CONSTITUTION OF THE NORDIC RESPIRATORY ACADEMY (NORA)

Article I - NAME
The name of the organization shall be "The Nordic Respiratory Academy (hereafter referred to as the "Academy"). The Academy shall be governed by these Statutes and the articles of the Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish or Icelandic Civil Code.

Article II - INCORPORATION
Section 1. The Academy shall incorporate Stockholm, Sweden, Oslo, Norway, Helsinki, Finland, Copenhagen, Denmark and Reykjavik, Iceland.

Section 1a. The Baltic countries are affiliated with the Academy.

Section 2. English shall be the official language of the Constitution and Bylaws.

Section 3. The congress venues will locate to the Nordic countries, i.e. Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Officers of the Academy will come from these countries.

Article III - PURPOSE
The object of this Academy shall be to foster academic respiratory medicine including respiratory allergology among scientific and medical disciplines in the Nordic countries, by promoting education, research, training and improvement of clinical practice.

Article IV - MEMBERSHIP
Anyone who has acquired a Ph.D. or equivalent and is academically active in the field of respiratory medicine in the Nordic Countries and is a member of any of the Nordic Lung Associations is considered a member of the Academy.
Application about membership should be sent to the Executive Committee.

Article V - OFFICERS
The officers of the Academy constituting the Executive Committee, shall consist of a President, a Secretary-General, and the Editor in Chief of the Journal (see Bylaws, Article II) and two members-at-large from each country. The members are appointed as representatives of the national societies. The officers shall serve one term from the end of one Congress (see Bylaws, Article I) to the end of the following Congress. The Presidency will circulate between the Nordic countries in alphabetical order. No one may be a member of the executive committee for more than six years. In the event of the death, permanent incapacity, or resignation of the President a member from the same country shall succeed to the Presidency for the un-expired portion of the President's term.

Article VI - DUTIES
Section 1. The General Assembly shall constitute the governing body of the Academy. It shall formulate bylaws, rules, and regulations and shall have all judicial and executive functions common to a scientific organization. It shall have final control over the policies and affairs of the Academy and over the actions of the Executive Committee and of all other committees, which might have been appointed. The General Assembly shall meet in connection with the Nordic Congress.
An extra-ordinary general assembly might be called upon by the executive committee or by a written request from at least one third of the members.

Section 2. The Executive Committee shall conduct the usual business of the Academy in the intervals between Congresses. It shall recommend the time and the place of the Congress and submit it for approval to the General Assembly. In case of war or other emergency preventing action by the General Assembly, the Executive Committee may take over the function of the General Assembly and shall continue in office until the emergency is over and until a meeting of the General Assembly can be held. Its actions during such emergency shall be subject to approval by the General Assembly.

Section 3. The President shall preside over all meetings of the General Assembly and of the Executive Committee. With the consent of the Executive Committee, he shall appoint the members of special committees.
The Secretary-General shall keep records of the meetings of the Executive Committee and the General Assembly. He shall keep a list of all Members and prepare an Annual Report dealing with the activities of the Academy and submit it to the Executive Committee and to the General Assembly. He shall send out notices of meetings and other communications.
The Secretary shall receive all dues and other monies and shall pay all debts therewith. He shall render a yearly financial account based on a professional audit and submit it to the Executive Committee and the General Assembly.
The Editor in Chief shall be responsible for the official publication of the Academy, The Clinical Respiratory Journal.

Article VII- ELECTIONS
The officers of the Executive Committee shall be elected by the General Assembly at its regular business meeting. The manner of election shall be as followed: A Nominating Committee consisting of the President and one member from each Nordic Country, shall be appointed by the President subject to the approval of the Executive Committee at least twelve (12) months prior to each meeting of the General Assembly. The Nominating Committee shall submit its nominations for the officers of the Executive Committee to each Member at least ninety (90) days prior to the meeting of the General Assembly as officers must be from the list of Members of the Academy. At the time of election of officers, additional nominations may be made by Delegates from the floor. A majority vote of the members of the General Assembly shall constitute an election.

Article VIII - VACANCIES
In the event of a vacancy in the office of Secretary-General, or Editor in Chief, the Executive Committee shall have the power to fill the vacant position for the un-expired term.

Article IX - EXPULSIONS
A Member may be expelled from membership in the Academy for any action considered against the best interests of the Academy. Such expulsion requires the following procedure: a) A written complaint filed with the Executive Committee by three (3) Delegates. b) The opportunity presented to the Member to defend himself/herself in person or in writing before the Executive Committee. c) If the Executive Committee considers the complaint justifiable, the General Assembly will be asked to act as a trial Board. d) A three quarters vote of the Assembly will be required for expulsion.

Article X - AMENDMENTS
The Constitution may be amended by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the members present at a meeting of the General Assembly, provided that the proposed amendment must bear the signatures of at least five (5) members and provided further that the proposed amendment so signed shall be submitted to all Delegates at least ninety (90) days prior to the meeting at which the vote is to be taken.

Article XI - Dissolution of Academy
Three quarters majority at two general assemblies is for dissolution of the Academy. The assets of the Academy will be transferred to a research and/or a humanitarian organisation, following a majority vote of the last general assembly.

Article XI - Confirmation of Bylaws and constitution
The Bylaws and the Constitution of NORA must be confirmed by the Nordic Lung associations