statutes

Section II: Members of the Association

Article IV: Membership

  1. Two types of working memberships exist in the association:
     a. Active members.
     b. Board representatives.
  2. The association must have at least four board members to function.
  3. Passive members

Article V: Membership Entry

  1. Any Polish and non-Polish student, alumni, faculty member, or employee of the higher academic institution in Zürich (and in the whole Switzerland) who is interested in the activities of POLANA and agrees to follow the purposes of the POLANA can become an active member.
  2. POLANA Membership is defined by the Members list. After agreeing to the collection of personal data, which consists exclusively of the member’s name and contact information, one can become an official member of POLANA.

Article VI: Membership Rights and Obligations

  1. The list of POLANA members is regularly updated by the Board.
  2. Only POLANA members may attend and vote at the GA, as well as be elected to the Board.
  3. Each member and board representative of POLANA gets one vote at the GA.
  4. Members and board representatives are required to abide by the purposes of the organization and the Statutes.
  5. For every calendar year, starting on January 1st and ending on December 31st, the members of POLANA pay a membership fee, agreed upon by the GA every year.
  6. Any member can terminate their membership through the following means:
     a. Written notification to the Board.
     b. Oral notification during the GA and Board approval.
     c. In case of death (for natural persons) or dissolution (for legal persons or institutions).
  7. Membership termination is only effective after confirmation from the Board.
  8. A member who has resigned has no right to POLANA assets and cannot claim refunds of any donations or contributions they made.

Article VII: Membership Exclusion

  1. The Board reserves the right to refuse/terminate the membership of any person in case of misconduct or unconstitutional practice.
  2. The exclusion of a member is decided at a GA on the proposal of the Board.
  3. The excluded member has no right to any reimbursement of any donations, membership fees or contributions that they have paid. Likewise, he or she cannot claim any account, require any inventory, or demand the liquidation of POLANA.

Article IX: The Board

  1. The Board serves as the executive body of POLANA. It manages the association within the framework of the statutes and the directives of the GA. In particular, the Board:
     a. Decides on the orientation of the association.
     b. Decides on the projects to be developed and maintains contact with partners.
     c. Admits new members, while retaining a right of refusal.
     d. Approves the resignation of working members.
     e. Maintains the accounts of the association and submits them to the GA for ratification.
     f. Convenes the GA and draws up its agenda, including the annual budget.
     g. Can propose changes to statutes to the GA.
     h. Keeps a list of members of the association up to date.
     i. Organizes and manages events and fundraisers, and communicates them to members.

Article X: Board Membership Election

  1. The Board consists of a minimum of four members, which must include a President, a Vice President, Main Event Organiser, and a Treasurer.
  2. The Board is elected by the GA for a term of one year.
  3. Members of the Board are eligible for re-election.
  4. All members of the Board are separately elected and voted on.
  5. Board members may be elected during the year at a Secondary GA, to finish the election term.

Article XI: Board Membership Termination

  1. Every Board member may resign through a written or electronic announcement to the board. If this happens, a replacement functionary may be voted on at a Board meeting.
  2. If a member of the Board cannot carry out their full term for reasons other than resignation, The Board may also appoint another member to take over the position in question.
  3. After being appointed by the board, the newly chosen replacement for the President, Vice President, Treasurer, or Main Event Organiser must also be approved at a GA; a secondary GA should be arranged promptly.
  4. If a Board member is absent for three consecutive conventions of the Board without warning the President or Vice President, and without a valid reason for absence, he or she will be considered in the process of statutory resignation.
  5. The Board is relieved of its obligations towards the association at the end of its mandate during the regular GA.

Article XII: Board Membership Roles

  1. The tasks of the primary functionaries of the Board include, but are not limited to, the following:
     a. The President presides over the association and organizes the GA. They are responsible for the organisational management and initiation of the organisation of events. They act as the legal representative for all documents that mention the name “POLANA” in reference to the association.
     b. The Vice President is in charge of organisational management, organisation of events, responsibility, and is the deputy president. They are responsible for the administrative tasks of the association, such as the creation of records, keeping the list of working members up-to-date, and reports of activities during meetings. The Vice President is the guardian of the statutes and ensures the legal functioning of the organization.
      i. All documents pertaining to legislation must be signed by both the President and Vice President (as a secondary legal body).
     c. The Main Event Organizer serves as head organizer of events and is responsible for the creation of a yearly report.
     d. The Treasurer is responsible for the accounting of the association. They are responsible for the financial report of every organized activity, including a quarterly financial report and a yearly balance of payment statement. The Treasurer is responsible for carrying out outgoing payments and for receiving outstanding payments, fees, and subsidies. The Treasurer serves as the legal body (in tandem with the Vice President) on all official documents related to POLANA finances (incl. fees, sponsorships, and contracts).
      i. All documents pertaining to finances must be signed by both the President and Treasurer (as a secondary legal body).
  2. The Board may include secondary functionaries, including positions such as:
     a. Communication manager
     b. External Relations manager
     c. UZH responsible person
     d. IT manager
  3. The Board is not limited to the roles outlined in Article XII and upon the decision of the Board, additional functionaries may be created or removed.

Article XIII: Board Operations

  1. The Board meets freely, without a fixed schedule.
  2. The Board can only convene and decide legally if at least half of the Board members are present.
  3. Decisions of the Board are taken by a majority vote of the present members, each having one vote.
  4. In the event of a tie, the President’s vote is decisive. Should neither the President nor the Vice President be present, the Treasurer and Main Event Organiser decide in case of a tie. Should in this case the Main Event Organiser and Treasurer have diverging views, then no decision is reached, and the matter is postponed until the next meeting.
  5. In case of emergencies, the Board may decide through unanimous written agreement of the board members. The written agreement then becomes legally binding.
  6. The Board reports on its activities to the GA.