Statutes of the Academy Club Association

Statutes of the Academy Club Association

as passed by its General Assembly

of 16 December, 2002

1. General provisions

1.1. Name of the Association: Academy Club (henceforth: Club)

1.2. Premises: 9 Széchenyi Sq. Budapest 1051

1.3. The Club is an association run on a self-governing basis. It is a legal entity.

2. The Club's objectives

To provide a quality venue for the prominent figures of Hungarian scientific and economic life for cordial and exclusive encounters with each-other and their guests, thereby promoting a dialogue and fruitful co-operation of science, culture, and the economy as well as providing an opportunity for members to spend their leisure time in a pleasant way.

To achieve this aim, the Club organises and promotes the regular, intimate and private encounter of persons belonging to the above mentioned group.

3. Membership

1. Members are recruited from among

  • founders,
  • members of the public body of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (henceforth: HAS) including ordinary, corresponding, exterior members as well as public body members with scientific degrees,
  • Hungarian members of European international academies,
  • senior civil servants of HAS, all of whom have accepted the Club's Statutes, expressed their wish to join by signing the application for membership, and are paying their membership fees
  • prominent public personalities offered membership by the Club's Executive, all of whom, upon acceptance, sign the application for membership, accept the Club's Statutes, and are paying their membership fees.

Non-members of the public body of HAS are accepted by special decree of the Club's Executive.

Members whose senior public service has expired can remain members by special decree of the Club's Executive.

Legal entities can only become supporting members. However, they can designate natural persons authorised to visit the Club and its functions.

2. Membership (supporting membership) expires

  • with the death of a natural person or the disbanding of a legal entity,
  • by withdrawal to be announced in writing,
  • by deletion if a member (supporting member) has failed to pay his/her/its membership fee in spite of an invoice
  • by exclusion if a member has gravely and consciously contravened the Club's Statutes.

3. A decree of exclusion can be appealed to the General Assembly within 15 days.
Such an appeal suspends the execution of the decree.

4. Members' rights

  • A member may confer and vote at the General Assembly as well as other functions of the Club.
  • A member may elect and be elected into the Executive of the Club.
  • A member may hand in proposals to the General Assembly and/or the Executive of the Club.
  • A member may benefit from the possibilities and services rendered by the Club.

5. Members' duties

  • A member must perform all Executive duties to the best of his/her/its abilities if elected into the Executive of the Club.
  • A member must pay membership fees as they become due.
  • A supporting member must pay membership fees as they become due.
  • A member must keep the Club's Statutes and House Rules.

4. The Club's organisation

1. The Club's highest decision-making body is its General Assembly. The General Assembly is the totality of the members and may rule over issues concerning the Club and falling within the Club's cognisance.

1.The General Assembly may rule over

  • the establishment, acceptance, and modification of the Statutes,
  • the election and disbanding of the Club's Executive and auditing committees,
  • the report given by the Club's Executive
  • an appeal against a members' exclusion,
  • the disbanding or merger of the Club as well as any decision concerning the Club's estate,
  • the yearly membership fee of individual members.

2.The General Assembly may be regular or special

  • a regular General Assembly must be convened once every 3 year,
  • a special General Assembly must be convened if asked by at least 10% of the members in writing (stating the reason), if the Club's Executive considers it justified or if proposed by the supervisory authority in writing.
      3. The Club's Executive announces the time, venue and agenda of the General Assembly 15 days prior to the General Assembly.
      4. The General Assembly is quorate if at least 15% of its members + 1 person is present. In case the General Assembly is inquorate, it must be reconvened within 30 days with the same agenda. This General Assembly is quorate regardless the number of those present.
      5. The General Assembly makes its decisions by open ballot. Passing the decisions requires the majority of the valid votes.
      6. The members of the first General Assembly are the founders of the Association.
      7. The General Assembly must produce a memorandum signed by the Club's President, the recording secretary and two confirming members.

2. The Club's Executive is the administrative and representative body of the Club. It manages and organises the Club's activity between two general assemblies, makes decisions on issues falling outside the competence of the General Assembly. The Club's Executive is constituted by 26 members elected for a 3 year term by open ballot by the General Assembly.
The Club's Executive convenes as required, but at least twice every year, passing its decisions by a majority of open ballots. Each of its sessions produces a memorandum signed by the Club's president and one of its secretaries.

The Club's Executive may invite conferring members. The Executive's presidency is not cooptable, while 1/3 of the Executive's members' position may be filled by coopting conferring members.

1.The Executive's Duties

a) to prepare General Assemblies,

b) to set annual budgets and to manage and organise the Club's activities on the basis of the budget,

c) to determine the agenda of forthcoming periods,

d) to set membership fees of supporting institutions and to issue the House Rules of the Club's premises,

e) to set the conditions by which non-members can benefit from services rendered by the Club,

f) to rule over deletions and exclusions from membership,

g) to determine its own regulations,

h) to give an account of its own activities to the General Assembly.

2. The Club is represented by the president. The president of the Club and a secretary authorised by the Executive or two authorised secretaries may dispose over the Club's assets jointly. The Club's president, in case of incapacitation, may transfer his/her representative function to the founder president or to a member of the Executive in a manner set by the Club's Executive.

3. Secretaries of the Club perform operative organisational duties.

3.The Auditing Committee, elected by the General Assembly, must regularly control the estate management of the Club and submit reports to the General Assembly. The Auditing Committee has 3 members who elect a president. It sets the rules of its activity and makes its decisions by a majority of votes.

5. The Club's estate

      1. The Club's independent estate accrues mainly from membership fees.
      1. The Club observes the estate management rules covering civil organisations during its operation that proceeds according to a yearly financial plan.
      1. The Club may spend on operational expenses, rents, functions, artists' fees and other expenses.
      1. All issues not covered by these Statutes fall under the Civil Code as well as the Assembly Act of 1989.

These amended and integrated Statutes were passed by a majority of votes at the General Assembly of the Club on 16 December 2002.

Budapest, 16 December 2002

Chair

Academy Club Association