STATUTES FOR THE NORDIC CONSERVATIVE STUDENT UNION

Adopted at the Annual Meeting July 12 2009 in Lund, Sweden.

§1 Organisation

a) The name of the organisation is Nordic Conservative Student Union in English or Nordens Konservativa Studentunion in Swedish.

b) Abbreviation NKSU may be used to refer to the organisation and is used hereinafter in these statutes.

c) NKSU is an organisation of North European student organisations who agree with common aims and ideals.

d) NKSU is Independent of political parties

e) Working language of the organisation is English. Swedish may be used in day-to-day activities of NKSU by the secretariat when necessary.

f) Working year of the organisation is from one annual meeting to the next.

g) Fiscal year of the organisation is calendar year.

§2 Statutes

a) These statutes are interpreted to the exact wording set in the text.

b) These statutes are interpreted by the president.

c) In case of a dispute a simple majority of votes in council may overrule President’s interpretation.

d) In case of conflict between statutes and other statutory documents these statutes will prevail.

§3 Constitutional declaration

a) NKSU has a Constitutional declaration that further defines aims and ideals of the organisation.

b) The declaration is considered equal in nature to the statutes but it may not amend the statutes.

c) The declaration may be changed or amended only by a 2/3 majority of an annual meeting.

§4 Amending the statutes

a) These statutes may be changed or amended by a 2/3 majority of an annual meeting.

b) These statutes may be further amended by separate statutory documents adopted by 2/3 majority of the council.

c) These documents may be

- Standing orders

- Financial regulations

§ 5 Aims

The aims of NKSU are

a) to encourage contact and co-operation between centre right student organisations in North European countries.

b) to work for a centre right educational policy

c) to encourage a North European cultural understanding

d) to co-operate with like minded international student and youth organisations.

§ 6 Membership

a) NKSU Recognises two forms of membership.

- full members

- observer members

b) Both full and observer members have the right to send their representatives to any activities of NKSU.

c) Full members have right to vote in the council and in annual meetings.

d) Observer members have right to speak in the council and in the annual meeting.

e) Observer members are obliged to send representatives to at least one council meeting each year.

f) All members need to pay a membership fee decided by the annual meeting.

g) Any obligations or responsibilities set for members in these statutes apply to both membership types equally unless otherwise is stated.

h) If a member has neglected these duties and obligations and fails to show intent of settling the matter, cancelling membership may be put on agenda of annual meeting after two years have passed from the first neglecting regardless of membership type.

§ 7 Application for membership

a) Full membership may only be discussed at an annual meeting. Observer membership may be discussed in any council meeting.

b) Application for full membership of NKSU shall be sent to the president and secretary general four weeks before the annual meeting. In order to be eligible the applicant has to already be an observer member of NKSU and has to have duly taken care of all their obligations and responsibilities towards NKSU during the entire duration of their observer membership.

c) Application for observer membership of NKSU shall be sent to the president and secretary general four weeks before the council meeting. In order to be eligible, the applicant has to be an organisation operating out of a country in Northern Europe ready to comply with current NKSU aims and ideals.

d) A membership application should include at least following documents in English.

- A letter of intent

- Statutes of the applicant

- Contact information for members of current executive body of the applicant

- A current working program or annual plan of the applicant

- A free-form description of the internal structure of the applicant and current standing in their respective country

e) Accepting a new member of any membership type requires a 2/3 majority of votes.

§ 8 The Council

a) The council has the executive power of NKSU between annual meetings.

b) The Council consists of the president, vice-president and one representative of each NKSU member.

c) The representative is by default the current head of the member organisation unless he/she appoints someone to act on their behalf.

d) If the president or vice-president is present at any time, they by default also represent their respective member organisations.

e) Only one voting representative is allowed for each full member. The chair of the meeting may grant a right to be present with or without a right to speak for any additional representatives at his/her discretion.

§ 9 President

a) President of NKSU is elected by majority in annual meeting. Tenure for presidency is from one annual meeting to the next.

b) President may act as a legal representative for NKSU during his/her tenure.

c) The right to nominate a candidate for Presidency shall rotate between all full members, except FMSF Sweden, in an order agreed upon separately. The agreement may be suspended or changed only with a 2/3 majority of votes in an annual meeting.

d) Should the member with the right to nominate candidates be absent, the right moves automatically to the next country in turn that is present in the meeting.

e) The president is obliged to

- lead all activities of NKSU in good faith and for the benefit of NKSU as a whole

- plan the activities of NKSU during his/her tenure and to oversee fulfilling of these plans

- oversee that duties of the secretariat are completed timely

- prepare an annual report and working plan for the annual meeting following his/her tenure together with secretary general

- oversee that statutes and orders are followed in all activities of NKSU

§ 10 Vice-president

a) Vice-president of NKSU is elected by majority in an annual meeting. Tenure for vice-presidency is from one annual meeting to the next.

b) The right to nominate a candidate for vice-presidency shall rotate between all full members, except FMSF Sweden, in the same order as agreed for the presidency. The member that is in turn to get the right to nominate a candidate for presidency in following annual meeting has the right to nominate a candidate for vice-presidency.

c) Vice-president may act as a legal representative for NKSU during his/her tenure only with a written consent from the President.

d) Should the member with the right to nominate candidates be absent, the right moves automatically to the next country in turn that is present in the meeting.

