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Constitution
GERMAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF BRITISH CULTURES
Constitution
§1 Name and location of the Association
1. The name of the Association is “Deutsche Gesellschaft für
das Studium britischer Kulturen / German Association for the Study of
British Cultures”.
2. It is to be entered in the Register of Association. According to the
entry, it has the name: “Deutsche Gesellschaft für das Studium
britischer Kulturen e.V. / German Association for the Study of British
Cultures e.V.”
3. The Association has its address in Bochum.
§2 Purpose of the Association
1. The purpose of the Association is to support academic work and education,
i.e. to promote academic and didactic activity at universities, other
institutes of Higher Education, schools and other educational institutions
in their research and teaching in the field of British and other English-speaking
cultures. This support is to be provided especially through the organization
of academic conferences, the publication of academic and didactic research
work, the exchange of research findings, and the encouragement of young
academics.
2. The Association works together with organizations at home and abroad
which share the same interests.
§3 Charitable status
1. The Association does not operate for profit. The Association is in
exclusive, direct and selfless pursuit of charitable purposes as defined
in the Charitable Status decree of 24.01.1953.
2. The Association finances itself through membership subscriptions and
donations. Surplus funds may only be used for the purposes set out in
the constitution.
3. The members receive no payment from the Association’s funds.
They have no claim on the assets of the Association upon termination of
their membership or upon the dissolution or winding up of the Association.
Nobody may benefit from administrative work that is not in accordance
with the purpose of the Association or from disproportionately high reimbursement.
§4 Financial year
The financial year is the calendar year.
§5 Constituent bodies of the Association
The constituent bodies of the Association are:
1. The General Meeting (§8)
2. The Executive Committee (§9)
3. The Advisory Committee (§10)
§6 Membership
1. Anyone who supports the Association’s purposes can be a member
of the Association. Corporate membership is possible.
2. Membership is established through a written application and its acceptance
by the executive committee.
3. The amount of the annual subscription is set through a resolution of
the General Meeting.
4. Membership is terminated with the dissolution of the Association or
the death, resignation or expulsion of the member.
5. Resignation must be tendered in writing and is effective at the expiry
of the financial year.
6. Resignation does not give exemption from the membership fee for the
current year
7. Resolutions to reject an applicant or to expel a member are made by
the Executive Committee. The resolution must be justified to the person
in question. Anyone who is rejected or expelled can appeal within six
weeks of receiving the resolution. The appeal will go to the next General
Meeting for a final resolution, whereby rejection or expulsion requires
a two-thirds majority of the General Meeting.
§7 Right to vote
Every member has the right to vote.
§8 General Meeting
1. There must be an Annual General Meeting. Extraordinary General Meetings
may be called if the interest of the Association requires it or if at
least one quarter of the members demand it.
2. The Annual General Meeting is called by the executive committee. The
invitation must be made to members in writing at least 21 days before
the first day of the meeting and must include the agenda, the place and
the time.
3. Planned alterations to the constitution must be sent to members together
with the invitation to the General Meeting.
4. The General Meeting discusses and decides about:
a. the election, dismissal of the Executive Committee, and approval of
its activities,
b. the report of the Executive Committee,
c. the Treasurer’s financial report and the level of the membership
fee,
d. the election of two financial auditors, who may not be members of the
executive committee,
e. changes to the constitution,
f. the rejection and expulsion of members in case of an appeal (cf. §
6.7),
g. the place and theme of the Association’s annual conferences,
h. aims and activities of the Association,
i. the dissolution of the Association.
5. The General Meeting elects the members of the Advisory Committee for
the duration of two years.
6. The General Meeting makes its resolutions on a simple majority of votes
from those present. A two-thirds majority of members present is required
for changes to the constitution, for the dismissal of the Executive Committee,
and for the dissolution of the Association.
7. The General Meeting is competent to make resolutions when it has been
convened in accordance with the rules.
8. Resolutions of the General Meeting must be recorded in minutes, which
must be signed by two members of the Executive Committee and one minute-taker.
Such minutes must be sent to the members within three months after the
close of the General Meeting.
§9 Executive Committee
1. The Executive Committee consists of the Chair, the Vice-Chair and the
Treasurer. As far as the definition in §26 of the BGB (= German civil
law code) is concerned, the Executive Committee consists of the Chair
and the Vice-Chair. Each of the latter two may individually act on behalf
of the Association.
2. The Executive Committee is elected for a period of three years by a
secret ballot of the General Meeting. The Chair may be re-elected once.
3. If a member of the Executive Committee withdraws prematurely, the Executive
Committee maintains its number by cooption until the next General Meeting.
4. The Executive Committee manages the affairs of the Association. It
takes care of those matters which are not the preserve of the General
Meeting
5. In the event of changes in the editorial committee of the Journal for
the Study of British Cultures, the Executive Committee must reach agreement
with the editors of the journal.
6. The Executive Committee can establish standing orders for its work.
7. The Executive Committee makes its resolutions by a majority of votes.
Written resolutions are permissible.
§10 Advisory Committee
1. The Advisory Committee supports the work of the Executive Committee.
2. It consists of at least 3 and at most 6 members, who should represent
the participating groups (e.g. students, lecturers, professors).
3. There should be a net equal representation of the sexes in the Executive
Committee and Advisory Committee together.
§11 Control of finances
1. The financial auditors elected by the General Meeting are there to
check the annual statement of accounts and to report on the results to
the General Meeting.
2. The Executive Committee members are obliged to disclose information
to the financial auditors.
§12 Dissolution of the Association
1. The Association can only be dissolved by the General Meeting with a
two-thirds majority of the votes cast.
2. In the event of the dissolution of the Association or the lapsing of
its present purpose, any remaining assets will be transferred to a public
body or a recognized not-for-profit body whose purpose is the furtherance
of academic engagement with British and other English-speaking cultures
in the spirit of the constitution.
3. The decision on this will be made by the Executive Committee that is
in office at the time of liquidation.
§13 Date of effectiveness of the constitution
The foregoing constitution was formally approved by the participants at
the foundation meeting on 23.11.2001. The constitution came into effect
upon being entered in the Register of Associations at district court of
PLACE on DATE .
