Articles of Incorporation of the Japanese Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism

Chapter 1 General Provisions

Name

Article 1:
1. The name of this organization shall be the Japanese Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism.
2. The name of this organization in English shall be the Japanese Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism.
3. The common name of this organization shall be JSPEN, which is an acronym for the organization’s philosophy of “Justice, Science, Practice and Education for Nutrition”.

Office

Article 2: The principal office of this organization shall be located in Chuo Ward, Tokyo.

Chapter 2: Objectives and Activities

Objective

Article 3: The objective of this organization is to contribute to the health and welfare of the public by serving as a forum for research, communication, exchange of knowledge, and cooperation among its members and with related academic organizations in Japan and abroad, related to nutritional therapy, with a focus on parenteral, enteral and oral nutrition, and the basic nutritional science that supports such therapy, by performing activities that contribute to the advancement and dissemination of metabology and nutritional science, thereby also contributing to the development of science and culture, and the improvement of medicine and medical care.

Activities

Article 4: This organization shall carry out the following activities in order to achieve the objective of the preceding article:
(1) Convening of member research presentations, academic lectures, etc.
(2) Publishing of the organization’s journals (including electronic journals), research papers, etc.
(3) Liaison and cooperation with related academic organizations in Japan and abroad
(4) Research and investigation on nutrition and subjects related to nutrition
(5) Promotion and quality improvement of nutrition support teams (NSTs)
(6) Incentives for research and recognition of outstanding achievements
(7) Provision of information and guidelines on nutrition and nutrition-related topics
(8) Provision of information and education on nutrition to the public
(9) Proposals on medical policies
(10) Accreditation-related activities
(11) Educational activities
(12) Other activities necessary to achieve the objective of the preceding article

Chapter 3: Members and Employees

Members

Article 5: Regular members of this organization shall be comprised of the following persons: Persons engaged in medical care related to nutrition, who, in general, are qualified physicians, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, registered dietitians, clinical laboratory technicians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, dental hygienists, radiologic technologists, and similar persons who have agreed to the objective of and have officially joined this organization.

Membership

Article 6: Any person wishing to become a member of this organization shall follow the prescribed procedures and shall be approved by the Board of Directors.

Membership Fee

Article 7:
1. Members shall pay the membership fee as determined by the General Meeting of Employees.
2. The membership fee and other contributions already paid by members shall not be refunded for any reason.

Withdrawal from Membership

Article 8:
1. A member who wishes to withdraw from membership shall submit a notice of withdrawal to the president explaining the reason for withdrawing.
2. A member to which any of the following apply shall be deemed to have withdrawn membership:
(1) The member becomes an adult ward or subject to a conservatorship
(2) The member dies or is declared missing
(3) The member fails to pay the membership fee for two (2) years or more

Disciplinary Action

Article 9:
1. The Board of Directors may resolve to discipline a member to which any of the below apply. However, expulsion requires that a resolution of two-thirds (2/3) or more of all employees shall be passed at a General Meeting of Employees based on a resolution of the Board of Directors. The member subject to expulsion shall also be given an opportunity to provide an explanation before the resolution is adopted by the General Meeting of Employees:
(1) The member has violated the laws of Japan, or the Articles of Incorporation or Rules of this organization.
(2) The member has damaged the reputation or trust of this organization, contravened the objective of this organization, or carried out any conduct as a member that is detrimental to the dignity of this organization.
(3) There is some other justifiable reason for expulsion or discipline.
2. The following three (3) types of disciplinary action shall be taken against such members indicated in the preceding paragraph:
(1) Expulsion
(2) Suspension from academic activities for up to three (3) years
(3) Severe reprimand

Suspension of Membership

Article 10:
1. A member who wishes to suspend their membership of his/her own volition shall submit the specified self-suspension application form, indicating the period and reason for the self-suspension, and obtain the approval of the Board of Directors.
2. Self-suspended members shall not be required to pay the membership fee.

Employees

Article 11:
1. As specified in the Act on General Incorporated Associations and General Incorporated Foundations (hereinafter referred to as “Act on General Incorporated Associations/Foundations”), the number of employees of this organization shall be at least two hundred (200) but no more than three hundred (300) delegates and they are selected from among regular members.
2. Delegates shall be selected in accordance with the bylaws established by the General Meeting of Employees.
3. Delegates shall serve for a term of four (4) years and shall be eligible for reappointment. Details regarding the term of office are specified in the bylaws.
4. Delegates shall retire from the position on March 31 after reaching sixty-six (66) years of age.
5. A delegate shall be disqualified if absent from three (3) consecutive General Meetings of Employees without just cause.

Chapter 4: Officers

Officers

Article 12:
1. This organization shall have the following officers:
(1) At least three (3) but no more than twenty-six (26) directors
(2) Four (4) auditors
2. One (1) of the directors shall serve as the president and one (1) of the directors shall serve as the vice president.
3. The president indicated in the preceding paragraph shall serve as the representative director according to the Act on General Incorporated Associations/Foundations.

Appointment of Officers

Article 13:
1. The Directors and auditors shall be appointed by the General Meeting of Employees as indicated separately.
2. The president and vice president shall be selected by the directors from among themselves. However, the president and vice president shall also be delegates.
3. A person shall not serve concurrently as a director and an auditor.
4. The composition and number of directors shall be as follows, the details of which are specified in the Bylaws for the Articles of Incorporation:
(1) Twenty (20) elected directors (delegates who are no more than sixty-five (65) years of age at the time of appointment, selected by an election process, and appointed by the General Meeting of Employees.)　
(2) Two (2) nominated directors (delegates who are no more than sixty-five (65) years of age at the time of appointment who are nominated as prospective directors by the prospective president and appointed by the General Meeting of Employees.)　
(3) Four (4) young directors (academic councilors who are no more than forty-five (45) years of age at the time of appointment who are nominated as prospective young directors by the prospective president and appointed by the General Meeting of Employees. However, if a person is reappointed for a second term following his/her first term, it is acceptable to be nominated if the person was no more than forty-five (45) years of age at the time of appointment for the first term.)

Duties and Authorities of Directors

Article 14:
1. Directors shall be constituent members of the Board of Directors, and shall perform their duties as stipulated by law and these Articles of Incorporation.
2. The president shall serve as the representative of this organization and execute its activities as stipulated by law and these Articles of Incorporation.
3. The president shall report to the Board of Directors on the status of the execution of his/her duties at least once every three (3) months.
4. In case of absence of the president or inability to fulfill his/her duties, the vice president shall act as the chairperson of the General Meeting of Employees.

Duties and Authorities of Auditors

Article 15:
1. Auditors shall audit the performance of the duties of the directors and create audit reports as legally stipulated.
2. Auditors may, at any time, request a director and the Secretariat to report on the activities of the organization, and investigate the status of the activities and assets of this organization.

