MD transcript: Cercel Bogdan-Petre on 2021-03-13
Please report any spelling mistakes or missing parts to [email protected]
December 10, 2018
This document is meant purely for providing non-Dutch speaking members of STORM a way to familiarize themselves with the statutes and house rules of STORM. No rights can be derived from this document. In translating this document, a balance has been struck between clarity and conservation of original wording, in an attempt to deobfuscate the original language. Do not hesitate to contact the board if any questions arise.
- Statutes
- Name, Location and Duration
- Goal
- Resources
- Members, Rights and Duties of Members
- Membership and Donorship
- Financial Resources, Dues, Book Year, Financial Report and Checking
- Board, Election, end of Board Membership, Expulsion
- General Leadership and Executive Board
- Board Authority and Representation
- General Assemblies
- Referendum
- Committeees and Task Forces
- House Rules
- Changing of Statutes and Disbandment
- Liquidation
- House Rules
- a. The association will bear the name: STORM.
b. The association is bound to the Faculty of Science, departments of Mathematics and Computer Science of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam - It is located in Amsterdam.
- The association was started on the eighth of february nineteen hundred eighty eight, to exist for an indefinite amount of time.
The association defines its goal as: representing the interests of students of the Faculty of Science, departments of Mathematics and Computer Science of the Vrije Universiteit, established in Amsterdam, insofar these interests align with those of previously mentioned departments, in the broadest sense of the word.
The association is to attempt to accomplish its goal through:
- Taking in and coaching first year students.
- Actively participating in several committees within previously mentioned departments.
- Improving contact between students themselves and between students and other members of the faculty community through organisation of gatherings.
- Expanding of the practical and theoretical knowledge of members through the organisation of gatherings.
- Making learning materials available and maintaining an exam archive.
- Informing members about the goings-on on departmental, faculty, and university levels.
- Maintaining contact with organisations that are relevant to the goal of the association.
- The association can have:
- a. Ordinary members.
- b. Extraordinary members.
- c. Honorary members.
- d. Donors.
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- a. Ordinary members are those people who are registered as students at the Faculty of Science departments of Mathematics or Computer Science of the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam, and have been accepted as ordinary member at their request.
- b Extraordinary members are those people who are not registered as students at the Faculty of Science departments of Mathematics or Computer Science of the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam, and have been accepted as ordinary member at their request.
- c. Honorary members are those people who, due to providing extraordinary benefits to the association, have been appointed honorary members by the general assembly. The appointment of honorary members happens by either nomination by the board, or by written request to the secretary by at least ten ordinary members.
- d. Donors are those people who have expressed consent to the board to support the association through financial contributions, and have been accepted as donor at their request.
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The board is to maintain a register wherein the names and addresses of all members and donors are to be kept.
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Members have the right to participate in all of the association’s activities, unless the board decides that a certain activity is only accessible by a specific group of members decided by the board.
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The members have the obligation which is imposed on them under or pursuant to these statues.
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The board decides upon acceptance of members and donors.
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In the case of non-acceptance, the general assembly can decide upon accepting the member anyway; the appeal against non-acceptance is to be arranged by house rules.
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Membership ends:
- a. With the death of the member.
- b. With the rescinding of the membership by the member.
- c. With the rescinding of the membership by the association.
- d. With the expulsion of the member.
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Rescinding of the membership by the association can happen:
- a. When a member has ceased to meet the requirements for membership;
- b. When a member does not adhere to their obligations;
- c. When the association cannot be reasonably expected to continue the Membership.
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Expulsion can be declared when a member acts against the statutes, house rules, or association decisions, or harms the association in an unreasonable way.
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Donorship ends:
- a. With the death of the donor.
- b. With the rescinding of the donorship by the donor.
- c. With the rescinding of the donorship by the association.
- d. When the ending of the academic year in which the last donation was done.
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The conditions for membership and donorship are decided by the general assembly, which is led by the statutes and the current house rules and decisions.
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The financial resources of the association are gathered by the board from:
- a. The membership dues of the members.
- b. The contributions of beneficiaries.
