Statutes

I. The International Arthurian Society (hereinafter “The Society”) is an association of scholars, teachers, students, and other interested parties, the purpose of which is to encourage the academic study of the history, literature, material transmission, and other forms of artistic expression, medieval and modern, pertaining to the legend of King Arthur and related subject-matter.

II. All scholarly languages have the status of official languages. The administrative communications of the Society will be in English, French, and German. Papers at the triennial international Congress (see § VII  below), as well as articles in the Society’s publications, can be offered in any language deemed appropriate.

III. The Society is a non-profit association. No member or officer of the Society shall derive personal financial gain from its activities. All monies above and beyond operating expenses shall be allocated to scholarly and educational purposes.

IV. The Society shall be administered by an International Bureau, consisting of an International President, an International Vice-President, an International Secretary, an International Treasurer, the Editor (s) of the Society’s principal publications and a Digital Supervisor (see § XI and XIV below). These officers shall be elected by the membership during each Triennial International Congress (see § VII below). Candidates for office may be nominated by the International Bureau or proposed and seconded from the floor by members during the General Assembly of the Congress. Proxy voting is not permitted. The International President and Vice-President may be elected only to a single term of three years. The other members of the International Bureau may serve multiple terms of three years. [In the event that the Triennial International Conference cannot be held, the International Bureau shall organize the elections in an appropriate manner.]

V. The International Bureau shall be advised by an International Committee, consisting of Honorary Presidents of the Society, the Presidents of the National and Regional Branches, and Corresponding Secretaries (see § VI below). The International Bureau and the International Committee shall convene during each Triennial Congress and at any other time as deemed necessary. A Regional Branch is defined as one which represents a geographical area of more than one country.

VI. The Society shall consist of the total membership of National and Regional Branches. Each Branch shall be administered by a Committee, consisting of a President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer, elected every three years by the members of the Branch. Where necessary or desirable, one individual may fulfil more than one position at Branch level. Branches may add other offices, such as those of Vice-President and Bibliographical Secretary, to their Committee, which may also include members-at-large. All officers of National and Regional Branches may serve multiple terms. Each Branch shall convene during the Triennial Congress and at any other time at its discretion. A Corresponding Secretary may represent a country with no Branch.

VII. The Society’s activities shall include, but not be limited to, scholarly publications, and the organization of colloquia, congresses, workshops, and other forms of meeting, for scholarly and educational purposes. The Society’s major gathering shall be its Triennial International Congress, the location of which shall customarily be determined during the General Assembly of the preceding congress. Membership in the Society is a condition of reading a paper at a Triennial Congress; non-members should undertake to join the Society during the Congress at which a paper has been accepted for presentation. [In the event that the Triennial International Conference cannot be held, the International Bureau shall determine the next location in an appropriate manner.]

VIII. The National and Regional Branches shall also, at the discretion of their Committees, hold colloquia and the like for scholarly and educational purposes.

IX. Application for membership in the Society shall normally be made to the National or Regional Branch where an individual resides. Admission to membership shall be at the discretion of the Committee of the Branch in question. Where no convenient National or Regional Branch exists, application may be made to any Branch. Membership may be forfeited by failure to pay annual dues (see § XII below) or criminal activity. Expulsion from the Society shall be determined by the Committee of the National or Regional Branch and the individual informed of the action in writing. E-mail is considered writing in this instance. Those expelled have the right of appeal to a Committee of three members of the Society appointed by the International President; this Committee shall not include members of the Branch Committee which decided on the expulsion.

X. Privileges of membership shall include subscriptions to its principal publications (see § XI below), the prerogative to submit proposals to the International Triennial Congress and Branch conferences, and any other benefits and advantages the Society shall decide to offer.

XI. The Society’s principal publications shall be the annual Journal of the International Arthurian Society (JIAS) and the annual Bibliography of the International Arthurian Society (BIAS), which shall both be the responsibility of an Editor or Editors. When BIAS and JIAS are edited by different individuals, both shall be members of the International Bureau (see § IV above). Both publications may be in digital, online, or print form. Institutions may subscribe to JIAS and BIAS at rates set by the publisher with whom the Society has a contractual arrangement. Such subscribers are not members of the Society and do not have voting rights. Individual copies of issues of JIAS and BIAS may be purchased from the publisher. The Society has the right to undertake and endorse other scholarly and educational publications in any form at the discretion of the International Bureau. National and Regional Branches may issue their own publications.

XII. The level of dues shall be determined by the Committee of each National or Regional Branch or Corresponding Secretary after consultation with the International Bureau. Dues shall cover the cost of producing and distributing JIAS and BIAS, the operating costs of the Society and the Branches, any Branch publications, and such scholarships and subvention-grants as are determined and made available to members for scholarly and educational purposes (see § XIII below). Each National and Regional Branch may also establish different categories of dues (e.g, regular, contributing, patron, student, unwaged).

XIII. Whenever funds permit, the Society shall offer modest subvention-grants for, but not limited to, attendance at the International Triennial Congress. The grants will be announced in BIAS and on the Society’s website (see § XIV below).

XIV. The Society shall have a website containing information about itself, its organization, and activities. The information shall be updated regularly by the International Digital Supervisor.

XV. In any legal or other official matters, the Society shall be represented by the International President or a third party designated by the International Bureau, after consultation with the International Committee.

XVI. These Statutes may be amended only by a two-thirds majority of voting members. Such votes may be held during an International Triennial Congress or at any time by mail, e-mail, or online via the Society’s website. In the case of mail or e-mail votes, ballots shall be addressed to the Branch Secretaries and numbers forwarded to the International Secretary. Proxy voting is not permitted.

XVII. The Society may be dissolved only by a two-thirds majority of voting members. This vote shall be held only by mail, e-mail, or online via the Society’s website. In the case of mail or e-mail votes, ballots shall be addressed to the Branch Secretaries and numbers forwarded to the International Secretary. The vote shall be ratified by the International Bureau and a third party designated by it. Proxy voting is not permitted.

XVIII. Upon dissolution of the Society, its financial and material assets shall be disposed of equitably by the International Bureau or its agents and allotted only to scholarly and educational purposes. No person shall make financial gain from the dissolution of the Society.