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THE CONSTITUTION
(comprising: (A) the Statutes, (B) the Rules of the European
Science Fiction Awards and (C) the Guidance Notes)
OF THE EUROPEAN SCIENCE FICTION SOCIETY
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(A) STATUTES
1.
The European Science Fiction Society (ESFS) was founded in 1972, at the
first European Science Fiction Convention in Trieste. The logo/emblem
of the ESFS is the stylised map in black (with a white outline) of Europe
–above two shaking hands, with or without any writing surrounding
it. Such logo/emblem may be used on a flag (with it in the centre on a
yellow field)
2.
The Goals of the Society are:
- (a) to find ways and means of establishing contacts between the Science
Fiction (SF) professionals and fans;
- (b) to ensure better mutual knowledge of SF literature and arts and
of fandom activity in the European countries;
- (c) to propose the cognition of European SF in the rest of the world.
3.
Its registered office
- (a) shall be for the time being at ESFS 64 Richborne Terrace London SW8 1AX England ( esfs @ esfs . info )and
- (b) may be transferred elsewhere by a decision of the European Committee.
4.
- (a) To join the society it shall suffice to subscribe to this Constitution
and to inform the National Delegate who will notify the ESFS Secretary,
or to notify the ESFS Secretary directly.
- (b) For special services rendered to European SF the Committee may
award the title of ESFS Honorary Member.
5.
- (a) Cessation of membership may only be by resignation.
- (b) No member of the Society may be excluded on racial, political
or religious grounds.
6.
The Society resources shall include: - dues - grants and
gifts received.
7.
- (a) The Society shall organize a European Science Fiction Convention
(Eurocon) within the territory of a European country (see Appendix 1)
at least every two years.
- (b) On the proposal of a National Delegate, or any reliable individual
or organization, European Science Fiction Conferences (Euroconferences)
may be organized, though not in the same period as the Eurocon.
- (c) Euroconference votes may take place by email.
- (d) The vote for the Eurocon shall comprise delegate votes, two foreach
country, and ESFS member votes on a one person-one votebasis.
- (e) The vote shall take place by secret ballot, and the voting papers
for delegates and members shall be differently coloured.
- (f) Votes shall be counted in aggregate, but the winner shall attainat
least a threshold of 35% of the votes cast by both members anddelegates.
- (g) In the event of the candidate with the most votes failing to
reach this threshold, but coming within 5% of it, another vote may be
held at least 30 minutes later between thetwo highest contenders.
- (h) If a second vote fails to reach this threshold, or a second vote
does not take place, the decision must be postponed to the next Eurocon,
or to an extraordinary General Meeting.
- (i) Eurocon campaign materials may include leaflets, posters, fanzines,
badges, stickers, minor decorative display items andother informative
material on the prospective convention and the host country, but a 'no
treating' rule must be observed. Ineffect this means no bid parties.
- (j) Any bid committee breaking this rule in
- (i) above may have its candidature disqualified by a secret ballot
of the delegates at the General Meeting.
- (k) A disqualification vote may be proposed by any one delegate, and
disqualification shall occur if 35% or more of the delegates approve
it.
8.
- (a) The supreme body of the Society is the General Meeting, convened
during the Eurocon.
- (b) At the request of one third of the Society membership or of two
thirds of its committee members, the Chair shall convene the extraordinary
General Meeting.
9.
A- The General Meeting is attended by all ESFS members present at the
Eurocon (but up to three votes are allowed for each country) and has the
following prerogatives:
- a) to assess the activity of the Committee, on the basis of a report
submitted by the Chair or by the elected Vice-Chair;
- b) to elect the committee Officers;
- c) to decide the places and dates of the Eurocons and Euroconferences;
- d) to discuss and decide on other matters related to the Society's
activity.
B- Observers may attend and speak, they may also take part in the Eurocon
and Euroconference votes, and in general advisory votes.
10.
- (a) The European Committee is the leading body of the ESFS and assembles
at the Eurocons and Euroconferences.
- (b) At the request of one third of its members it shall be convened
by the chairman in an Extraordinary Meeting.
11.
