RULES of IAU Commission 30
    for the election of president, vice-president and organizing committee

                    Rules drafted by C.D.Scarfe 3 May 1996
                    adopted 15 June 1996 by the Commission

	1. The terms of office of the president and vice-president will be 
three years. The normal expectation will be that the 
vice-president succeeds the president in that office, and an election for a 
president will be required only if the vice-president were unable or unwilling
to do so. A new vice-president will be elected every three years, however. 

	2. In addition to the president and vice-president, the organizing
committee will consist of eight members, four to be elected every three years.
Thus the term of office will be six years, after which the retiring members 
will be ineligible for re-election to the committee for three years, but would
be eligible for election to the vice-presidency.
	
	3. Each triennial election will be conducted by a nominating committee,
which will consist of the current president, his or her predecessor, and the
vice-president if he or she is prepared to succeed the president. If not the
other two members may, if they choose, co-opt a third member.

	4. Six months before a General Assembly the nominating committee will
a) ascertain whether the current vice-president is willing to succeed to the
role of president, b) send to all members a list of the current composition of
the organizing committee, indicating those who are completing their six-year
terms, and c) solicit nominations for the position of vice-president and four
new members of the organizing committee (and for a new president if necessary).
Nominations may be made by any two members of the commission, and should be
accompanied by an indication by the nominee that he or she is willing to serve.
Nominations should be in the hands of the nominating committee three months
before the General Assembly.

	5. The nominating committee will then nominate further candidates to
ensure a full slate, with a view to achieving as much of a balance as possible 
between geographic areas and fields of research for the full organizing
committee, including the continuing members.

	6. If a ballot is necessary it will be mailed two months prior to the
general assembly, and all votes received before the commission's first business
meeting will be valid. If no ballot is required, owing to the number of 
nominees being equal to that of the positions to be filled, the names of the 
new vice-president and members of the organizing committee will be announced 
prior to the General Assembly.