Close

Statutes of the sponsoring association

Section 1

Name and seat

(1) The association shall use the name:

“Geopark-Carrier Association Braunschweiger Land – Ostfalen e. V.”.

A map of the geopark is attached as Appendix 1.

(2) The seat of the association is Königslutter am Elm.

Section 2

Purpose

(1) The association holds the Geopark-carrier in the sub-area Braunschweiger Land – Ostfalen and is thus part of the entire Geopark Harz . Brunswick Land . Ostfalen, which is managed in cooperation with UNESCO and the National Geopark Network in Germany in accordance with the guidelines of the Global Geopark Network. The association ensures the permanent preservation and maintenance of the geopark facilities in its area.

(2) The association pursues exclusively and directly charitable purposes within the meaning of the section “Tax-beneficiary purposes” of the Tax Code, in particular:

  • the promotion of science and research;
  • the promotion of monument protection and preservation;
  • the promotion of education, education and training, including student assistance;
  • the promotion of nature conservation and landscape conservation within the meaning of the Federal Nature Conservation Act and the nature conservation laws of the Länder;
  • the promotion of international spirit, tolerance in all areas of culture and the spirit of international understanding;
  • promoting development cooperation;
  • the promotion of home care and local history.

(3) The purpose of the statutes shall be achieved in particular by:

  • Maintenance of a Geopark office where the other purposes of the statutes are coordinated and processed. For example, information materials are published in the office.
  • Coordination of the activities of various actors for the maintenance of the geopark in the subdivision Braunschweiger Land – Ostfalen,
  • Promotion of the Elm-Lappwald Nature Park
  • cooperation in national and international geopark networks,
  • conducting information events,
  • publication of information materials,
  • Promoting environmental education,
  • Promoting scientific research
  • Promoting sustainable tourist activities in the geopark area
  • Promotion of volunteering.

(4) The association cooperates with the state and local authorities and bodies. The tasks and responsibilities of the members in their capacity as local authorities remain unaffected.

Section 3

Charity

(1) The association is selfless; it does not primarily pursue its own economic purposes.

(2) Funds of the association may only be used for the statutory purposes. The members do not receive any donations from the funds of the association.

3. No person may be favoured by expenses that are alien to the purpose of the association or by disproportionateremuneration.

(4) In the event of the dissolution of the association or in the event of the abolition of tax-deferred purposes, the assets of the association shall be held by the Braunschweig Cultural Property Foundation (SBK), which must use it directly and exclusively for charitable purposes.

Section 4

Fiscal year

The fiscal year is the calendar year.

Section 5

Membership

  • The association consists of ordinary members, cooperative members and support members.
  • The city of Königslutter am Elm and the association Freilicht- und Erlebnismuseum Ostfalen e.V. (FEMO e.V.) are granted the status of a full member.
  • Ordinary members of the association except for the members of section 5 para. 2 listed may be counties, towns and municipalities from the states of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, which are wholly or partly located in the Geopark region.
  • Cooperative members may be legal entities, such as public institutions (especially museums), associations and foundations, as well as natural persons, who hold and/or provide significant support to the infrastructure of the geopark (information centres, geopaths, geopoints). The cooperative members are not entitled to a vote. Participation in all events of the association as well as in the general meeting is nevertheless open to the cooperative members.
  • Funding members may be natural and legal persons. As sponsoring members, they do not participate directly in the life of the association, but they support the association financially in its goal-tracking. The sponsoring members are not entitled to a vote. Participation in all events of the association as well as in the general meeting is nevertheless open to the sponsoring members.
  • Membership must be requested in writing from the board of the association. The Board of Directors decides on the application for membership by a simple majority. With the announcement of the admission decision, the association membership is justified. The admission entails the obligation to pay due membership fees. There is no admission claim. The reasons for rejecting an application do not need to be communicated to the applicant.
  • The termination of the membership is to be terminated to the Board of Directors until 31.12. in writing for the current year. Membership thus ends on 31.12. the following year. There is no dispute.
  • The board of directors decides on a club exclusion.

A club exclusion is permitted if a member of the association is more than one year behind with the payment of his membership fee.

Section 6

Posts

  • Contributions for the members are collected in accordance with the applicable contribution regulations.
  • The contributions of the ordinary members, who were contractual partners of the Geopark contract with the open-air and adventure museum Ostfalen e. V. on 01.01.2015, result from the legal obligations of this very contract.

Section 7

Organs, association offices

(1) Organs of the association are:

  • the General Assembly,
  • the Board of Directors
  • A managing director can be appointed as a special representative in accordance with Section 30 of the German Civil Code (BGB).

