SIG-CHARME Statutes and Bylaws

I. Statutes

1. Name

The Name of the group is `Special Interest Group on Formal Design and Verification Methods for Correct Hardware-like Systems' hereinafter known as SIG-CHARME.

2. Sponsors

The sponsoring organization is the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP), Technical Committee 10 (TC 10), Working Group 10.5 (WG 10.5). IFIP WG 10.5 delegates activities to the Special Interest Group on Formal Design and Verification Methods for Hardware-like Systems. The SIG-CHARME in turn receives legal support, responsibility, authority, and logistics to perform these activities. The SIG-CHARME receives its mandates exclusively. The activities of SIG-CHARME shall not interfere or compete with other activities of the sponsor which have not been explicitly delegated to it.

3. Aims

The SIG-CHARME shall be constituted as group under IFIP 10.5 with the following basic aims:

1. to be the internationally open working group for activities related to formal design and verification methods for hardware-like systems
2. to foster the dissemination and exchange of information and experience on formal design and verification-based research and application, especially to address industrial users and support and encourage new researchers in the field;
3. to encourage education in all areas of formal verification and formal methods for the design of hardware-like systems;
4. to assist in the organization of Workshops, Working-Conferences, Conferences and Symposia promoting research, application of research results, and education in the field or related to Correct Hardware-like Systems.

4. Scope

The scope of the SIG-CHARME comprises in detail to:

1. Organize events:
   a) International SIG-CHARME Meeting (all members)
   b) Conference on `Formal Design and Verification Methods for Correct Hardware-like Systems', abbreviated `CHARME' (Executive body), previously called the `nth IFIP WG10.5 Advanced Research Working Conference on Correct Hardware Design and Verification Methods'.
   c) Sponsorship, support of the organization and promotion of the biannual Conferences CHARME and FMCAD (Formal Methods in Computer Aided Design).
   d) Other Formal Design and Verification-related events which the sponsoring organization delegates to SIG-CHARME.

   Seek cooperation with User and Interest Groups to foster collaboration on events and activities of mutual interest

   Disseminate and exchange information on CHARME-related standardization activities

   Initiate and organize new CHARME-related activities.

5. Seat

If not otherwise decided, the seat of the SIG-CHARME shall be the location of the office of the incumbent chairperson.

6. Membership

6.1. Categories

Any individual is entitled to apply for membership.
Renewable membership is granted for periods of four (4) years for non-student and two (2) years for student members, unless terminated.
Applicants for student membership must be enrolled in a recognized academic program and work towards an academic degree.

6.2. Admission

For the admission of members, the informal application together with evidence of the support by two SIG-CHARME members shall be sent to the secretary or chairperson of SIG-CHARME.

If a person volunteers her/himself, and shows evidence of involvement in the scientific area (publications, thesis topic, teaching topic, design activity, etc...), the application will be broadcast to the SIG-CHARME members, with the aim of seeking the support of two members.

Applicants names, and their support (if any), are announced by all appropriate means (including e-mail) to all SIG-CHARME members, who have fifteen days to react to the secretary of SIG-CHARME.

Membership is granted at the next scheduled SIG-CHARME meeting, unless a "serious offense" matter is raised by a member of SIG-CHARME. In this case, Article 6.3 "Termination" becomes effective.

6.3. Termination

The membership of a member shall be terminated:

1. by a three-quarters majority of members present or represented by proxy
   a) for serious offense
   b) if the conditions of membership are no longer fulfilled

   by declaration of the member

   if the member has not participated in any activity of SIG-CHARME, in any way, for the duration of her/his membership period (2 or 4 years).

6.4. Renewal of Membership

Renewal of membership is automatic, unless one of the conditions of Article 6.3 applies. A previously active member will be asked in writing before being dropped.

7. Operation

7.1. Composition and Voting Rights

The main bodies of the SIG-CHARME shall be:

1. Decision-making body (all SIG-CHARME members)
2. Executive body, consisting of a chairperson, ex-officio members, treasurer, and other appointed officers.

