The Articles of the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine

Chapter 1. General Provisions

(Title)

Article 1. The name of the society shall be the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine.

(Location of principal office)

Article 2. The society has its principal office at 3-32-6 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo.

(Purpose)

Article 3. The society aims to advance intensive care medicine and related fields, and contribute to the progress in academic disciplines by:

• (1) Holding academic conferences
• (2) Publishing scholarly journals
• (3) Doing collaborative work with related organizations in Japan and other countries
• (4) Promoting the system of Board Certification
• (5) Conducting other necessary projects to achieve the purpose of the society

(Local branches)

Article 4. To fulfill its purpose, the society shall establish local branches in accordance with the bylaws defined elsewhere.

(Amount of funds)

Article 5. The amount of funds (including alternative funds) established by the society shall be three million yen.

(Official notices)

Article 6. Official notices regarding the society shall be published in the journal of the society.

(Claims of contributors of funds)

Article 7. Contributed funds will not be refunded until the dissolution of the society.

(Procedure for refunding)

Article 8. Funds will be refunded to contributors in accordance with the resolution by the general meeting of employees on the amount of money refunded, with board meeting approval.

Chapter 2. Members and Employees

(Types of membership)

Article 9. The society shall consist of the following types of membership:

• (1) Honorary membership
• (2) Distinguished service membership
• (3) Regular membership
• (4) Nursing division membership
• (5) Associate membership
• (6) Supporting membership

(Honorary members)

Article 10. Honorary members shall be elected from those who have significantly contributed to the society, in accordance with the bylaws defined elsewhere, and approved by the general assembly of members.

(Distinguished service members)

Article 11. Distinguished service members shall be elected from those who have significantly contributed to the society, in accordance with the bylaws defined elsewhere, and approved by the general assembly of members.

(Regular members)

Article 12. Regular members shall be physicians or medical researchers who agree with the purposes of the society, are approved by a board meeting, and pay the prescribed membership fee.

(Nursing division members)

Article 13. Nursing division members shall be nurses or nursing researchers who agree with the purposes of the society, pay the prescribed membership fee, and are approved by a board meeting.

(Associate members)

Article 14. Associate members shall be medical professions other than physicians or nurses who agree with the purposes of the society, pay the prescribed membership fee, and are approved by a board meeting.

(Supporting members)

Article 15. Supporting members shall be individuals or groups that agree with the purposes of the society and pay the prescribed membership fee. Supporting members shall be selected through recommendations from regular members and approved by a board meeting.

(Admission)

Article 16. A person who wishes to join the society shall submit an application form to the office of the society and pay the annual membership fee.

(Expenses borne by members)

Article 17. Members shall pay expenses for the society.

• 2. The amount to be paid by each member will be calculated from the annual membership fees as defined separately; honorary and distinguished service members shall be exempted from paying annual membership fees.
• 3. Membership fees will not be refunded under any conditions.

(Loss of membership)

Article 18. A member may lose his/her membership status if any of the following apply:

• (1) A notice of withdrawal is submitted to the office
• (2) Delinquency in membership fee payment for over two consecutive years
• (3) Death or adjudication of disappearance
• (4) Dissolution of the group as a member
• (5) Expulsion from membership

(Expulsion)

Article 19. The society may expel or issue a warning to any member who has brought dishonor upon the society or violated the purpose of the society in accordance with a resolution of the general meeting of employees.

• 2. The resolution for expulsion shall be passed by at least three-fourths of all employees with voting rights.

(Employees)

Article 20. Employees of the society, as an intermediary corporation, shall be councilors selected from regular members, or standing committee members selected from the nursing division in accordance with the detailed rules defined elsewhere.

Chapter 3. Officers

(Officers)

Article 21. The society shall appoint the following officials:

• (1) Chairman of the board - 1
• (2) Vice chairman of the board - 1
• (3) Directors of the board ? a small number
• (4) Auditors ? 1 or 2

(Officers for academic conferences)

Article 22. The society shall appoint the following officials for academic conferences:

• (1) President - 1
• (2) Vice presidents - 2

(Selection)

Article 23. Officers of the society shall be selected as follows:

• 1. The chairman of the board shall be elected by and from directors of the board.
• 2. The vice chairman of the board shall be recommended by the board chairman from board directors, and appointed by the board chairman with board meeting approval.
• 3. Directors of the board and auditors shall be elected from regular members at the general meeting of employees in accordance with the bylaws defined elsewhere.

(Selection of officers for academic conferences)

Article 24. Officers of the academic conference shall be selected as follows:

• 1. The president and vice president shall be selected from councilors in accordance with the bylaws defined elsewhere, and approved by the general meeting of members following the resolutions of the board and council meetings.
• 2. The president designate and president to be in office two terms later shall be appointed as the vice president.

(Tasks)

Article 25. Officers of the society shall be in charge of the following tasks:

• 1. The chairman of the board shall represent the society, and manage activities of the society.
• 2. The vice chairman of the board shall assist the board chairman.
• 3. Directors of the board shall execute tasks under the rules of the society.
• 4. Auditors shall audit the society according to the rules of the society.
• 5. The president shall hold academic conferences each year, and the vice president will assist him/her.

(Terms)

Article 26. The terms of office of directors of the board shall end on the final day of the ordinary general meeting held in the last fiscal year within two years from the assumption of office. The terms of office of auditors of the board shall end on the final day of the ordinary general meeting held in the last fiscal year within four years from the assumption of office.

