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“International Military Testing Association”
In short “IMTA”
International Non Profit Association
Seat: Behavioral Sciences Department of the Belgian Royal Military Academy,
at B1000 Brussels, Renaissance Avenue 30
Article I - Creation
The “International Military Testing Association” (abbreviated “IMTA”) originated in 1959 (as the Military Testing Association) and has since met annually as an informally organized association of professional behavioral scientists. For reasons of good governance, the following persons now act to organize “International Military Testing Association” (abbreviated “IMTA”) formally as an international nonprofit association, retaining its name.
1.1. Mr. MYLLE, Jacques, Snoeistraat 12, 3945, HAM, Belgium (born Ieper, Belgium, 16 September, 1945);
1.2. Mr. VAN GELOOVEN, Renier, Queridostraat 64, XH Voorburg, The Netherlands (born Maastricht, The Netherlands, 22 November 1963);
1.3. Mr. LIM, Bernard, 52 Lorong K Telok Kurau #02-06, Singapore 435780, Republic of Singapore (born Singapore, Republic of Singapore, 4 October 1963);
1.4. Mr. BESTER, Petrus, 280 20th Avenue, Villieria Pretoria, South Africa 0186 (born Welkom, South Africa, 03 April 1968);
1.5. Mr. GALLAS, Geoff, 6 / 16 Sexton Street, Cook, ACT 2614, Australia (born Prospect, South Australia, 16 September 1965);
1.6. Mrs AWASTHY Soumi, India, A-1003 Ramkrishan CGHS, 10th floor Sec 23 Plot N°12 Dwarka, 110077 New Delhi, (born Dehradun UKD, India, 10 September 1964);
1.7. Mss. TRUSCOTT, Susan, 1961 Bromley Road, Ottawa, Ontario K2A1C3, Canada (born Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, 11 February 1956).
Article 2 – Form
2.1. The seat of the Association is located in the Behavioral Sciences Department of the Belgian Royal Military Academy at Renaissancelaan 30, B1000 Brussels, Belgium.
2.2. IMTA falls under the Belgian Law of 27 June 1921 on nonprofit associations, international nonprofit associations, and foundations, and its modifications.
2.3. IMTA falls under the jurisdiction of the Commercial Court located at Brussels, Belgium.
2.4. IMTA is a nonpolitical and nongovernmental association and is guided by the principles, ethics, and professionalism of the behavioral sciences.
2.5. IMTA is not an association of individuals. Members of IMTA are associations, agencies, institutions, departments of the armed forces, or governmental bodies of departments/ministries of defense or those entities that empower them. Members are represented by appointed delegates whose names appear in the Members’ List.
2.6. The minimum number of members is six.
2.7. The working language of IMTA is English. In IMTA documents, the masculine gender is used in relation to natural persons and must, unless otherwise specified, be understood as including the feminine gender.
2.8. The IMTA letterhead and logo are the property of IMTA and can be used only on IMTA documents and on visual aids used in support of IMTA activities (example given: banners, flags, signs).
Article 3 – Objectives
3.1. IMTA’s core interests include research on military testing, assessment, and psychometrics—its original raisons d’être—as well
as most facets of the behavioral sciences as applied in the military setting, such as selection and classification, training,
morale, mental health, leadership, family issues, security, human resources, and human factors.
3.2. The objectives of IMTA are to contribute to the quality and performance of military personnel by
3.2.a. discussion and exchange of ideas concerning human resource research and strategy;
3.2.b. discussion of the mission, organization, operations, and research activities of Members engaged in applied military psychology or related sciences;
3.2.c. exploration and presentation of new techniques and procedures in the fields of behavioral measurement, occupational analysis, personnel trends, manpower analysis, simulation and modeling, training, human factors, selection methodologies, leadership, organizational behavior, surveys, and feedback systems;
3.2.d. promotion of, and cooperation in, the exchange of new techniques, procedures, and instruments;
3.2.e. promotion of the assessment of military personnel as a scientific process for improving military personnel management;
3.2.f. development of common best practices.
3.3. This list is not limiting and can be supplemented by application of the rules for changing these By-Laws.
Article 4 – Activities
4.1. IMTA will organize an annual international conference and —when deemed to be of additional value— seminars, work-shops, and other forums.
