European Democratic Education Community

1:00 The protocol and procedures of the European Democratic Education Community (EUDEC) are to be ordained by the following articles, subordinate to the Association's Articles of Association (Satzung) and as ordained therein. All bodies herein ordained as bodies of EUDEC must adhere to the protocol and procedures established herein.

Article 1:10 Community Aims

(c) To establish, in legislation, the right to found and attend democratic education institutions and to provide aid and support to democratic schools and start-up groups

(d) To facilitate exchange of information between democratic education institutions in Europe and create connections between schools for cooperation and mutual learning

(e) To provide information and outreach programs for colleges and training institutes to give future teachers a practical understanding of the basics of democratic education and what it can mean for teachers, pupils, educational environments and democratic states.

Article 1:20 Definitions

1:20.10 The EUDEC reaffirms the 2005 Resolution of the 13^th International Democratic Education Conference (IDEC), Berlin, Germany:

(12) to decide individually how, when, what, where and with whom they learn, and

(13) to have an equal share in the decision making as to how their organisations – in particular their schools – are run, and which rules and sanctions, if any, are necessary.

1:20.20 Democratic education is defined by this organisation as education conducted in keeping with the above Resolution.

1:20.30 Specifically, EUDEC identifies regular democratic meetings with one-person one-vote as a fundamental necessity of democratic education.

1:20.40 For all purposes within this document, Europe is defined as the total area of all European states as defined by the Council of Europe.

Section 2: Organisation

Article 2:10 Membership

a) Full and Associate Membership

2:10.a10 MEMBERSHIP: The membership consists of individuals, schools and organisations. Any individual may apply for membership (using a written or electronic form), and all members fall into one of two categories: full member or associate member.

2:10.a11 An individual or school has to fulfil two criteria to qualify for full membership: (i) they must support EUDEC's aims (see Article 1:10) to promote democratic education as defined in Article 1:20, and (ii) reside, or be located, in Europe.

2:10.a12 Any individual, school or other organisation may become an associate member (even if they do not qualify for full membership) if they stand behind EUDEC's Aims (see Article 1:10) to promote democratic education as defined in Article 1:20.

2:10.a20 When a new member has been admitted a EUDEC employee or officer notifies them promptly of their admittance.

2:10.a25 GOOD STANDING: A member of EUDEC is considered to be in good standing, unless their membership has expired (see 2:10.c12) or has been disqualified by the Oversight Committee (see 3:30.h). A member who is not in good standing does not have the rights of a member. A member whose membership has expired can return to good standing by paying their fees due. A disqualified member may be returned to good standing only by the Assembly (see Article 3:10).

2:10.a30 VOTING RIGHTS: An individual with a full membership in good standing (see above) is entitled to one vote on each question arising at any general or Extraordinary Meeting of the members. A school with a full membership in good standing can designate a maximum of three voting representatives, each entitled to one vote on each question arising at any general or Extraordinary Meeting of the members. (For more on member schools, see (b) below.)

2:10.a40 RESIGNATION from MEMBERSHIP: Members may resign by submitting a signed, written resignation by post, fax or e-mail which is effective as soon as Council receives it. Membership fees cannot be refunded.

2:10.a45 RESIGNATION from OFFICE: Any member may at any time resign from any office of the Community or reject election to such office. In the event that an elected member rejects office their candidacy is stricken, and the results are calculated anew, ignoring that candidate. A member resigning at a later point is officially removed from office as soon as their notice of abdication reaches the Chief Coordinator in writing. E-Mail constitutes, for this purpose, sufficient written notice. Notice of abdication must be accompanied by an explanation, which is subject to disclosure as per Article 2:30.

2:10.a50 RIGHTS of ASSOCIATE MEMBERS: Associate members have all rights of membership, except for the right to vote and the right to be elected for Office.

2:10.a60 CONTACT PERSON: Member organisations must have an official contact person known to Council.

2:10.a70 CHANGE of MEMBERSHIP STATUS: One year after a full member of any kind moves to a country that is not in Europe, their membership is automatically turned into an associate membership.

b) Member Schools

2:10.b10 SCHOOLS' VOTES: Member schools must elect an official contact person, and three (3) voting representatives. These officials must be elected annually by an equal, fair and democratic vote open to all students and staff at the school, and Council must be notified of the representatives elected. Any individual elected by a member school as a voting representative may also run for Council.

2:10.b20 When calculating a majority or proportion of the membership a member school is counted as 3 members.