1. statutes and bylaws
2. exclusion of members
3. election and discharge of officers and trustees
4. acceptance of audit reports

7.2. Authority

The SIG-CHARME shall determine its policy within its charter, adopt the program of activity, hear and approve the reports of any subordinate bodies it may have established, decide on admission and exclusion of members, elect officers and trustees, adopt and revise statutes and bylaws, adopt the budget, review the expenditures and accept the audit reports.

7.3. Chairperson

The chairperson shall be elected by the SIG-CHARME members. The chairperson shall become ex-officio member of the corresponding bodies of the sponsoring organization. The chairperson must be a member of the SIG-CHARME. She/he shall serve for a term of three years and may be elected for one additional term. If the chairperson resigns, the vice-chairperson becomes the chairperson until the end of the regular term.

7.4. Officers

The vice-chairperson, the treasurer, and a secretary shall be elected by the SIG-CHARME members. These three officers will serve for a term of three years, and are eligible for two consecutive terms. Each one of them must be a member of the SIG-CHARME. Additional officers can be nominated and elected by the SIG-CHARME, if appropriate. If an officer resigns, the chairperson shall nominate a temporary officer until the election, at the earliest possible time, of the new officer.

7.5. Quorum, Majority and Voting

Decisions require a simple majority vote of members present or represented by proxy, unless otherwise provided in theses statutes and the bylaws. The term "simple majority" is defined as a "majority of those who vote in favor of the motion over those who vote against it".

7.6. Election of Officers

Candidates shall be nominated at least one month in advance. The election shall be decided by a simple majority of voting members present. The ballot shall be secret. Elections can be conducted electronically, provided a satisfactory solution to the preservation of secrecy of ballots is found acceptable by the SIG-CHARME members. Newly elected officers assume their functions at the end of the SIG-CHARME meeting at which they have been elected, or at the next meeting in case of electronic elections.

7.7. Meetings

A `SIG-CHARME Meeting' shall be held once a year in conjunction with a scientific event sponsored by the SIG-CHARME. It may, however, be convened at the request of a majority of the SIG-CHARME members. The meeting shall be convened within three months and only after a time such that all members can be notified at least one month in advance. The `Forum on Formal Design and Verification Methods for Correct Hardware-like Systems' shall be held at least once a year. This is an administrative meeting. Place and time of the subsequent meeting is to be determined at the end of a meeting.

8. Finances

The SIG-CHARME shall be financed by funds provided by IFIP on a yearly base. Royalties from publications and surpluses from events of the SIG-CHARME such as conferences, symposia and other activities shall be transferred to the sponsoring organization. The SIG-CHARME is not authorized to take any financial risk which exceeds its budget.

Whenever appropriate, the SIG-CHARME may apply for grants from private and public organizations to help finance scientific events and workshops.

9. Commitments

Any document committing SIG-CHARME shall be signed by the chairperson or a designated officer.

10. Amendments

Any changes must be approved by IFIP WG10.5.

Dissolution of the SIG-CHARME may be decided by a majority of two thirds of its members, or by its sponsoring organization.

11. Bylaws

The following bylaws amplify the statutes and describe in more detail terminology used within the SIG-CHARME organization, its internal structure and the management of its operations. Any proposal for the modification of the bylaws must be submitted by at least three members and be mailed to all members of the SIG-CHARME at least forty days in advance of the SIG-CHARME Meeting where it will be discussed.

Approval of such proposals shall require a simple majority of those present. The proposal must be approved by IFIP WG10.5 before changes become effective.

II. Bylaws

1. Name and Organization of Events

Events, seminars and workshops may be organized and co-organized by SIG-CHARME.

2. Financing and Fees

The SIG-CHARME shall receive yearly funds for its budget from IFIP. The financial year shall be from January to December. The budget proposal has to be prepared by the treasurer and approved by the executive body. The proposal shall then be approved by IFIP WG10.5, including the ration of funding.

Any order implying expenses shall only be made by the person responsible for the respective event or activity and shall be approved by the SIG-CHARME treasurer. Authorization may be given in written form.

The SIG-CHARME members may be requested to pay fees for special services provided to the members through the SIG-CHARME.

The amount of fees to the SIG-CHARME shall be determined by the SIG-CHARME members in consideration of the services requested.