On December 2, 2003, the Italian Chapter of the European Hernia Society (EHS) was established, named the Italian Society of Hernia and Abdominal Wall Surgery (ISHAWS).

Legal headquarters: via Pietro del Prato, 6 – 43100 Parma (PR) VAT Number: 02574170342 – Tax code 97366390157.
The Founding Members of ISHAWS are: Prof. G. Campanelli, Prof. F. Corcione, Prof. V. Mandalà. The Founding Members are ex officio members of the Executive Board.
The Co-Founding Members of ISHAWS are: B. Amato, G. Amelio, L. Ansaloni, D. Balducci, F. Basile, P. Bocchi, C. Bazzoni, F. Bordone, L. Bottero, A. Bove, F. Callioni, A. Caravani, M. Carlucci, L. Casciola, V. Ceriani, A. Coda, E. Contessini Avesani,
L. Corbellini, D. Cuccurullo, P.G. Danelli, F. D’Arca, E. Faleschini, D. Fontana, A.L. Gaspari, E. Gianetta, C. Giardiello, O. Giordano, D. Greco, A. Guadalaxara, D. Guarradi, A. Gubitosi, P. Iacovoni, S. Intini, P. Ipponi, S. Licheri, A. Liuzza, M. Longoni,
C. Lorenzini, T. Lubrano, M. Lupo, F. Mari, P. Mascagni, J. Megevand, M. Menozzi, A. Mirabella, M. Mulieri, P. Negro, G. Palumbo, G. Pavone, G. Pavoni, M. Piccoli, C. Rebuffat, C. Rescigno, R. Rollino, G. Sala, L. Sanchez, E. Santoro,
M. Scalambra, R. Scarano, A. Settembre, U. Tambussi, A.M. Taschieri, M. Testini, E. Trabucchi, G. Trivellini, F. Trombetta, F. Zaccaria.

The Italian Society of Hernia and Abdominal Wall Surgery, Italian Chapter of the European Hernia Society (EHS), is a non-profit scientific society that aims to:

• Affiliate with the international EHS Board and be an integral part of the EHS with a qualified national representation.
• Promote and foster the development of technical-scientific research in hernia repair surgery in Italy and abroad. For this purpose, a Research Group (Hernia Research Group) has been formed, coordinated by a responsible person appointed by the Executive Board.
• Encourage and develop scientific work, multicenter trials, and guidelines at the national level, verifying and ensuring quality control in line with European standards for abdominal wall surgery. To this end, a Scientific Committee is formed, composed of at least three members of the Society, appointed by the Executive Board.
• Promote, in collaboration with universities, hospitals, both public and private institutions, educational and scientific activities through advanced training courses, congresses, and conferences, which are endorsed by the EHS. Since 2009, the Italian School of Hernia and Abdominal Wall Surgery has been established, offering a comprehensive training program (theoretical, practical, and advanced) in abdominal wall surgery, under the direction of a Director and an Educational Committee appointed by the Executive Board.
• Facilitate connections with institutions in Italy and abroad for the exchange of experiences and personnel, enabling real-time updates on technical and technological advancements in the field.
• Promote the dissemination of scientific information through texts, multimedia, websites, and specifically establish its own website on abdominal wall surgery. For this purpose, a Video Library (HerniaVideo Library) has been set up to collect contributions from members, coordinated by a responsible person appointed by the Executive Board.
• Create databases on the subject.
• Publish on the website (www.ishaws.it) any scientific activity produced by the members or promoted by the Society.
• The Society and its legal representatives cannot engage in business activities or participate in them, except for activities carried out under the National Continuing Medical Education Program (ECM).
• The Society does not have the institutional purpose of protecting the labor rights of its members nor does it carry out any union activities directly or indirectly.

Annual General Assembly:
To organize and implement the established goals and verify the state of affairs, the Executive Board of ISHAWS and participating members will meet annually during the Congress of the Italian Society of Surgery (SIC) and/or during the International Congress of EHS. The assembly will be valid regardless of the number of members present, and resolutions will be passed by a simple majority vote on the agenda items. During the meeting, the Secretary will present the annual summary report regarding the scientific activities and membership, the National Delegate will report on relations with EHS, and the Treasurer will present the annual balance sheet and the Society's financial forecast. Amendments to the Statutes require the approval of the majority of the Founding Members.

