Statutes

The association bears the name “International Society of Dermatology in the Tropics e.V.” and has its registered office in Tübingen. It is entered as a legally competent association in the register of associations at the Local Court of Stuttgart (VR 381201).

(1) The association is an international union of physicians, scientists and medical nursing and support staff. The purpose of the association is the promotion of public health care. The association (ISDT) is associated with the Working Group for Dermatological Infectiology and Tropical Dermatology (ADI-Td) of the German Dermatological Society, DDG.

(2) The purpose of the association is in particular the promotion of all measures for adequate and qualified dermatological care of the population living in tropical and subtropical countries through:

a) Bringing together science and practice, as well as cooperation with all persons and institutions that — at home and abroad — deal with the particularities of dermatology in the tropics.

b) Promotion of cooperation with the specialist disciplines and institutions relevant to dermatology

c) Promotion of the evaluation of dermatological findings with the aim of informing all physicians, scientists and nursing staff interested in dermatology

d) Participation in the education, advanced training and continuing education of physicians, scientists and nursing staff in the field of dermatology in tropical countries, in particular also the training of dermatologists for “skin of color”

The concrete measures serving the realisation of the purpose are the organisation and support of scientific events in the dermatological field at home and abroad, as well as the granting of travel scholarships, where the trip serves continuing education in the field of dermatology in the tropics, upon application to the board and approval.

The association pursues exclusively and directly the charitable purposes named in § 2 within the meaning of the section “Tax-privileged purposes” of the Fiscal Code (Abgabenordnung). The association acts selflessly and does not primarily pursue its own economic purposes. The funds of the association may only be used for the purposes set out in the statutes. The members do not receive any allocations from the funds of the association. No person may be favoured by expenditures that are alien to the purpose of the association or by disproportionately high remuneration. Members who leave have no claim to payment of the value of a share in the association’s assets.

The financial year of the association is the calendar year. The first partial year ends on 31 December 1996.

(1) Any natural person and any legal person under private and public law may become a member of the association.

(2) The association consists of ordinary members, supporting members and honorary members.

(3) The board decides on the written application. Membership is acquired through the issuance of a membership certificate.

(4) Supporting members are legal or natural persons who wish to support the purpose of the association through a special membership fee. The amount of the respective membership fee is determined by the board in agreement with the supporting member.

(5) Honorary members are members or persons who have rendered particular services to the association. Honorary membership includes all rights and obligations of an ordinary membership and exempts from the obligation to pay fees. Honorary members are elected by the general assembly on the proposal of at least five ordinary members. The election requires a two-thirds majority.

(6) Membership ends a) with the death of the member, in the case of legal persons with their dissolution, b) by written declaration of resignation, addressed to a board member, which is, however, only permissible at the end of a quarter, c) by non-payment of the fee, d) by exclusion from the association.

(7) A member who has substantially violated the interests of the association may be excluded from the association by resolution of the board. Before the exclusion, the member concerned must be heard in person or in writing. The decision on the exclusion must be justified in writing and delivered to the member by registered mail. The member may file a written appeal with the board within a period of 1 month from receipt. The general assembly decides on the appeal. If the member does not make use of the right of appeal within the deadline, they submit to the resolution of exclusion.

The bodies of the association are: (1) the board, (2) the general assembly.

(1) The board of the association consists of the 1st chairperson, 2 deputy chairpersons, the secretary and the treasurer, as well as up to three additional board members. The 1st chairperson, the deputy chairpersons and the secretary are entitled to represent the society on their own. In the internal relationship, however, it is determined that the society is generally represented by the 1st chairperson and that the deputy chairpersons or secretary should only act when the 1st chairperson requests representation for the duration of their absence.

(2) The board is elected by the general assembly for a term of 2 years. It remains in office until a new election takes place. The 1st and 2nd chairperson may be re-elected at most twice in succession. If a member of the board leaves during the term of office, the board elects a substitute member for the remainder of the term of office of the departing board member.

(3) The board conducts the ongoing business of the association. It prepares the meetings of the bodies, it decides on all matters of the society insofar as they do not fall within the competence of the general assembly. The board decides in particular on the admission of ordinary members, the admission and membership fee of supporting members, the exclusion of members and the formation and dissolution of working groups for special tasks.

(4) The board proposes to the general assembly the amount and structure of the membership fee.

(1) The general assembly is to be convened by the board every second year, observing a period of 4 weeks, by personal invitation by means of an ordinary letter or electronically (email) to the last known address/email address of the members.

(2) The agenda set by the board must be communicated with the invitation to the general assembly.

(3) The general assembly has in particular the following tasks: a) approval of the budget for the period until the next general assembly, b) acceptance of the board’s report of accountability and its discharge, c) election of the board, d) determination of the membership fee, e) resolution on the appeal of a member against their exclusion by the board.

(4) An amendment to the statutes requires a majority of three quarters of the association members present, an amendment to the purpose of the association the majority of three quarters of all association members.

(5) The board must convene a general assembly without delay if the interest of the association requires it or if at least 10 % of the members demand the convening in writing, stating the purpose and the reasons.

(6) Minutes must be taken of the resolutions of the general assembly, which must be signed by the chair of the meeting.

The membership fees are annual fees and are due in each case in January of a financial year. The general assembly decides on the amount of the membership fees on the proposal of the board. It may authorise the board to waive the fees in whole or in part for persons in professional training.

(1) The general assembly decides on the dissolution of the association.

(2) Upon dissolution and termination of the association or upon the discontinuation of its previous purpose, the association’s assets pass to a charitable institution that must use them directly and exclusively for charitable purposes, in particular in accordance with the purpose of the statutes.

(3) Resolutions of the general assembly on the allocation of the association’s assets after the dissolution of the association first require the approval of the tax office.