Esperanto and Free Knowledge/bylaw

This page is a translated version of the page Esperanto kaj Libera Scio/bylaw and the translation is 100% complete.

(The Official, legally binding, original is in the Slovak language. Translations to other languages are just informative.)

1. Name, premises, and basic tenets

1.1. The name of the civil association is „Esperanto a Slobodné Vedomosti“ (abbreviated „ELiSo“).

1.2. The association also uses a longer name „Esperanto a Slobodné Vedomosti, Wikimedická skupina používateľov“, in Esperanto translated as „Esperanto kaj Libera Scio“, with an Esperanto translation of the longer name „Esperanto kaj Libera Scio, Vikimedia Uzanto-Grupo“, with the Esperanto abbreviation „ELiSo“, English translation „Esperanto and Free Knowledge“ and English translation of the longer name as „Esperanto and Free Knowledge, Wikimedia User Group“.

1.3. The headquarters of ELiSo is M. Rázusa 2144/24, 960 01 Zvolen, Slovakia.

1.4. ELiSo is a non-political, independent, nonprofit association.

2. Goals

2.1. The goals of ELiSo are:

  1. support for the creation, collection, and distribution of open content, principally via projects of Wikimedia Foundation Inc.;
  2. support for education of the general public and creation of a knowledge society;
  3. support for the use of Esperanto for the development of knowledge, and of international, interethnic, and intercultural mutual understanding;
  4. support for the development of libre culture;
  5. collaboration with organizations, whose goals match the goals of ELiSo.

2.2. In order to fulfill its goals, ELiSo is dedicated principally to the following activities:

  1. distribution of free content;
  2. presentations, training, and guiding of courses for the public and members;
  3. organization of contests and collaborative events;
  4. organization of educational, cultural, scientific, and other events;
  5. publishing.

3. Membership

3.1. Categories of membership in ELiSo are:

  1. Full membership;
  2. Supporting membership;
  3. Honorary membership.

3.2. Membership in ELiSo is open to any natural person at least 15 years of age, who agrees with the bylaw of the association.

3.3. Full and Supporting memberships are mutually exclusive.

3.4. An Honorary member may be a Full member but not a Supporting member at the same time.

3.1. Full membership

3.1.1. The Chair or delegate of the Chair decides who is to become a Full member. Full membership begins on the day that the member is recorded in the membership registry, which is maintained by the Board. A new Full member is recorded based on an application, after acceptance and payment of the membership fee. A Supporting member can become a Full member by written request sent to the Board, after acceptance and payment of the membership fee. An Honorary member can become a Full member at the same time by written request sent to the Board, after payment of the membership fee.

3.1.2. Full members have the following rights:

  1. to participate in a General Assembly, speak and vote during a General Assembly;
  2. to elect and be elected into organs of ELiSo;
  3. to be informed about plans and activities of ELiSo;

3.1.3. Full members have the following duties:

  1. to follow the bylaw of ELiSo;
  2. to pay annual membership dues.

3.2.4. Supporting membership in ELiSO ends by:

  1. personal decision of the member giving notice to the Board in writing or electronically, membership ends on the day the notice is delivered;
  2. expulsion by the Board;
  3. death of the member;
  4. dissolution of ELiSo.

3.2. Relating belonging

3.2.1. About acceptance of Relating member decides President or personality commissioned by President. Relating belonging arise in the day of record in the list of Members, that takes care Executive. New Simpatianto are lodged surbaze of entry, after acceptance. Plenrajta member automatically becomes Relating member surbaze of written request sent to Executive or according to spot 3.1.4. b.

3.1.2. Full members have the following rights:

  1. to participate in a General Assembly, speak and vote during a General Assembly;
  2. to elect and be elected into organs of ELiSo;
  3. to be informed about plans and activities of ELiSo;

3.2.3. Supporting members have the following duties:

  1. to follow the bylaw of ELiSo;

3.2.4. Supporting membership in ELiSO ends by:

  1. personal decision of the member giving notice to the Board in writing or electronically, membership ends on the day the notice is delivered;
  2. expulsion by the Board;
  3. death of the member;
  4. dissolution of ELiSo.

3.3. Honorary membership

3.3.1. Any Natural Person can become an Honorary member, who has significantly contributed towards the fulfillment of the goals of ELiSo. Honorary membership is given by proposal of the Board and approval of the General Assembly. Honorary membership is only attained if that person, in writing or electronically, conveys their consent to the Board. Honorary membership is for life.

3.3.2 Honorary members have the following rights:

  1. to participate in a General Assembly, speak during a General Assembly.
  2. to be informed about plans and activities of ELiSo.

3.3.3 Honorary members have the following duties:

  1. to follow the bylaw of ELiSo;

3.3.4. Honorary membership in ELiSo ends by:

  1. personal decision of the member giving notice to the Board in writing or electronically, membership ends on the day the notice is delivered;
  2. expulsion by a General Assembly;
  3. death of the member;
  4. dissolution of ELiSo.

3.4. Expulsion

3.4.1. If a member acts against the goals and plans of ELiSo, or damages its reputation, that person may be expelled.

3.4.2 Full and Supporting members can be expelled by the Board.

3.4.3. Honourable members can expel General assembly.

3.4.4 An ex-member can appeal an expulsion to the next General Assembly.

4. Organs of the association

4.1. Organs of the association are:

  1. General Assembly;
  2. Board;
  3. Statutory authority;
  4. Audit committee.

4.2. Those will be considered present during a meeting of the General Assembly, meeting of the Board, and meeting of the Audit committee by:

  1. personal presence;
  2. presence by means of some form of telecommunication.