2:10.b30 RIGHTS of SCHOOL MEMBERS: Being an employee, student or parent of a student at a full member school entitles an individual to all rights of membership, except for voting in the Assembly, and except where stated otherwise. However when participating in meetings other than the Assembly, these school members are allowed their own vote and may also run for Office.

c) Fees

2:10.c10 All members pay an annual membership fee in accordance with the valid Fee Schedule. This fee, paid to EUDEC's head office, entitles members to one-year membership in the Community, beginning on the date the registration is received. Fees for the first year are calculated proportionally to the duration of the membership. Membership becomes effective after payment has been received. Council may set a lower fee for a specific organisation or member school on a case-by-case basis, the decision and reasoning subject to disclosure as per Article 2:30.

2:10.c12 EXPIRATION of MEMBERSHIP: All members receive notification from the Council 1 month prior to the expiration of their membership, along with an invoice specifying the current applicable fee, payment guidelines and payment due date. Membership expires automatically 30 days after the payment due date if no payment for membership renewal has been received. A member whose membership has expired is not considered to be in good standing (see 2:10.a25).

2:10.c15 LAPSED MEMBERSHIP: Former members can renew lapsed memberships at any time by paying the current applicable fee without having to resubmit an application for membership.

2:10.c20 CHANGES in FEE SCHEDULE: The Fee Schedule is subject to change by the General Meeting. Any motion to change the Fee Schedule must be announced 30 days before the Meeting, at latest. Any later motion is considered a Special Motion, requiring a special majority and subject to Oversight Committee review (cf. 3:10.b).

2:10.c30 REGIONAL CHAPTER FEES: In regions where a Regional Chapter exists (see Article 3:40) membership fees are shared with the Chapter. See 3:40.c for more details about membership and Chapters.

Article 2:15 Non-Discrimination

2:15.10 EUDEC will not discriminate as to ethnicity, colour, religion, gender, marital status, national origin, age, special needs or sexual orientation.

(21) ensuring where reasonable that all people have an accessible opportunity to participate in EUDEC,

(22) ensuring where reasonable that all members have an accessible opportunity to participate in discussion and decision making, and,

(23) ensuring where reasonable that all policies, communications and practices, while not intentionally discriminatory or intimidating, have a non-discriminatory effect.

2:15.30 If a member believes any of EUDEC's activities or communications contradict this article they must send a written complaint to Council. Council must respond in writing within 14 days, subject to disclosure (as per Article 2:30). Before or after this, the member may also lodge a complaint with Oversight Committee (see Article 3:30).

Article 2:20 Communication

2:20 EUDEC uses the Internet for internal communications and public relations. Unless specifies otherwise, EUDEC accepts E-Mail notice as written notice. The official platform for online Community business is an Internet forum or similar platform. If the platform is not located directly at the www.eudec.org URL, a hyper-link to the platform must be available directly at that URL. This platform must be accessible both for reading and for posting by all members of EUDEC, full or associate.

Article 2:30 Disclosure

2:30 Any matter subject to disclosure, as defined in this Guidance Document, must be posted as soon as possible on the official Internet platform and read out by the Ombudsman at the next Assembly. Unless stated otherwise in this Guidance Document the deadline for initial online disclosure is 21 days after the moment when the matter subject to disclosure first becomes known.

Article 2:35 Transparency

2:35 All bodies of EUDEC must conform to the principle of organisational transparency, recording in the minutes of their meetings all decisions made and providing information on past decisions. This requirement applies even where the content of discussion is confidential.

Article 2:40 Voting and Meetings

2:40.10 All official meetings and votes of the EUDEC and its organs must follow the procedures laid out in this Article. Any reference here to “members” refers only to the members of the voting body. For many organs – Assembly especially – more specific procedures are described elsewhere in this Guidance Document. In case of contradiction, the organ-specific procedures take precedence.

a) Order

2:40.a10 All meetings are presided over by a Chairperson elected by the meeting. The Chair may choose how to run the meeting, but Robert's Rules of Order (Newly Revised) are to be used as a point of reference and may be consulted as arbiter in disputes over the rules of order.

b) Votes

2:40.b10 Matters arising at any meeting are decided by a simple majority vote. All members may vote on any question. The presiding chairperson can abstain from voting but then vote after the votes have been tallied if a single vote can create or break an equality of votes. In case of an equality of votes the motion is defeated. When casting a deciding vote the Chairperson explains their vote.

2:40.b15 In any vote an individual may cast a maximum of one vote, regardless of circumstances that may give an individual an additional vote (such as a full individual member who is also a school's voting representative).

2:40.b20 Every matter is decided in the first instance by a show of hands unless a poll be demanded by any member, in which case a poll takes the place of the show of hands. In a poll the Chairperson may only vote with the rest of the members.

2:40.b30 POLL PROCEDURES: Polls are conducted by two Poll Overseers, who are elected by the meeting using a Single Transferable Vote ballot for a single poll or a pre-determined set of polls as determined by the Assembly.

2:40.b32 Members vote on a poll or a pre-determined set of polls using a specially-prepared form on which they may state their preferences for each of the motions in the poll. These forms are cast in a private manner, under the supervision of the Poll Overseers. The Poll Overseers receive a list of all eligible voting members present and use this list to ensure that each member participates no more than once in the poll.

