EST Constitution

Preamble

At the International Translation Studies Congress "Translation Studies - An Interdiscipline" in Vienna, the participants agreed on 12 September 1992 to establish an international association to be known as the European Society For Translation Studies - EST. This association (hereinafter referred to as "the Society") has adopted the following Constitution:

Article 1 - Name, headquarters and scope of activity

  1. The association shall be known as the "European Society for Translation Studies" (EST).

  2. The Society shall have its headquarters in Vienna and shall be active on an international level.

  3. The official language of the Society shall be English.

Article 2 - Purpose

  1. The Society, which shall be non-profit-making, shall be an international forum for individuals who are engaged in research and teaching in the field of translation and interpreting (T&I).

  2. The objectives of the Society shall be to

    • (a) promote research in the field of T&I,

    • (b) promote further education for T&I teachers and trainers,

    • (c) offer consulting services on issues of T&I teaching and training,

    • (d) facilitate contacts between the profession and academic T&I training institutions.

Article 3 - Activities in pursuit of the above objectives

  1. The Society shall carry out its purpose by encouraging the exchange of information and ideas through publications and meetings.

  2. The Society shall seek and maintain contacts and affiliation with national, regional and international bodies and institutions which are active in the field, but shall refrain from engaging in any political activity.

  3. The necessary funds shall be raised through

    • (a) membership fees,

    • (b) funds accruing from conferences and publications,

    • (c) donations, subsidies etc.

Article 4 - Membership

  1. The Society shall have the following classes of membership: full membership, honorary membership and supporting membership.

  2. Full membership shall be open to all natural persons who are engaged in a field of work which is of direct relevance to translation studies.

  3. Admission of full and supporting members shall be granted by the Executive Board, whose decision shall be final.

  4. The General Meeting may, on the proposal of the Executive Board, offer honorary membership to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the field of T&I.

  5. Membership shall be terminated by voluntary withdrawal, expulsion or the death of the member.

  6. Members may withdraw from the Society as per 31 December of each year by notifying the Executive Board in writing at least two months in advance.

  7. The Executive Board may expel members for gross violation of the duties of membership or dishonourable conduct.

Article 5 - Rights and duties of Members

  1. Members shall have the right to participate in meetings, conferences or other events organised by the Society against payment of a reduced attendance fee; they shall receive copies of the EST Newsletter, which will be published at regular intervals, and updated membership lists. The right to vote and hold office shall be confined to full and honorary members.

  2. It shall be the duty of members to promote the cause of the Society to the best of their ability and to refrain from any action liable to compromise the reputation or run counter to the objectives of the Society. They shall respect the Constitution of the Society and the decisions of its administrative bodies. Full and supporting members shall punctually pay their membership fees at the rates determined by the General Meeting.

Article 6 - Administrative bodies

  1. General Meetings of the Society shall normally be held every three years. They shall be convened by the Executive Board, which shall also announce the Agenda. An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be convened by the Executive Board on its own authority or upon receipt of a petition supported by at least one third of the members, in which case the Meeting shall take place within three months of the receipt of such petition.

  2. The General Meeting shall be open to all members of the Society. Each member shall have one vote, which may be delegated by proxy in writing to another member. The maximum number of proxy votes that a member may hold shall be three.

  3. The General Meeting shall have a quorum when one half of all voting members are present or represented by proxy. If there is no quorum at the time fixed for the beginning of the General Meeting, the Meeting shall commence thirty minutes later and shall be deemed to have a quorum irrespective of the number of members present. Decisions of the General Meeting, including elections, shall be taken by a simple majority of votes cast by members.

  4. The General Meeting shall have the following duties:

    • (a) to receive for consideration reports by the Officers and to approve the final accounts of the Society;

    • (b) to elect the Members of the Executive Board and the Auditors;

    • (c) to approve the Society's draft budget;

    • (d) to determine the amounts of membership fees;

    • (e) upon recommendation by the Executive Board, to set up and dissolve committees;

    • (f) upon recommendation by the Executive Board, to award honorary memberships;

    • (g) to deliberate and decide upon any other matters on the Agenda.

  5. The Executive Board, which shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary-General and Treasurer as well as five additional members, shall be elected at each ordinary General Meeting. If an elected member of the Executive Board resigns from office (by written statement of resignation), the remaining Board members shall have the right to co-opt a further eligible member.

  6. It shall be the duty of the Executive Board to govern the Society and, in particular, to

    • (a) prepare and convene the General Meeting and to execute the latter's decisions;

    • (b) admit and expel members of the Society;

    • (c) carry out any other activities deemed to serve the objectives of the Society.

  7. The Executive Board shall decide by a simple majority of votes. On specific urgent issues which cannot, in the view of the Executive Board, be deferred until the General Meeting, the Executive Board shall have the power to conduct postal ballots among the full and honorary members of the Society. The result of any such ballot shall be determined by a majority of voting slips received by the Secretary-General by the appointed date.

  8. The President is the chief Executive Officer. S/he shall chair the General Meeting and the Executive Board and represent the Society in its external relations. S/he shall sign all official documents and acts of the Society.

  9. The Secretary-General shall be responsible for running the Society's current business and for administering its records, documents and publications.

  10. The Treasurer shall be responsible for managing the funds of the Society and for keeping regular accounts and presenting the Society's draft budget and final accounts.

Article 7 - Constitutional Amendments

  1. This Constitution may be amended by the General Meeting on condition that the amendment is supported by a two-thirds majority of the valid votes cast.

  2. A decision to dissolve the Society shall take effect only if such decision is approved, in a subsequent postal ballot, by nine tenths of the full and honorary members of the Society.

Article 8 - Arbitration

  1. All disputes among members of the Society over matters arising from their adherence to the Society shall be subject to arbitration.

  2. For the purposes of arbitration, the Society shall set up an Arbitration Committee, which shall be composed of five full members of the Society. The Committee shall be set up in the following way: Each party to a dispute shall within fourteen days appoint two members as arbitrators and communicate their names to the Executive Board. The arbitrators so nominated shall then elect a chairman by simple majority. In case of a tie, the chairman shall be determined from among the individuals proposed by the drawing of lots.

  3. The Arbitration Committee shall take its decisions in the presence of all its members by a simple majority vote. It shall do so to the best oft its knowledge and ability, and its decisions shall be final.

Article 9 - Dissolution of the Society

  1. The right to decide to dissolve the Society voluntarily shall be reserved to an Extraordinary General Meeting specially called for this purpose, and the decision shall require a two-thirds majority of the valid votes cast.

  2. This Extraordinary General Meeting shall also decide upon the liquidation of any assets the Society may have in its possession. In particular, it shall appoint a liquidator and decide in what way to dispose of any assets remaining after the Society's liabilities have been met. Insofar as this is possible and lawful, such assets shall benefit an organisation pursuing the same or similar objectives as the Society.