Articles of Constitution

(as approved in 1990, with amendments in 1993)  

1. §. Name and address of Association

(1)  Name of the Association: Magyar Geofizikusok Egyesülete (MGE)

In English: Association of Hungarian Geophysicists

In German: Ungarische Geophysikalische Gesellschaft

In French: Association des Géophysicistes Hongrois

In Russian: Obshtsestvo Vengerskich Geofizikov
(2) Place of residence of the Association: Budapest
(3) Seal of the Association: The globe with the Eötvös torsion balance in the middle, encircled by the name and year of foundation of the Association.
(4) The Association is an independent corporate body

(1) The Association of Hungarian Geophysicists embraces experts engaged in various areas of geophysics and related sciences.
(2) The Association provides opportunities for the members to exchange and describe their know–how, experience and achievements and also undertakes promotion of the professional interests of its members.
(3) The Association cooperates with other Hungarian, foreign and international technical–scientific associations, federations and organizations.
(4) The Association helps solving the professional tasks of institutions engaged in or associated with the field of geophysics.

3. §. Activities of the Association
(1) In the spirit of the traditions of Hungarian geophysics, in order to raise the scientific and technical standard, and also with the purpose of applying scientific achievements in practice:
a) it stages presentations, seminars, conferences, symposia and discussions;
b) it issues a scientific journal;
c) it organizes contests to solve technical and scientific problems;
d) elaborate expert opinions and accepts commissions.
(2) Monitors and assists the training and vocational training of experts and maintains close contacts with the university departments.
(3) It devotes special attention to the integration of young specialists into the Association and profession.
(4) Keeps contacts with international and national scientific associations. The Association may be the member of international organizations.
(5) For the purpose of recognizing performance within the profession and in the Association, it founds and presents awards (the regulations on presenting awards are given as an enclosure to this Articles) and establishes foundations.


(1) The Association may have regular, corporate and honorary members.
(2) The regular member of the Association may be a Hungarian or foreign citizen, who supports the objectives of the Association and reports the intention to become a member to the Council, after obtaining recommendation from two Association members.
(3) A corporate member may be any institution and company asking for admission.
(4) The honorary member of the Association may be a Hungarian or foreign citizen, who has made outstanding achievements in geophysics or in its related scientific fields or in supporting the Association’s objectives.

5. §. Admission of members
(1) The admission of members is approved by the Council on the basis of the admission statement supported by the recommenders’ signatures.
(2) A honorary member is elected by the Council.
(3) Council decides on the admission of corporate member.

6. §. The members’ rights
(1) Members of the Association may participate in the presentations, conferences, discussions, etc. staged by the Association and with a voting right in the General Meetings, and may be elected to any post.
(2) Under mandate from the Association, they may participate in international conferences, foreign study tours, etc.
(3) A corporate member may request the Association to hold presentations, synopsis and discussions at this company or institution, for the vocational training of the employees there and also for contributing to tackling the scientific problems this company or institution has.
(4) If a resolution eventually breaching the law is made, the member may appeal against this in Court, within 30 days.
(5) The members of the Association may be members of any other domestic or foreign (international) professional organizations as well.

7. §. Duties of members
(1) The members of the Association are obliged to observe the Articles of Constitution and the norms of Code of Ethics.
(2) They pay annual dues (every quarter–year or one amount for a full year) the extent of which is determined by the General Meeting.
(3) A member may report his intention to resign to the Secretariat, with previous notice.
(4) On the basis of an agreement, the corporate member supports the Association financially (corporate membership fee) and also in other ways.

8. §. Discharging from the Association and removal from the register of members
(1) The Council has the right to discharge, on the basis of the opinion submitted by the Commission set up by the Council, any person who has been effectively sentenced on the grounds of committing an offense against the Criminal Code or a person who has seriously breached the Articles of Constitution of the Association.
(2) By the resolution of the Council, a person will be removed from the register of members, if it does not pay the accrued dues, even when repeatedly called upon to do so.


(1) General Meeting
(2) Council

10. §. The General Meeting
(1) The supreme body of the Association is the General Meeting consisting of the Association members.
(2) The General Meeting is convened once per annum, in the early part of the year (until middle of April) the latest. The Meeting is called by the Council and the arrangements are controlled by the by–laws of the Association.
(3) The functions of the General Meeting are:
a) receives a report from the Council on the annual operations and financial situation of the Association;
b) determines the most important tasks for the Association;
c) discusses the annual budget of the Association and decides on the foundations on their amounts;
d) discusses and approves the Association’s Articles of Constitution and its amendments as and when necessary;
e) may set up regional chapters and sections;
f) determines the annual dues;
g) elects the following leading officers of the Association:– the first Vice–President (the President for the coming year) annually;– the Secretary every three years elects the Chairman and members of the Supervisory Board (every three years), the Editor–in–Chief of the journal Magyar Geofizika and the Advisory Boards for the foundations (every three years) and fills in posts eventually becoming vacant. (The by–laws of the Association determine how election is to be carried out).
(4) The President of the Association is obliged to convene an extraordinary General Meeting on the basis of a request submitted by 10% of the members – supported by their signatures – within one month from receiving such a request.
(5) The General Meeting may recall the officials elected by it.
(6) The members eligible for voting and present at the General Meeting make decisions on the basis of a simple majority of votes. In personal matters, secret ballot is to be organized.

