Chapter 1 General Provisions

Article 1
The operation of the Japanese Gastroenterological Association shall follow the Articles of Incorporation, and in addition, the regulations defined in these Articles of Incorporation Operational Regulations.

Chapter 2 Purpose and Activities

Article 2

• ⑴ As established in Article 2-1 of the Articles of Incorporation, the Association shall hold scientific meetings, such as general assemblies and workshops for members to present their research.
• ⑵ The General Assembly shall be held nationally once a year.

Article 3
The Association shall issue an official journal as established in Article 2-2 of the Articles of Incorporation.

Article 4
The Association shall hold workshops and seminars as supplementary educational programs for physicians as established in Article 2-3 of the Articles of Incorporation.

Article 5
The Association shall hold lectures and workshops and implement specialist certification examinations as part of the specialist certification and training activities established in Article 2-4 of the Articles of Incorporation.

Article 6
The Association shall hold international symposiums and other workshops as international collaboration activities established in Article 2-7 of the Articles of Incorporation.

Article 7

• ⑴ The Association shall hold collaborative activities with related domestic research groups, instruction in clinical trials (phase IV) for medications, and other operations decided by the Board of Directors as activities established in Article 2-8 of the Articles of Incorporation.
• ⑵ Phase IV clinical trials shall be carried out based on rules established separately.
• ⑶ Items related to ethics shall be established in separate rules.

Chapter 3 Accounting

Article 8
Accounting for the Association shall be carried out according to accounting standards for public interest corporations.

Article 9

• ⑴ Preparation of budget and financial statements shall be carried out by the Finance Committee.
• ⑵ The Finance Committee shall draw up a budget necessary to carry out activities listed in Article 1-2 of the Articles of Incorporation, based on requests of the various committees.

Chapter 4 Voting Members

Article 10
In these Operational Regulations, the voting members shall respectively be referred to hereinafter as the “delegates”, and the General Assembly of Voting Members as the “Board of Delegates”, under the Act on General Incorporated Associations and General Incorporated Foundations.

Article 11
Delegate candidates shall be reviewed by the Human Resources Committee based on the selection criteria to be separately defined, resolved by the Board of Directors and approved by the Board of Delegates.

• (a) The term of the delegates shall be five (5) years, and reappointment of delegates shall not be prevented.
• (b) Delegates reaching the age of sixty-five (65) shall retire at the first Board of Delegates held after their sixty-fifth (65th) birthday.
• (c) Initial delegates at the time of establishment of the Association, over the age of sixty-five (65) at the first Board of Delegates, shall retire at the first Board of Delegates held after their sixty-seventh (67th) birthday.
• (d) Delegates who are directors or auditors of the Association when they reach the age of sixty-five (65) shall retire at the Board of Delegates held after their sixty- seventh (67th) birthday.
• (e) The delegate who is the Chairperson of the Board of Directors when reaching the age of sixty-seven (67) and if he or she is in the office for the first term, shall retire at the Board of Delegates to be held after their sixty-ninth (69th) birthday, since he or she has the possibility of being appointed as a director and the Chairperson of the Board of Directors in the following term.

Chapter 5 Trustees

Article 12
The Association shall have trustees (directors, auditors) as established in Article 24 of the Articles of Incorporation to fulfill the purposes and execute activities established in Article 2 of the Articles of Incorporation.

Article 13
Candidates for trustees shall be selected by the Human Resources Committee according to separately established selection criteria, and elected by the Board of Directors.

Article 14
Delegates who have lost their eligibility shall also lose their eligibility as trustees.

Chapter 6 Advisors, Honorary Members, and Meritorious Members

Article 15

• ⑴ Advisors shall be recommended by the Board of Directors and the Board of Delegates.
• ⑵ Meritorious members shall be recommended by the Board of Directors and the Board of Delegates when a trustee (director or auditor) or a delegate reaches the age of retirement. Meritorious members shall have lifetime memberships and there shall be no limit to their number.
• ⑶ Honorary members shall be recommended from among the Meritorious members, by the Board of Directors and the Board of Delegates when former trustees and chairpersons have reached the age of seventy (70). Honorary members shall have lifetime memberships and there shall be no limit to their numbers. When an Honorary member reaches the age of seventy-five (75), a special achievement award (certificate of appreciation, commemorative award) shall be given.

Chapter 7 Directors


Article 16
The term of directors shall not exceed six consecutive years, and the term of auditors shall not exceed eight consecutive years. Directors shall retire at the Board of Delegates after their sixty-seventh (67th) birthday. The director who is the Chairperson when reaching the age of sixty-seven (67) and if he or she is in the office for the first term, shall retire at the Board of Delegates to be held after their sixty-ninth (69th) birthday, since he or she has the possibility of being appointed as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors in the following term.