Section 8

General meeting

  • The ordinary members are represented at the general meeting by one person each. For every €1000 membership fee, ordinary members receive one vote. However, the share of votes cast by an individual member is a maximum of 40%.
  • The city of Königslutter am Elm and the association Freilicht- und Erlebnismuseum Ostfalen e.V. each receive one vote.
  • An ordinary general meeting is held at least once a year. It must also be convened immediately if at least one third of the ordinary members so request in writing, stating the reasons, or if the interest of the association requires it (extraordinary general meeting).
  • The general meeting shall be convened by the chairman or vice-chairman in writing, subject to a two-week summons period with the announcement of the agenda. The deadline begins with the sending of the invitation. The chairman is responsible for the general meeting, in the event of his/her obstruction of office by the Vice-Chairman.
  • Any duly convened general meeting shall be able to take a decision. The General Assembly shall decide by a simple majority of the ordinary members present. At least 1/3 of all voting shares must be represented. Amendments to the Articles of Association require a three-quarters majority of the ordinary members who have appeared. The majority decision is binding on all members of the association.
  • A minutes shall be drawn up for the General Assembly, which shall be signed by the head of the General Assembly and the Recorder. Decisions shall be documented in the minutes, indicating the location and time of the general meeting and the result of the vote.
  • The decision is made by hand signals. On request, a secret ballot will be taken.

Section 9

Tasks of the General Assembly

The general meeting has the following tasks:

  • Election and removal of the Board of Directors,
  • Receipt of the invoice result, cash report, annual financial statements and audit report as well as a resolution on the discharge of the Executive Board and the Managing Director,
  • Election of an ordinary member for the Examination Office of the annual financial statements and a decision on the duration of this Examination Office,
  • Resolution on amendments to the Articles of Association,
  • Decision on the budget, economic and establishment plan for the financial year,
  • Decision on the Contribution Regulations,
  • Decision on the dissolution of the association.

Section 10

Board

(1) The Board of Directors consists of the Chairman and his/her/her deputy and up to 9 co-chairmen and up to 2 non-voting co-chairs from the group of cooperative members and the supporting members. In addition, there are 2 representatives from the standing municipal committee. The Board of Directors is elected for a period of five years from the day of the election. However, he will remain in office until the new election of the Executive Board.

(2) The chairman and his/her deputy represent the association in court and out of court within the meaning of Section 26 of the German Civil Code (BGB). Both are entitled to represent each other alone.

(3) The Board of Directors prepares and executes the resolutions of the General Assembly. The Board of Directors reports annually to the General Assembly on the activities of the Association in the past financial year.

(4) The Board of Directors shall decide by a majority of the members who have the right to vote. In the event of a tie, the vote of the chairman shall be decisive.

(5) The Board of Directors

  • rules of procedure and
  • can set up working committees.

(6) The Board of Directors decides on matters that are not reserved for the resolution of the General Assembly.

Section 11

Management

  • The management is the responsibility of the chairman.
  • If a managing director has been appointed in accordance with Section 7, the managing director will be in charge of the office in accordance with the requirements of the Executive Board. The managing director is particularly responsible for:
  • the preparation of the General Assembly, the Board meetings and the meetings of the committees,
  • the implementation of the resolutions of the General Assembly and the Board of Directors
  • current business as well as cash transactions as well as
  • the tasks assigned to him/her by the Executive Board.

(3) The Executive Board may adopt a procedure for the management.

Section 12

Audit of the annual financial statements

  • The annual financial statements are audited by the Examination Office of an ordinary member.

Section 13

Working Committees

(1) A permanent municipal committee shall be set up.

2. Other committees may be set up as standing or temporary committees.

3. The Board of Directors may adopt rules of procedure for the committees.

4. It is the board responsible for deciding on the public relations of a committee.

5. Members of the Committee and the Chairman of the Committee shall be appointed or dismissed by the Board of Directors.

(6) The Board of Directors may also use experts outside the association for committee work.

Section 14

Office

A branch office is operated to carry out the tasks of the association. The office is headquartered in Königslutter am Elm. Place of performance and place of jurisdiction for all claims between the association and its members is the seat of the association.

Section 15

Execution of tasks in the association

The members of the General Assembly, the Board of Directors and the members of the committees who perform their duties in the Association on the basis of their municipal mandate or office shall carry out their duties, even to the extent that section 10 para. 1 is fixed for a different period, only as long as they are elected representatives or are in their municipal office.

Section 16

Resolution

  • The resolution of the general meeting on the dissolution of the association requires a three-quarters majority of the members.
  • The assets of the association shall be held by the Braunschweig Cultural Property Foundation (SBK), which must be used directly and exclusively for charitable purposes in the event of the dissolution of the association or in the event of the abolition of tax-deferred purposes.

Status of the Articles of Association: 30.01.2020