Basic Information

STATUTE OF THE FOLKLORE ASSOCIATION OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC

§ 1

Basic provisions

1. The name of the organization is Folklore Association of the Czech Republic (hereinafter called the "FoACR" or the "Association").
2. The seat of the Association is at Prague.
3. The Association operates in the territory of the Czech republic.
4. The Association is a special-interest, civil, independent, nonpolitical organization, particularly of children and youth as well as of other natural and legal persons.
5. The Association is a legal person.
6. The Association can cooperate or associate with other organizations in the Czech Republic or abroad.

§ 2

Mission and aim

1. Mission of the FoACR:

a. to promote unity between its members whose common concern it is to safeguard and preserve traditional folk culture and to cultivate its scenic and transferred forms,

b. to associate natural and legal persons or collectives interested in the Association´s activities and program.

1. Scope of the FoACR:

a. programming, publishing, economic, organizational and coordinating activities, and representation of the interests of its members,

b. specialized consultant services for the members of the Association.

1. Aim of the FoACR:

The FoACR shall

a. create opportunities and approppriate conditions for the activity of its members, defend their interests vis-à-vis state organs, local authorities and other organizations,

b. cooperate with the regional branches and offices and all the members of the Association| coordinate activities between them and FoACR headquarters,

c. cooperate with professional, civil and other organizations engaging in similar activities in the Czech Republic and abroad, and represent the interests of its members on the basis of mutually beneficial cooperation,

d. seek cooperation with travel agencies in order to create conditions for the presentation of regional and local traditions of our nation and of ethnic groups living in the Czech Republic,

e. organize talks, exhibitions, festivals, shows, concerts, courses, seminars, workshops, study sojourns etc., alone or in collaboration with other organizations,

f. disseminate and provide information about the activities of the FoACR and its members,

g. in the spirit of its mission, attend to the collective rights of its members and stand for them in diverse procedures,

h. seek co-sponsors, sponsors and supporters for its activities,

i. ensure adequate financial support and assets for its activities and the activities of its members.

§ 3

Membership

1) The membership of individuals, collectives, and festivals in the FoACR is voluntary and comes into being on the basis of a written application submitted to the secretariat of FoACR, following payment of the affiliation fee.

2) Members of FoACR shall be

a. full members – folklore ensembles, festivals, festivities, natural persons, and legal persons who duly pay their member fees and fulfil their duties

b. honorary members

c. associate members

3) Full members of the FoACR shall have power to set up regional folklore associations with their own legal personality. This power shall does not extend to collectives without legal personality. The cooperation between regional folklore associations and the FoACR shall be pursued on the principles of mutual agreement.

4) Cessation of membership:

Membership in the FoACR shall cease by

a. withdrawal, prior notification in writing to the secretariat of the FoACR,

b. termination of the activity of the collective,

c. cancellation of festival,

d. decease,

e. exctinction of legal person.

5) The admission of honorary and associate members shall be decided by the board of directors of the FoACR and their status shall be defined by the rules of procedure of the Association.

6) A full member who has failed to pay its member dues during a term of office shall lose the privileges of a full member under § 4 article 1.

7) A full member who has not fulfilled its member duties for two consecutive years may be disaffiliated by the board of directors of the FoACR. The member may appeal against such determination to the General Assembly.

§ 4

Rights and duties of full members

1) Rights of full members:

a. to be kept informed about the activities of the FoACR, vote personally or through their appointed substitutes at the assembly of the FoACR, file motions for the agenda of the general assembly or propose its extraordinary convention, or submit proposals to the organs of the FoACR regarding its activities,

b. to be elected into the organs of the FoACR,

c. to have a posibility of funding through the FoACR, receive the magazine Folklor or other publications, and obtain a member card; collectives without legal personality can be recipients of grants if it is in agreement with generally binding legal regulations,

d. to be represented at the assemblies of the FoACR by their appointed substitutes, who may cast vote and be elected into the Association´s organs providing they have fulfilled their member duties,

e to withdraw at any time after notifying the secretariat in writing.

2) Duties of full members:

a. to pay duly their members fees,

b. when elected into an organ of the Association, to fulfil the assigned tasks and the resolutions with responsibility,

c. to participate actively in the life of the FoACR, keep informed about its activities and help in the implementation of jointly carried resolutions,

d. to pursue their own activities while cooperating with the organs of the FoACR and with such regional or local associations and authorities as it may deem approppriate.