5. General Assembly

5.1. The General Assembly is the highest organ of ELiSo. It consists of all members.

5.2. Meeting of the General Assembly happens at least once per calendar year and no more than 18 months after the previous General Assembly.

5.3. A meeting of a General Assembly is convened by a Chair by invitation to individual members sent by email and publicized on the website of the association with at least 30 days notice.

5.4. General Assembly in particular:

  1. approves, changes, and amends Bylaw of the association;
  2. approves, changes, and amends internal rules of the association;
  3. approves yearly plans and yearly budget;
  4. approves Annual report, Finance report, and Audit;
  5. selects and removes members of the Board, Chair and Vice Chair;
  6. selects and removes members of the Audit committee;
  7. deals with appeals against decisions of the Board and Statutory authority;
  8. decides about Honorary membership;
  9. decides about dissolution of the association and initiating a Liquidator.

5.5. If that was mentioned in the call of Session of General assembly, can Session of General assembly be summoned for 2 times, the regular and the back-up. The Session of General assembly in the back-up time can be planned for start no sooner than 30 minutes after the planned time of start of the Session of General assembly in regular time.

5.5. A General Assembly will be considered to have a quorum if at least 25% of those with Full membership are present.

5.7. Session of General assembly in back-up time is decidopova even if the provision in the prior spot is not accomplished.

5.8. General assembly outside his Session is decidopova, if vote at least 50% of Plenrajtaj members.

5.6. A decision of a General Assembly is valid if it is confirmed by at least a two-thirds majority of votes for the following affairs:

  1. change of bylaw;
  2. dissolution of the association;
  3. giving or taking away Honorary membership.

5.10. Decision of General assembly is valid, if it is confirmed by means of simple plejmulto at other causes.

6. Board

6.1. The Board is the executive body of the association.

6.2. The Board is accountable to the General Assembly.

6.3. The Board consists of a Chair, Vice Chair, and at least one more Board member.

7.5. Members of Local reprezentantaro chooses General assembly for trijara functional period.

8.5. An Audit committee meeting will be considered to have a quorum if more than half its members are present. A decision of the Audit committee is valid if it is confirmed by more than half the members of the Audit committee.

6.6. The Board in particular:

  1. guides the activity of the association between meetings of the General Assembly;
  2. guides the preparation of Annual Report, Financial Report, Yearly Plan, and yearly Budget, and presents those to the General Assembly for approval;
  3. decides on dissolution of the association, if a General Assembly has not gathered for 3 months to decide on dissolution of the association;
  4. installs a Liquidator in case of liquidation of the association, when the General Assembly fails to do so;
  5. decides about the Annual Plan and Annual Budget;
  6. ensures that bookkeeping conforms to Act no. 431/2002 Coll. on accounting as amended.

7. Statutory authority

7.1. The Statutory authority is the Chair.

8.2. The Audit committee is accountable to the General Assembly.

7.3. Belonging in Local reprezentantaro are kunigebla with belonging in other organs.

7.4. Local reprezentantaro consist of 1 until 3 members, called 1st Local representative, 2nd Local representative and 3rd Local representative.

7.5. Members of Local reprezentantaro chooses General assembly for trijara functional period.

7.6. Members of Local reprezentantaro act and sign namely of the association in all causes memstare.

7.7. Statuta organ represents the association outside during treatment with state organs, and potentially physical and juridical personalities and informal groups.

8. Revizia commission

8.1. Revizia commission is supervisory organ of the association.

8.2. The Audit committee is accountable to the General Assembly.

8.3. A member of the Audit committee must not also be a member of the Board.

8.4. The Audit committee has between 1 and 3 members who are elected by the General Assembly for a 3-year term. Members of the Audit committee elect a Chair of the Audit committee from among themselves.

8.5. Session of Revizia commission is decidopova, if attend superduona plejmulto of its members. Decision of Revizia commission is valid, if it was confirmed by superduona plejmulto of its members.

8.6. Revizia commission especially:

  1. control laŭadon of Statute and Internal regulation;
  2. control financial management of the association;
  3. point out Organs and Members about absences and offer correct actions for its removals;
  4. elaborate Revizian report and present it to General assembly for endorsement.

9. Financial management

9.1. Source of incomes of the association is especially membraj fees, gifts, subsidies, contributions, profit of possession and incomes of activity of the association.

9.2. Possession can be employed only for attainment of the targets of the association and for execution of its own activity.

9.3. Financial management shall occur according to approved Budgets and according to General legal requirements, the Bylaw, and Internal rules.

9.4. For creation of own resources can the association plenumadi in supplementary scope incidentally to interesagado venture activity, relevant to execution of targets of the association, and in accord with Widely compulsory rules, Statute and Internal regulation of the association.

10. Dissolution of the association

10.1. The association can disband by:

  1. voluntary dissolution by decision of a General Assembly;
  2. voluntarily joining another public benefit organization by decision of a General Assembly;
  3. a valid decision by the Ministry of the Interior of Slovakia about its dissolution;
  4. a valid court decision in criminal proceedings.

10.2. In the event of ending ELiSo by dissolution, a Liquidator, appointed by a General Assembly or the Board, will consolidate the holdings of the association. The Liquidator will first settle any debts and receivables, and will then transfer what is left to one or more public benefit organizations whose goals are similar to the goals of ELiSo. The Liquidator will inform the Ministry of the Interior of Slovakia within 15 days of the termination and liquidation of the association.

10.3. In occasion of dissolution of the association by means of combination with other publikutila organisation crosses the whole possession of the association to that organisation.