Wikimedia Danmark/vedtægter engelsk

Statutes of Wikimedia Danmark

Article 1: The Association

(1) The name of the association is Wikimedia Danmark, shorten WMDK.

(2) The mission of Wikimedia Danmark is to strengthen the Wikimedia Foundation projects, particularly in Danish, Faroese and Greenlandic languages, by:

1. collecting economic resources through gifts and grants, and distributing these funds.
2. participating in coordinating cooperation between the Wikimedia projects, and partnering with third parties where this can be of benefit to the Wikimedia projects.
3. strengthening cooperation with Wikimedia projects in other countries.
4. promoting Wikimedia Foundation projects.
5. providing third party counsel in relation to authorities and organisations regarding copyright issues.

(3) The Association has its place of residence in the municipality of Copenhagen.

Article 2: Membership

(1) Any person can be admitted as a member if sympathetic to the purposes and activities of Wikimedia Danmark. The Board may refuse a request for admission if the person is deemed not to meet these conditions. This decision can be appealed at the next general meeting.

(2) Any member who does not pay the membership fee for two (2) consecutive years will be considered inactive and will be removed from the membership list.

(3) The board may expel a member if, after being given a written warning, the member violates the association's statutes. Exclusion under this provision will require a unanimous board decision; the expulsion of a board member requires the other board members to agree. This decision can be appealed at the next general meeting.

Article 3: General Meeting

(1) The General Meeting is the association's supreme and sovereign authority. It will be held each year in September or October. Members will be called to attend by email to the General Meeting at least four (4) weeks in advance.

(2) Those members who have paid their membership fees for the fiscal year before the meeting starts will be entitled to vote at the General Meeting. No vote may be cast by proxy.

(3) All members may submit proposals for consideration at the General Meeting. Such proposals have to be received by the President no later than eight (8) days before the meeting.

(4) The General Meeting decides on proposals by simple majority vote which is tallied by show of hands. It takes one (1) member to request a written secret ballot.

(5) The agenda of the General Meeting must include the following points each year and more points are encouraged:

1. Election of Chairperson.
2. Election of a minute taker.
3. Election of vote counters.
4. The President's report.
5. The Treasurer submits the audited accounts for approval.
6. Proposals.
7. Setting the budget and quota for the next fiscal year.
8. Setting the number of Board members and alternates.
9. Election of the President.
10. Selection of Board members and alternates.
11. Selection of auditor and deputy auditor.
12. Other business.

Article 4: Extraordinary General Meeting

(1) If deemed necessary, an Extraordinary General Meeting will be summoned if it is requested in writing by either the board of directors, the auditors, or by at least fifty (50) percent of members. The meeting must take place within six (6) weeks of the initial request.

(2) The Extraordinary General Meeting will be held in accordance with the rules in Article 3, but the agenda does not have to include items four, five, seven, eight nine, ten and eleven (4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11) if the reason for the Extraordinary General Meeting does not require such steps.

Article 5: Board

(1) The Board is responsible for managing daily operations. The Board consists of the President and the directors elected at the General Meeting. The Board members will elect officers including, but not limited to, treasurer, vice-president and secretary among themselves.

(2) The Board will consist of at least five (5) people including the President. All members are appointed annually by the General Meeting.

(3) The Board specifies its other rules of procedure by itself.

Article 6: Membership Fees

The membership fees will be determined at the annual General Meeting.

Article 7: Auditors

(1) The auditors approve and sign the annual accounts and give an auditor's statement.

(2) Within four (4) weeks before the end of the fiscal year, the auditors must have access to all documentation which they need to form the basis of their statement.

(3) The auditors have the right to access all of the Board’s and the Association's documents and to attend all the Board's meetings and the General Meeting.

Article 8: Fiscal year

The Association's fiscal year runs from 1 July to 30 June.

Article 9: Finance

(1) Members will be liable for the Association’s obligations with their membership fees only. A member is not entitled to a share in the Association's assets.

(2) The treasurer, or the President alone, or two board members jointly may dispose of the Association's accounts up to a maximum amount as determined by the Board.

(3) The Board is obliged to keep its assets either in cash deposits in a Danish financial institution or placed in Danish government bonds.

Article 10: Changes

(1) Modifications to these statutes can only be made at a General Meeting with at least a two-thirds (2/3) majority agreeing on the changes.

(2) Modifications to these statutes come in to effect from the General Meeting where they are made.

Article 11: Dissolution

(1) Decision on the Association's dissolution requires that at least three-fourths (3/4) of the members are present at the General Meeting and the resolution is adopted by at least three-fourths (3/4) of the votes cast. Blank and invalid votes will be considered not to be cast and do not count. Should three-fourths (3/4) of the members not be present at the General Meeting, but the proposal adopted by three-fourths (3/4) of the votes represented, the Board will convene an Extraordinary General Meeting at which the proposal can be adopted by three-fourths (3/4) of the votes cast without regard to the turnout.

(2) In case of dissolution the Association's assets will be used in accordance with Article 1, or for other charitable purposes. The General Meeting will decide on the specific use of the assets, which - in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 1 - decided on the Association's dissolution.

Adopted in Copenhagen 14 March 2009, latest change in 2015