4.2. IMTA will publish the proceedings of each annual conference.
4.3. IMTA will host a website serving both as a communication tool and as a documentation center. The website will be accessible, at the minimum, to the delegates and to personnel employed in Member associations, agencies, and institutions (see Article 2.5).
4.4. Authors of presentations (e.g., papers, slideshows) will retain ownership of the content that is submitted to the conference organizer or posted on the IMTA website and will assume responsibility for further use of the content (e.g., publication as a journal article).
Article 5 – Membership
5.1 The Members of IMTA are associations, agencies, institutions, departments of the armed forces, or governmental bodies of departments/ministries of defense or those entities that empower them.
5.2. Members are admitted to IMTA on the basis of competence in matters falling within the scope of the Association’s objectives and are expected to contribute with dedication to the realization of these objectives.
5.3. All Members —through their delegates— speak for themselves alone and in complete freedom. Their points of view do not necessarily reflect the views of their nations’ departments/ministries of defense.
5.4. IMTA membership categories:
5.4.a. Primary Membership is open to bodies of the armed forces and departments/ministries of defense whose mission is clearly linked with the IMTA objectives listed in Article 3 and that have been recognized by the IMTA Steering Committee (see Article 6) as Primary Members according to the voting rules in Article 9. Primary Members have voting rights ex officio.
5.4.b. Associate Membership is open to other noncommercial bodies engaged in activities that parallel those of Primary Members. Associate Members are entitled to all privileges of Primary Membership except the voting right. Exclusion from the voting right may be waived by the Steering Committee.
5.5. Application for new membership:
5.5.a. An entity interested in obtaining membership must apply to the Secretary of the Management Board at least three months before the next meeting of the Steering Committee.
5.5.b. Representatives of the entity must appear at the Steering Committee meeting and present information regarding their role, responsibilities, objectives, and reporting relationships to demonstrate their fit with the IMTA objectives listed in Article 3.
5.5.c. The Steering Committee will deliberate and vote on the application in the absence of the representatives.
5.5.d. The Steering Committee will inform the representa-tives of its decision immediately after its deliberation.
5.5.e. Membership takes effect immediately after the closing of the Steering Committee meeting.
5.6. Members may end their membership by notifying the IMTA Secretary in writing. The decision to end membership takes effect at the next Steering Committee meeting following notification by the member.
5.7. If a Member cannot be contacted, is not excused, or fails to be represented by its delegate at the annual Steering Committee meeting for three consecutive years, the membership of that Member will be deemed to have lapsed and will be noted and recorded at the Steering Committee meeting. Reinstatement of membership will follow the same process as application for new membership.
Article 6 – Governing Bodies
IMTA’s governing bodies are the Steering Committee, acting as a general assembly, and the Management Board.
6.1. Steering Committee
6.1.a. The Steering Committee is composed of all Primary Members, those Associate Members who have been accepted by the Steering Committee to be a part of the Committee, and all recipients of the Harry H. Greer Award (see Article 10).
6.1.b. Each Member will appoint one voting delegate to the Steering Committee.
6.1.c.The Steering Committee will, according to the voting rules in Article 9:
6.1.c(1). reflect on the objectives and general functioning of IMTA;
6.1.c(2). supervise the affairs and activities of IMTA within the scope of its objectives;
6.1.c(3). elect directors of the Management Board;
6.1.c(4). consider and approve new Members;
6.1.c(5). expel Members that do not fulfill the conditions of these By-Laws;
6.1.c(6). discuss and vote on proposed changes to the By-Laws;
6.1.c(7). appoint two delegates as auditors who will examine the accounts of the past year and return a statement of accounts to the Steering Committee;
6.1.c(8). examine and approve the statement of accounts, including the financial report for the year elapsed.
6.1.c(9). establish task groups and appoint the chair and members of each task group.
6.1.c(9.1). All task groups will submit their policies and general plans for approval by the Management Board.
6.1.c(9.2). Without specific authorization by the Steering Committee, neither a task group nor its members may enter into activities or relationships with persons or organiza-tions outside IMTA that extend beyond the task group’s ap-proved general plan.
6.1.d. The Steering Committee, serving as a general assembly, will meet in conjunction with the IMTA annual conference.
6.1.e. Extraordinary meetings of the Steering Committee, as required by the Belgian Nonprofit Associations Act (see Article 2.3) or when deemed necessary by the Chair of the Management Board, will be conducted using electronic communications.