Terms of Office

Article 16:
1. The term of office of a director shall end at the conclusion of the Ordinary General Meeting of Employees for the fiscal year ending within two (2) years after his/her appointment. Reappointment is allowed, but for no more than four (4) consecutive terms for a total of eight (8) years (not including the term of office if appointed as a young director). However, young directors may only be reappointed for up to two (2) consecutive terms for a total of four (4) years.
2. Directors shall retire from the position on March 31 after reaching the age of sixty-six (66) years of age, even if they are still occupying the position.
3. The term of office of the president shall be two (2) years, with reappointment allowed but for no more than two (2) terms for a total of four (4) years.
4. The term of office of an auditor shall end at the conclusion of the Ordinary General Meeting of Employees for the fiscal year ending within four (4) years after his/her appointment. Reappointment is allowed, but for no more than two (2) terms for a total of eight (8) years.
5. The term of office of a director or auditor appointed to fill a vacancy shall end when the term of office of his/her predecessor was due to end.
6. After the term of office ends or resignation, a director or auditor shall continue to have the rights and duties as a director or auditor until a newly appointed person assumes the position in the event of a vacancy in the authorized number of positions.

Exemption from Liability

Article 17:
1. Pursuant to Article 114 of the Act on General Incorporated Associations/Foundations, this organization may, by a resolution of the Board of Directors, exempt a director (including a person who was formerly a director) from liability in relation to the acts stipulated in Article 111, Paragraph 1 of said Act to the extent permitted by law.
2. Pursuant to Article 114 of the Act on General Incorporated Associations/Foundations, this organization may, by a resolution of the Board of Directors, exempt an auditor (including a person who was formerly an auditor) from liability in relation to the acts stipulated in Article 111, Paragraph 1 of said Act to the extent permitted by law.

Advisors

Article 18:
1. In principle, one (1) to two (2) specially-appointed advisors may be appointed when special circumstances occur.
2. If there is personnel required to assist the president in resolving a particularly important issue, the Board of Directors shall nominate personnel from among those who have served as president, vice president, director, or auditor, and the nomination shall be determined with the approval the General Meeting of Members.
3. The term of office of such advisors shall be less than two (2) years with this term ending when the Board of Directors determines that the important issue has been resolved.
4. Specially-appointed advisors may speak but not vote at Board of Directors meetings and the General Meeting of Employees.

Compensation of Officers

Article 19: Directors, auditors and advisors shall not receive any compensation.

Chapter 5: Meetings

Meetings

Article 20: The meetings of this organization shall consist of the General Meetings of Employees, members meetings, and Board of Directors meetings.

General Meeting of Employees

Article 21:
1. The General Meeting of Employees shall be comprised of all delegates.
2. The General Meeting of Employees shall vote on the following matters in addition to those separately stipulated in these Articles of Incorporation:
(1) Activity plans and income/expenditure budget
(2) Activity reports and financial statements
(3) Other matters stipulated in the Act on General Incorporated Associations/Foundations
3. Matters voted on by the General Meeting of Employees shall be determined by a majority of the employees present, and in case of a tie vote, matters shall be decided by the chairperson of the Meeting.

Holding of General Meetings of Employees

Article 22:
1. The president shall convene an Ordinary General Meeting of Employees within three (3) months after the end of each fiscal year.
2. The Board of Directors shall convene an Extraordinary General Meeting of Members when it deems necessary.
3. When one-fifth (1/5) or more of the delegates request the convening of an Extraordinary General Meeting of Members in writing, stating the purpose of and reasons for convening the meeting, the president shall convene an Extraordinary General Meeting of Members within thirty (30) days from the date of such request. If the Extraordinary General Meeting of Members is not convened after this period, the delegates who requested the meeting may convene the meeting with the permission of the court.

Chairperson of the General Meeting of Employees

Article 23: The chairperson of the General Meeting of Employees shall be the president of the Board of Directors in the case of Paragraphs 1 and 2 of the preceding article, and shall be selected from among the delegates present in the case of Paragraph 3 of the preceding article.

Voting Rights at the General Meeting of Employees

Article 24: Each employee shall have the right to one (1) vote at the General Meeting of Employees.

Quorum at the General Meeting of Employees

Article 25:
1. In order to adopt resolutions of the General Meeting of Employees, a majority of the delegates must be in attendance and a majority of the delegates present at the meeting must vote to adopt such resolutions.
2. Notwithstanding the provision of the preceding paragraph, the following resolutions shall be adopted by two-thirds (2/3) or more of the total delegates:
(1) Expulsion of delegates and members
(2) Changes to the Articles of Incorporation
(3) Dissolution
(4) Other matters legally stipulated

Minutes of the General Meeting of Employees

Article 26:
1. Minutes of the proceedings of the General Meeting of Employees shall be created as legally stipulated.
2. The minutes set forth in the preceding paragraph shall be signed and sealed by the president and the signer of the minutes designated by the General Meeting of Employees.

Board of Directors

Article 27:
1. This organization shall have a Board of Directors.
2. The Board of Directors shall be comprised of all the directors.

Board of Directors Meetings

Article 28:
1. Ordinary meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held at least four (4) times a year.
2. Extraordinary meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held when one (1) of the following events occurs:
(1) A meeting is deemed as necessary by the president
(2) A director other than the president makes a written request stating the purpose of the meeting
(3) An auditor requests a meeting to be convened pursuant to Article 101 of the Act on General Incorporated Associations/Foundations

Convening a Board of Directors Meeting

Article 29:
1. The Board of Directors shall be convened by the president.
2. When a request is made pursuant to Item (2) or (3) of Paragraph 2 of the preceding article, the president shall, within five (5) days of the date of the request, issue a notice of convocation of a Board of Directors meeting to the effect that the meeting will be held within fourteen (14) days of the date of the request. If a Board of Directors meeting is not convened after this period, any director or auditor may convene a Board of Directors meeting.
3. When convening a Board of Directors meeting, notice must be given in writing at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting, stating the date, time, place, purpose, and items to be discussed. However, this period may be reduced if it is necessary to hold the meeting immediately.

Chairperson of Board of Directors Meetings

Article 30: The president of the Board of Directors shall chair Board of Directors meetings.

Duties

Article 31: The Board of Directors shall perform the following duties in addition to those stipulated in these Articles of Incorporation:
(1) Make decisions on activities conducted by this organization
(2) Supervise the execution of duties of directors
(3) Appointment and dismissal of the president and vice president
(4) Matters concerning the establishment, changes, and discontinuation of regulations

Resolutions

Article 32:
1. In order to adopt resolutions of the Board of Directors, a majority of the directors must be in attendance and a majority of the directors present at the meeting must vote to adopt such resolutions, excluding directors who have a special interest in the resolution.
2. Notwithstanding the provision of the preceding paragraph, in the event that a director makes a proposal on a matter that is the subject of a resolution of the Board of Directors, and all directors who are eligible to participate in voting on the proposal express their consent to the proposal in writing or by electromagnetic record, the proposal shall be deemed to have been approved by a resolution of the Board of Directors to the effect that the proposal is approved. However, this shall not apply in cases where an auditor has stated an objection to such proposal.

Minutes

Article 33:
1. Minutes of the proceedings of Board of Directors meetings shall be created as legally stipulated.
2. The president of the Board of Directors and the auditors who attend the meeting shall affix their signatures and seals to the minutes set forth in the preceding paragraph.

