CHANGES TO THE CONSTITUTION OF ICBEN

(From the meeting of the Commission of July 2008 in Connecticut, U.S.A.)

As part of the congress held in Connecticut in July 2008, the commission met and gave extensive consideration to a number of suggested changes to the Constitution.

The result of each vote for constitutional change is recorded in the Table 1. For proposed changes to the Constitution it should be noted that a motion is only carried with 2/3 majority support. It should also be noted that several of these motions have changed from the intent expressed in the document sent out for consideration prior to the meeting. These changes reflect changes offered at the meeting and the wording recorded in Table 1 is as per motion voted on by the Commission.

The Commission also considered a number of proposed policy changes, with five being submitted for formal vote. These motions and the results of the vote are recorded in Table 2.

Dr. Soames R. F. Job
August 2008

These changes constitute the largest revision of the Constitution, and only the second occasion of revision in the 30 years since the Constitution was approved in 1978.

The new constitution with the modifications duly passed by vote is reproduced below. The modifications to the Constitution do not include the policy changes in Table 2, Instead a new document called ICBEN Policies (below) was created. It should be viewed quite differently from the constitution, distinguished by the following features:

1. It should be much less formal and open to reasonably regular review to reflect the optimum operating conditions for ICBEN to achieve its aims within the changing conditions existing at the time.
2. It must not be inconsistent with the constitution.
3. It can be modified or extended by simple vote of the Commission, taken either formally at a meeting of the Commission or informally by e-mail.
4. Such votes may be instigated by support of any two of the officers of ICBEN. Naturally, all contributors to ICBEN may, and should, offer suggestions for change or addition.

CONSTITUTION
(approved: September 1978; revised: August 1988 and July 2008)

ARTICLE I. Name
The name of this organization shall be the International Commission on Biological Effects of Noise (also referred to as the ICBEN or the Commission). The working groups within the ICBEN shall be the International Noise Teams (also referred to as the INT or the Teams).

ARTICLE II. Object
The object of the Commission shall be to encourage international cooperation in the study of the biological effects of noise; to promote communication among research scientists, governmental agencies, industrial workers and managers, and other parties and entities concerned with noise and noise effects; and to stimulate the exchange and dissemination of information about the biological effects of noise.

ARTICLE III. Finances
The officers and the Executive Committee are authorized to solicit funds in support of the activities of the ICBEN.

ARTICLE IV. Officers
Section 1. Appointment. The officers of the ICBEN shall be the Chairman, the Past Chairman, the Co-chairman, and the Secretary, each to serve for three-year terms. The Executive Committee, by a majority vote, shall elect (or re-elect) the Chairman, Co-chairman, and Secretary. Announcement of these appointments shall be made during the business meeting that is held during the Congress. Following the announcement, the Chairman shall assume the office of Past Chairman. No person shall hold the same office for longer than two terms.
Section 2. Interim Appointments. The Co-chairman shall succeed to the office of Chairman should an interim vacancy in that office occur. After consultation with the Executive Committee, the Chairman shall appoint a new Co-chairman or a new Secretary should an interim vacancy in either of those offices occur. An interim appointee in any office shall serve the remainder of the three-year term and shall be eligible for a full-term appointment to the same office. A vacancy in the office of Past Chairman shall remain vacant.
Section 3. Removal from Office. Should the Executive Committee determine by a two-thirds majority that any officer is performing the duties of office inadequately, it may remove that person from office and elect another person to complete the term. The new officer shall be eligible for a full-term appointment to the same office just as any interim appointee would be.
Section 3.1. Should the Chairman determine that the Chair or Co-chair of any team is not performing his/her duties, then, with the support of the majority of ICBEN Officers, the Chairman may remove and replace that Team Chair or Co-chair.

ARTICLE V. Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall be composed of the officers, all former Past Chairmen of ICBEN, the Chairmen and Co-chairmen of the INTs, and no more than six other people appointed by the Chairman of the ICBEN. The Executive Committee shall have general supervision over the affairs of the ICBEN and the INTs and shall perform such other duties as are specified in this Constitution.

ARTICLE VI. Meetings
Section 1. Congress. The ICBEN shall sponsor and conduct a Congress every third year. The proceedings of the Congress shall be published.
Section 2. Business Meeting. A business meeting shall be scheduled during each Congress for the purpose of announcing the appointment of new officers, of nominating new INT Chairmen and Co-chairmen, and of receiving reports; and for any other business that might arise. Anyone may attend and participate in the business meeting.
Section 3. Other Meetings. Conferences for planning the Congress and meetings that may be useful or necessary for conducting the business of the ICBEN may be called by any officer or by any five members of the Executive Committee.
Section 4. Notice. Written notice of any meeting must be sent to every member of the Executive Committee at least four weeks prior to that meeting. The notice should include information about the time and place of the meeting and should also include a statement of the meeting's purpose.

ARTICLE VII. International Noise Teams
Section 1. Formation. With the approval of the Executive Committee, a new International Noise Team may be formed to study and to communicate information about a special aspect of the biological effects of noise. Each team shall be responsible for the portion of the Congress program that is dedicated to surveys, reviews, and studies of that special aspect for which it was formed, as well as for communications with governments, industries, workers, scientists, and other concerned parties and entities both as part of the Congress program and as part of the Team's work during the period between Congresses. Each team (via the Chair and Co-chair) must contribute to the organisation of the Congress.
Section 2. Chairmen and Co-chairmen. With the approval of the Executive Committee, the Chairman of the ICBEN shall appoint a Chairman and a Co-chairman for each INT. These two people shall not be citizens of the same country except with special authorization from the Executive Committee. No person shall serve as Chairman or Co-chairman of a Team for more than two three-year terms.
Section 3. Team Membership. With the approval of the Executive Committee, the Chairman and Co-chairman of each Team shall appoint Team members. There is no set limit to the number of members of a Team. There is no set limit to the number of members from any one country.

ARTICLE VIII. Alumni Members
Team members and Commission officers, upon the completion of their terms, become Alumni Members of the ICBEN and should be kept informed of Team and Commission activities and, when appropriate, should be consulted by Team Chairmen and Co-chairmen.

ARTICLE IX. Sponsorship and Affiliation
The Executive Committee may, by a two-thirds vote, elect to accept sponsorship for the ICBEN, for any INT, or for any ICBEN or INT activity from any other organization. The Executive Committee may, by a two-thirds vote, elect to accept affiliation with any other organization.

ARTICLE X. Amendment of the Constitution
Any amendment of this Constitution shall require the affirmative vote of two thirds of the members of the Executive Committee.

AGREED POLICY POSITIONS FOR ICBEN

POSITION I. Changing policy
Policy positions may be changed by a simple majority vote of the ICBEN executive.

POSITION II. International Noise Teams
The Executive Committee has agreed to the following teams, sub-teams and revised names.

POSITION III.
With the changes away from limiting the number of members in the teams and the number of members from one country, Team Chairs and Co-Chairs explicitly aim to maximise the number of countries represented in their teams.

POSITION IV.
ICBEN aims to develop stronger links with other international organisations, including WHO and I-INCE.

POSITION V.
ICBEN aims to address noise research and policy issues of concern to developing countries.

POSITION VI.
The name of Team 9 is changed to "Noise Policy and Economics."

POSITION VII.
A sub-team be created within Team 9, to address economic costs of noise.