Constitution
From NOBUGS
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NOBUGS Draft Constitution
This page is only a draft constitution provided as a basis for discussion for the NOBUGS International Advisory Committee. Thus this constitution is not binding in any way.
NOBUGS
The term NOBUGS is a shorthand for New Opportunites for Better User Group Software. The aim of NOBUGS is to foster the collaboration between IT professionals working for X-ray, muon and neutron facilities. The intended benefit of this collaboration is better data acquisition and analysis software which helps user to get the most out of their experiments at such expensive facilities. The activities of the NOBUGS group are supervised by an international advisory commmitee. The activities of the NOBUGS group include but are not limited to:
- The organisation of the NOBUGS Conference
- Fostering collaboration between facilities on software projects.
- Act as a lobbying body for better scientific software
NOBUGS International Advisory Committee Membership
The NOBUGS International Advisory Committee will seek balanced representation of the international community. It strives to include at most one voting representative for each major X-ray, muon or neutron facility. The membership term is not limited. However, if a member of the NOBUGS International Advisory Committee fails to attend two successive NOBUGS conferences the membership in the NOBUGS International Advisory Committee will automatically expire. Each NOBUGS International Advisory Committee member can appoint a substitute to attend a particular meeting or conference.
The committee reserves the right to appoint additional members for a limited period to ensure balanced representation or ensure representation of interested user groups.
Organization
- Accountability
- The NOBUGS International Advisory Committee will ensure that its decisions are both reported on the NOBUGS web site and on the NOBUGS mailing list. The committee conducts its business either electronically through mailing lists and e-mail or through meetings. Committee meetings usually occur during NOBUGS conferences but the committee reserves the right to meet in another context. Mailing lists are public and anyone can subscribe. The archive of the mailing lists must be visible on the web. The NOBUGS International Advisory Committee appoints one officer, the chairman. The chairmans task is to oversee deliberations. The chairmans term of service is two years.
- Voting
- Only members of the NOBUGS International Advisory Committee can vote on all proposals that come under the remit of the committee. However, all debates are conducted publicly and non members are both allowed and encouraged to participate. Topics voted upon require a simple majority unless challenged by a committee member. In the case of a challenge the issue will be presented to the NOBUGS mailing list for a period of one months. After this period a challenge can be overruled with a two thirds majority. The constitution can only be changed by a two thirds majority of the NOBUGS International Advisory Committee. On any issue, at least two thirds of committee members must vote, otherwise the vote is undecided and must be put up for a vote again.
- Conference Organisation
- The NOBUGS International Advisory Committee tasks a local organizing committee with the organization of a NOBUGS conference. The local organizing committee compiles a conference program from the abstracts submitted for presentation at the conference. During the program compilation phase the NOBUGS International Organizing Committee must be consulted through its mailing list. If a conference program conflict cannot be solved through deliberation and consultation, the issue is to be decided through a vote. Any NOBUGS International Advisory Committee member can challenge a conference program decision. Such a challenge must then be decided upon through a vote.
Procedures
The NOBUGS wiki will be used to conduct online votes of current members or the NOBUGS International Advisory Committee. Any committee member can suggest topics on the discussion page of the NOBUGS wiki. Any topics must be accompanied by a page with a sufficient description of the issue. The topic must be announced on the NOBUGS mailing list. After this announcement, the topic is open for discussion for at least one month. Then a vote will be held. The discussion period can be shortened to two weeks by the chairman but only if the issue affects the organisation of an upcoming NOBUGS conference in less then three months time. Such a shortened discussion period must be announced on the NOBUGS mailing lists.
