EFCS Discussion Forum


J.Hemmer, Feb.5, 1997

Dear colleagues,

please allow me to give some clear-cut comments.

The aim of this discussion forum is the proposed foundation of a European FEDERATION of national cytometric societies. We therefore should concentrate our efforts on this problem. I fear we fail if this is not consensus of at least the majority of the members of this forum.

The problem of individual membership has widely been discussed elsewhere, e.g. Laerum, 28.Nov.1996. These persons are encouraged to found own national societies or to join existing ones, such as e.g. some people from the Netherlands are members of the German Society (DGZ).

How to treat existing societies, national or international ones, with partly overlapping scopes, and how to associate them or individuals, should be subject of a constitution (cf. e.g. the FEBS-constitution).

The Swedish Society for Flow Cytometry has, so far as I know, already been asked to join this discussion some months ago. There were also other national cytometric societies from which there was no response. They are still cordially invited.

But if those do not go ahead who already have demonstrated ambitions to found such a society, I fear there is nobody else who would finally do this job.

Joerg Hemmer