6.1.f. Depending on the subject matter before the Steering Committee, different quorums and majorities are required to render voting valid. These quorums and majorities are listed in Article 9.
6.1.g. To maintain the institutional knowledge, the depth and breadth of experience, and the connection to IMTA history that could be lost because delegates to the Steering Committee are subject to change, all recipients of the Harry H. Greer Award will be ex officio but non-voting delegates to the Steering Committee. However, a Harry H. Greer Award recipient who currently is the delegate of a Member body will be a voting delegate.
6.1.h. Steering Committee meetings are chaired by the Chair of the Management Board.
6.1.i. A delegate who is unable to attend a Steering Committee meeting may sub-delegate his responsibility to another person belonging to the Member he represents.
6.2. Management Board
6.2.a. IMTA’s executive body is the Management Board. Beyond its legal obligations, the Management Board also is charged with the Association’s daily administration in accordance with the directives of the Steering Committee.
6.2.b. The Management Board consists of five directors: the Chair, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and two additional directors. The Secretary acts as Vice-Chair and replaces the Chair when he is unable to fulfill his duties.
6.2.c. Voting Members elect the directors during a Steering Committee meeting.
6.2.d. The organizer of the next annual conference joins the Management Board unless the Steering Committee decides otherwise, in which case the decision must be reflected in the minutes of that Steering Committee meeting.
6.2.e. Directors are elected for five years, and their terms of office are renewable. A director’s term begins at the close of the Steering Committee meeting and expires when the director is discharged by the Steering Committee during the meeting at the end of the director’s term.
6.1.f. A director who is unable to attend a Steering Committee meeting may ask another director to act on his behalf.
6.2.g. In the event of a director’s resignation, dismissal, or death, the Chair of the Management Board will request the Steering Committee to fill the vacancy at the Steering Committee meeting.
6.2.h. The Chair of the Management Board must:
6.2.h(1) sign all acts that officially bind IMTA, unless the Chair gives that authority to the Secretary;
6.2.h(2) provide for the annual conference, assisted in this task by the Member serving as conference organizer, which carries out required administrative activities and performs customary hosting duties.
6.2.i. The Secretary of the Management Board must:
6.2.i(1) keep IMTA records
6.2.i(2) record and publish the minutes of the Steering Committee;
6.2.i(3) conduct official IMTA correspondence when given authority to do so by the Chair;
6.2.i(4) publicize the IMTA annual conference to Member bodies and delegates;
6.2.i(5) solicit the members and receive their nominations for the Harry H. Greer Award
6.2.j. The Treasurer of the Management Board must:
6.2.j(1) generally manage the Association’s financial resources;
6.2.j(2) develop a budget plan for the annual conference in close cooperation with the organizing Member;
6.2.j(3) receive and process conference fees and pay conference expenditures.
6.2.k. The Management Board must meet at least once a year and can call additional meetings as required for the proper administration of IMTA. Additional meetings may be conducted using electronic communications.
6.2.l. The Management Board reaches its decisions by a simple majority vote.
6.2.m. The Management Board reports to the Steering Committee at the Steering Committee Meeting preceding the annual conference.
6.2.n. In a legal proceeding, IMTA is represented —whether as plaintiff or defendant— by the Management Board. If the proceeding requires the physical presence of a person, one director from the Board will be appointed to act on the Board’s behalf.
Article 7 – Annual Conference
7.1. IMTA will hold an annual conference, which may be organized by one Member or by a consortium of Members.
7.2. Any Member(s) who wish(es) to organize an annual con-ference must submit a formal request to the Chair of the Management Board.
7.3. At the annual Steering Committee meeting, the tentative locations for at least the next three annual conferences will be determined.
7.4. The organizing Member(s) will determine the date and place of the annual conference.
7.5. The organizing Member(s) will plan and supervise the annual conference program and activities, including the final selection of program content.
7.6. The annual conference will operate on a cost recovery basis.
7.7. Personnel of non-Member entities may attend the annual conference as observers, may present papers and posters, and may participate in symposia and panel sessions.
Article 8 – Amendments
8.1. Amendments to these By-Laws can be made only at the Steering Committee meeting at the IMTA annual conference.
8.2. Proposed amendments must be submitted to the Secretary of the Management Board not later than 60 days prior to the Steering Committee meeting.
