Articles of Association

Contents

New version from 21.09.2024

Contents

  • 1 Name and registered office of the association
  • 2 Purpose
  • 3 Non-profit status
  • 4 Financial year
  • 5 Membership
  • 6 Membership fees and donations
  • 7 Organs
  • 8 Assets and inventory
  • 9 Amendments to the Articles of Association
  • 10 Dissolution of the Association
  • 11 Transitional and final provisions

1 Name and registered office of the association

The association bears the name "Politischer Jugendring Dresden e. V." (in short: "PJR Dresden e. V.").

The association is based in Dresden.

2 Purpose

The association works with the aim of running youth activities in an open form for young people and young adults and leading young people to self-realization, to a responsible life in freedom and to active participation in the democratic state and in a pluralistic society.

The association therefore pursues the following purposes, among others:

- the promotion of civil courage and democracy in the context of youth welfare,

- the implementation of democratic solutions in school and extracurricular settings,

- the promotion of tolerance in all areas of culture and international understanding,

- raising awareness of racism and all forms of group-focused misanthropy and anti-democratic ideologies, and

- strengthening awareness of global economically and ecologically sustainable action.

These objectives are to be realized in particular through seminars, practice-oriented offers in the areas of politics, environmental protection, culture, scientific and technical education, international youth work, study trips as well as publications and media offers. The association can work together with partners with the same objectives to achieve these goals.

3 Non-profit status

The association pursues exclusively and directly charitable purposes within the meaning of the section "Tax-privileged purposes" of the German Tax Code. The association is selflessly active and does not primarily pursue its own economic purposes. The association's funds may only be used for the purposes set out in the articles of association. The members of the association and the advisory board do not receive any benefits from the association's funds. No person may benefit from expenses that are alien to the purpose of the association or from disproportionately high remuneration.

4 Financial year

The association's financial year is the calendar year.

5 Membership

(1) Forms of membership

Two forms of membership are possible.

  1. Full membership:

It is linked to active work for the association.

  1. Supporting membership:

It includes the non-material and material support of the association's objectives, in particular advising the association's bodies in achieving the association's purpose.

All members of the association have access to information and documents of the association. Supporting members have the right to speak in all deliberations of the association's bodies.

(2) Start of membership

Members of the association can

  • any natural person who has reached the age of 14, and
  • legal entities, provided they are politically neutral,

become.

To become a member, a written application for membership must be submitted to the Board of Directors. In the case of persons with limited legal capacity, the application must also be signed by the person legally representing them. At the same time, this person is jointly and severally liable for the payment of membership fees and other monetary claims of the association.

(3) Admission procedure

The Board of Directors decides on the admission of a member.

(4) Termination of membership

Membership ends through death, expulsion, removal from the membership list or resignation from the association. Resignation is effected by written declaration to the Executive Board.

A member shall be removed from the membership list if it is in arrears with payment of the membership fee despite two written reminders and the expiry of a subsequent period of four weeks.

If a member has seriously violated the objectives and interests of the association in accordance with § 2 or if their behavior damages the purpose and public reputation of the association, they can be expelled from the association by the general meeting at the proposal of the Executive Board. The decision of the Executive Board must be unanimous.

The member must be informed immediately in writing of the reasons for the Board's decision.

The member must be given the opportunity to be heard before the General Meeting passes a resolution.

The General Meeting shall decide on the expulsion of the member with a majority of two thirds of the members entitled to vote.

(5) Rights and obligations of members

As part of their activities for the association, members are entitled to use its facilities and equipment and to participate in the association's events. In their activities in the association, members must comply with the regulations issued as well as the obligation to promote the common goal and purpose of the association.

6 Membership fees and donations

Annual membership fees are charged to members. The amount and due date of the annual fees are determined by the General Meeting.

Supporting members pay a regular membership fee of any amount, but at least the normal annual membership fee.

Donations may only be accepted and used for the purposes stated in § 2 of these Articles of Association.

7 Organs

The organs of the association are

  • the general meeting
  • The Management Board
  • the advisory board.

(1) General meeting

The General Assembly consists of all members of the PJR. Each full member (natural or legal person) has one vote at the General Assembly. Representatives of legal entities must provide proof of their authorization to represent. Legal entities and their representatives do not have the right to stand for election in this capacity.

Virtual general meeting

By way of derogation from Section 32 (1) sentence 1 of the German Civil Code, the Management Board may provide for the General Meeting to be convened without the physical presence of the meeting participants at the meeting venue. Members may exercise their membership rights by means of electronic communication (virtual meeting). The Executive Board shall take appropriate measures to ensure that participation is limited exclusively to authorized persons. Participants shall ensure that the confidentiality of the meeting is guaranteed.

The General Meeting decides on

  1. a) defining the basic guidelines for the work of the association,
  2. b) Election and removal of the Board of Directors,
  3. c) Issuing regulations,
  4. d) Determining the amount and due date of membership fees,
  5. e) Resolutions on amendments to the Articles of Association and on the dissolution of the Association,
  6. f) Resolution on the exclusion of a member from the association.
  7. g) Election of the cash auditors and
  8. h) Creation and use of reserves.

