Statute

§ 1

Name and Seat

he Society bears the name “International Dragonfly Fund (IDF)”. It is to be entered in the society register at the district court in Lörrach [Germany]; after registration it bears additionally the abbreviation e.V. [registered society].

Seat of the Society is Rheinfelden/Baden [Germany].

Fiscal year is the calendar year.

§ 2

Purpose

Purpose of the internationally active Society is the promotion of dragonfly research and dragonfly protection. The statute purpose is particularly realized through the implementation of scientific events and research projects as well as through the award of research assignments and projects in the area of species and biotope protection on the basis of guidelines for the promotion of projects.

The Society is non-profit oriented; it does not primarily pursue self-economic interests.

Resources of the Society may be used only for the statutory purpose. The members receive no shares and, in their capacity as members, no grants from resources of the Society. They receive at their withdrawal or at dissolution of the Society no compensation for their membership. No person may be favoured through expenditures, which are foreign to the purpose of the Society, or through disproportionately high compensations.

The Society offices are honorary.

§ 3

Non-profit status

The Society pursues exclusively charitable purposes within the meaning of the paragraph “tax-deductible purposes” of the German tax order (§ 51 ff AO).

§ 4

Membership

Ordinary member can be each natural person, who is willing to support the purpose of the Society.

Sustaining member can be each natural person and legal entity, who supports the purpose of the Society and pays an increased membership fee.

Membership must be applied for in writing. The Executive Committee decides with simple majority on the admission. The Chairperson decides in case of a tie. Applicants that are not of age require the signature of one of their parents or legal guardians.

§ 5

Rights and responsibilities of members

The members have the right to participate in all events of the Society and to use its facilities.

Each member is eligible to vote at General Meetings, has the active right to vote and (except for legal entities) can be elected into the offices of the Society.

Each member receives for the duration of his or her membership a copy of the communications published by the Society about current Society events.

Each member pays an annual membership fee, whose amount is determined in advance by the General Meeting and is to be paid in the first three months of the fiscal year.

§ 6

Society Organs

Organs of the Society are:

• the General Meeting, and
•  the Executive Committee.

§ 7

General Meeting

The General Meeting is the supreme instance in all questions of the Society. It will be convened by the Executive Committee at least once a year. It can take over all affairs of the Executive Committee.

Each member will receive a written invitation to the General Meetings. Invitations will be sent out no later than eight weeks before the meeting, together with the agenda for the General Meeting that lists all propositions that are to be brought up for decree.

At particular occasions the Executive Committee can convene an extraordinary General Meeting. The Executive Committee is obligated to convene, if this is demanded by, at least, 20% of the members under specification of the reasons.

The duly assembled General Meeting is quorum independent of the number of members in attendance. Decisions are made with a simple majority of the present members who are eligible to vote. Each member has one vote. In case of a tie the vote of the Chairperson decides. Statute changes as well as the change of the Society purpose need a majority of three quarters of the present members who are eligible to vote.

The General Meeting is incumbent on

• the choice of the Executive Committee,
• the relief of the Executive Committee,
• the choice of two auditors,
•  the establishment of the membership fees,
• the establishment of promotional guidelines, and
• the establishment of IDF Priority Projects.

§ 8

Certification

A record is to be produced on the course of the Executive Committee meetings and General Meetings, and is to be signed by the chairperson of the meeting and by the minute-taker.

§ 9

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee is composed of

• the Chairperson,
• the Secretary; and
• the Treasurer.

The Executive Committee is elected by the General Meeting for a period of two years. The Executive Committee members, whose office ends upon completion of their term of office, remain in the office until new Executive Committee members are duly appointed.

The Society is represented judicially and out of court within the meaning of § 26 German Civil Code through the Chairperson and the Treasurer. Each is alone authorized to represent the Society.

The Executive Committee can choose an Editor as well as two further persons (co-opted members) as Executive Committee members ex officio, if this is necessary for the fulfilment of particular important areas. Executive Committee members can also be chosen in addition into the function of the editor.

The Executive Committee can call Executive Committee meetings, which are to be convened by the Chairperson. It is quorum, if at least three Executive Committee members are present. Apart from meetings a decision can be made about through circulars under specification of a deadline.

The Executive Committee regulates the administration of financial and other affairs and decides through simple majority of votes (also per circular) on all affairs of the Society, except for those decisions that are reserved for the General Meeting. Ties are decided by the Chairperson.

§ 10

Bylaw

Other affairs of the Society organs are put down in a bylaw, which is not an element of this statute.

§ 11

Expiration of the membership

The membership ends by means of written termination. This must be presented to the Treasurer or the Chairperson at least three months before the end of a calendar year. In addition the membership terminates upon death of the member.

A member can be excluded by an unanimous Executive Committee decision, if that member damages the respect of the Society, counteracts its aims or does not follow his or her duties after invitation. Against this decision, the person affected can seek to appeal the decision of the General Meeting, which concludes with simple majority.

§ 12

Dissolution

To dissolve the Society, a majority of three quarters of the present members in a duly convened General Meeting is necessary.

Upon dissolution of the Society or discontinuation of privileged tax concessions, liquidation is conducted by the Executive Committee members acting at the point of the decision of dissolution.

Upon dissolution of the Society or discontinuation of privileged tax concessions, the remaining wealth is to be exclusively transferred to the organization named in § 2 (2) of the statute. If this organization exists no longer, decisions on the future expenditure of the wealth may be executed after consent of the tax office.

This statute, as it is presented here, was unanimously agreed upon by the Inaugural Meeting.

Freiburg i. Br. (Germany), March 31, 1996.