8.3. Proposed amendments are submitted for discussion by the Steering Committee.
8.4. Approval of amendments must follow the voting rules presented in Article 9.
8.5. Amendments become valid only after publication of a Royal Act of Approval in the ‘Belgisch Staatsblad’ (i.e. the Belgian Government Gazette).
Article 9 – Valid Voting
9.1 Depending on the subject matter before the Steering Committee, different quorums and majorities are required to render voting valid. These quorums and majorities are presented in the following table.
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% of Members List (or Representatives) Required For |
| Subject |
Quorum |
Majority |
| Normal Agenda |
0 |
50% + 1 |
| Amendment to By-Laws |
67% |
67% |
| Modification of Objectives |
67% |
80% |
| Exclusion of Member |
0 |
67% |
| Dissolution of Association |
67% |
80% |
9.2. In the event of a tie vote, the Chair of the Management Board will make the final decision on acceptance or rejection of the proposal.
9.3. If a quorum requirement is not met, the subject matter must be brought to a subsequent Steering Committee meeting, which may be an extraordinary one. At that meeting, the required quorum will be 50%+1.
9.4. Voting is accomplished by the raising of hands, unless a secret vote is requested by 50%+1 of the Members present at the meeting.
Article 10 – Harry H. Greer Award
10.1 The Harry H. Greer Award recognizes exceptional work of long standing that furthers the objectives of IMTA.
10.2. Nomination and selection procedure:
10.2.a. The Secretary of the Management Board will solicit nominations for the Award from Members on the Steering Committee at least one month prior to the annual conference. Nominations must be submitted in writing to the Secretary before the start of the conference.
10.2.b. The Secretary of the Management Board will present nominations to the Steering Committee at the annual conference. In the absence of the individuals who have been nominated, the Steering Committee will review the nominations and reach a consensus on the selection of the Award recipient.
10.2.c. Only one person may receive the Award each year.
10.2.d. In a given year, the Steering Committee may choose not to present the Award.
10.3. The Award will be presented during the annual conference. It will consist of a certificate with text prepared by the Management Board, plus a gift selected by the conference’s organizing Member.
Article 11 – Finances
11.1. The IMTA fiscal year begins on 1 January and ends on 31 December of the same year.
11.2. No annual dues will be levied against Members or their delegates.
11.3. IMTA assets consist of:
11.3.a. registration fees for activities presented in Article 4.1;
11.3.b. subsidies granted to IMTA;
11.3.c. donations made to IMTA;
11.3.d. other revenues resulting from the pursuit of IMTA objectives.
11.4. Directors, or any Members’ delegate appointed to a particular task, may not receive remuneration for services in the interest of IMTA. However, expenses incurred during the exercise of those services will be reimbursed, subject to limits set by and approval by the Steering Committee.
11.5. Article 11.4. also applies by extension to all other persons mandated to represent IMTA.
11.6. Costs related to attending the Steering Committee and the annual conference are excluded from the expenses referred to in Article 11.4.
11.7. In the event of the dissolution of IMTA, IMTA assets will be disbursed to one or more associations pursuing the same or similar objectives. (See Article 12.4.)
Article 12 – Duration
12.1. IMTA is established for an unlimited period of time.
2.2. A proposal to dissolve IMTA must be initiated either:
12.3.a. by a vote of three out of five members of the Management Board or
12.3.b. by a 50% vote of IMTA Members.
12.3. The proposal to dissolve IMTA must be made in writing to the Secretary of the Management Board at least three months prior to the next Steering Committee meeting. The Secretary will communicate this request to all IMTA Members within eight days of receipt.
12.4. Approval of a proposal to dissolve IMTA requires a vote of the Members that fulfills the quorum and majority requirements described in Article 9.1.
12.5. The manner of IMTA’s dissolution and the disbursement of its assets will be decided at a Steering Committee meeting convened for that purpose.
Article 13 – Enactment
13.1. These By-Laws will be in force immediately taking into account the acceptance by the Steering Committee with the required majority (See Article 9.1.)on 22 January 2013;
13.2. In legal matters, where not foreseen in these By-Laws or in the Belgian Nonprofit Associations Act (see Article 2.3.), Belgian law will apply.
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