STATUTE OF NGO AEGEE-TARTU
Adopted at AEGEE-Tartu local Agora on 1st June 2016
I General provisions
1.1. AEGEE-Tartu (later also “organisation”) is the Tartu department, also known as antenna, of international students’ organisation Association des Etats Generaux des Etudiants de l’Europe (European Students’ Forum).
1.2 The location of the board of AEGEE-Tartu is the city of Tartu.
1.3. The official name of the organisation is AEGEE-Tartu.
1.4. AEGEE-Tartu was founded on 7th of September 1994.
1.5. AEGEE-Tartu is an independent legal entity that holds its own symbolics, bank account and seal.
1.6. AEGEE-Tartu is a politically independent non-profit students’ organisation.
1.7. AEGEE-Tartu follows in its activity the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia, Non-profit Associations Act, the organisation’s statute, Convention d’Adhesion agreement with AEGEE-Europe and other legislation.
1.8. AEGEE’s general members meeting in local and international level is called Agora.
II PURPOSES OF THE ACTIVITIES AND THE MEASURES TO ACHIEVE THEM
2.1. The organisation follows the general vision and mission of AEGEE and supports its projects. AEGEE-Tartu is also independent and holds local aims.
2.2. The main purposes of the organisation are:
2.2.1. being a connection between university students of Tartu and Europe;
2.2.2. offer possibilities for self-realisation for university students of Tartu from different faculties, universities and groups of society;
2.2.3. introduce Tartu to students as an educational and cultural destination;
2.2.4. introduce itself to other AEGEE local antennae as an active AEGEE local antenna.
2.3. To accomplish the purposes, AEGEE-Tartu:
2.3.1 organises and participates in training programmes and projects;
2.3.2. organises information exchange and conferences for students from different countries;
2.3.3. conducts and distributes materials related to its activities;
2.3.4. carries out other activities that are not against its statute or the legislation in force;
III THE ASSETS OF AEGEE-TARTU
3.1. The assets of the organisation consists of:
3.1.1. membership fees, of which the amount and paying method will be designated by the local Agora (later Agora);
3.1.2. property donations and appropriations;
3.1.3. income that is received from publishing and distributing the organisations publications;
3.1.4. income that is received from the fees of events which are realizing the organisation’s statute based purposes;
3.1.5. other income that is necessary for developing the achieving of the purposes from the organisation’s statute.
3.2. AEGEE-Tartu can own any asset that is necessary for achieving the purposes of the organisation’s statute if the acquisition of them is not contrary to the legislation.
IV MEMBERS, THEIR RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS
4.1. A member of AEGEE-Tartu (later Member) is a 18-35 (including) year old student or former student of a higher education or vocational education institution who has paid the membership fee.
4.2. The acceptance of a member is decided by the board of AEGEE-Tartu based on the application of becoming a member. If the board refuses to accept the applicant as a member, the applicant may ask the deciding of the membership by the general members meeting of the organisation.
4.2.1 A bystander is an AEGEE-Tartu member who is abroad for a longer period of time or not participating in the organisation’s work for other reasons, whose membership rights and obligations have been stalled on the board’s decision based on the member’s application to the board. The bystander has the right to belong to the information list of AEGEE-Tartu.
4.3. A member is excluded from membership in the organisation:
4.3.1. on the basis of the member’s written application to the board;
4.3.2 if the membership fee has not been paid within 1,5 months;
4.3.3. when the member turns 36 years old;
4.3.4. according to the board’s decision if the obligations of the member have not been fulfilled;
4.3.5. according to the board’s decision if the reputation of AEGEE-Tartu has been jeopardised;
4.4. A member is obligated:
4.4.1. to follow the statute of the organisation;
4.4.2. to pay the membership fee;
4.4.3. to participate in AEGEE-Tartu Agorae;
4.5. A member has the right:
4.5.1. to elect members to AEGEE-Tartu’s bodies;
4.5.1. run as a candidate for AEGEE-Tartu’s bodies;
4.5.3. submit proposals and notes about the organisation’s activities;
4.5.4. participate with a priority right in the organisation’s projects, events and use other benefits;
4.5.5. apply for material or other help from AEGEE-Europe.
4.6. If the board has made a decision about a member, the member has the right for the decision to be reviewed by the Agora.
4.7. Honorary members are members who have offered significant favours to the organisations and whose appointment has been approved by AEGEE-Tartu Agora.
4.7.1. Honorary members do not have the obligation to pay the membership fee and participate in local Agoras.
4.7.1. The age limit of a regular member does not apply for the honorary member.
V AGORA
5.1. The highest deciding power of AEGEE-Tartu is the general members meeting.
5.2. The ordinary Agora gathers twice a year on the board’s invitation.
5.3. The extraordinary Agora is summoned when the president or the board finds a reason for it or when at least 1/10 of members make a written request for it from the board, explaining the reason for summoning the meeting.
5.4. The extraordinary Agora must gather within one month after the submission of the request.
5.5. The agenda of the Agora is presented by the board.
5.6. A member can request bringing a new issue on the agenda of the Agora, given a reason.
5.6.1. A written request for adding a new issue on the agenda of the Agora must be submitted before the invitations of the Agora are sent to the members.
5.7. Issues that were previously not in the agenda of the Agora can be accepted if all members participate or are represented at the Agora or when at least 9/10 members who are participating at the Agora, agree to the accepting.