§ 5

Organs

1. General Assembly

a. The General Assembly is the supreme organ of the FoACR, which

i. evaluates the fulfilment of the tasks of the FoACR, of its board of directors and of the supervisory board,

ii. approves the program of the FoACR for the term till the next sitting of the general assembly,

iii. sets the tasks for the board of directors and the supervisory board,

iv. elects and suspends from office the members of the organs of the Association,

v. deliberates on statute amendments and discusses the motions passed by the board of directors or by members of the Association,

vi. approves the amount of affiliation fees and member fees,

vii. takes note of and approves statements of activities under article 2a.

b. The general assembly shall be convened by the board of directors once every four years by written invitation demonstrably delivered to all members at least three weeks prior to the session. The invitation shall indicate the date, time and place of the session, as well as the agenda of the general assembly.

c. Simultaneously with the invitation, full members shall receive a delegation card entitling them to cast vote. For a delegation card of a collective full member to be valid, it must be signed by an authorized representative or statutory substitute of the full member and it must identify the person of the delegate. After turning in the valid delegation card, the delegate shall receive a ballot paper. Honorary members and associate members shall only receive the invitation.

d. The board of directors of the FoACR shall convene an extraordinary general assembly

i. for deliberating on matters within the exclusive competence of the general assembly,

ii. if they deem that the interests of the Association so require it,

iii. if at least one third of full members demonstrably has requested it,

iv. if the supervisory board has requested it.

e. The general assembly has quorum with a simple majority of delegates. If at the stipulated time of session opening there are less than 50% but more than 20% of delegates present, the general assembly shall open after a 30 minute delay and the actually achieved attendance shall be the quorum.

f. Any votation of the general assembly on matters such as resolutions, statute amendment, cessation of the Association or election of organs shall be valid if it is accepted by simple majority. The voting shall be carried out by acclamation using the ballots. At the request of any of the delegates the votation shall be secret. The organs of the Association shall be elected according to the votation rules of the general assembly.

g. Honorary and associate members cannot vote at the general assembly, but may attend it with an advisory vote.

h. If the general assembly recalls more than one third of the members of the board of directors, the term of office of the whole board of directors shall terminate and the general assembly shall call a new election.

2) Board of Directors

a. The board of directors is the supreme organ of the Association in the periods between the general assembly sessions; it decides on all activities of the Association including organizational, financial and economic matters, as well as on other matters within its competence except those reserved to the general assembly. The board of directors

i. executes the resolutions of the general assembly,

ii. directs the activities of the Association and decides on matters entrusted to it by the statutes,

iii. submits to the general assembly

1) a statement of activities during the preceding period,

2) proposals for the activities of the FoACR for the following period,

3) financial report,

4) proposals for the amount of affiliation fees and member fees,

5) proposals regarding the implementation of the approved activities of the Association

iv. cooperates with regional folklore associations.

b. Approves the annual report and the financial report with final accounts.

c. The board of directors shall consist of eight members voted by the general assembly and a secretary approved by the general assembly.

d. The board of directors may decide by resolution on hiring employees and concluding contracts of services and contracts with authors in support of the activities of the FoACR.

e. The term of office of the board of directors members shall be four years. A member of the board of directors may be recalled by an extraordinary general assembly or may resign from his office. In that case his term of office shall terminate on the day when the board of directors of the FoACR takes due note of his resignation. The board of directors may co-opt a new member to substitute the resigning member.

f. After being elected, the board of directors shall appoint from amongst its members a chairperson, two deputy chairpersons and, optionally, other officers. The chairperson of the board of directors is the supreme (statutory) representative of the FoACR, who is fully responsible for the activities and functioning of the Association. The chairperson of the board of directors is simultaneously President of the FoACR.

g. The chairperson shall summon a meeting of the board of directors at least four times a year. Upon written request by any of the board of directors´s members, a meeting shall be summoned three weeks at the latest after the receipt of the request. The board of directors meetings are attended, with an advisory vote, by chairpersons of the regional associations or their substitutes, and by members of the supervisory board. The activity, decision power, competences, and responsibilities of the FoACR board of directors are determined by the rule of procedure of the board of directors.