Asset Aspects:
The assets of ISHAWS consist of membership fees paid to the chapter, a portion of which will be allocated to EHS. Consequently, ISHAWS members will simultaneously be members of EHS and will be entitled to receive the official EHS publication, the journal Hernia, published by Springer-Verlag. Additionally, the assets will include any funds derived from contributions by public and private entities, donations, bequests from individuals, and any other expressly allocated resources. Any financial revenues will be used for administrative expenses, educational activities, the implementation of scientific projects, and any other matters related to the field. The website (www.ishaws.it) will publish financial statements, budget forecasts, and details of paid assignments.

Membership:
All graduates in Medicine and Surgery, as well as representatives of sector companies and the companies themselves as supporting members, interested in the activities of ISHAWS and willing to sponsor the Society, may join ISHAWS.
Members are categorized as:

• Founding Members
• Co-Founding Members
• Supporting Members
• Ordinary Members
• Honorary Members

All members, except for honorary members, are required to pay their annual membership fee promptly. The minimum annual membership fee for Supporting Members is ten times the ordinary membership fee.
Failure to pay the membership fee will result in the termination of membership for all categories of members, the loss of office, or the inability to register for applicants.
Membership is granted through a simple request from the interested parties by completing the registration form on the website and paying the related fee via bank transfer or credit card.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE:
The governing body of ISHAWS is the Executive Board, composed of:

• Founding Members as mentioned above;
• President , identified as the outgoing National Delegate;
• National Delegate appointed by the International EHS Board upon proposal of the outgoing Executive Board, selected from members in good standing;
• Executive Board composed of eight members, regularly enrolled, elected by voting from the Assembly of Members. The Executive Board designates two members as:
  ° Secretary
  ° Treasurer
• Website Delegates composed of two members elected in the same manner as the Board Members, without voting rights.

Mandate:
° Institutional positions are held for a three-year term, except for Founding Members who hold these positions by right.
° Members of the Executive Board can be re-elected for two terms. They must declare that they have no conflicts of interest with their role in the society and that they have not been convicted of any offense related to the Society's activities.
°  The election for the renewal of institutional positions, held every three years, will be conducted through voting by eligible members, who can express their preferences electronically. The Secretariat will send to all members a list of candidates for the Executive Board at least thirty days before the election date. In case of a tie, a new vote will be conducted among eligible members, limited to the contenders.Functions:
– The President, as the Legal Representative of the Society, is responsible for administration in collaboration with the Secretary and Treasurer. The President convenes the Executive Board and, in agreement with it, organizes scientific and outreach activities. The President acts as the liaison with companies for potential sponsorships
– The National Delegate is the official representative of ISHAWS (Italian Chapter) to the EHS. In close collaboration with the President, the National Delegate acts as the intermediary between ISHAWS and EHS, supporting any requests and conveying decisions made by both sides.
– The Secretaryassists the President in carrying out their duties and maintains up-to-date membership records and contact details. In collaboration with the Website Delegates, the Secretary promptly communicates the Society's activities to all members.
– The Treasurer manages the membership fees, solicits the timely payment of annual fees, makes documented administrative expenses, and, in collaboration with the National Delegate, ensures payment of the fees to EHS. The Treasurer manages the Society's assets and presents the annual balance sheet and the financial forecast.
– The two Web Delegated assist the webmaster in updating the Society's website and coordinate with the institutional positions for editorial decisions regarding the website. They manage the video library for collecting contributions submitted by members, coordinated by a responsible person appointed by the Executive Board. They publish all scientific activities produced by members or promoted by the Society on the website (www.ishaws.it).
– The Scientific Committee , composed of at least three members of the Society, appointed by the Executive Board, performs functions of quality verification and ensures compliance with European standards for abdominal wall surgery and assesses the scientific value of any research conducted under the Society's aegis.
– National School of Abdominal Wall Surgery
The School's Educational Committee is composed of:
° Director of the School, appointed by the Executive Board
° Founding Members (G. Campanelli, P.L. Ipponi, and P. Negro) with permanent roles
° President, the National Delegate, Secretary, Treasurer, and 2 members with a three-year term, selected by the Executive Board from the Society members at the beginning of their mandate.
The Educational Committee directs and organizes educational activities, appoints instructors, accredits Regional Training Centers for practical training, and issues corresponding diplomas at the end of the courses.
The Faculty consists of subject experts who have been members of the Society for at least three years, who have submitted a request for an assignment and have accepted the educational plan and professional ethical standards.
The Educational Committee reserves the right to assign and revoke appointments at its discretion. ISHAWS members are committed not to undertake scientific or educational activities related to the subject, at the national or international level, under the EHS's auspices or sponsorship, without the express consent of the President and the National Delegate.

President of ISHAWS

Pier Luigi Ipponi

Florence, November 3, 2017