- c. Donations, bequests, and inheritances.
- d. All other benefits.
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Membership dues are set by the general assembly. Sorting in categories and exemptions are decided by house rules.
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The association year or book year lasts from the first of January until the 31st of December.
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The board is obligated to keep notes on the state of the treasury of the association such that its rights and obligations can be known from these at all times.
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The board, and especially the treasurer, is to create a financial statement every year within four months of the end of the book year, consisting of a balance, a bill of incomes and expenses, and an explanation which also includes the year’s report of the treasurer.
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In a general assembly that takes place within six months after the end of the book year, the financial statement mentioned in article 1.6.5, accompanied by the report mentioned in article 1.6.8, will be presented and discussed, unless this term is extended by the general assembly. If an expert has issued a report, this will happen under discussion of the explanation of the expert.
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Once per year, within six months of the end of the academic year, the board presents its yearly report and recounts and accounts for its actions in leading the association.
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The general assembly appoints a financial committee every year from its members that shall contain at least two persons that may not be a part of the board. This financial committee will investigate the financial report and account of the board and report their findings to the general assembly.
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If the investigation into the financial report and account requires special accounting knowledge, the financial committee can elect to enlist help from an expert.
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The board is required to provide the financial report to the financial committee, and, if applicable, the appointed expert, within four months after the end of the book year. The board must also provide the financial committee with any clarifications and insights it requires, including showing the cash repository and its values, and providing insight into the books and records.
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Determination or approval of the yearly report by the general assembly serves, Insofar as no reservation
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The board shall consist of at least three and at most seven persons. The general assembly shall determine the amount of board members.
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Election of board members shall be done by the general assembly.
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Election of board members shall be done out of a pool of one or more nominations, which are non-binding.
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All other regulations concerning board election are determined by house rules.
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A board member, even when appointed for an indeterminate amount of time, can at all times be suspended or laid off by the general assembly.
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A suspension that does not result in a layoff within three months, ends within that time.
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Board members are appointed for a period of one year.
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Board membership also ends through termination of the membership of the association, by either the general assembly or the member in question.
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All other regulations concerning suspensions are determined by house rules.
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The board shall appoint a chairman, a secretary and a treasurer from its members.
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The board can appoint a replacement for the chairman, the secretary and the treasurer.
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A board member can take on multiple functions, unless they include two functions that are part of the executive board.
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The chairman, secretary, and treasurer, or their appointed replacements in function, together constitute the executive board.
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All other regulations concerning the board are determined by house rules.
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The board is tasked with managing the association and, with approval of the general assembly, also authorized to enter into agreements to buy, dispose of, or encumber registered goods, and to enter into agreements wherein the association serves as collateral or primary co-debtor, acts on the behalf of a third party, or serves as guarantor for the debt of a third party.
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Should the amount of board members fall below the prescribed minimum, the board still holds authority. The board is tasked with calling a general assembly as soon as possible wherein the fulfillment of the vacant position(s) is discussed.
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The authority of representing the association shall jointly fall upon at least two board members.
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The authority of representing the association shall also fall upon one or more members of the board or one or more third parties, if and insofar the involved parties have received authorization for this from the board. This authorization must be submitted in writing and be signed by two board members.
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The treasurer is independently authorized to manage balances with banks and giro services.
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The commissioner External relations is independently authorized to enter into sponsoring contracts.
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All authorizations that do not fall upon the board by law or by the statutes fall upon the general assembly.
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Every year, within six months of the end of the book year at the latest, a general Assembly is to be called. In this assembly, among other things, the following points will be discussed:
- a. The treasurer’s yearly report, the financial statement and motivation with the report of the financial committee of the previous book year.
- b. A financial update on the budget of the current book year.
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Every year, within six months of the end of the academic year at the latest, a general assembly is to be called. In this assembly, among other things, the following points will be discussed:
- a. The yearly report of the board.
- b. Fulfillment of any vacant positions.
- c. Proposals made by the board or the members, announced with the call of the general assembly.