Members Meetings

Article 34:
1. The president shall convene a members meeting as necessary.
2. A members meeting shall be comprised of active members.
3. The president shall chair members meetings.
4. The president shall report on the status of the activities of this organization at members meetings.

Chapter 6: Committees

Committees, and Committee Chairperson and Members

Article 35:
1. This organization may establish committees as it deems necessary for the conduct of its activities.
2. The committee chairperson and members shall be appointed by the president after consultation with the Board of Directors.

Chapter 7: Academic Meetings

Academic Meetings

Article 36:
1. This organization shall hold a regular academic meeting once a year.
2. Academic meetings consist of regular meetings and meetings held when necessary.

Chairperson

Article 37.
1. This organization shall assign one (1) chairperson of an academic meeting (hereinafter referred to as “chairperson”), one (1) chairperson-elect of an academic meeting (hereinafter referred to as “chairperson-elect”), and one (1) chairperson-elect for the term following the first chairperson-elect (hereinafter referred to as “following chairperson-elect”).
2. Candidates for chairperson, chairperson-elect, and following chairperson-elect must be delegates.
3. The chairperson, chairperson-elect, and following chairperson-elect shall be elected by a vote by the General Meeting of Employees after the Board of Directors has passed a corresponding resolution.

Chapter 8: Assets and Accounting

Fiscal Year

Article 38: The fiscal year of this organization shall begin on December 1 of each year and end on the last day of November of the following year.

Accounting

Article 39: The expenses of this organization shall be provided for from membership fees, donations, and other sources.

Activity Plans and Income/Expenditure Budget

Article 40:
1. The activity plans and income/expenditure budget of this organization shall be prepared by the president and approved by the Board of Directors as soon as possible and no later than one (1) day before the beginning of each fiscal year. The same shall apply to any changes thereof.
2. The documents set forth in the preceding paragraph shall be maintained at the principal office until the end of the corresponding fiscal year and shall be available for public inspection.

Activity Reports and Financial Statements

Article 41
1. The president shall prepare the following documents after the end of each fiscal year for activity reports and financial statements of this organization, which shall be audited by the auditors and approved by the Board of Directors.
(1) Activity report
(2) Supplementary statements of the activity report
(3) Balance sheet
(4) Profit and loss statement (statement of changes in net assets)
(5) Supplementary statements of the balance sheet and profit and loss statement (statement of changes in net assets)
2. Among the approved documents of the preceding paragraph, items (1), (3), and (4) shall be submitted to the Ordinary General Meeting of Employees, the content of item (1) shall be reported, and other documents shall be approved.

Filed Documents

Article 42: The following documents shall be kept on-file at the office of this organization. However, this shall not apply if documents and books in lieu thereof are prepared in accordance with other laws and regulations:
(1) Articles of Incorporation
(2) Members register
(3) Employees register
(4) Register and curriculum vitae of officers and other personnel
(5) Property inventory
(6) Asset and liability ledgers
(7) Bookkeeping records and documentary evidence of income and expenditure
(8) Documents related to the proceedings of Board of Directors meetings and the General Meeting of Employees
(9) Income and expenditure budget documents and activity plans
(10) Income and expenditure statements and activity reports
(11) Balance sheet
(12) Statement of changes in net assets
(13) Other required documents and books

Chapter 9: Changes to the Articles of Incorporation and Dissolution

Changes to the Articles of Incorporation

Article 43: These Articles of Incorporation may be changed by a resolution adopted by two-thirds (2/3) or more of the total number of employees at the General Meeting of Employees.

Dissolution

Article 44: This organization shall be dissolved by a resolution adopted by two-thirds (2/3) or more of the total number of employees at a General Meeting of Employees or for any other reason legally stipulated.

Retained Surplus

Article 45: This organization shall not distribute retained surplus.

Ownership of Residual Assets

Article 46: In the event of liquidation of this organization, the residual assets shall be donated to the juridical persons indicated in Article 5, Item 17 of the Act on Authorization of Public Interest Incorporated Associations and Public Interest Incorporated Foundation, or to national or local governments, by resolution of the General Meeting of Employees.

Method of Public Notices

Article 47:
1. Public notices of this organization shall be issued by electronic public notice.
2. If the electronic public notice described in the preceding paragraph cannot be issued due to an accident or other unavoidable circumstances, public notice shall be made in the official gazette.

Chapter 10: Supplementary Provisions

First Fiscal Year

Article 48: The first fiscal year of this organization shall be from the date of its incorporation until December 31, 2013.

Supplementary Provisions

1. These Articles of Incorporation were partially revised on February 21, 2018, effective immediately.
2. These Articles of Incorporation were partially revised on December 22, 2018, effective immediately. However, the revision of Article 1 became effective on January 1, 2020.
3. Notwithstanding the provision of Article 38 of the Articles of Incorporation, the fiscal year that began on January 1, 2018 and is currently in progress shall end on December 31 of the same year, the fiscal year that begins on January 1, 2019 shall end on December 31 of the same year, and the fiscal year that begins on January 1, 2020 shall end on November 30 of the same year.
4. Membership fee for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2020 shall not be reduced to account for the fiscal year period being eleven (11) months.
5. These Articles of Incorporation were partially revised on February 28, 2021, effective immediately.
6. These Articles of Incorporation were partially revised on July 31, 2022, effective immediately. However, the regulations concerning young directors shall be reviewed from the perspective of promoting the activities of young directors, and shall be occasionally revised for that purpose.
7. Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 12, Paragraph 1, Item 1, the maximum number of directors shall be twenty-eight (28) from the conclusion of the Ordinary General Meeting of Employees held in 2023 for the fiscal year ended November 2022 to the conclusion of the Ordinary General Meeting of Employees held in 2025 for the fiscal year ending November 2024.

Bylaws for the Articles of Incorporation of The Japanese Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism

Chapter 1: Members

Rights of Members

Article 1: Regular members shall have the following rights:
(1) Right to present research
(2) Right to receive delivery of the organization’s journals (or to view in the case of electronic journal)
(3) Right to vote and be elected to directors
(4) Right to receive other membership privileges

Membership Fee

Article 2:
1. The amount of the membership fee to be paid by members shall be as follows. The same amounts shall be applied in cases of mid-year enrollment:
(1) Annual membership fee for regular members: 9,000 yen
(2) Annual membership fee for academic councilors: 11,000 yen
(3) Annual membership fee for delegates: 14,000 yen
2. Members must pay the membership fee by November 30 of the year of membership.

Delinquent fees

Article 3:
1. A member shall be deemed to be in arrears if the full amount of the membership fee for the corresponding year is not received in the designated bank account by November 30 of the fiscal year in which the person is a member.
2. In the event of non-payment of the annual membership fee, sending of the organization’s journal will be immediately suspended.
3. Any member who is in arrears for two (2) years shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the membership. However, this shall not apply in cases where the Board of Directors deems it unavoidable due to force majeure causes such as natural disasters.