e) Vice president is obliged to

- plan the activities of NKSU during his/her tenure with the president and oversee fulfilling these plans

- substitute the president in his duties whenever necessary

- to oversee that the president acts in good faith and for the benefit of NKSU as a whole

§ 11 Secretary General

a) Secretary general of NKSU is elected by majority in the annual meeting. Tenure for secretary general is from one annual meeting to the next.

b) FMSF Sweden has always the sole right to nominate candidates for secretary general. Should FMSF ever be absent, anyone with voting rights may nominate candidates.

c) NKSU Secretariat is permanently located in Sweden.

d) Secretary general may act as a legal representative for NKSU in financial issues and in day-to-day activities of NKSU.

e) Secretary general is obliged to

- lead the secretariat and oversee day-to-day operations of NKSU

- coordinate with organisers of any NKSU activities

- keep members informed of upcoming activities

- write minutes from council meetings or if he/she has not been able to participate, to ensure that minutes are written

- carry out summoning and circulate appropriate documents as required in these statutes

- take care of NKSU finances during his/her tenure and prepare a financial report for the fiscal year ending during his/her tenure

- prepare a budget for the fiscal year following his/her tenure

- organise and oversee auditing NKSU accounts after the end of fiscal year

- collect membership fees

- prepare an annual report and working plan for the annual meeting following his/her tenure together with the President

§12 Council meetings

a) The president chairs Council Meetings. If the president is unable to attend the meeting, the vice-president will chair the meeting.

b) The secretary general participates in the council meetings as a non-voting member.

c) The secretary general writes the minutes of the council meetings, which shall be sent to the members within 2 weeks of the meeting. If secretary general is not present, one of representatives is appointed to write the minutes.

d) The Council is considered quorate if 50% of full members including the president or the vice-president are present.

e) Every representative with voting rights as described in these statutes has one vote in the council meetings.

f) Decisions are made by simple majority unless otherwise is stated in these statutes. If there is a parity of votes the chairs vote prevails. In the case of parity of votes in elections, the decision is made by drawing lots.

g) Voting by proxy is not allowed.

§ 13 Summoning of meetings

a) The secretary general after consultations with the president, summons annual meetings and council meetings,

b) The council has to be summoned at least three times each working year.

c) The invitation to an annual meeting or a council meeting shall be sent at least four weeks in advance to all members.

d) If the date for next council meeting is written in minutes of a previous council meeting and these minutes have been duly circulated, the invitation has to be sent out one week in advance.

e) The agenda for council meeting should be sent out one week in advance.

f) The agenda for annual meeting has to be included with the invitation.

g) If the annual meeting is to discuss changes or amendments to either the statutes or the constitutional declaration, this has to be stated in the invitation and proposed changes have to be sent out two weeks before the meeting.

§ 14 Extraordinary council meeting

a) If at least two members ask for it, the secretary general shall summon an extraordinary council meeting within four weeks after the request. The invitation has to state the reason for calling the extraordinary council meeting.

b) The agenda has to be included with the invitation.

c) The agenda of the extraordinary council meeting may only contain points necessary for covering the reason stated in the invitation

d) Extraordinary council meeting may elect new officials according to procedures defined in these statutes outside annual meetings if a position has been vacated in the middle of a working year either by abdication or a 2/3 majority of votes of the extraordinary meeting.

e) Extraordinary council meeting may not decide upon any other issue reserved for the annual meeting.

f) Any financial rules in place considering travel reimbursement are not applied for extraordinary council meetings, except for the chair of the meeting, being either the president or the vice-president.

§ 15 Annual meeting

a) Annual meeting holds the highest rule over NKSU.

b) Annual meetings follow rules set for council meeting in these statutes unless

otherwise is specifically stated.

b) Annual meeting may overrule any decision of the council or those individual elected officials.

c) The ordinary annual meeting has to be organised each year before end of July.

d) Extraordinary annual meeting may be summoned following principles of the extraordinary council meeting defined in these statutes, but only if there has not been an ordinary council meeting by the end of July.

e) The annual meeting is chaired by the outgoing president or vice-president.

f) The annual meeting is quorate if at least 50 % of full members are present.

g) The agenda for an ordinary annual meeting has to contain the following points:

- Confirmation of voting rights

- Decision on legality of the meeting and quorum

- Adopting annual report for previous working year

- Adopting report from the financial auditors for previous fiscal year

- Adopting financial report for previous fiscal year

- Granting freedom of responsibility for the council for previous fiscal year

- Adopting a working plan for following working year

- Adopting budget for following fiscal year

- Election of president

- Election of vice-president

- Election of secretary general

- Election of financial auditors

- Decision on membership fee

§16 Motions

a) Every member of the council may put forward a motion to the council meetings or annual meetings.

b) Every member may put a reservation on any motion passed by the council.

c) If an organisation was not present during the council meeting where the motion was passed, the organisation may place a reservation in writing to the secretary general within 2 weeks of receiving the minutes of the council meeting.

§ 17 Dissolution

a) A decision about the dissolution of NKSU can only be made at an annual meeting. Requests for dissolution shall be sent to the secretariat at least 8 weeks before the annual meeting. The request shall immediately be distributed by the secretary general to all members.

b) If two members, regardless of membership type, oppose the decision to dissolve NKSU, then NKSU cannot be dissolved.

c) If NKSU is dissolved shall assets and debts be distributed equally between the full members. One member can’t claim another member’s part of NKSU’s assets.

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