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Article 1st
Name
The Real Sociedad Geográfica is the sucessor of Sociedad Geográfica
de Madrid and of Sociedad Española de Geografía Comercial
created in 1876 and 1885, respectively, in the capital city of Spain.
Article 2nd
Type
The Real Sociedad Geográfica is a scientific and autonomous
entity. Under the Third Article of Order dated February 18th, 1901, it
is a Public Education Institution and it will be governed by these Statutes
to be forwarded to the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science and made
public in the Official Gazette.
Article 3rd
Objectives
Its objectives are to promote geographical knowledge progress
and disemination in all its branches and applications to social, political
and economic life.
Its studies will be devoted to the Spanish lands and those of the peoples
linked to Spain by language and other reasons.
Article 4th
Means
The Real Sociedad Geográfica is to meet its goals by means of public
meetings and conferences, drawing of the reports and consultations requested
by official entities, as well as of opinions on Geography teaching plans
and methods, and on the books, maps and other material employed; Geographical
Congresses; public or private discussions of all kind of scientific, political
or administrative geographically-related matters, and the publication
of periodicals and of detailed and doctrinal works in a geographical collection.
It is to keep relations with other geographical Societies and Entities
devoted to similar studies, and it is to give its support and any possible
scientific advise to travellers and scientists. A library will collect
and keep the publications acquired and exchanged.
Article 5th
Members
The society is made up by an undetermined number of members, notwithstanding
their domicile, and foreigners are to be accepted under the same conditions
than Spanish nationals.
Article 6th
Classes of members
Ordinary member.- Those members that, after meeting signing-in requisites,
join the Society and pay the membership as well as the yearly fees.
Life members.- Those members that, after meeting signing-in requisites,
join the Society and pay the membership as well as a single fee set by
the General Meeting.
Patrons and collaborating entities and members.- Those public or private
entities and people who give the Society a periodic aid (over 50,000 Pta)
or who donate some relevant publications to the Library.
Student members.- Those people studying in the University
or College Schools or any similar centres and who can prove their condition.
Fees must be set by the General Meeting.
Article 7th
Rights and duties
Members will get the the Statutes and the publications and they are entitled
to attend to all the meetings and public events, and to make use of the
Library.
Those members meeting the terms required by the special Rules (attached
below) adopted by the Board of Directors on November 16th, 1886, can display
the Medal, the Society badge.
The General Meeting, at the proposal of the Board of Directors, is to
modify the fees referred to in Article 6th when the buying power of money
has varied much.
Student members are to get the Statutes and the Newsletter and they are
entitled to attend and to collaborate in the public events.
Article 8th
Member admission
People can join the Sociedad at their own request or at their
presentation by a member; members will be admitted by the Board of Directors
or by an ordinary General Meeting.
Article 9th
Honorary members
A honorary membership may be awarded to those individuals that
have rendered outstanding and exceptional services to this Society or
to Science.
Honorary members have voice and vote in the meetings and General Meetings
they attend; they are excused of every fees and will get the Society publications.
Article 10th
Corresponding honorary members
Any foreigners who have distinguished themselves by their geographical
works or explorations may be appointed corresponding honorary members.
They will be excused of every fees and will get the publications.
Article 11th
Corresponding members
Any Spanish or foreign person, author of useful geographical
publications or who has forwarded to the Society a relation of his/her
travels, may be appointed a corresponding member.
Corresponding members have voice and vote in the General Meetings and
other meetings they attend to, and they will be excused of the membership
fees. They must pay the annual fees, as any other member, to get the Society
publications.
Article 12th
Honorary presidents
Those members who are outstanding by their merit or work for
the Sociedad, and who have held for at leas six years the office of President
or Vice-president may become Honorary President. They will enjoy all the
rights and exemptions awarded to Honorary members in Article 9th above.
Article 13th
Appointment of honorary and corresponding members
The honour referred to in the four previous Articles will be
awarded at the written proposal of at least three members by the secret
vote of the Board of Directors or the ordinary General Meeting.
Article 14th
Board of Directors
The Society is managed and represented by the Board of Directors,
made up by a President, four Vice-Presidents, a Secretary-General, two
Deputy Secretaries, a Treasurer, a Librarian and twenty-four Directors.
All the exPresidents and the Honorary Presidents can attend the Board
meetings, with voice and vote.