The General Meeting meets at least once a year. It shall meet in the 3rd quarter at the latest. It must be convened as an extraordinary meeting within three working days if the Executive Board decides to do so or if one third of the full members request that it be convened, stating an agenda. The meeting is convened by sending a written invitation to all members by e-mail or letter, stating the provisional agenda and giving three weeks' notice.

The General Meeting is held in public. The public may be excluded at the request of a member. A decision on the exclusion of the public is made in a closed meeting.

The General Meeting has a quorum if it has been duly convened and at least one third of the full members are present. If there is no quorum, a new General Meeting must be convened within one month. This general meeting is quorate regardless of the number of full members present; this must be indicated in the invitation.

Unless otherwise stipulated in these Articles of Association, the General Meeting passes resolutions by an absolute majority of the valid votes cast.

In elections, the candidate who receives more than half of the votes cast is elected. If no candidate receives more than half of the votes cast, a run-off vote is held between the two candidates who received the most votes. In this case, the candidate who received more votes than the opposing candidate is elected. In the event of an equal number of votes, the lot to be drawn by the chairman of the meeting shall decide.

Resolutions must be passed by secret ballot if a member so requests. Elections to bodies of the association are by secret ballot.

Minutes must be taken of the resolutions of the General Meeting. The person taking the minutes is elected by the General Meeting at the beginning of the meeting. The minutes must be signed by the person chairing the meeting and the person taking the minutes. Every member has the right to inspect the minutes.

(2) The Executive Board

Full membership of the Politischer Jugendring Dresden e.V. is a prerequisite for eligibility for election to the Board and for holding office.

The Executive Board of the association within the meaning of § 26 BGB consists of 3 persons: a chairperson and 2 deputies. In addition, up to 2 further assessors can be members of the board. The Executive Board appoints a member responsible for finances from among its members.

In accordance with the purpose of the association, board members should not be elected representatives in parliaments or local self-government. Particular attention must be paid to ideological and party-political neutrality.

The Board of Directors is elected individually for a term of one year. If no new Board of Directors is elected before the end of the term of office or if the necessary new elections are not held in good time, the Board of Directors shall remain in office until a new Board of Directors has been elected.

Deselection and re-election of the Board of Directors is possible, provided they have been specified as agenda items in the invitation. Board members may be voted out of office individually; this requires a majority of three quarters of the voting members present.

The Board of Directors is quorate if two thirds of its members are present.

The tasks of the Executive Board are

  1. a) the management of the Association in accordance with the Articles of Association and the resolutions of the General Meeting,
  2. b) the preparation of the budget,
  3. c) the convening of the General Meeting and
  4. d) Personnel decisions and personnel management.

Resolutions of the Executive Board are passed by an absolute majority of the valid votes cast. The admission of legal entities requires a majority of two thirds of its members. Minutes must be taken of the resolutions of the Board of Directors. The minutes shall be prepared by the person taking the minutes, who shall be appointed in advance of the Board meeting. The person taking the minutes does not have to be a member of the Executive Board.

The Executive Board may authorize persons with special tasks, e.g. managing directors, education officers and project coordinators, to represent the association (Section 30 BGB). They represent the association within the scope of the authorization granted to them by the Executive Board. When appointing the special representatives, the scope and responsibility of the powers and, if applicable, an internal reporting system must be defined and documented by a unanimous Board resolution.

The association is jointly represented by two members of the Executive Board, including the Chairperson or one of the two Deputy Chairpersons, in accordance with Section 26 (2) BGB.

The members of the Board of Directors may be compensated for their work on the Board of Directors at an appropriate level.

(3) The Advisory Board

The Advisory Board supports the Executive Board in its day-to-day work. The Advisory Board consists of a maximum of 7 members. The exact number of advisory board members is determined by resolution of the general meeting. The members of the Advisory Board are elected by the General Meeting on the recommendation of the Executive Board. They may not be members of the association. Their term of office is two years. It is automatically extended by a further two years unless the Advisory Board member resigns from their position or the Executive Board proposes the discharge of the Advisory Board member to the General Meeting. § Section 5 paragraph 4 applies accordingly.

8 Assets and inventory

All objects and rights acquired for the association are the property of the association.

9 Amendments to the Articles of Association

Amendments to the Articles of Association require a majority of three quarters of the full members present.

10 Dissolution of the Association

The dissolution of the association can only be decided by a unanimous resolution of the general meeting. If the number of full members of the association falls below 3, the association is automatically deemed to be dissolved.

If the association is dissolved or abolished or ceases to be a non-profit organization, the assets of the association shall be transferred to the City of Dresden, which shall use them directly and exclusively for purposes in accordance with these Articles of Association.

11 Transitional and final provisions

These Articles of Association shall enter into force upon adoption of the resolution; at the same time, all previous Articles of Association and resolutions supplementing the Articles of Association shall cease to apply. As the articles of association of the registered association, these articles of association enter into force upon entry in the register of associations.

The Board of Directors is authorized to pass resolutions on behalf of the General Meeting in order to remove obstacles to registration. These require a unanimous resolution of the Executive Board. The power of attorney expires upon entry of these Articles of Association in the register of associations.

The first financial year following the adoption of these Articles of Association ends on December 31, 2024.