• 2. The chairman of the board may be re-elected and serve for a maximum of three consecutive terms.
• 3. A director of the board appointed to fill a vacancy or as an additional member shall serve for the unexpired term of his/her predecessor or incumbent director.
• 4. An auditor appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the unexpired term of his/her predecessor in office.

Chapter 4. Meetings

(Types of meeting)

Article 27. The society shall hold the following meetings:

• (1) General meeting of members
• (2) General meeting of employees (council meeting)
• (3) Board meeting
• (4) Committee meeting
• (5) Academic conference

(General assembly of members)

Article 28. The chairman of the board shall convene general meetings of members once a year, which will be comprised of honorary, distinguished service, regular, nursing division, and associate members.

(General meetings of employees)

Article 29. General meetings of employees, which will be comprised of councilors and standing committees of the nursing division, shall discuss important issues upon board meeting request.

• 2. General meetings of employees are classified into ordinary general meetings and extraordinary general meetings.
• 3. The board chairman shall serve as the chairman of general meetings of employees.
• 4. Each employee shall have a vote.
• 5. A resolution of the general meeting of employees shall be passed by a majority of the votes of councilors and standing committees of the nursing division unless stated elsewhere in the laws or articles of the society.
• 6. A person will be considered to be in attendance if he/she has submitted voting decisions in written form or delegated his/her voting rights to other councilors or standing committees of the nursing division.
• 7. Honorary and distinguished service members may attend general meetings of employees and express their opinions.
• 8. General meetings of employees will allow the presence of people other than councilors and standing committees of the nursing division if the chairman of the board considers it necessary.

(Ordinary general meetings of employees)

Article 30. An ordinary general meeting shall be convened by the chairman of the board, and held together with an annual academic conference.

(Extraordinary general meetings of employees)

Article 31. The chairman of the board shall convene an extraordinary general meeting if the board of directors or an auditor considers it necessary.

• 2. The chairman of the board must convene an extraordinary general meeting if requested by the majority of councilors and standing committees of the nursing division and issues to be discussed are presented.

(Board of Directors)

Article 32. The board of directors shall consist of the chairman of the board, vice chairman of the board, president of the academic conference, vice president of the academic conference, and directors of the board.

• 2. The chairman of the board shall convene board meetings, and serve as the chair of the meeting.
• 3. The chairman of the board must convene a board meeting if requested by the majority of directors of the board or employees, or at least two auditors.
• 4. Board meetings will allow the presence of people other than board directors if the chairman of the board considers it necessary.

(Committees)

Article 33. The society may establish standing or ad hoc committees as necessary.

• 2. Committee members shall be delegated by the board chairman from members of the society.
• 3. Chairmen of committees shall be delegated by the board chairman with board meeting approval.
• 4. One director of the board shall be delegated by the board chairman to each committee.
• 5. Committee members shall serve for one year, and are not allowed to be re-elected more than five times.
• 6. A person is allowed to be a member of up to three committees.
• 7. Continuation of a committee shall be determined at the council meeting with board meeting approval.

(Academic conferences)

Article 34. The president of the academic conference shall hold meetings annually, and the vice president will assist him/her.

Chapter 5. Nursing Division

(Nursing division)

Article 35. The society has a nursing division.

(General meetings)

Article 36. General meetings of the nursing division shall be held by the president of the nursing division.

(Academic conferences)

Article 37. Academic conferences of the nursing division shall be held by the president of the society.

(Rules of the nursing division)

Article 38. The nursing division may establish rules of the division.

Chapter 6. Day Count

(Fiscal year)

Article 39. The fiscal year of the division shall begin on January 1 of each year and end on December 31.

Chapter 7. Supplementary Rules

(Unexpected matters)

Article 40. Any matter not stipulated herein shall be determined according to the intermediate corporation law and other laws or the bylaws defined elsewhere.

Chapter 8. Supplementary Provisions

(First fiscal year)

Article 41. The first fiscal year of the division shall begin on the date of the establishment of this society and end on December 31, 2005.

(Terms of office of board directors and auditors)

Article 42. The terms of office of directors and auditors of the nursing division shall end on the final day of the ordinary general meeting held in the last fiscal year within one year from the assumption of office.

(First board directors and auditors)

Article 43. Directors of the board and auditors at the time of the establishment of the society shall be as follows:

Chairman of the board	Hiroyuki Hirasawa
Vice chairman of the board	Shousuke Takahashi
Director of the board	Yasufumi Asai Masahiro Shinozaki Nobuyuki Takenaka Jun Takezawa Shousuke Takahashi Kimitaka Tajimi Keiji Tanaka Hiroshi Noguchi Hiroyuki Hirasawa Nobuo Fuke Kiyoshi Morita Hidekazu Yukioka Yuuko Ikematsu Masako Miura Mari Yasumoto
Auditor	Hirotada Katsuya Tsuyoshi Maekawa

(Interim measures)

Article 44. At the point of establishment, members, councilors, and other officers of the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine, a voluntary organization, shall be entitled to assume office without going through specific procedures.

• 2. The chairman and directors of the board and auditors shall follow the necessary procedures stipulated in the articles, and serve until the final day of the ordinary general meeting in 2008.