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PREAMBLE

The International Organisation for the Study of the Endurance of Ropes - OIPEEC - is a non-profit-making association established following a decision of the participants to the International Colloquium on the Fatigue of Ropes (Turin, 7-10 September 1961) who unanimously passed the enclosed proposal, and with the valuable encouragement and help of OITAF and RILEM.

THE ARTICLES

ARTICLE 1 - Aim of the Organisation

The Organisation intends to:

1. investigate and promote all forms of research on the endurance of ropes.
2. collect and disseminate, in collaboration with the persons concerned the results obtained, either with respect to the said researches or those carried out on the same subject but not initiated by the Organisation.
3. to that end keep in touch as closely as possible with individuals and bodies interested in the study of the endurance of ropes.
4. organize and convene all forms of international meeting and colloquia on the same subject.

The term “endurance of ropes” must be here interpreted in its widest meaning, that is to say, to include all the subjects capable of influencing in any way the behaviour of ropes during service.

ARTICLE 2 - International Character of the Organisation

Official Languages

The Organisation has an international character: its members may belong to any nationality.

Its official languages are: German, English, French and Italian.

ARTICLE 3 - Operation of the Organisation

The Organisation acts through the following organs:

• The General Assembly
• The Management Committee
• The Administrative Secretariat
• The Treasury
• The Working Parties

ARTICLE 4 - The General Assembly

The General Assembly is composed of all the ordinary members or their proxies. It is sovereign and can decide any question concerning the activity and operation of the Organisation.

The General Assembly is lawfully convened with full rights by its Chairman in office in ordinary session at least once during every year of odd number date. If circumstances appear to justify it, the General Assembly may be convened at any time in extraordinary session by its Chairman in office. The General Assembly is lawfully convened in extraordinary session if the request is made by at least half of the ordinary members.

The convening notices for either ordinary or extraordinary sessions must be sent out at least sixty days before the date of the opening meeting.

If unable to attend any ordinary member may appoint a proxy of his choice. 

Decisions are taken by a simple majority of the ordinary members present or their proxies.

During every ordinary session the General Assembly appoints its Chairman by election.

It appoints two scrutineers.

It decides the numeral composition of the Management Committee, elects the members of the latter and the auditor; during every ordinary session it studies and discusses the scientific work of the working parties. 

Every person thus appointed by election carries out his functions until the following ordinary session of the General Assembly. Every person is eligible for re-election.

However, the Chairman can be re-elected on only one occasion at the end of his mandate. The Chairman and Vice-Chairman must be chosen from among the ordinary members of the Organisation.

ARTICLE 5 - The Management Committee

The Management Committee looks after the general working of the Organisation between the ordinary sessions of the General Assembly. However, the General Assembly can, during an extraordinary session, remove it from office.

The Management Committee is composed of:

• the Chairman, who is also the Chairman of the General Assembly
• a Vice-Chairman
• a Secretary and a Treasurer, who both can be chosen from outside the members to the Organisation and who, in such a case, will not have a vote in the Management Committee
• one to ten ordinary members in addition to the Chairman and the Vice-Chairman
• Honorary members have the right to attend the Management Committee meetings. They do not have the right to vote.
• The Management Committee may co-opt additional members who have no voting rights in the committee.

The Management Committee is convened by the Chairman.

Its decisions are taken by a majority of the members present.

Decisions can only be made if more than 50% of the voting members are present.

If voting results in a stalemate, the Chairman has a casting vote.

ARTICLE 6 - Different Categories of Membership

The members of the Organisation are either individuals or bodies represented by a person of their choice. The members are divided into ordinary members and honorary members.

ARTICLE 7 - Ordinary members

Ordinary members take part, by right, in the sessions of the General Assembly with the right to speak and vote, but subject to being up to date with their subscription. The Organisation will supply to them all communications and publications as agreed by the Management Committee. Their admission is granted, on their request, by the Management Committee defined in Article 3 and 5 above.

ARTICLE 8 - Honorary Members

Honorary members are persons who have served the Organisation well in its field of investigations or of its activities. Honorary members have all the rights of the ordinary members. Honorary members of the Organisation have the right to attend the Management Committee meetings. Their appointment is decided by the General Assembly on the proposition of the Management Committee.

The Organisation will supply to them, free of charge, all communications and publications.