11. §. The Council
(1) Between two General Meetings, the matters of the Association are handled by the Council, the members of which are:
– the President and the two Vice–Presidents (the President for the coming year and the President of the last year);
– the Secretary/
– the Editor–in–Chief of the Association’s journal;
– one representative from each (Chairman or Secretary) of sections and regional chapters.
(2) The term of the Council is three years, except for the President and the two Vice–Presidents (see 12. §.).
(3) The Council meets at least once every three months, and makes a decision by a simple majority of votes in every case. In personal matters, secret voting is carried out. To make a resolution, it is necessary for at least two thirds of the members to be present.
(4) Invited to the meetings are:
(a) the Chairman of the Supervisory Board;
(b) the representative of the relevant committee depending on the subject to be discussed;
(c) and all the persons invited by the Council.
(5) The Council handles all important matters of the Association; with the main functions being the following:
a) organizing the Association’s activities and controlling its business management;
b) determining the by–laws of the Association;
(c) electing the heads of standing and temporary committees;
(d) approving admissions, discharging and removal from the register of members;
(e) initiating the establishing of awards and foundations;
(f) granting awards;
(g) determining the persons who have remitting rights.
(6) Of the members of the Association, the Council elects persons responsible for regular activities (large–scale events, foreign trips, business matters, etc.).
(7) If the President finds this necessary, he may convene a Council meeting any time, but at the written request of 25% of the Council members, he is obliged to call the meeting within 14 days.
(8) Between two Council meetings the President makes the occasional urgent decisions, with the help of the Vice–Presidents and the Secretary.

12. §. President and Vice–Presidents of the Association
(1) The President is the single entity to represent the Association with various organizations and institutions and also in international relations.
(2) The President monitors the execution of General Meeting and Council resolutions, presides over the meetings, remits and undersigns, and his vote decides in the case of a tie–vote.
(3) The President’s term is one year (as of date of General Meeting) and this post is automatically filled bv the first Vice–President elected by the General Meeting in the previous year.
(4) Without a need for election, in the one year subsequent to the President’s term, the Past President plays the role of the second Vice–President.
(5) Once the Past President comes to the end of his term, he may be re-elected to be a leading official not earlier than two years.
(6) The President may be substituted by the Vice–Presidents.

13. §. The Secretary of the Association
(1) He makes sure that the Articles of the Constitution and the by–laws are observed and that the resolutions made by the Association are implemented.
(2) Between two Council Meetings, he continuously handles the matters of the Association and manages the Secretariat.
(3) In the scope of authority determined by the Council, he represents the Association.
(4) The Secretary of the Association is elected by the General Meeting for a period of three years and for not more than two terms.

14. §. Editor–in–Chief
(1) Supervises the editing of the Association’s journal on the basis of the considerations identified by the Editorial Board and the Council.
(2) He is responsible for the professional substance of the journal.
(3) He reports to the Council about his work.
(4) He is elected for a period of three years by the General Meeting.

15. §. Supervisory Board
(1) The Supervisory Board monitors the operations of the Association to see that they comply with the Articles of Constitution, with special regard to the use of funds in a way identified by statutory regulations. It does not have rights to take immediate measures.
(2) The Chairman and the two members of the Supervisory Board are elected by the General Meeting for a period of three years. It is responsible for the Board’s operations directly and exclusively to the General Meeting.
(3) The Chairman is eligible to participate in Council meetings, with an advisory right. Concerning the approval of the annual budget and of the closing balance sheet, the General Meeting may only make a decision on the basis of the Supervisory Board’s opinion and recommendations.


(1) In various fields of the Association, sections, standing and temporary committees are set up.
(2) The officials and management members of the sections are elected by the members of the section for a period of three years.
(3) The Chairmen and Secretaries of the committees not stipulated separately by the Articles of Constitution are elected by the Council, and the members are approved by the Council on the basis of proposal from the chairmen of the committees. The term of standing committees is three years.
(4) Within the framework of the Association, international professional organizations may set up special departments, the scenario of operations of which shall be derived from the Articles of Constitution of the Association and from that of the relevant organization.

17. §. Regional Chapters
(1) In scientific and industrial centres, provided that this is justified by the number of employees in the industry or scientific branch associated with the purposes of the Association, the Association establishes regional chapters.
(2) The Chairman and Secretary of the regional chapters as well as the management are elected by members of the regional chapters for a period of three years.
(3) The operations of the regional chapters are regulated by the by–laws.

18. §. By–laws
The by–laws approved by the Council regulate the detailed scope of responsibilities, order of operations and work methods for the bodies and the Secretariat of the Association.

19. §. Secretariat
(1) The Secretariat of the Association performs its activities according to the by–laws.
(2) The Secretary of the Association is responsible for the activities of the Secretariat.


(1) The Association has independent assets.
(2) The Association conducts business management according to the regulations applicable to social organizations.
(3) The members of the Association pay dues.
(4) The Association may launch ventures (professional events, vocational training, contract work). The resulting profits are added to its assets.
(5) The Association conducts business management on the basis of an annual financial plan, in accordance with the applicable statutory regulations.
(6) The Association is answerable for its debts by its own assets.

21. §. Closures
(1) According to the regulations of the Act on Associations, the legal supervision over the activities of the Association is exercised by the Prosecution.
(2) Concerning the activities of the Association, the issue not regulated by the Articles of Constitution will fall within the scope of 57. to 60. §. of the Civil Code and those of Act II of 1989 on the right of association.
(3) The Association of Hungarian Geophysicists founded in 1954 was registered under No. 410 in the year 1989 by the Municipal Court of Budapest.
(4) This Articles of Constitution has been approved by the General Meeting held on 6 April 1990 and so it enters into force.

This Articles of Constitution has been approved by the General Meeting held on 2 April 1993 and so it enters into force.(The amendments and updating are approved by the annual General Meeting.)