Suspension of Membership

Article 4:
1. Persons who are unable to pay the membership fee due to illness, childbirth, childcare, study abroad, or similar reason, and whose application is approved by the Board of Directors, may self-suspend membership.
2. Members who are in arrears of the membership fee may not apply for self-suspension.
3. Self-suspended members shall not be required to pay the membership fee but their membership rights shall be suspended.
4. The period of suspension shall not be included in the membership history.
5. The period of absence shall be in fiscal-year units (from December 1 of each year to November 30 of the following year). In addition to the period from the date of application to November 30 of the same year, the applicant may choose self-suspension of membership for no more than three (3) terms from the following fiscal year.
6. If the membership fee for the current year is not paid within two (2) months after the end of the period of self-suspension of membership (January 31), the member shall generally be deemed to have withdrawn from this organization.

Membership History

Article 5:
1. Membership history indicates the number of years a member has held membership.
2. In the case of a reinstatement procedure that meets the stipulated conditions, the period of membership prior to withdrawal shall be added to the membership history.

Chapter 2: Honorary Chairperson, and Honorary and Special Members

Honorary Chairpersons

Article 6: A person nominated by a resolution of the Board of Directors and the General Meeting of Employees shall receive the title of honorary chairperson.

Special Members

Article 7. Any person to which any of the following items applies shall receive the title of special member:
(1) Persons who have served as delegates and have provided distinguished service to this organization
(2) Persons nominated by resolution of the Board of Directors and the General Meeting of Employees

Honorary Members

Article 8. Any person to which any of the following items applies shall receive the title of honorary member:
(1) Persons who have served as an honorary chairperson of a study group, a representative caretaker, president of the Society, chairperson of an academic meeting, or a director of the Society, or persons who have provided special service to this organization
(2) Persons nominated by resolution of the Board of Directors and the General Meeting of Employees

Rights of Honorary Chairpersons, and Honorary and Special Members

Article 9: The honorary chairperson, and honorary and special Members may attend the General Meeting of Employees.

Chapter 3: Term of Office of Officers

Term of Office of the President

Article 10:
1. The term of office of the president shall be two (2) years, but for no more than two (2) terms for a total of four (4) years.
2. In the event of an accident or similar circumstances of the president during the term of office, the vice president shall immediately act in place of the president. The Board of Directors shall promptly select a successor president, who shall serve for the remainder of the term of the preceding president.

Term of Office of Elected Directors

Article 11:
1. The term of office of elected directors shall be one (1) term of two (2) years, with one-half (1/2) of the directors newly elected or re-elected and the other half (1/2) remaining after receiving confidence votes.
2. Elected directors shall receive confidence votes at the second (2nd) Ordinary General Meeting of Employees after assuming the position and newly elected at the fourth (4th) Ordinary General Meeting of Employees. Reappointment is allowed but for no more than four (4) consecutive terms for a total of eight (8) years.
3. If there are fewer than twenty (20) elected directors, they shall be elected at the most recent following election, in addition to ten (10) new elected directors, until there are a total of twenty (20) elected directors, with the eleventh (11th) and subsequent positions being re-elected after two (2) years.
4. If an elected director leaves the position in the middle of the term of office, and it is necessary to select a successor without waiting for the election described in the preceding paragraph, the term of office of the director shall be the remaining term of the preceding director.
5. If an elected director resigns from the position in the middle of the term of office for reasons other than those mentioned in the preceding paragraph, the term of office of the director selected to replace that position shall be the remaining term of the preceding director.

Term of Office of Nominated Directors

Article 12:
1. The term of office of a nominated director shall be two (2) years.
2. A nominated director shall always be a candidate for the Board of Directors at the General Meeting of Employees two (2) years after nomination, and a nominated director’s position shall not be affected by the resignation of the president who originally nominated the director.
3. If a nominated director leaves the position in the middle of the term of office, and it is necessary to select a successor without waiting for an appointment based on Article 18, Paragraph 3, the term of office of the director shall be the remaining term of the preceding director.

Term of Office of Young Directors

Article 12-2:
1. The term of office of a young director shall be two (2) years.
2. A young director shall always be a candidate for the Board of Directors at the General Meeting of Employees two (2) years after nomination, and a nominated director’s position shall not be affected by the resignation of the president who originally nominated the director.
3. If a young director leaves the position in the middle of the term of office, and it is necessary to select a successor without waiting for an appointment based on Article 18-2, Paragraph 2, the term of office of the director shall be the remaining term of the preceding director.

Term of Office of Auditors

Article 13:
1. The term of office of an auditor shall be four (4) years and two (2) auditors shall be appointed every two (2) years. Reappointment is allowed but for no more than two (2) terms for a total of eight (8) years.
2. If an auditor leaves the position in the middle of the term of office, the term of office of the auditor selected to replace that position shall be the remaining term of the preceding auditor.

Term of Office of Delegates

Article 14: The term of office of a delegate shall end at the end of the Ordinary General Meeting of Employees four (4) years after his/her appointment. Persons appointed as a delegate may also serve as an academic councilor if the person satisfies the required conditions.

Term of Office of the Chairperson of Academic Meetings

Article 15: The term of office of a chairperson and chairperson-elect of an academic meeting shall be for one (1) year from the date following the end of the academic meeting of the fiscal year in which the chairperson is appointed until the end of the next academic meeting, and re-appointment is not possible.

Chapter 4: Appointment of Officers

Procedures for Appointment of Officers

Article 16: The procedures for the appointment of officers shall be as follows:
(1) Prospective elected directors shall be appointed by election.
(2) Prospective elected directors, elected directors expected to receive confidence votes according to Article 11, Paragraph 2, nominated directors who are director candidates according to Article 12, Paragraph 2, and young directors who are director candidates according to Article 12-2, Paragraph 2 (these directors and prospective directors shall be hereinafter referred to as “members of the prospective Board of Directors”) shall hold a meeting of the prospective Board of Directors, and a prospective president shall be appointed.
(3) The prospective president shall name a prospective vice president from among the members of the prospective Board of Directors, nominated directors from among delegates other than the members of the prospective Board of Directors, and prospective young directors from among the academic councilors, respectively. However, this shall not apply to the naming of prospective young directors if all of the young directors are subject to Article 12-2, Paragraph 2 at the time of such appointment procedure.
(4) Members of the prospective Board of Directors, prospective nominated directors and prospective young directors shall be director candidates and appointed as directors (elected, nominated, and young directors) at the General Meeting of Employees.
(5) The prospective president and vice president shall be candidates and selected as president and vice president by the Board of Directors.