Born-Directors of the Board may be the Heads, Directors or Presidents
of the Official Centres and Committees of the Civil Administration and
of the Army, Navy and Air Force where geographical, meteorological, mapping
and other similar works are carried out. Other born-directors will be
those Spanish geographers who are or had been members of the Executive
Committee of the International Geographical Union or of the Instituto
de Cooperación Iberoamericana. Appointments will be adopted by
the ordinary General Meeting, at the Board of Directors' proposal.
Article 15th
Secretary, Treasurer and Librarian
The Secretary-General is to implement the resolutions taken by
the Board of Directors. He/she is also to follow the publications, to
attend to the correspondence and to deal with the inner management of
the Society.
The Deputy Secretaries are to help the Secretary-General in his/her functions
and will replace him/her in his absences and sick leaves.
The Treasurer is in charge of the Society's economic management.
The Librarian is to look after the Library maintenance and
catalogue.
Article 16th
Term of office
Board of Directors' offices are for four years, and they can
be re-elected. The Board is to be renewed by half every two years. The
first half is to include the first and third Vice-Presidents, the Secretary
and the second Deputy Secretary. the Librarian and the odd-numbered Directors.
The second half is to include the President, the second and fourth Vice-Presidents,
the first Deputy Secretary, the Treasurer and the even-numbered Directors.
If there is a vacancy, the Board may cover it interimly until the next
General Meeting when the election will take place. In that case, the post
will be held for the remaining time.
Article 17th
Presidency and Secretary
All the General Meetings and other meetings will be chaired by
the Society President, if he is present, or by one of the Vice-Presidents
or a Director. The chair will decide with its casting vote in those cases
of tied votes.
In the Meetings the Secretary-General or one of the Deputies Secretary
will act as the secretary; if none of them is present, the Librarian or
a designated Director will act as such.
Article 18th
Sections
The Board of Directors will set Sections to which the members
may freely enter. The object of said Sections is to study certain geographical
specialities and, in general, those corresponding to the Commissions,
Working Groups and Study Groups set by the International Geographical
Union.
Article 19th
Commissions
At the proposal of the Board of Directors, the President may
create Commissions to study certain matters, made up by members and chaired
by a Director.
Article 20th
Board meetings and functions
The Board of Directors is to meet whenever they think fit and
is in charge of all the matters related to the direction and management
and publications of the Sociedad. Another of its functions is to appoint
the auxiliary and subaltern personnel. The number and salary of the employees
will be set by the Board, after being informed by the Secretary and the
Treasurer.
Article 21st
Meetings of the Society
The Sociedad is to hold ordinary meetings in dates previously
set. From June 15th till September 15th, meetings will be suspended. The
President, per himself or at the request of two Vice-Presidents or of
six Directors or of twenty members, will call the extraordinary meeting.
Article 22nd
The Ordinary General Meeting
An Ordinary General Meeting will take place every year in June.
The Secretary-General will read aloud the Activities Report and, at the
Treasurer's proposal, the Meeting will approve the accounts for the previous
year and the estimated budget for the next year.
Article 23rd
The Extraordinary General Meeting
An Extraordinary General Meeting will be held when the Board
of Directors so decides or at the request of, at least, twenty members.
In both cases, it must be called with fifteen days of advance, and its
agenda must always be published. Members attendance must be at least of
fifty members in the first call; if it is not enough, the second call
will take place within eight days in the same manner. Resolutions will
be valid in second call when taken by the majority of attending members.
Second call attendance has a minimum of 30 members.
Article 24th
Elections
Board of Directors' offices will be elected in the Ordinary General
Meeting through a secret vote and by a majority of votes. Vote by mail
will be accepted under the adequate guarantees. The Secretary-General
is to send to all the members the list of candidates and the corresponding
ballots at least with thirty days in advance.
Board of Directors' lists of candidates must include at least ten members
and must be in the hands of the Secretary-General at least 45 days before
the election date.
Article 25th
Dismissal and replacement of the Board of Directors
The elected Directors that do not attend justifiedly to five
or more Board meetings in a year will be dismissed. Born-directors may
delegate on a member of the represented entity when they can not attend
to Board meetings.
Article 26th
Dissolution of the Sociedad
The society can only be dissolved by an Extraordinary General
Meeting, held by decision of an Ordinary General Meeting, that has decided
unanimously that the society does not fulfill anymore the objectives it
was created for.
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