Statutes
Statutes
of the
“Verein zur Förderung des Geologisch-Paläontologischen
Museums der Universität Hamburg e.V.”
(Society for the Support of the Geological-Palaeontological
Museum
of the University of Hamburg)
§ 01 Name and Seat (Place of Registration)
01. The society’s name is “Verein zur Förderung des Geologisch-Palaeontologischen
Museums der Universität Hamburg “. The society was registered on 23rd June,
1992 as No. 69 VR 133320.
02. The society’s seat is Hamburg.
§ 02 The society’s aims
01. The society’s aim is the support of the Geological-Palaeontological Museum
of the University of Hamburg by:
- purchasing rare exposures, thus increasing the attractivity of the museum;
- special expositions in exchange with other museums;
- making the museum reknown to the wider public by giving scientific lectures
for the general public.
02. The society is neutral in respect of policital parties and ideology. Its aims are
exclusively and directly of public benefit.
03. The society’s means must only be spent on statutory purposes, such as:
a) purchase of collections, single specimens, scientific publications, instruments,
and equipment;
b) excavations;
c) lectures and excursions;
d) publications;
e) wages for technical and scientific assistents.
04. a) The board decides by majority how the means are spent, usually after having
heard the opinion of the director and the keeper of the collection. In case of
equality of votes for and against, the chairman (of the board) has the casting
vote.
b) The objects purchased by the society will be donated to the collection of the
Geological-Palaeontological Museum of the University of Hamburg and included
in the inventory.
05. All means must be spent only for statutory purposes.
06. The members do not receive profit shares nor any other allowances out of
the society’s means.
07. Unstatutory payments in favour of members or unreasonably high
allowances are not permitted.
§ 03 Membership
01. Members of the society can be:
a) ordinary members;
b) sponsors;
c) honorary members;
d) corresponding members.
Individual persons, corporate bodies, foundations, institutions, societies,
associations, and firms can be ordinary members or sponsors.
02. Membership can be obtained:
a) for ordinary members by written application which will be confirmed by the
board.
b) The baord decides about a sponsor’s membership. A sponsor can become
anyone who donates a larger sum of money or is prepared to pay regularly
a somewhat higher annual subscription. Sponsoring can also be done by
donating scientific collections, single objects of scientific value, or specia
l literature. A report about the valuation of the donations is given by the
keeper of the museum’s collection.
Donations of sponsors are to be mentioned in the annual report.
c) Honorary members can be nominated and appointed at the general meeting.
Persons can be appointed honorary members for their merits in connection
with the Geological-Palaeontological Museum of the University of Hamburg.
d) Corresponding members will be appointed by the board on recommendation.
Corresponding members can be persons who support the purposes of the
society with their scientific publications. These members do not have to
subscribe.
03. Membership ends:
by withdrawal, death, or dismissal. Withdrawals are accepted only at the
end of the year. Arrears of more than one year’s subscription will be regarded
as withdrawal.
The general assembly can vote for dismission of a member on a motion of the
board. Reasons for dismission can be: damage of the society’s reputation or
interests. Before deciding about a dismission, the member must be given an
opportunity for justification.
§ 04 Duties and rights of members
01. The members shall promote the society’s purposes.
02. All members have seat and vote in the general assembly and have the right
of proposing motions.
03. All members are entitled to the annual report.
04. On demand, members may receive the “Mitteilungen aus dem Geologisch-
Paläontologischen Institut der Universität Hamburg” at reduced cost.
§ 05 Finances
01. The administration expenses and the expenses mentioned in § 02 are
covered by:
a) subscriptions b) private donations (money or objects)
b) public donations
02. The members have to subscribe. Each ordinary member has to pay a
minimum subscription fee per year; its amount depends on the
society’s requirements and will be fixed by the general assembly. It
is due on 1st April. Members of the board are exempt from subscription.
§ 06 The society’s organs
a) the general assembly
b) the board
§ 07 The general assembly
01. The general assembly is responsible for:
a) acceptance of the annual report;
b) review of the accounts by two auditors recommended by the general
assembly;
c) modification of statutes;
d) election of board members and nomination of honorary members;
e) passing of resolutions regarding members’ motions;
f) dismissals of members;
g) fixing the minimum annual subscription.
01a: The society’s secretary writes a protocol of the general assembly. It has
to be signed by the secretary and the chairman of the board.
01b: The annual statement of account has to be audited by two members to
be elected for two years by the general assembly. They have to report
the result.
01c: Amendments to the statutes require a 3/4 majority of the members present
at the general assembly. All other resolutions pass with the votes of the
simple majority.
01d: Members of the board are elected for two years.
01e: Members’ motions should be put forward to the board in writing possibly
4 weeks before the general assembly.
02. The general assembly takes place at least once a year. Members are
called to the meeting by written agenda at least 2 weeks in advance.
03. Elections and resolutions are open, voting by hand-lifting. On a member’s
motion, a secret ballot has to be held.
04. The board can call to an extraordinary general assembly at any time. It
must take place if 10 % of the members put forward a reasonable written
motion. The procedure must be in accordance with § 07, No. 02.
§ 08 The board
01. The board consists of the following four persons:
a) the chairman of the board;
b) the vice chairman of the board;
c) the secretary;
d) the treasurer.
The members of the board are elected by the general assembly with
simple majority and for two years each. They remain in office until new
elections are held. Re-elections are permitted.
02. The chairman of the board shall invite all members of the board regularly
– if possible in writing – enclosing the agenda. An extraordinary meeting
has to take place within 14 days after receipt of a board member’s motion.
Three members of the board constitute a quorum.
03. A meeting is not necessary in case of written resolutions between members.
04. Resolutions of the board need a majority of votes. In case of equality of
votes for and against, the chairman of the board has the casting vote.
05. The board is in charge of the management of the society. The board makes
the necessary arrangements for the general assembly.
It presents the annual report and the annual statement of account for the
last year. The board explains the plans for the following year.
06. The society is represented in court and out of court by the chairman of
the board and one other member of the board. The chairman of the board
and one other member of the board can appoint other members of the
board as representatives in certain business affairs or special kinds of
business affairs.
07. A member of the board or several members of the board, within the limits
of their authority, can appoint other persons as representatives of the
society. This must be done in writing.
08. Obligatory statements require proper legal (written) form.
§ 09 Financial Year
The financial year is the calendar year.
§ 10 Annual Account
01. The treasurer has to prepare an annual statement of account for every
financial year which must be audited by two members of the society
before the annual general assembly takes place. The auditors are elected
by the general assembly.They must not belong to the board.
02. The general assembly can decide that the auditing be made by a person
who is not member of the society, but an expert.
§ 11 Dissolution
01. The society can be dissolved only on a motion by the general assembly.
A dissolution requires a majority of 3/4 of the members present.
02. In case of dissolution of the society or cessation of the society’s former
aims, the society’s assets will belong to the Museum of the Geological-
Palaeontolgical Institute of the University of Hamburg.
§ 12 Final rule
Moreover, the rules of the current edition of “Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch
über das Vereinsrecht” are applicable.
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