Appointment of Elected Directors

Article 17:
1. Prospective elected directors and prospective nominated directors shall meet all of the following criteria:
(1) Delegate who are no more than sixty-five (65) years of age
(2) Member with at least five (5) consecutive years of membership history and their membership fee paid in full
(3) Nominated by two (2) directors
2. The number of elected directors shall be principally limited to twenty (20) and ten (10) of them shall be newly elected or re-elected every two (2) years. The ten (10) members to be newly elected or re-elected shall include at least one (1) pharmacist, one (1) nurse, and one (1) registered dietitian. The eleventh (11th) and subsequent director positions to be appointed in accordance with Article 11, Paragraph 3 must also include at least one (1) pharmacist, one (1) nurse, and one (1) registered dietitian among the ten members whose election period are the same.
3. Appointment of elected directors shall be made by a vote of the delegates in a manner separately determined by the Board of Directors. Voting by proxy is not permitted.
4. The appointment of elected directors shall be made by secret ballot, each of which may contain multiple candidates, equal to the number of corresponding directors that must be appointed. However, when voting by mail, voting may be performed with an unmarked ballot sheet in an envelope signed by each delegate to prevent fraud and similar problems, and the same shall apply to voting by electromagnetic means.
5. Appointees shall be determined in decreasing order of the number of votes cast, and in the event of a tie, appointees shall be determined by lottery. However, if Paragraph 2 of this Article is not satisfied by this decreasing of the number of votes cast, persons selected for the eighth (8th) to tenth (10th) positions shall be replaced by persons below them in the order, and the pharmacist, nurse, and registered dietitian with the most number of votes in the eleventh (11th) position and beyond shall be appointed until the conditions of Paragraph 2 are satisfied. The same shall apply to the eleventh (11th) and subsequent positions to be elected in accordance with Article 11, Paragraph 3.
6. Appointments shall be made in the order of directors and auditors.
7. Persons who wish to be a director must submit the specified documents to the Society’s Secretariat by the deadline.

Appointment of Nominated Directors

Article 18:
1. Nominated directors shall be designated by the prospective president selected by the prospective Board of Directors and shall be appointed by the General Meeting of Employees.
2. The number of nominated directors shall be two (2), one (1) of whom shall be designated at the time of the appointment of the prospective president.
3. In the event that the number of nominated directors is less than two (2), nomination shall be made at the time of the next most recent appointment of the prospective president until two (2) persons have been nominated as nominated directors, and the provision of Article 12, Paragraph 2 shall not apply to the second person nominated.

Appointment of Young Directors

Article 18-2:
1. Young directors shall be designated by the prospective president selected by the prospective Board of Directors as prospective young directors, and shall be appointed by the General Meeting of Employees.
2 The number of young directors shall be four (4) (no more than one person per occupation), and they shall be designated at the time of the appointment of the prospective president.

Appointment of Auditors

Article 19:
1. Persons who wish to be an auditor must be under 67 years of age at the time of their appointment.
2. Auditors shall be nominated by the Board of Directors from among those who have served as delegates, academic councilors, or former directors, and the nomination shall be determined with the approval of the General Meeting of Employees.

Chapter 5: Election of Officers

Election Committee Members

Article 20:
1. The Board of Directors shall designate the chairperson of the Election Committee from among directors and delegates who are not candidates.
2. The chairperson of the Election Committee shall select Election Committee members from among the non-candidate delegates and commission them to administer the election.

Invalid Votes

Article 21: The following votes shall be deemed as invalid:
(1) Votes not using the specified ballot
(2) Votes on which anything other than a candidate's name is written
(3) Votes with names that are illegible
(4) Votes with the same candidate's name written multiple times

Chapter 6: Appointment of Delegates

Appointment of Delegates

Article 22:
1. Delegates shall be nominated by the Board of Directors from among qualified persons as specified in the following paragraph, based on the separately established rules for selection of delegates and the results of the specified delegate selection process, and the nomination shall be determined with the approval of the General Meeting of Employees.
2. Persons who wish to be a delegate shall satisfy all of the following qualifications:
(1) Regular members who are under sixty-six (66) years old in principle
(2) Members with at least three (3) years of membership history and their membership fee paid in full
(3) Academic councilors with specific achievements as stipulated separately
(4) Members nominated by two (2) delegates
3. Persons who wish to be a delegate must submit the specified application and recommendation form to the Board of Directors before the deadline.
4. Notwithstanding the provision of the preceding Paragraph 3, persons who the Board of Directors have deemed as necessary can be nominated as delegate candidates to the Ordinary General Meeting of Employees and become delegates by approval of the Ordinary General Meeting of Employees.

Chapter 7: Appointment of the Chairperson of Academic Meetings

Appointment of the Chairperson of Academic Meetings

Article 23:
1. Persons who wish to be chairperson or chairperson-elect of an academic meeting must submit the specified documents to the president by the deadline.
2. The selection of chairperson and chairperson-elect of an academic meeting shall be made at a General Meeting of Employees by election after the vote to select directors, and persons with the majority of the vote shall be approved with a majority of the General Meeting of Employees in attendance.
3. The chairperson and chairperson-elect of an academic meeting shall designate one (1) meeting manager. The meeting manager shall be able to attend these academic meetings.

Chapter 8: Appointment of Academic Councilors

Appointment of Academic Councilors

Article 24:
1. Academic councilors shall be selected by the Delegate and Academic Councilor Selection Committee from among members with a membership history of at least three (3) years and have been nominated by delegates in accordance with the regulations stipulated separately.
2. The president shall convene the Academic Councilors Board as necessary. The academic councilors shall organize the Academic Councilors Board and deliberate on academic activities.
3. An academic councilor shall be disqualified if absent from three (3) consecutive meetings of the Academic Councilors Board without just cause.
4. Academic councilors shall retire from the position on March 31 after reaching sixty-six (66) years of age.

Chapter 9: Committees

Establishment of Committees

Article 25: This Society shall establish committees, subcommittees, working groups, working teams, and projects that shall operate in accordance with their respective internal regulations.

The following committees shall be established:

1. General Affairs Section
(1) General Affairs Committee
(2) Public Relations Committee
(3) Delegate and Academic Councilor Selection Committee
(4) Finance Committee
(5) Rules Committee
(6) Future Vision Committee
(7) Ethics and Conflicts of Interest Committee
(8) Branch Management Committee

2. Public Relations Section
(9) International Committee
(10) Insurance Committee

3. Education and Incentive Section
(11) Education Committee

4. Accreditation and Qualification Review Section
(12) Accreditation and Qualification System Committee
(13) NST Committee

5. Academic Section
(14) Editorial Board
(15) Committee on Practical Support of Academic Meetings
(16) Awards Selection Committee

6. Clinical Nutrition Promotion Section
(17) Guidelines Committee: Metabolic and Nutritional Management Guidelines for Cancer Patients
(18) Clinical Nutrition Consensus Review Committee
(19) Clinical Research Committee

The following subcommittees, working groups, working teams and projects shall be established:

1. General Affairs Section
(6) Future Vision Committee
*JSPEN-U45
*Future Research Projects
(7) Ethics and Conflicts of Interest Committee
*Ethics Review Committee

2. Public Relations Section
(9) International Committee
*Responsible for nutritionDay

3. Education and Incentive Section
(11) Education Committee
*International Education WG (LLL)
*New Physicians and Dentists Seminar WG
(1) Nutritionists and Registered Dietitians Subcommittee
(2) Pharmacists Subcommittee
(3) Nurses Subcommittee

4. Accreditation and Qualification Review Section
(12) Accreditation and Qualification System Committee
*Certification of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism Therapists

