be done. 5. An invitation to attend the General Meeting shall be sent to all members at least ten (10) days in advance, together with the Board’s proposal for an agenda. The necessary meeting documents – or a reference to where an electronic version of those documents can be found – shall be sent to all members no later than five (5) working days prior to the General Meeting.
6. A member who wishes a matter concerning the whole TYA to be discussed at a General Meeting shall submit a request to that effect to the Board. The Board shall not refuse such request without giving good reasons.
7. The General Meeting shall be Chaired by the Chairperson or a deputy designated by the Chairperson.
5. Programme of Action, Budget, and Annual Report
1. At the initiative and on the responsibility of the Board, a programme of action and budget for the coming year shall be drawn up annually, as shall an annual report on the preceding year.
2. The programme of action, the budget, and the annual report shall only be submitted to the General Board of the KNAW, as referred to in Article 8 of the TYA Regulations, after the Board has submitted them to the General Meeting within the meaning of Article 4(2) and they have been approved by a majority of at least two thirds of the members present.
6. Decision-making
1. In all cases of voting for which these Regulations do not provide otherwise, resolutions shall be adopted by a majority of the votes of the members present. Voting shall be by a show of hands unless the
Chairperson or the meeting decides that voting must be by means of written ballot papers. If the votes are tied in a vote taken by means of a show of hands, the Chairperson shall decide the matter. If the votes are tied in a vote by means of written ballot papers, a further ballot shall be held; if the vote is again tied, the Chairperson shall decide the matter.
2. A member who is not present may authorise another member, in writing, to represent him/her by proxy. A member may cast no more than two (2) votes in addition to his/her own. If so requested by the
meeting, the member concerned must present evidence of his entitlement to vote for those for whom he is casting a vote.
3. Resolutions will concern (A) recommendations and opinions, i.e. policy-related resolutions with an external effect, and (B) other resolutions. Unless the meeting determines otherwise (which shall count as an “other resolution”), the Board shall determine whether a matter concerns a recommendation or opinion or an “other resolution”.
4. Adoption of resolutions regarding recommendations and opinions within the meaning of (A) in paragraph 3 of this article shall be by a two-thirds majority of the members present.
5. The adoption of a resolution on an item on the agenda may be postponed until the following General Meeting if it appears that – in the case of recommendations and opinions within the meaning of (A) in paragraph 3 of this article – fewer than 30% of the members are present or that – in the case of other resolutions of (B) in paragraph 3 of this article – fewer than 20% of the members are present. Where determining how many members are present, proxy votes within the meaning of paragraph 2 of this article shall also count.
6. The adoption of a resolution on a matter (a recommendation, opinion, or other resolution) not announced in good time by means of an invitation shall be postponed until the next meeting, unless the nature of the resolution means that it cannot be so postponed and it may reasonably be assumed that a majority (where applicable, a qualified majority) of the members will approve the resolution.
7. The resolution may be validly adopted at the following meeting within the meaning of the previous two paragraphs of this article even if fewer than the minimum number of members referred to in paragraph 5 of this article are present.
8. In the event of urgent matters occurring, or matters that are of little importance – with this being as determined by the Board – the General Meeting may be conducted “virtually”, with resolutions being adopted by means of information and communication technology, for example by means of
teleconferencing or by means of electronic polling within a set period. Resolutions regarding
recommendations and opinions within the meaning of (A) of paragraph 3 of this article shall be adopted by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast within the set period; other resolutions within the meaning of (B) of paragraph 3 shall be adopted by a majority of the votes cast within the set period.
7. Communication and Information
1. The Board shall ensure proper communication and proper provision of information with/for the members.
2. The Board shall arrange for proper facilities, including in any case electronic mailing lists, for communication and the provision of information within TYA and between members and the Board.
8. Themes and Committees
1. TYA shall have themes [tracés], for example for content and interdisciplinarity, science/scholarship policy, science/scholarship and society. The General Meeting of TYA may resolve, by a two-thirds majority of all the members, to dispense with a theme and/or to set up a new theme. A motion to that effect may be proposed by the Board or by at least five (5) members.
2. Each TYA member shall be a member of at least one (1) theme and at most two (2) themes simultaneously.
3. TYA shall have standing committees, including a selection committee and a TYA scholarships
committee. The General Meeting of TYA may resolve, by a simple majority of all the members, to set up a standing committee and/or dispense with a standing committee. A motion to that effect may be proposed by the Board or by at least five (5) members. The General Meeting of TYA shall adopt rules for each standing committee, setting out the committee’s tasks and powers.
4. The members of standing committees shall be chosen by the General Meeting of TYA in response to a proposal by the Board, for a period of two (2) years, or for a shorter period if TYA membership of the committee member concerned terminates within two (2) years. Should there be rival candidates, voting shall be by means of a show of hands. The candidates who receive most votes shall be deemed to have been elected. If the vote is tied, the Chairperson shall decide the matter. Reappointment for a second or
third term shall be possible unless it is provided otherwise in the committee rules within the meaning of paragraph 3 of this article.
5. With a view to continuity, a re-election schedule shall apply as far as possible such that the standing committee consists at all times of a combination of experienced and new members. Where necessary, and in consultation with the Board, a different term of membership may be used in order to apply the re-election schedule.
6. In the event of an interim vacancy occurring, an interim appointment shall be made; the member concerned may if necessary be appointed for a different term of membership.
