The name of the organisation is the International Society for Research on Solitude.
The organisation’s objects are:

1 to promote high quality research into all aspects of ‘aloneness’ (including solitude, silence and loneliness), from any academic discipline or field;

2 to encourage emerging researchers to undertake such research;

3 to disseminate the results of such research, for example by means of seminars, through contacts and exchange between members and by publication;

4 to influence professional and practice settings of relevance to the various aspects of aloneness research.

In furtherance of the objects but not otherwise the Committee of the ISRS may exercise the following powers:

1 to raise funds and to invite and receive contributions provided that in raising funds the Committee shall not undertake any substantial permanent trading activities and shall conform to any relevant requirements of the law;

2 to co-operate with other organisations operating in furtherance of the objects or of similar purposes and to exchange information and advice with them;

3 to establish or support any other organisations formed for all or any of the objects;

4 to appoint and constitute such advisory groups as the Committee may think fit;

5 to do all such other lawful things as are necessary for the achievement of the objects.

Members of the ISRS:

1 Membership of the ISRS shall be open to persons of any nationality interested in the objects of the ISRS and competent to contribute to the furtherance of the objects as judged by the peer review process as determined by the Committee from time to time, and who have paid any required annual subscription, laid down from time to time by the Committee.

2 Every member shall have one vote.

3 The Committee may by unanimous vote and for good reason terminate the membership of any individual, provided that the individual concerned shall have the right to be heard by the Committee, accompanied by a friend, before a final decision is made.

The Committee:

1 At the annual general meeting of the ISRS the members shall elect from amongst themselves a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and such additional officers as may be determined by the members from time to time, which elected, honorary, persons shall hold office from the conclusion of that meeting until the next meeting.

2 The Committee shall consist of at least four members, including the officers specified in the preceding clause.

3 The Committee may in addition appoint not more than three co-opted members but so that no-one may be appointed as a co-opted member if, as a result, more than one-third of the members of the Committee would be co-opted members. Each appointment of a co-opted member shall be made at meeting of the Committee, and shall take effect from the end of that meeting unless the appointment is to fill a place which has not been vacated in which case the appointment shall run from the date when the post becomes vacant.

4 All the members of the Executive Committee shall retire from office together at the end of the annual general meeting, but they may be re-elected or re-appointed.

5 The proceedings of the Committee shall not be invalidated by any vacancy among their number or by any failure to appoint or any defect in the appointment or qualification of a member.

6 Nobody shall be appointed as a member of the Committee who is aged under 18 or who would if appointed be disqualified under the provisions of the following clause.

7 No person shall be entitled to act as a member of the Committee whether on a first or on any subsequent entry into office until after agreeing in writing their acceptance and of willingness to act in the interests of the ISRS.

8 A member of the Executive Committee shall cease to hold office if he or she is disqualified from acting as a member under relevant laws; becomes incapable by reason of mental disorder, illness or injury of managing and administering his or her own affairs; is absent without the permission of the Committee from all their meetings held within a period of two years and the Committee resolve that his or her office be vacated; or notifies to the Committee a wish to resign (but only if at least three members of the Committee will remain in office when the notice of resignation is to take effect).

9 No member of the Committee shall acquire any interest in property belonging to the ISRS or receive remuneration or be interested (otherwise than as a member of the Committee) in any contract entered into by the Committee.

10 The Committee shall hold at least one ordinary meeting (face-to-face or by means of electronic communication) every year. A special meeting may be called electronically at any time by the President, Vice-President, the Secretary or by any two members of the Committee upon not less than four days’ notice being given to the other members of the Committee of the matters to be discussed, but if the matters include an appointment of a co-opted member, then not less than 21 days’ notice must be given.

11 The President, Vice-President or Secretary shall act as chair at meetings of the Executive Committee. If the President, Vice-President or Secretary are absent from any meeting, the members of the Committee present shall choose one of the number to be chair of the meeting before any other business is transacted.

12 There shall be a quorum when at least one-half of the number of members of the Committee are present (in person or electronically) at a meeting.

13 Every matter shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members of the Committee present or participating and voting on the question but in the case of equality of votes the chair of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.

14 The Committee shall keep minutes of the proceedings at meetings of the Committee and any sub-Committee.

15 The Committee may from time to time make and alter rules for the conduct of their business, and the summoning and conduct of their meetings. No rule may be made which is inconsistent with this constitution.

16 The Treasurer will prepare annual accounts of the ISRS, to be presented for provisional approval by the Committee, and the Committee will recommend accounts for approval by the annual general meeting.

17 The President will prepare an annual report of the ISRS, to be presented for provisional approval by the Committee, and the Committee will recommend the annual report for approval by the annual general meeting.

Annual general meeting

1 There shall be an annual general meeting of the ISRS which shall be held in the month of May in each year or as soon as practicable thereafter.

2 Every annual general meeting shall be called by the Committee. The Secretary shall give at least 21 days’ notice of the annual general meeting to all the members of the ISRS. All the members of the ISRS shall be entitled to attend and vote at the meeting.

3 Any member of the Committee can be asked by the President to chair the annual general meeting.

4 The Committee shall present to each annual general meeting the annual report and the accounts of the ISRS for the preceding year.

5 Nominations for election to the Committee must be made by members of the ISRS in writing and must be in the hands of the Secretary at least 14 days before the annual general meeting. Should nominations exceed vacancies, election shall be by ballot.

6 The Committee may call a special general meeting of the ISRS at any time. Such meetings may take place through personal attendance or electronically. If at least ten members request such a meeting in writing stating the business to be considered the secretary shall call such a meeting. At least 21 days’ notice must be given. The notice must state the business to be discussed. Votes may be registered electronically.

7 The secretary or other person specially appointed by the Committee shall keep a full record of proceedings at every general meeting of the ISRS.

8 There shall be a quorum when at least one-tenth of the number of members of the ISRS for the time being or ten members of the ISRS, whichever is the greater, are present at any general meeting or participate when a meeting is conducted electronically.

Alterations to the Constitution:

1 Subject to the following provision of this clause the Constitution may be altered by a resolution passed by not less than two-thirds of the members present (in person or electronically) and voting at a general meeting. The notice of the general meeting must include notice of the resolution, setting out the terms of the alteration proposed.

2 If the Committee decides that it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the ISRS it shall call a meeting of all members of the ISRS, of which not less than 21 days’ notice (stating the terms of the resolution to be proposed) shall be given. If the proposal is confirmed by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting the Committee shall have power to realise any assets held by or on behalf of the ISRS. Any assets remaining after the satisfaction of any proper debts and liabilities shall be given or transferred to such other institutions having objects similar to the objects of the ISRS as the members of the ISRS may determine or failing that shall be applied for some other charitable purpose.

Until the first annual general meeting takes place:

1 Until the first annual general meeting takes place this constitution shall take effect as if references in it to the Committee were references to the persons whose signatures appear at the bottom of this document.

This constitution was adopted on the date mentioned below by the persons whose signatures appear at the bottom of this document.

Julian Stern

Małgorzata Wałejko

Rafał Iwański