6. Clinical Nutrition Promotion Section
(17) Guidelines Committee: Metabolic and Nutritional Management Guidelines for Cancer Patients
*WG to Develop Nutritional Guidelines for Cancer
(1) Clinical Guidelines Management Group
(2) Clinical Guidelines Creation Group
(3) Narrative Creation Group
(4) Systematic Review Group
(5) Patient Representatives
(6) Medical Economics Evaluation
(18) Clinical Nutrition Consensus Review Committee
WT 001: Cancer
WT 002: Lung Disease
WT 003: Liver Disease
WT 004: Kidney Disease
WT 005: Rehabilitation
WT 006: Home Care
WT 007: Pediatrics
WT 008: Food Ingestion and Swallowing
WT 009: Perioperative Care and Emergency Intensive Care
(19) Clinical Research Committee
P 001: REDCap Project
P 003: Project to Prevent Faulty Connections
P 011: Short Bowel Syndrome Survey Project
P 012: Refeeding Syndrome Surveillance Project

Selection of Committee Members

Article 26: The selection of the members of the various committees and subcommittees shall be made by nomination of the committee and subcommittee chairpersons, and shall be determined by a resolution of the Board of Directors.

Expanded General Affairs Committee

Article 27: The president may convene an extraordinary meeting of the Expanded General Affairs Committee by inviting the directors, delegates, and other persons from the corresponding sections with pending matters, mostly focused on the General Affairs Section, for the purpose of facilitating and enhancing the operations and management of the Society.

Chapter 10: Secretariat

Establishment of a Secretariat

Article 28:
1. The Secretariat of this organization shall be located in Chuo Ward, Tokyo.
2. The president may select a few administrative managers from among the regular members.
3. Administrative managers shall attend Board of Directors meetings, General Meetings of Employees, members meetings, and similar meetings, and perform necessary administrative procedures.

Supplementary Provisions

1. Membership in the Japanese Society for Research on Parenteral/Enteral Nutrition and the Japanese Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition was considered as memberships in this organization and was transferred to this organization without any required procedures.

2. Candidates for delegates selected by the Japanese Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition at the time of the establishment of this organization was deemed to have been appointed as delegates of this organization.

3. Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 11 of the Articles of Incorporation and Article 14 of the Bylaws, the term of office of the delegates appointed in accordance with the preceding paragraph ended at the end of the 2018 General Meeting of Members.

4. In administering Article 11 of the Bylaws, the four (4) year term of office for those appointed in 2011 at the time of the Japanese Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition ended at the end of the 2015 General Meeting of Employees, and the four (4) year term of directors selected in 2013 at the time of the Japanese Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition ended at the end of the 2017 General Meeting of Employees.

5. As a transitional measure following the incorporation of the Society, the calculation of the term of office of the officers was as follows in order to administer Chapter 3 of the Bylaws:

1) When directors appointed in 2011 served until 2015 and re-appointed in 2015 served as director, this is counted as their first term of office from 2015.

2) When directors appointed in 2013 served until 2017 and re-appointed in 2017 served as director, this is counted as their first term of office from 2017.

3) The two (2) years after the appointment of the president selected in 2015 was considered as the zero (0) terms and when the same person is selected as president in 2017, this is counted as his/her first term of office from 2017. This did not prevent said person from being selected as president in 2019.

4) Auditors appointed in 2013 served until 2017. When these auditors re-appointed in 2017, this is counted as their first term of office from 2017.

6. Changes to these Bylaws require a vote of the Board of Directors.

7. These Regulations were partially revised on February 24, 2016, effective immediately.

8. These Regulations were partially revised on February 22, 2017, effective immediately.

9. These Regulations were partially revised on August 4, 2017, effective immediately.

10. These Regulations were partially revised on December 21, 2017, effective immediately.

11. These Regulations were partially revised on February 21, 2018, effective immediately.

12. These Regulations were partially revised on November 16, 2018, effective immediately. However, the deadline for payment of membership fees as stipulated in Article 2 of the Bylaws and the revision of Article 3, Paragraph 1 of the Bylaws came into effect as of the beginning of the first fiscal year in which the last day of the fiscal year falls on the last day of November, and the revision of Article 22 of the Bylaws came into effect from this revision is approved by the General Meeting of Employees.

13. Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, the revision of the amount of membership fees as stipulated in Article 2 of the Bylaws by resolution of the Board of Directors on November 16, 2018 came into effect on January 1, 2020, subject to the approval of the General Meeting of Employees.

14. These Regulations were partially revised on November 9, 2020, effective immediately.

15. These Regulations were partially revised on January 18, 2021, effective immediately.

16. These Regulations were partially revised on February 9, 2021, effective immediately.

17. These Regulations were partially revised on February 12, 2021, effective immediately.

18. These Regulations were partially revised on July 20, 2021, effective immediately.

19. These Regulations were partially revised on November 25, 2021, effective immediately.

20. The revisions to these Regulations approved on June 21, 2022 came into effect as of the same date, subject to approval of the proposed changes to the Articles of Incorporation by the Extraordinary General Meeting of Employees held on July 31, 2022. However, notwithstanding the provision of Article 18, Paragraph 2, the maximum number of nominated directors shall be four (4) from the conclusion of the Ordinary General Meeting of Employees held in 2023 for the fiscal year ended November 2022 to the conclusion of the Ordinary General Meeting of Employees held in 2025 for the fiscal year ending November 2024, and notwithstanding the provision of Article 18-2, Paragraph 2, the maximum number of young directors shall be zero (0) from when the corresponding revision comes into effect until the conclusion of the Ordinary General Meeting of Employees held in 2023 for the fiscal year ended November 2022.

21. These Regulations were partially revised on August 2, 2022, effective immediately.

Branch Regulations of the Japanese Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism

Objective

Article 1: The Japanese Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (hereinafter referred to as “this Organization”) have established these Regulations in order to achieve the objective of Article 3 of the Articles of Incorporation with the aim of contributing to the dissemination and development of nutrition therapy and clinical nutrition metabology on a regional level, as well as contributing to increasing membership and supporting the activities of members in their local community.

Establishment

Article 2:
1. Branches shall be established by resolution of the Board of Directors.
2. This Organization shall have the following branches (districts):
(1) Hokkaido Branch: Hokkaido
(2) Tohoku Branch: Aomori, Iwate, Akita, Miyagi, Yamagata, Fukushima
(3) Kanto Koshinetsu Branch: Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Niigata
(4) Tokyo Metropolitan Branch: Tokyo, Kanagawa, Yamanashi
(5) Chubu Branch: Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, Nagano, Gifu, Shizuoka, Aichi, Mie
(6) Kinki Branch: Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Wakayama, Shiga, Hyogo
(7) Chugoku Shikoku Branch: Tottori, Shimane, Yamaguchi, Hiroshima, Okayama, Kagawa, Ehime, Tokushima, Kochi
(8) Kyushu Branch: Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Oita, Saga, Miyazaki, Kagoshima, Okinawa

Branch Areas

Article 3: The branch names and districts of this Organization may be changed by a resolution of the Board of Directors.

Branch Secretariats

Article 4: Branch Secretariats shall be established to manage operations of each branch. Branch Secretariats shall perform financial and administrative operations of the branch.

