Provincial Branch Regulations

Article 1 – Definitions and Terms

1-1- Branch of the Iranian Scientific Association of Waste Engineering and Management: A group consisting of natural and legal persons with relevant education in accordance with the statute of the society (hereinafter referred to as the “Branch of the Society”), which, within the framework and based on the mechanisms of this bylaw, represents the Iranian Scientific Association of Waste Engineering and Management (hereinafter referred to as the “Central Society”) in its province and place of activity.

1-2- Founding Board: A number of regular members of the Central Association who have applied to establish a branch and, after approval by the Central Association’s board of directors, will make the preparations and arrangements for the establishment and operation of the provincial branch in accordance with the terms of these regulations.

Other definitions and terms such as types of membership, general assembly, board of directors, inspectors, etc. are the same as those mentioned in the Central Association’s articles of association.

Article 2- Duties of the Founding Board and holding elections:

2-1- The founding board consists of 3 full members of the association who are applying to establish a provincial branch. After submitting the application and approval by the board of directors of the central association, they will assume the duties of the founding board and the preparations and arrangements for establishing the branch until the board of directors is elected and approved by the central association.

2-2- Submitting an application to form a founding board and a branch of the association is subject to the membership of at least 50 natural or legal persons who meet the conditions for continuous membership and who reside or work in the province or place of establishment of the branch. A list of their specifications (equivalent to the attached form) must be submitted simultaneously with the submission of the application to form a founding board and a branch of the association by the applicants mentioned in paragraph 2-1.

Note: The Central Association’s Board of Directors can decide to change the minimum membership, depending on the capacity and conditions of each province.

2-3- The Founding Board must hold elections for the Association’s branch board within a maximum of 2 months after the approval and confirmation of the Founding Board and the request to form a branch by the Central Association’s Board of Directors.

2-4- The founding board must inform the members of the association branch of the time and place of the board elections through appropriate means, such as publishing advertisements in local newspapers, social networks and cyberspace, the central association media, and sending text messages.

2-5- The founding board must announce in writing the time and place of the elections for the branch board of directors of the association at least 15 days before the elections, in order to dispatch an observer to the central association.

2-6- All attendees at the meeting for the election of the board of directors of the branch of the association (associate members) must have become members of the central association and received a membership number no later than 48 hours before the meeting. In the case of previously confirmed members whose membership has expired, they must have paid their annual membership fee no later than 24 hours before the election.

Note 1: Only regular members of the association will have the right to vote.

Note 2: If the number of members present at the election is less than half plus one, the meeting will not be recognized. In this case, it is necessary for the founding board to hold elections within a maximum of one month after the date of the first meeting, while re-inviting the members, and in this case, the meeting will be convened and elections will be held with any number of members.

2-7- The management of the election meeting at the beginning and at the time of its commencement is the responsibility of the founding board, and at the time of the elections, it is the responsibility of the board of directors (chairman, vice-chairman, and secretary), who are elected by the members at the same meeting.

2-8- Candidates for membership in the board of directors and branch inspectors of the association must submit their written application to the board of directors at the meeting.

Note: The names of the candidates must be listed separately for the board of directors and the inspector, and in alphabetical order at the election venue.

2-9- The members of the board of directors of the association branch include 5 people (3 main members and 2 alternate members) and the inspectors include one main member and one alternate who are elected by the regular members.

Note: The quorum required for nomination to the board of directors is 7 people and for the inspector, at least 2 people.

2-10- During elections, the presence of volunteers and voters at the polling station is mandatory.

Note: Online presence of volunteers and voters will be possible with the approval of the Central Association and the Association Supervisor.

Note: It will be possible to provide a power of attorney regarding candidacy and voters (maximum 2 people).

2-11- Voting must be done in writing or online.

Note: Ballot papers must be signed by the members of the Board of Directors and the Association’s Supervisor before being distributed and the candidate’s name is entered, and the registration of online members’ votes must also be done in the presence of the members of the Board of Directors and the Association’s Supervisor.

2-12- After voting and reading the votes, the majority holders will be included in the minutes in order of votes and will be signed by the Board of Directors and the Supervisor of the Central Association.

Note: Any objection to the manner of holding the elections and the results must be submitted in writing to the Central Association office no later than 72 hours after the elections are held. After reviewing the cases, the Central Association will announce the results no later than one week after receiving the objection.

2-13- If the election is approved by the Central Association Board of Directors, the elected Board of Directors must hold the first meeting of the Board of Directors (no later than 10 days after the approval of the election) to elect the Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Treasurer and introduce them to the Central Association for notification.

Article 3 – General Assembly of the Association Branch

3-1- The formation of the General Assembly of the Association’s branch and its duties and agenda are similar to the conditions stated in the Central Association’s statutes.