h. The meetings of the board of directors shall be chaired by the chairperson or by a deputy chairperson.

i. The meetings of the board of directors are open only to members of the Association and the board of directors shall notify the regional folklore associations and the supervisory board about the place, date, and time of the meeting.

j. The board of directors approves honorary and associate memberships.

k. Should the direction and organization of joint activites so require it, the board of directors may appoint from its members a presidium on which it may transfer a part of its competences defined by the rule of procedure of the board of directors.

l. In order to ensure the organization of the Association´s activities, the board of directors shall establish a secretariat of the Association and regional offices, and it shall set up commissions whose sphere of action shall be clearly delimited.

3) Supervisory board

a. The supervisory board is the controlling organ of the Association. It shall implement the resolutions of the general assembly and be responsible for its activity to the general assembly, to which it shall submit a statement of its activities during the preceding period.

b. It is responsible for the auditing of the financial management, inventory of assests, and the activities of the board of directors.

c. It supervises the implementation of the resolutions carried by the general assembly and the fulfilment of the activity schedule of the Association in keeping with the rule of procedure of the supervisory board.

d. It shall have at least five members.

e. The term of office of the members shall be four years. A member of the supervisory board may be recalled by the general assembly or may resign from his office. In that case his term of office shall terminate on the day when the chairperson of the supervisory board takes note of his resignation. Instead of the resigning member the board shall co-opt a substitute elected by the general assembly.

f. The supervisory board shall audit the financial management of the FoACR at least four times a year. Where necessary, it shall audit the management of the means of the FoACR (financial contributions or assets) by members and regional associations as regards the handling of endowments granted by the FoACR.

g. On its first sitting it shall elect from its members a chairperson and a deputy chairperson.

h. The minutes from the sittings of the supervisory board and the protocols of the audits including their findings and recommendations shall be handed over to the board of directors, which shall study them responsibly, adopt such measures as may be needed, and report these measures to the supervisory board within 60 days of receipt of the minutes.

i. All members shall be commited to a close cooperatation with the supervisory board and to furnishing them with any information requested, written materials etc., and, if requested, they shall attend the deliberations of the supervisory board.

j. The members of the supervisory board shall have a right to attend the sittings of the board of directors of the Association with an advisory vote; they shall likewise have a right to pass motions, which shall be voted immediately.

§ 6

Finance

1) The financial management of the FoACR shall conform to the Financial Regulations approved by the board of directors.

2) The assets of the Association consist of material (movable and immovable) and immaterial properties.

3) The sources of income are:

a. members´ dues,

b. proceeds from own property and activity,

c. subsidies and grants,

d. gifts, bequests, legacies, and other sources.

4) Financial means shall be managed through bank accounts and through the treasury of the FoACR. The cash limit shall be established by the board of directors of the Association.

5) The accounts of the Association shall be handled by the chairperson and both deputy chairpersons. Payment orders shall be signed by two persons with authorized signature, one of whom must be the President of the Association.

6) Should a sub-account be set up with different authorized signatures, the principle must be maintained that the authorization to handle the sub-account shall be shared by two persons. Four persons at most shall have authorized signatures for one sub-account; one of them shall be the President of the Association.

7) The accounts of all movable and immovable assets shall be done according to the rule of organization and procedure of the Association. The administration of assets and the handling of economic matters falls within the competence of the board of directors. In the case of a change in the persons with authorized signature for a bank account or change of the economist, the financial means and the assets shall be handed over by protocol. The officer responsible for the assets is the President of the Association.

§ 7

Final provisions

1) The Folklore Association of the Czech Republic may be wound up by decision of the general assembly. Following resolution of the general assembly, liquidation of the assets and all financial settlement shall be executed by the board of directors or by a liquidation commission authorized by the general assembly.

2) If the Association is wound up without a decision of the general assembly, all settlements shall be executed by the board of directors of the FoACR through a liquidation commission set up by the board in its proceedings. The members of this commission may be drawn from representatives of regional member subjects.

The statute of the Association was approved at the General Assembly held on the 26th of November at Žďár nad Sázavou and comes into force as of the day of its registration at the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic.

Josef Langer

Member of the Board of Directors in charge of legislative matters

Zdeněk Pšenica

Statutory representative of the Folklore Association of the Czech Republic