5.8. The board sends an invitation to all members via post or electron post at least 2 weeks before the Agora.
5.9. Every member has one vote at the Agora.
5.10. Agora has a quorum if at least half of the members are present or represented. If the Agora does not fill the quorum, the board calls a new Agora with the same agenda within three weeks. The new Agora is valid to make decisions if there are at least two members participating.
5.11. Decisions are made with simple majority vote, unless with changing the statute and deciding the termination of AEGEE-Tartu, which have been accepted when over ¾ of the members participating in the general members meeting or their representatives have voted in favour of it.
5.12. AEGEE-Tartu Agora:
5.12.1. hears out and approves the report of the president about the situation in the organisation;
5.12.2. hears out and approves the report of the audit committee;
5.12.3. approves the activity report and the financial statement of the previous period;
5.12.4. accepts the budget and activity plan for the next period;
5.12.5. elects, which if requested, will be done anonymously, once a year, during the Spring Agora, three to eight board members for the period of one year which lasts from the 1st of August until the following year’s 31st July;
5.12.6. elects, secretly if necessary, the audit committee (auditor) of AEGEE-Tartu during the Spring Agora for the period of one year and appoints the person who got the most votes as the chair of the audit committee;
5.12.7 if necessary, changes the statute of AEGEE-Tartu;
5.12.8 if necessary, decides the termination of the activities of AEGEE-Tartu;
5.12.9 discusses other issues that are in the agenda;
5.12.10 may elect the delegates for AEGEE-Europe’s Agora.
5.13 Any member of AEGEE-Tartu or his/her representative who has been given an unattested proxy can participate and vote at the Agora. The representative can only be appointed amongst AEGEE-Tartu members.
VI BOARD
6.1. The board of AEGEE-Tartu manages the activites of AEGEE-Tartu between the period of Agorae.
6.2. The board consists of three to eight members chosen at the Agora.
6.3. The board has the jurisdiction in all questions during the period between Agorae that have not been given into the jurisdiction of Agora.
6.4. The distribution of occupations between the board members is decided by the board before starting their term. The occupations must consist of a president, treasurer and secretary. The occupations are laid down in the job description which is accepted by the board unless the Agora decides differently.
6.5. The board will choose a vice-president among the board members unless the Agora decides differently.
6.6. The meetings of the board will take place according to the needs.
6.7. The board has the quorum if over a half of the board members are present, including the president or the vice-president.
6.8. The decisions of the board are made with the simple majority voting by the board members.
6.9. If there is the equality of votes, the deciding vote is the president’s, or in the absence of the president, the vice-president’s vote.
6.10. The board is obligated to track the registration and deletion of AEGEE-Tartu members.
VII PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT, SECRETARY, TREASURER
7.1. President:
7.1.1. has to ensure that the activities of the organisation are exercised according to the purposes of AEGEE-Tartu;
7.1.2. represents the organisation in all areas;
7.1.3. runs the board meetings;
7.1.4. is responsible together with the treasurer for the financial situation.
7.2. Vice-president:
7.2.1. assists the president in different tasks;
7.2.2. takes over the rights and obligations of the president, when the president is absent.
7.3. Secretary:
7.3.1 has to ensure the information distribution in the organisation;
7.3.2 is responsible for assembling Agorae;
7.3.3. is responsible for taking the minutes of Agorae and board meetings;
7.3.4. is responsible for the maintenance of documentation and exchange of letters
7.4. Treasurer:
7.4.1. administrates the bank accounts of the organisation;
7.4.2. makes the payments in accordance with the president;
7.4.3. is responsible for financial transactions;
7.4.4. can refuse to make transactions, which have not received the approval of the board;
7.4.5. is responsible for the financial statement report of AEGEE-Tartu and preparing the budget;
7.4.6. presents the annual report to the audit committee two weeks before the Spring Agora and then presents it to the Agora.
VIII AUDIT COMMITTEE
8.1. The audit committee or auditor:
8.1.1 exercises supervision over the situation of finances in the organisation;
8.1.2. exercises revisions randomly, but not less than once in 6 months;
8.1.3. has the obligation to exercise the revision two weeks before Agora;
IX VALIDITY OF DOCUMENTS
9.1. The first right to sign signatures on the financial documents of AEGEE-Tartu belongs to the president of AEGEE-Tartu and the second right to sign signatures belongs to the treasurer.
9.1.1. For other documents, the president or secretary sign the documents.
X VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE
10.1. On the request of 1/10 of AEGEE-Tartu members or ⅔ of the board members, a vote of no confidence may be given by Agora for one or several board members.
10.2. In case the Agora votes in favour for publicating the vote of no confidence, the given board member is considered to be compulsory retired.
XI TERMINATION OF ACTIVITIES
11.1 The activities of the organisation are terminated:
11.1.1. with the decision of the general members meeting;
11.1.2. with a court judgment;
11.1.3. with the decision of the remaining members, when there are less than three members remaining in the organisation;
11.1.4. when the agreement of Convention D’Adhesion between AEGEE-Tartu and AEGEE-Europe has lost its validity.
11.2. With the decision of terminating the activities of the organisation, the liquidation committee is chosen at the general assembly and the people entitled for the distribution of assets are designated.
11.3. The person entitled for the distribution of assets is another international student organisation European Students’ Forum department that is registered in the Republic of Estonia and/or a non-profit organisation whose activities as specified in the statutes are similar to AEGEE-Tartu activities as specified in the statutes.