Article 4 – Board of Directors of the Association Branch

4-1- The members of the board of directors of the association branch consist of 3 main members and 2 alternate members who are elected by the regular members in accordance with the conditions set forth in Article 2 for a period of 3 years.

4-2- The duties and powers of the Board of Directors of the Association are similar to the conditions stated in the Articles of Association of the Central Association.

Article 5 – Inspector

5-1- One of the regular members of the association branch as the main inspector and one of the regular members as the alternate inspector, who are elected by the regular members and in accordance with the conditions set forth in Article 2 for a period of 3 years.

5-2- The duties of the inspector or inspectors of the association branch will be similar to the conditions stated in the articles of association of the central association and limited to the association branch.

Article 6 – Scientific groups of the Association’s branch

6-1- The branch of the association can form scientific groups and committees in accordance with the conditions set forth in Article 16 of the Central Association’s Articles of Association to operate within a geographical area.

6-2- The structure, goals, and descriptions of tasks and missions of groups and committees are developed and communicated through the Central Association.

Article 7 – Financial matters and other conditions

7-1- The Association’s branches have independent legal and financial personality within the framework of these regulations.

7-2- The branch of the association must, no later than one month after the elections of the board of directors, open a special account in the name of the branch of the association in one of the banks announced by the Central Association and introduce the accounts to the Central Association.

Note 1: All income of the association branch, such as educational, research and consulting services, receiving gifts and donations, must be deposited solely in accounts introduced to the Central Association, and the association branch will not have the right to open accounts under titles other than the association branch or the personal accounts of the board members to receive and deposit income funds without the permission of the Central Association.

Note 2: Membership of the Association’s branch members must be done exclusively through the Central Association’s system, and all membership fees will be deposited into the Central Association’s account.

Note 3: All revenues and income of the association branch must be spent on the purposes of establishing and operating the association branch (subject to Article 5 of the Central Association’s Articles of Association).

7-3- Ten percent of the association’s branch income, such as   income from educational, research, consulting, executive services, and receipt of gifts and donations, etc., belongs to the central association and must be deposited monthly into the central association’s account.

Note: The percentage of the Central Association’s share of the Association’s branch income is determined at the beginning of each year by the Central Association’s Board of Directors.

7-4- All binding documents and securities signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Treasurer of the Association’s branch, along with the seal of the Association’s branch and an official letter signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors or the Vice Chairman of the Association’s branch, will be valid.

7-5-   The Central Association may, at any time it deems appropriate, directly or by employing competent natural and legal persons, conduct an audit of the Association, and the Association’s branches will also be required to cooperate and interact fully in providing information, documents, and documentation requested by the Association or the auditor introduced by the Central Association.

7-6- The legal and financial responsibility for the activities of the association’s branch, such as responding to legal claims, insurance, taxes, etc., lies entirely with the association’s board of directors, and the central association will not be held responsible for any responsibility.

7-7- The income and expenses of the association’s branch must be recorded in legal books and their description must be sent to the central association every year after approval at the general assembly of the association’s branch.

7-8- All financial and non-financial documents and files related to the activities of the association’s branch must be kept at the association’s branch office.

Note: The association branch must, no later than 3 months after the board of directors elections, provide an administrative office with an area of ​​at least 40 square meters and equipped with telephone, internet, computer, and equipment for holding online meetings.

7-9- Whenever it is determined that the Association branch has provided false information, reports, and documents or acted contrary to the provisions of these regulations, the Central Association shall first issue a written warning to the Association branch board of directors, and if the violations are not corrected or repeated, the Central Association shall notify the Association branch inspector of the cases, and the inspector shall, within a maximum of 15 days, examine and, if the reported cases are correct and the violations are confirmed, take action to hold a general assembly and dismiss the board members. Obviously, in the event of any negligence or failure to carry out this process, the Central Association board of directors may directly dismiss the members of the Association branch board of directors and, if necessary, refer the offenders to the judicial authorities.

7-10- In the event of dismissal of the members of the board of directors of the association branch, the founding board must, within a maximum of 15 days, hold a general assembly and elect a new board of directors in accordance with the conditions set forth in Article 2 of these regulations. From the time of dismissal of the board of directors of the association branch until the election of a new board of directors, the affairs related to the association branch will be managed by the central association.

7-11- Organizational communications and correspondence of the Association’s branch are based on the Central Association’s correspondence guidelines, and in order to prevent managerial interference with the Central Association, any organizational communications and correspondence beyond the level of officials and agencies of the province where the Association’s branch operates, including state officials, heads of the three branches of government, ministries, and other agencies higher than the level of the province where the branch operates, are prohibited.

This regulation, consisting of 7 articles and 14 notes, was approved by the Board of Directors of the Iranian Scientific Society of Engineering and Waste Management on 20/08/1403.