(a) The Committee is made up of:
- (i) Chair
- (ii) Elected Vice-Chair
- (iii) Nominated Vice-Chair (delegated by the Organizing Committee
of the following Eurocon)
- (iv) Secretary
- (v)Treasurer
- (vi) Former Committee Officers
- (vii) Honorary Members of ESFS
- (ix) National Delegates for each country.
(b)
- (i) The term of office for all the elected Officers (Chair,Vice-Chair,
Secretary, Treasurer) shall be three years, after whichthey may be re-elected
for subsequent terms.
- (ii) Former Committee Officers and the Honorary Members remain on
the Committee for their lifetime, having voice but no vote.
- (iii) National Delegates are elected according to local customs and
should be normally resident in the country they represent.
- (iv) If a position falls vacant, the Committee may nominate a provisional
substitute until the next General Meeting.
12.
The Committee has the following prerogatives:
- a) to ensure the progress of the Society between two General Meetings,
- b) to prepare the report submitted to the General Meeting, c) to
arrange for the places and the dates of the Eurocons andEuroconferences,
- d) to determine the utilisation of the Society's resources,
- e) to debate and decide on all other issues relatedto the Society's
activity.
13.
13/1. The Officers and members of the Committee shall have the following
competence:
A-The Chair ensures
- (a) a permanent relation between the Officers andMembers of the Committee;
- (b) represents the Society in its relations with the Organizing Committees
of the Eurocons and Euroconferences (mainly through the Nominated Vice-Chair),
with other national and international organizations;
- (c) convenes the General meeting and the Committee (cf Articles 8
and 10);
- (d) advises on the programmes of the Eurocons and Euroconferences
at least two months ahead of their finalization;
- (e) in cases of litigation of an Organizing Committee, he consults
the other Officers and Members of the Committee - if the decision cannot
be postponed, he will submit it to the Committee subsequently;
- (f) chairs the debates of the Committee and sessions of the General
Meeting;
- (g) together with the Nominated Vice-Chair opens the Eurocons andEuroconferences
in the name of the Society;
- (h) hands the Eurocon Awards.
B-
- (1) The Elected Vice-Chair shall have the same competence as the Chair,
acting in his absence;
- (2) he shall assist the Chair in performing his statutory duties.
C-
- The Nominated Vice-Chair shall ensure contact between the Organizing
Committee of the forthcoming Eurocon and the ESFS Committee's Officers
by supplying progress reports as well asdetails of the programme and
other pertinent matters.
D-
- (1) The Secretary maintains permanent relations with the National
Delegates and other Committee Members;
- (2) keeps the archives of ESFS;
- (3) takes the minutes of ESFS General meeting and Committeesessions.
E-
- (1) The Treasurer ensures the financial administration of the ESFS
resources;
- (2) he shall have power to sign the financial documents, alongside
the Chair or the Elected Vice-Chair.
13/2. The Society's resources shall be employed:
- (a) to publish the ESFS Newsletter and the ESFS Directory;
- (b) to manufacture the European Science Fiction Awards;
- (c) to pay the administrative costs, hotel and travel expenses of
the committee Officers travelling in the interests of the Society.
13/2/1. At each meeting of the Committee, theTreasurer presents the financial
situation of the Society;between the meetings does the same at the request
of the Chairor the Elected Vice-Chair.
13/3. The National Delegates (three for each country) as per Appendix
1 represent the interests of the professionals and fans of theircountries.
They:
- periodically convey to the Chair and the Secretary information of
the most important local events (conventions, awards, books, magazines,
fanzines) and on the admission of new members, etc.,
- support the Organizing Committees of the Eurocons and Euroconferences
when these events occur in their countries.
14.
(a)
- (i) In all leading bodies of the ESFS decisions (including any Statute
amendment, addition or deletion-hereinafter “Statute Change”)
shall be taken by a simple majority vote.
- (ii) Postal and proxy voting is allowed only regarding issues announced
in advance, by means of a definite written and signed statement.
- (b) Any Statute Change passed at any one Eurocon General Meeting
does not take immediate effect but must be ratified (or not ratified)
or amended at the Business Meeting at the next immediate Eurocon following.