ARTICLE 9 - Admission

Every new admission will form the subject of a request to the Management Committee which will take a decision, provisionally, until ratification by the General Assembly.

Every request for admission implies unreserved adhesion to the present constitution.

Resignation

Any member can resign at the end of the financial year by giving three month’s notice. The subscription paid will not be refunded.

Expulsion

A member may be expelled by the Management Committee, provisionally, by a majority of the members present. The matter is then submitted for ratification by the General Assembly. The subscription paid will not be refunded.

ARTICLE 10 - Registered Office - Legal Code applicable

The Registered Office of the Organisation is situated at Paris.

The place and date of meetings of the Organisation and of colloquia are decided on each occasion by the Management Committee.

The Organisation, having its Registered Office in France, is subject to French Law. For the application of this constitution the French text is authentic one in all respects.

ARTICLE 11 - Secretary, Treasurer and Auditor

The Secretary is at the permanent disposal of the Chairman for the execution of decisions taken by the General Assembly and the Management Committee and for sending out convening notices. He is entrusted with the management of the Secretariat. He looks after the translation, publication and forwarding of the documents mentioned in Article 8 above. The Management Committee decides upon the number of staff of the Secretariat, the appointment of its members other than the Secretary and on payment - if applicable - of the Secretariat’s staff or of persons working for the Secretariat.

The Treasurer is entrusted with, and responsible for, all financial operations resulting from the Organisation’s functions and for preparing the budgets. He is entrusted with the management of the Treasury. The Management Committee decides upon the number of staff of the Treasury, the appointment of its members other than Treasurer and on payment - if applicable - of the Treasury staff or of persons working for the Treasury.

It is the function of the Auditor to audit the Treasurer’s administration of the funds of the Organisation. The Auditor reports to the General Assembly when required and, in any case, at every ordinary session of the General Assembly.

ARTICLE 12 - Funds of the Organisation

12.1 The income of the Organisation is composed of:

1. Member’s subscriptions;
2. receipts for services based on recovery of expenses;
3. gifts.

The rate of subscription mentioned in paragraph (a) above is determined by the General Assembly. The price to be charge for services, mentioned in (b), is determined by the Management Committee.

12.2 Expenditure

1. The Budget will be decided by the General Assembly based on a proposal from the Treasurer.
2. In any one year, provided the assets of the Organisation exceed twice the Budget the President has the authority to decide on expenditure of up to 10% of the Budget.
3. In any one year, provided the assets of the Organisation exceed twice the Budget the Management Committee has the authority to decide on expenditure of up to 30% of the Budget.

ARTICLE 13 - Working Parties

The working parties are the organs by which the Organisation carries out its scientific work. They are composed of ordinary or honorary members of the Organisation entrusted with the study of individual problems and set up by the Management Committee. Each working party elects from amongst its members, upon the proposal of the Chairman of the Organisation, a rapporteur entrusted with directing its work and reporting on its activity to the Management Committee.

ARTICLE 14 - Modification of the Constitution

Any modification of the Constitution can be decided only in the General Assembly by a two-thirds majority of the ordinary members present or represented.

ARTICLE 15 - Dissolution of the Organisation

The dissolution of the Organisation can be decided only in the General Assembly by a two-thirds majority of the ordinary members present or represented.

The assets, if any, will be disposed of in accordance with the law in force. In no case can the assets be distributed amongst the members.

ANNEXE

INTERNATIONAL COLLOQUIUM 
ON THE FATIGUE OF WIRE ROPES

Turin, 7-10th September 1961

FINAL MOTION

The parties who attended the International Quolloquium on Wire Rope Fatigue, as an immediate consequence of the reports and the debates on the various subjects dealt with - which make up a sound basis for further developments - considering that the problem of endurance of metallic ropes in their various uses, is of vital interest - as demonstrated by the studies effected and that are being carried out in nations all over the world, and considering that, for better knowledge of the problem, a mutual information is necessary as well as a coordination of studies and researches, taking into account the statements of the representatives of the International Organizations OITAF and RILEM, during the Colloquium, express their wishes for the formation of a Permanent International Committee with the office of a general coordination of studies and researches on Wire Rope Fatigue, of the collection of data on experiences of behaviour during service, after coordinating their elaboration, and of divulging results and conclusions.