Branch Members

Article 5: Members of the Organization (hereinafter referred to as “members”) shall belong to the branch corresponding to the address of his/her place of employment indicated in the members register. The member’s home address shall be used if the member does not have a place of employment.

Branch Directors and Assistant Branch Directors

Article 6:
1. The branches of this Organization shall have a branch director and may have an assistant branch director as necessary.
2. The branch director represents and manages the branch.
3. The assistant branch director shall assist the branch director, substitute for the branch director in case he/she suffers an accident, and perform the corresponding responsibilities when the branch director is absent.
4. Branch directors and assistant branch directors are selected by the Caretaker Committee and appointed by the president by resolution of the Board of Directors.
5. The term of office of branch directors and assistant branch directors shall be two (2) years for one (1) term and no more than two (2) terms.
6. In the event of an accident or similar conditions of the branch director or assistant branch director during the term of office, the Caretaker Committee shall promptly select a successor branch director or assistant branch director, whose term of office shall be the remaining term of the preceding branch director or assistant branch director.
7. If the branch director or assistant branch director is re-selected again for the same position after the term of office of his/her succeeding branch director or assistant branch director ends, that branch director or assistant branch director shall be eligible to serve one (1) term of two (2) years, and up to two (2) terms.

Honorary Chairperson, and Honorary and Special Members

Article 7:
1. The titles of honorary president, and honorary and special members indicated in Chapter 2 of the Bylaws for the Articles of Incorporation of this Organization may be granted in a similar in branches.
2. Honorary presidents, and honorary and special members may attend Caretaker Committee meetings.

Organization and Management of Branches

Article 8:
1. Each branch shall have a Caretaker Committee to promote the activities of the branch. In addition, the branch director may appoint a representative caretaker and establish a Representative Caretaker Committee as necessary.
2. Caretakers shall consist of delegates and academic councilors as indicated in Chapters 6 and 8 of the Bylaws for the Articles of Incorporation.
3. The term of office of a caretaker shall be two (2) years and shall be eligible for reappointment. However, the caretaker’s term of office shall end immediately if the caretaker loses his/her qualification as a delegate or academic councilor as stipulated in the preceding paragraph.
4. The branch director shall appoint a treasurer to the Caretaker Committee and may appoint a secretary as needed. Both the treasurer and secretary must be caretakers.
5. In order to adopt resolutions of the meetings of the Caretaker Committee, a majority of the caretakers must be in attendance and a majority of the caretakers present at the meeting must vote to adopt such resolutions. However, a caretaker may attend and vote at a meeting of the Caretakers Committee by proxy with a power of attorney. When a branch director makes a proposal regarding some matter that is within the purview of the Caretakers Committee, the proposal shall be deemed as approved by a resolution of a meeting of the Caretakers Committee if a majority of the caretakers express their consent to the proposal in writing or by electromagnetic record.
6. If a meeting of the Caretakers Committee is held at the time of a branch academic meeting, the venue fee will be covered by the branch academic meeting.
7. Branch directors, branch assistant directors, and caretakers shall retire from the position on March 31 after reaching sixty-six (66) years of age.
8. In addition to the matters set forth in these Regulations, the management and administration of the branches shall be carried out by each branch in accordance with the policies established by the Board of Directors of this Organization.

Branch Fiscal Year

Article 9: The fiscal year of branches shall be the same as the fiscal year of this Organization.

Subsidies for Branch Activities

Article 10: This Organization shall provide the budgeted amount of money approved by the Head Office of the Society for use as funds to prepare branch academic meetings and as project expenses in order to support the activities of the branch. Membership fees or similar collection of funds for the purpose of branch activities is prohibited except for branch academic meeting participation fees and project participation fees.

Reporting

Article 11: Branch directors shall submit the following documents to the Head Office of the Society by the specified date:
(1) Activity plans and budget plan for the next fiscal year (branch management and activities, branch academic meetings)
[Due date: End of October]
(2) Activity reports and branch accounting reports for the current fiscal year (branch management and activities)
[Due date: End of December]
(3) Accounting reports for branch academic meetings of the current fiscal year
[Due date: Same due date as the branch accounting reports of the same year or within three (3) months after the end of the fiscal year]

Audit

Article 12: The audit procedures for the following documents related to branch management and activities shall be performed by the Branch Management Committee.
(1) Activity reports and branch accounting reports
(2) Accounting reports for branch academic meetings

Branch Academic Meetings

Article 13:
1. Each branch shall hold a branch academic meeting not more than once a year.
2. The administration of branch academic meetings shall be conducted in accordance with the Bylaws for the Administration of Branch Academic Meetings established separately.
3. Persons who have registered as a member with the Secretariat of this Organization shall be able to participate and make presentations at a branch academic meeting upon payment of the participation fee. Non-members may also participate and present at a branch academic meeting by paying the participation fee, but presentations by a non-member shall include a member as a co-presenter.
4. In principle, expenses and expenditure for branch academic meetings shall be within the scope of available income, and efforts shall be made to achieve balance between income and expenditure.
5. Reimbursement of expenses for branch academic meetings shall be submitted to the Branch Management Committee by due date for submission of the branch accounting report or within three (3) months after the end of the meeting, after the branch director and branch treasurer has confirmed the details of the meeting.
6. The Branch Management Committee shall confirm that the submitted income/expenditure report and accounting evidence have been properly processed, and provide a report to the Board of Directors. If necessary, this accounting shall be verified by a certified public accountant.
7. This Organization shall maintain the submitted evidence and other related documents for seven (7) years.

Branch Activities

Article 14:
1. Each branch shall appoint a branch director who shall be responsible for its activities, and who shall plan and manage branch activities by submitting an activity plan and budget plan to the Board of Directors for approval.
2. In principle, branch expenses and expenditure shall be within the scope of available income, and efforts shall be made to achieve balance between income and expenditure.
3. Reimbursement of expenses for branch activities shall be submitted to the Branch Management Committee by the due date for submission of the activity accounting report or within three (3) months after the end of the meeting, after the branch director and branch treasurer have confirmed the details of the activities.
4. The Branch Management Committee shall confirm that the submitted income/expenditure report and accounting evidence have been properly processed, and provide a report to the Board of Directors. If necessary, this accounting shall be verified by a certified public accountant.

Changes to Regulations

Article 15: These Regulations shall be established by the president by vote of the Board of Directors.

Supplementary Provisions

1. These Regulations was enacted on March 27, 2020, effective immediately.

2. The term of office of a branch director of Article 6 and caretakers of Article 7, Paragraph 2, in principle, ended at the end of December 2019. New branch directors and new caretakers for the new branch system were appointed by the Board of Directors on March 27, 2020, and have been commissioned from January 1, 2020. 2020 was a transitional period for all appointment procedures with changes introduced sequentially.

3. The branch fiscal year of Article 8 ended at the end of November 2019 for all branches. The new branch accounting started from the new fiscal year on December 1, 2019. However, this did not preclude the settlement of accounts one (1) month prior to the settlement of accounts to this Organization for the time being to serve as a transitional measure until a system was established to facilitate the smooth settlement of branch accounts.