Chapter 8 Chairperson of the Board of Directors

Chapter 9 Chairperson of the Scientific Meeting, etc.

Article 18
Candidates for the chairperson of scientific meetings (general assembly) shall be selected by the Human Resources Committee according to separately established scientific meeting rules and selection criteria, resolved by the Board of Directors and approved at the Board of Delegates.

• (a) The elected chairperson shall be commissioned by the Chairperson of the Board of Directors.
• (b) The chairperson shall take on duties related to the scientific meeting, etc., and assume responsibility for those.

Chapter 10 Temporary Suspension

Article 19
Regular members may temporarily suspend their membership for a period of one year upon notification to the Association. Years of membership suspension shall not be included in cumulative membership years.

Chapter 11 Bodies and Committees

Article 20

• ⑴ The Association shall have the following bodies and committees to execute activities established in Article 2 of the Articles of Incorporation.
  The committees may set up subcommittees, working groups, etc. as subordinate organizations, as needed.
  
• <Executive Planning Division>
• General Affairs Committee
• News Letter Editorial Committee
• Information Committee
• Finance Committee
• Rules Committee
• Coding and Reimbursement Committee
• Human Resources Committee
• <Scientific Planning Division>
• Scientific Planning Committee
• International Exchange Committee
• Association Journal Committee
  
• Specialist Council Committee
• Certification System Committee
• Association Award Screening Committee
• Each committee shall consist of a director in charge and committee members. The director in charge shall serve as the committee chairperson (moderator), and an assistant chairperson may be assigned as needed.
• ⑵ Committee member candidates shall be selected by the Human Resources Committee considering the opinions of the director in charge and the committee chairperson, and elected by the Board of Directors. However, the persons appointed shall be reported to the Board of Delegates.
• ⑶ The elected committee members shall be commissioned by the Chairperson of the Board of Directors.
• ⑷ The term of committee members in principle shall be two years for a maximum of three terms, or six years.
• ⑸ The term of office for committee members at the time of the Association’s establishment shall be for three years: the first year of establishment, and the following two consecutive years.
• ⑹ In principle, committee meetings will be held more than twice a year.
• ⑺ The committee meeting will come into effect with the attendance of over two-thirds of its constituent members. Members submitting by proxy shall be considered to be in attendance.
• ⑻ Resolution of the committee shall be made by a majority vote of the attending members, and in case of a tie, the committee chairperson shall decide.
• ⑼ The committee shall prepare minutes of each meeting and store them upon obtaining the approval from the director in charge.
• ⑽ The committee shall prepare an annual report at the end of each business year. The annual report of the committee shall be made public with the approval of the Board of Directors and the Board of Delegates.

Article 21
The Chairperson of the Board of Directors or the Board of Directors may set up an advisory committee with a set period of operation.

Chapter 12 Membership Dues

Article 22

• ⑴ In accordance with Article 11 of the Articles of Incorporation, the Association shall establish membership dues as follows:
  • 1. Regular members
    3,000 yen (student member)
    10,000 yen (general member)
    10,000 yen (international member)
    15,000 yen (delegates and above)
    *Student members shall be undergraduates, graduate school students (excluding medical school), foreign students and other equivalent students and must submit required documents to the secretariat.
  • 2. Supporting members
    600,000 yen (supporting member A)
    400,000 yen (supporting member B)
    200,000 yen (supporting member C)
    Discretionary amount (supporting member D)
    10,000 yen (general supporting member)
    
• Membership dues are waived for advisors and honorary members. Membership dues are waived during membership suspension. Membership dues are waived for meritorious members over the age of seventy (70)
• ⑵ Individuals other than physicians and researchers who endorse the purpose of this Association may join as general supporting members. Membership dues for general supporting member shall be the same as regular members.
• ⑶ Membership dues must be paid in one lump sum before the Board of Delegates of the Association for that year.
• ⑷ If dues are not paid by the deadline noted in the item above, official journals will no longer be sent from the second month following the deadline.
• ⑸ Those who default on membership dues for five years will no longer continue to be members unless the unpaid dues are paid in full.

Chapter 13 Secretariat Staff

Article 23
A secretary general shall be assigned as the person responsible for controlling the secretariat.

Article 24
In the absence of the secretary general, the assistant secretary general shall act as proxy for their duties.

Article 25
Staff work regulations shall be established separately.

Chapter 14 Supplementary Provisions

Article 26
These Operational Regulations may be changed by resolution of the Board of Directors.

Article 27
These Operational Regulations shall come into effect on May 29, 2004