7. Two (2) members shall sit on behalf of TYA on the selection committee within the meaning of Article 6(3) of the TYA Regulations. Said members shall be chosen by the General Meeting of TYA in response to a proposal by the Board, according to the same procedure as set forth in the previous paragraph of this article, for a period of two (2) years. Reappointment shall not be possible unless, in exceptional cases, the General Meeting of TYA resolves, by a two-thirds majority, that reappointment is necessary for a specific period with a view to continuity.
8. TYA shall have temporary committees that advise and assist the Board and/or the members. The Board shall determine the composition, tasks, and powers of said temporary committees. The Board shall account for such at the next General Meeting.
9. Resolution of Disputes
1. The Board shall mediate in the event of a dispute arising between members. In the event of a dispute arising between members and the Board or between Board members, the General Board of the KNAW shall mediate.
10. Final Provisions
1. These Standing Rules may only be amended pursuant to a resolution adopted by the General Meeting with a two-thirds majority of the members present, on condition that at least a third of the total
membership are present and if the meeting has been convened in good time with the intended
amendment being indicated. The latter stipulation shall not apply if all the members are present and the amendment is adopted by consensus.
2. In any cases not provided for in these Standing Rules or in the event of any doubt arising regarding the interpretation of the provisions of these Standing Rules, the Board shall decide the matter. The Board shall account for such decision at the next General Meeting.
3. In these Standing Rules, “written” shall also mean “by means of information and communication technology”.
These Standing Rules were adopted by the General Meeting of The Young Academy on 23 September 2005 with the text being adopted by the General Meeting of The Young Academy on 24 January 2006.
Explanatory Notes
Raymond van Ee and Bert-Jaap Koops, 31 January 2006
These explanatory notes may be used in interpreting the Standing Rules of TYA. Article 2(3)
The Board will make certain efforts to encourage members who are not active, or only less active, to be more active. Such efforts may, for example, consists of sending an e-mail now and again or telephoning the member concerned once or twice to discuss why he/she has been inactive and to explore the possibility of future activity on the part of the member.
Article 3(3)
Under Article 7(2) of the TYA Regulations, members of the Board are appointed from 1 April to 1 April.
Article 3(5)
A problem may arise if there are several candidates for the Chair and for ordinary membership of the Board. If the elections are held separately (for example on a single ballot paper), it will not be possible for a candidate who has failed to be elected as Chairman to nevertheless be elected as a member of the Board. One option is to first hold the election for membership of the Board and then to have the Chairperson selected from among those thus elected. The disadvantage here is that someone who is highly suitable as Chairperson (for example because of his/her external prestige) but less so as an ordinary member (for example because he/she is “chaotic”) may not in fact be elected as a member. The Standing Rules leave it up to the Board to decide the form and order of election on a case-by-case basis.
Article 3(6)
An example to clarify the procedure during the second round of voting: Let us assume that there are two vacancies and six candidates, and that none of the candidates achieves a majority in the first round. The second round will then be restricted to the three candidates (2+1) who received the most votes in the first round. If, however, the candidates in places 3 and 4 in the results for the first round received the same number of votes, then four candidates (2+2) will go through to the second round. If the candidates in places 3 to 6 all received the same number of votes, they will all (2+4) go through to the second round.
Article 3(7)
The passage “such request shall not be refused without good reason” implies that the request will normally be acceded to. Refusal of the request will only be possible if clear reasons can be indicated – which must also be substantiated – as to why honourable discharge would be unreasonable.
Article 3(9)
The TYA Regulations provide that in the event of interim dismissal, the other Board members will continue the work of management until the following elections. That provision does not, however, take account of the principle of having two “experienced” and two new Board members each year, meaning that, in relevant cases, it may be more effective to hold an interim election to elect a Board member to sit for a different term of office. The experienced/new principle serves as a guideline for the term of office; TYA wishes to apply that principle as far as possible. This provision covers the exceptional cases in which it is possible to deviate from the provision of Article 7(2) of the TYA Regulations (normal, non-re-electable appointment for two years).
Article 3(10)
Reappointing two current members in 2007 for a period of one year makes it possible to commence a rhythm whereby two new members are elected each year (the experienced/new principle). This provision – in addition to the previous paragraph – thus covers a situation in which there is a deviation from the provision of Article 7(2) of the TYA Regulations (normal, non-re-electable appointment for two years).
Article 4(1)
An example of when it might be necessary to hold the meeting behind closed doors is if a resolution or vote is to be taken regarding persons. Holding the meeting behind closed doors is not really necessary in the case of “simple” decisions regarding persons, for example the election by acclamation or a show of hands of a member of a temporary committee. Holding a meeting “behind closed doors” means that it is restricted to the members of TYA and to KNAW staff who provide support for TYA.
Article 4(2)
The TYA Regulations require that TYA submit a programme of action, a budget, and an annual report to the Board of the KNAW by no later than 1 April. The meeting must therefore take place no later than in March and preferably somewhat earlier.
Article 5(1)
The period to which the programme of action applies is the same as that for the budget, which is in line with the period for the budget that applies within the KNAW.
Article 6(8)
The member who proposes adopting a resolution “virtually” must specify explicitly the period within which responses must be submitted. That period will normally be one week.
Article 8(1)
NB: a resolution to dispense with or set up a theme requires a two-thirds majority of all TYA members, i.e. not merely of all those present.
Article 8(2)
If one is a member of two themes, one must in any case be normally active within one of them. One’s efforts within the second theme may then be occasional, for example for a particular subproject.
Article 8(5)
The re-election provision ensures that one of the members appointed in 2005 can be re-elected in 2007 for one further year so as to commence the experienced/new process to ensure that the selection committee always includes an experienced member and a new member. If this rhythm is disrupted, TYA can apply the final provision in order to restore it.