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Other general assemblies can be called as often as the board deems desirable, or upon request of an amount of members that is authorized to cast at least one twentieth of the total votes of the general assembly.
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The calling of a general assembly shall be done by posting an announcement on the wall of the building of the faculty and by personally messaging persons that may attend the assembly as specified in article 10.6 at least five business days before the scheduled date of the assembly. The announcement shall consist of a mention detailing the time and place of the assembly, and a list of subjects that will be discussed.
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Members and donors of the association are to have access to the general assembly. Suspended members and suspended board members do not have access. The general assembly shall decide upon accepting others.
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Every member of the association, as long as they are not suspended, may cast a vote.
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Honorary members and donors have only an advisory role.
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Everyone may have their vote casted by another member through written Authorization.
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All general assembly decisions are to be made with absolute majority of the legitimately cast votes, unless the law or these statutes prescribe a larger majority.
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In the determination of a majority, blank votes are counted.
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All other regulations concerning the general assembly, the call for one, and the decision making process in it, are determined by house rules.
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The referendum is a written consultation of a written vote by members.
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All general assembly decisions can be put to a referendum that are appointed to be put to a referendum:
- a. by the board.
- b. by the general assembly itself.
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The board can decide upon calling a referendum:
- a. during the assembly itself, before or after the decision of that assembly.
- b. within fourteen days after that assembly, as long as the board, before or after the decision of that assembly, but in that assembly nonetheless, has reserved the right to call a referendum and has told the assembly.
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The outcome of the referendum prevails above the decision made by the general assembly.
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All other regulations concerning the referendum are determined by house rules.
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Committees and task forces are to be instated and the appointment of its members are to be done by the board or the general assembly.
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Committees and task forces have an appointed task that is specified with their creation.
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All other regulations concerning committees and task forces are determined by house rules.
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The general assembly can ratify, change or annul one or more house rules.
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A house rule may not conflict with the law or these statutes.
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A decision to change the statutes or to disband the association requires at least a two thirds majority of the cast votes in an assembly wherein a majority of at least two-thirds of the association’s members are present or represented.
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If the minimum of two thirds of members present or represented is not met, another assembly is to be called and held within six weeks, wherein the proposal, as discussed in the previous assembly, can be decided upon regardless of the amount of present and represented members, as long as it is decided upon with at least a two-thirds majority of the cast votes.
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The call for an assembly wherein changing of the statutes or disbandment of the association is proposed is to present this subject explicitly, and, if it concerns a changing of the statutes, to include the announcement that at least five days before this assembly, a copy of the proposal wherein the proposed change is put into words will be made available for viewing by members in the board-appointed place, up until the end of the day that this assembly has taken place on.
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A change in the statutes is not in effect until a notarial deed is drawn up. Every board member is authorized to pass the deed.
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After disbandment, it falls upon the board to complete the liquidation, unless the general assembly, which has decided upon disbandment, appoints one or more other parties to oversee liquidation.
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During liquidation, the matters determined by these statutes apply as much as possible.
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The credit balance after liquidation is to be divided equally among every person who was a member of the association at the moment of decision of disbandment. With the decision of disbandment, the general assembly can decide to allocate the credit balance elsewhere.
The request for admittance as an ordinary member shall only be granted after membership dues have been paid.
The membership ends, unless otherwise agreed upon, at the end of the chosen study program.
At the moment of termination of membership, there is to be no reimbursement of membership dues.
The rights of ordinary members are:
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To participate in activities, except that which is provisioned in 1.4.4.
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To attend general assemblies, and to speak and put forward proposals in them.
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To call for general assemblies as detailed in Article 29.
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To exercise voting rights in general assemblies.
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To interpellate the board during general assemblies.
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The request for acceptance as an extraordinary member shall only be granted after membership dues have been paid.
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Board members that are not members of STORM, are automatically extraordinary members. This extraordinary membership ends when board membership ends.
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Extraordinary membership ends, unless otherwise agreed upon, five years after signing up.
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The rights of extraordinary members are the same as those of ordinary members.
The rights of ordinary members are:
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To attend general assemblies.