If ratified as it stands, it then takes effect at that 2nd Eurocon.
If not ratified at that 2nd Eurocon, it has never taken effect anyway
and fails. If amended at that 2nd Eurocon, any such amendment may only
be such that it cannot enlarge/enhance the original, previously passed
Statute Change.
- (d) Should any Statute Change be passed at any one Eurocon and its
nature/effect be such that it must come into force immediately (and
ratification at the next Eurocon cannot wait), it may --after initial
passing by simple majority vote-- be voted on a second time but for
such immediate effect, it needs on that 2nd vote, a 75% majority. If
such 75% majority fails, it proceeds to ratification in the normal way
at the next Eurocon.
15.
The official languages of the ESFS are English, French,
German and Russian.
Appendix 1
United Kingdom (ie England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and, for
the purposes of this Constitution, Jersey, Guernsey and its dependencies,
Isle of Man, Gibraltar), Iceland, Norway, Ireland, Portugal (including
Madeira and the Azores), Spain (including the Canaries), Sweden, Denmark
(including Greenland and the Faroe), Finland (including Aland), France,
Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Andorra, Switzerland, Austria, Italy,
San Marino, Vatican City, Liechtenstein, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic,
Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia,
Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Moldova, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania,
Latvia, Estonia, Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Albania, Monaco, Armenia,
Georgia, Azerbijan.
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(B)
RULES OF THE EUROPEAN SCIENCE FICTION AWARDS
The European Science Fiction Society hands, at the European Conventions,
awards in the following categories:
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(a)
I. Hall of Fame:
- Best Author
- Best Publisher
- Best Artist
- Best Promoter of Science Fiction
- Best Magazine
- Best Translator
- (1) These Awards are granted just once by the European Committee by
secret ballot from the nominations submitted by the National Delegates.
- (2) The nominations must arrive to the Chair at least two months before
the opening of the Eurocon.
- (3) Nominations shall normally be made for a country, by delegates
of that country.
- (4) When out-of-country nominations are made, they shall be subject
to a veto by delegates from the country concerned.
- (5) The Awards are plaques or other symbolic objects and are handed
by the Chair oranother Committee Officer appointed by the Chair.
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(b)
II. Spirit of Dedication
- An artist, author of one of more works
- An author of a performance (film, play, ballet, etc.)
- A fanzine.
- (i) These Awards are granted by vote of all European participants
in the European Conventions, through the assessment of the works exhibited
or presented in some other way (slide-shows, documentaries) of the performances
and of the fanzines exhibited.
- (ii) The works, the performances and the fanzines must have been presented
or produced between the current and previous Eurocon.
- (iii) The Awards are plaques or other symbolic objects and are handed
by the Chair or another Committee Officer appointed by the Chair.
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(c)
III. Encouragement Awards:
- (i) These Awards are granted according to the suggestions from the
National Delegates to a young writer or artist from each European Country.
- (ii) The suggestions must arrive to the Chair at least two months
before the Eurocon.
- (iii) Appropriate diplomas are handed by the Chair or another Committee
Officer appointed by the Chair.
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(d)
IV. Honorary Awards:
- (h) These Awards are granted by the Organizing Committee of the European
Conventions and Conferences to the persons who have contributed to the
success of the events.
- (ii) Their nature and the manner of their awarding are chosen at the
discretion of the Committee.
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(C)
GUIDANCE NOTES
- (a) Decision : Lithuanicon/Vilnius/1996:
- (i) Neither the Chair nor others among the organisersof the current
Eurocon may be nominated for Best Promoter, neither may the Chair be
nominated for a Special Award.
- (ii) Any of these people may be nominated for anything in the course
of the following and subsequent years.
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- (b) Decision : Interaction/Glasgow/2005: Within the Rules of the European
Science Fiction Awards
(A) the definition
- (1) of “Magazine” in I (Hall of Fame-5)
- (2) of “fanzine” in II (Spirit of Dedication-3) and
(B) III (Encouragement Awards)
shall ( for clear avoidance of doubt ) include any “E-zine”
(ie any magazine/fanzine transmitted electronically and/or published on
the World Wide Web).
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