4. Accounting transitioned to joint accounting starting from fiscal year 2020. As a transitional schedule for the 2019 financial statements, branch accounts were closed and submitted to this Organization as of the end of November 2019.

5. The branch districts of Article 2 were implemented and executed from December 2020. The following branches were active during the transition period until the end of November 2020.
(1) Hokkaido Branch (Hokkaido)
(2) Tohoku Branch (Aomori, Iwate, Akita, Miyagi, Yamagata, Fukushima)
(3) Kanto Koshinetsu Branch (Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Ibaraki, Chiba, Niigata, Nagano, Yamanashi)
(4) Tokyo Metropolitan Branch (Tokyo, Kanagawa)
(5) Chubu Branch (Shizuoka, Aichi, Mie, Gifu, Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui)
(6) Kinki Branch (Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Wakayama, Shiga, Hyogo)
(7) Chugoku Shikoku Branch (Tottori, Shimane, Yamaguchi, Hiroshima, Okayama, Kagawa, Ehime, Tokushima, Kochi)
(8) Kyushu Branch (Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Oita, Saga, Miyazaki, Kagoshima, Okinawa)

6. The holding of the branch academic meetings according to the former branch districts in 2020 during the transition period described in Paragraph 5 above was permitted, excluding cases of voluntary cancellation.

7. The composition of the Caretaker Committee of Article 8, Paragraph 2 was subject to an interim period until November 30, 2020 after these Regulations came into effect. Caretakers with active membership who wish to continue in the position must be appointed as a delegate or academic councilor by the above date.

8. These Regulations were revised and became effective on January 25, 2021.
9. These Regulations were revised and became effective on March 24, 2022.

Bylaws for the Administration of Branch Academic Meetings of the Japanese Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism

Objective

Article 1: These Bylaws stipulate the items necessary for the proper operation and administration of branch academic meetings held by the Japanese Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (hereinafter referred to as “this Organization”), and to support the appropriate, rational, and economical operation and management of branch academic meetings.

Definitions

Article 2: Branch academic meeting shall refer to an annual academic meeting held in a branch (district) as defined in the Branch Regulations. The administration of such meetings shall be carried out by the Secretariat of branch academic meetings, but the Head Office of this Society shall supervise the activities of such meetings.

Chairperson of Branch Academic Meetings

Article 3: There shall be one (1) chairperson of branch academic meetings (hereinafter referred to as “the chairperson”) who administers branch academic meetings.

Appointment of the Chairperson

Article 4: The appointment of the chairperson shall be determined by nomination of a caretaker by the Branch Caretaker Committee. The branch director shall promptly report to the Branch Management Committee chairperson for approval by the Board of Directors of this Organization.

Duties and Term of Office of the Chairperson

Article 5:
1. The chairperson shall be responsible for activities related to the holding of branch academic meetings. The term of office shall be one (1) fiscal year.
2. In the event of an accident or vacancy in the position of the chairperson, the successor shall be nominated by the Branch Caretaker Committee and approved by the Board of Directors of this Organization.
3. The chairperson-elect of branch academic meetings shall submit a plan for the content and budget of the upcoming meeting to the branch director. The branch director shall submit this document to the Branch Management Committee for consideration by the Board of Directors. The results of the decision of the Board of Directors shall be reported by the Branch Management Committee to the branch director.
4. After the end of the branch academic meeting the chairperson shall promptly report the outline of the meeting to the branch director and treasurer, and shall submit the accounting report to the Branch Management Committee for audit purposes by the due date for submission of the branch/head office accounting report or within three (3) months after the end of the meeting.

Organization

Article 6:
1. The chairperson shall create the program for a branch academic meeting.
2. The branch director shall submit a report on the branch academic meeting to the Board of Directors of this Organization. The Board of Directors shall approve it, but may request clarification if necessary.

Program Committee

Article 7:
1. The chairperson, in consultation with the branch director and Branch Management Committee, may establish a Program Committee if deemed necessary.
2. The members of the Program Committee shall consist of members of the Society and shall include the branch directors and directors.
3. The Program Committee shall assist the chairperson in planning, drafting, and administering the program of the branch academic meeting.
4. The chairperson shall report an outline of the program in advance to the branch director and Branch Management Committee.

Selection of Date, Venue, and Convention Company

Article 8:
1. The date and venue of the meeting shall be decided by the chairperson in consultation with the branch director, the Branch Management Committee chairperson, and the Head Office of the Society, and shall be reported to the Board of Directors through the branch director.
2. A convention company can be used for a branch academic meeting if necessary. If a convention company is not used, the organization and personnel costs of the Branch Management Secretariat shall be discussed separately.
3. Selection of the convention company shall be made by the branch director and chairperson, and reported to the Branch Management Committee chairperson and the Head Office of this Society.

Participation and Presentations

Article 9:
1. Persons who have registered as a member with the Secretariat of this Organization shall be able to participate and make presentations at a branch academic meeting upon payment of the participation fee. Non-members may also participate and present at a branch academic meeting by paying the participation fee, but presentations by a non-member shall include a member as a co-presenter.
2. Submitted abstracts/topics shall be, in principle, peer-reviewed.
3. The chairperson shall submit a list of participants to the Head Office of this Society after the completion of the branch academic meeting.

Participation Fee

Article 10: Participants of branch academic meetings shall pay the participation fee. In principle, the participation fee is 4,000 yen for members and 5,000 yen for non-members. (The fee for pre-registered participants shall be 3,000 yen for members and 4,000 yen for non-members.)

Presentation Applications, Copyrights, and Repeat Presentations

Article 11:
1. Those who wish to present their research at branch academic meetings shall submit an application with the details of the research and similar items using the specified form by the date designated by the chairperson.
2. The copyright of the content of presentations presented at branch academic meetings, as well as the figures and tables of abstracts, belong to the Japanese Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism.
3. In principle, presentations of content already presented or reported at other academic or branch meetings shall not be permitted at branch academic meetings. Although no penalties shall be imposed at present, a warning shall be issued.

Conflicts of interest

Article 12: Conflicts of interest regarding the lead presenter shall be disclosed at the time of abstract registration and presentation. In addition, the chairperson shall be notified if the lead presenter has a conflict of interest at the time of abstract registration.

Reporting

Article 13:
1. The chairperson shall create an income and expenditure report, and accounting documents (various receipts), and submit them to the branch director and treasurer. The branch director and treasurer shall review the income and expenditure report, and accounting documents (various receipts) within three (3) months of the meeting, and submit them to the Head Office of this Society. The audit shall be conducted by the Branch Management Committee.
2. In case of payment of gratuities, personnel expenses, and similar costs, the necessary information for withholding tax payment must be communicated to the Head Office of the Society by the end of the month of the payment. If the Secretariat of a branch academic meeting conducts these procedures, the Secretariat shall promptly report the procedural policy to the Head Office of this Organization.

Changes to Bylaws

Article 14: These Bylaws may be amended by resolution of the Board of Directors.

Supplementary Provisions

1. These Bylaws was enacted on March 27, 2020, effective immediately.