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To participate in activities, except that which is provisioned in 1.4.4
Honorary members are appointed in accordance with 1.4.2.c, with the constraint that a candidate honorary member adheres to one or more of the following criteria:
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He or she has put in effort for association activities for a numberof years.
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He or she has actively participated in association activities and enjoys a certain social status because of this.
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The association has often, and not in vain, been able to rely upon him or her.
The final decision on whether or not to accept a person as honorary member falls upon the general assembly.
Honorary members are exempt from membership dues.
Donors have the right to participate in activities, unless the board decides otherwise.
When donorship automatically ends in accordance with 1.5.6.d, the board can decide upon extending the donorship until the end of the next academic year, if the donation was done shortly before the end of the academic year.
The board is tasked with the explanation and upkeep of the statutes and house rules, and with the implementation of decisions made by the general assembly. The board is accountable to the general assembly.
The tasks of every board member are to be discussed with their fellow board members, with the constraint that at least all the following tasks are to be assigned:
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Coordination of all proceedings.
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Leading all board meetings and general assemblies.
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- a. Minuting all board meetings.
- b. Minuting all general assemblies.
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Managing all correspondence, both incoming and outgoing.
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Announcing all general assemblies.
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Managing member administration.
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Collecting and managing funds, as well as maintaining accurate bookkeeping.
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Making a budget at the start of the calendar year, as well as making a financial statement at the end of it.
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Making a yearly report or listing of activities.
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Contributing to the study-related interests of members.
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Organization of sale of learning materials.
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Presenting an overview of the current financial situation to the verification committee at the end of the board year.
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Making sure that the Stichting Studiereizen STORM has a board.
It also applies that tasks 1] and 2] are part of the function of chairman, tasks 3]b, 4], 5], and 6] are part of the function of secretary, and tasks 7] and 8] are part of the function of treasurer.
Before the twenty-first of November of every book year, a general assembly is to be called. The following points will be discussed there:
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The presentation of the budget for the coming book year,preferably presented by the treasurer. -
The explicit opportunity for the general assembly to apply changes to the presented budget.
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A vote to approve the presented budget and the changes proposed by the general assembly.
At this general assembly, points one to three are to be settled before any other substantive matters.
One of the tasks that fall upon the board is contributing to the fulfillment of the study-related interests of the members of the association. The board is to accomplish this by:
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Forwarding any complaints or signals from members concerning the faculty to the relevant parties in the faculties. -
Contributing to activities that are organized with the goal of furthering academic interests of students
In the case that vacancies arise in the board that cannot be resolved internally, the Board is to propose new candidates in collaboration with the verification committee. The names of the candidates are presented for a period of ten business days.
If the board deems it necessary or desirable, it may instate a committee for the purposes of organising activities or performing duties. This committee can be created and/or disbanded by the board.
The board is responsible for the actions of a committee and must thus, if the board considers it desirable, account to the board.
To allow for better communication between the board and committees, a board member will be appointed as liaison for every committee that is tasked with facilitating communication between the board and that committee.
Every committee is to draw up a budget at the beginning of the board year and submit this to the board for approval.
Every committee is to submit a financial report to the board at the end of the calendar year.
The composition and task division of every committee must be recorded and be provided to members that wish to inform themselves at any time.
At the end of the academic year, a general assembly is to be called. In this assembly, the re-vote of the verification committee will be addressed. The members of the verification committee are chosen by the general assembly. The verification committee is to be decided upon per candidate before the end of the academic year.
The verification committee advises the board when necessary, voluntarily or non-voluntarily.
Members of the board are excluded from admission into the financial committee. If a member of the financial committee becomes a member of the board, their membership of the financial committee is terminated.
Members of the board are excluded from admission into the financial committee. If a member of the financial committee becomes a member of the board, their membership of the financial committee is terminated.
If the amount of board members falls below the minimum amount required to be authorized to represent the association as detailed in 1.9.3, a new-board committee is to be formed from the members of the verification committee, with the purpose of calling a general assembly as soon as possible wherein the fulfillment of the vacant position(s) is addressed.
The financial committee for the coming book year is decided during the general assembly referred to in 2.3.3.
The financial committee is to be disbanded after approval of the yearly financial report by the general assembly.
A general assembly is to be called:
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When the statutes or house rules prescribe one.
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When the board considers one necessary.
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When a written request is, by as many members as is statutorily decided, with a statement of points that are to be discussed, submitted to the secretary. The board is to follow up on this request within ten business days.
General assemblies may not be held during academic vacations, on Saturdays, on Sundays, on generally acknowledged holidays, in acknowledged lecture-free periods or during exam periods. Exemption on any other holidays or remembrance days is decided by the board.
All documents relevant to a general assembly are to be submitted to members two weeks in advance with the invitation, unless the verification committee grants an extension for this.
All of those present at a general assembly are to sign an attendance sheet.
The chairman gives the word to a member when asked. The chairman is, however, not required to give the word to the same person about the same subject three times, barring general assembly appeal. The chairman has the right to have a member removed from the general assembly, barring general assembly appeal.
The chairman is to put up to a vote all motions immediately and in order of submission on the same general assembly unless the submitter or the general assembly grants an extension for this.
All proposals that do not concern a change of the statutes are decided upon by absolute majority of the amount of valid cast votes. If the vote is tied, a revote is to take place. If the vote is tied again, the chairman’s vote decides.
A general assembly vote can take place orally or by a raising of hands, unless the board or five members express the preference for a written vote. The chairman decides the procedure in the case of a written vote. The only written votes that are considered as a valid cast vote are officially certified ballot sheets, that have been filled in by members that are entitled to vote. The established procedure is to have been met.
Written votes are anonymous.
A member can authorize another member to vote for them, along with a note of absence with the secretary. This person can express their vote on a certain agenda point here.
The minutes of a general assembly are to be published within four weeks of the general assembly, unless the verification committee grants an extension for this.
At the end of every board year new board members are chosen. The old board, with the exception of the treasurer, is discharged directly after the switching of the board and confers its authorizations. The treasurer is dismissed from office directly after the switching of the board. The treasurer is discharged after the approval of their yearly financial report by the general assembly.
When a new board is to be chosen, the board is to seek applicants. It is to accomplish this by searching applicants itself. Every member can also apply as an applicant for the new board during the board year until a date decided by the board. This date is to be made known to members at least twenty business days before its arrival.
The application committee is to be constituted of members of the board and the verification committee, in equal parts.
The application committee considers each applicant individually, and, in consultation with the applicants considered fit, composes a candidate board.
The names of the members of the candidate board are to be presented for at least ten business days. The names of the candidates and the period of presentation are made known to members in writing.
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During the period of presentation, groups of at least ten members can request a vote in writing on the election of the proposed candidate board. A counter candidate can also be proposed in writing for one or more candidates under the above conditions. If no requests for voting or proposals for counter candidates have been received at the end of the period of presentation, the candidates proposed by the board are considered elected.
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The counter candidate mentioned in 2.8.6.1 is to agree to their counter candidacy in writing.
If there are counter candidates, the board will communicate to the members in writing their names, the place and the date of voting. This is to happen at least three times, twenty-four hours before the vote. This vote is to be a written vote.
The board is to be chosen by absolute majority of the amount of cast votes. If no one has received the absolute majority of votes, a revote will take place between the two candidates that have received the most votes. The majority of votes decides in the case of a revote. If the votes are tied, another revote will take place.
The board is chosen in function. Every board member has the right to put themselves up for reelection.
A member has a right to reimbursement of costs of forced participation in an activity. This member has to request this reimbursement in writing to the board, at least ten business days beforehand. The board decides if this reimbursement will be provided, and in what amount.
The board or at least an amount of members decided in the statutes can submit a request for a change in the statutes. Within thirty business days of submission a general assembly is to be called wherein the changes will be voted upon.
For non budgeted expenses that amount to a minimum of three thousand euros and twenty-five per cent of the yearly budget combined, the board needs the approval of the general assembly.
The Dutch version of these house rules are binding.