2:40.b34 Votes are tallied after all eligible members present have been given a fair opportunity to participate in the poll. Poll results are counted twice, once by each Poll Overseer. Each tally must be performed in the presence of either Chairman or Secretary of the meeting. Other members may observe the tallying so long as they do not cause any disturbance to it. The two tallies are compared and repeated until they match. When the tallying is complete the results are announced and noted.

2:40.b40 The final balance of votes regarding any proposal must be tallied and entered into the minutes by the Chair or Secretary presiding.

2:40.b50 A member who declares conflict of interest does not vote concerning the matter.

c) Motions

2:40.c10 Voting proceeds on the basis of motions, which may be proposed on the agenda or during the meeting. A motion not present on the agenda may be put forth by a voting member, on the condition that it be seconded by another present voting member.

2:40.c20 For each motion a single vote determines if the motion is adopted or rejected.

2:40.c22 When there are two or more contradictory motions pertaining to the same matter the motions and amendments are voted on from last-proposed to first, each being carried or rejected. In the event that more than one motion remains (has been carried) after this first round of votes another vote takes place, in which each member may only vote for one of the remaining motions. If a single motion receives an absolute majority of votes cast, that motion wins.

2:40.c24 If no absolute majority is found the motions must be compared pairwise, using the Schulze Method to determine an absolute winner. (Information on the Schulze method can be found on the Internet.)

2:40.c26 Regardless of the method used to determine the winning motion a final vote takes place to adopt or reject the winning motion. If this final motion is rejected no motion is adopted regarding the matter at hand. However, the meeting may at any time, by a simple majority vote, decide to reopen a subject for renewed discussion and voting.

d) Adjournments

2:40.d10 Any meeting may be adjourned to any time by majority vote, and such business may be transacted at such adjourned meeting as might have been transacted at the original meeting from which such adjournment took place. No notice is required of such adjournment. However, motions for expulsion of Council members may not be adjourned to another meeting. Votes on acceptance of membership applications must take place at the beginning of the General Assembly if they were on the agenda in advance.

e) Elections with few candidates

2:60.e10 Whenever the number of candidates for an Election is equal to the number of positions to be filled, voting may take place in the following way:

(11) In a first round of voting, members can vote YES or NO on each of the candidates. If all candidates receive a majority of votes cast, all candidates are elected.

(12) If one or more candidates do not get a majority, a second round of voting takes place using the Single Transferable Vote system, with the provision that leaving a candidate unranked is interpreted as a vote against that candidate. Candidates are then elected if and only if they have reached the necessary quota of votes as calculated at the beginning of the count.

(f) Elections for a singular office

Whenever an election takes place for a singular office (where only one person can be elected), voting members are asked to vote for their first preference. If a single candidate receives an absolute majority of votes cast, that candidate wins. If no absolute majority is found the candidates must be compared pairwise, using the Schulze Method to determine an absolute winner. (Information on the Schulze method can be found on the Internet.)

Article 2:50 Internal Procedures

2:50 All Committees, Workgroups, Chapters and other bodies, including Council, established as bodies of EUDEC by Section 3 of this Guidance Document, may craft internal procedures insofar as these pertain only to the internal operation of the said body. These are subordinate to the Guidance Document and to decisions of the Assembly and may not in any way contradict them. Internal procedures must always be decided by a simple majority of members of the body they apply to and may be amended or repealed by a simple majority. Insofar as a procedure has not been repealed it is binding to all members of the body in question.

Article 2:60 Elections

2:60.10 Full Elections for Council (see Article 3:20), Oversight Committee (see Article 3:30), and Auditors (see Article 3:60) take place during the Annual General Meeting. The members present for the first plenary session of the General Assembly elect two Election Supervisors, who administer the elections and may not run for any office in the elections they administer. The Supervisors are elected using the Single Transferable Vote model of elections, as described for the Elections themselves. The Supervisors for the Election of the Oversight Committee (see Article 3:30) may not be current members of Council.

2:60.15 The Elections are administered in strict accordance with the rules set forth in this Article. Council may craft additional regulations and guidelines for the administration of fair and equal Elections. These are valid as soon as they have been available to members on the official Internet platform for 21 days. The Oversight Committee may suspend any Election regulation crafted by Council. Suspended regulations, should Council still wish to use them, can be approved only by the Assembly. The same applies to regulations not published 21 days in advance of the General Meeting. No motion on the agenda must be present for the approval of these regulations.

2:60.20 All Full Elections take place using the Single Transferable Vote model of representative elections. Information on this model is available on the Internet. The technical application of the model is determined by Council's regulations, or lacking applicable regulations, by the Supervisors during the General Meeting.

a) Offices and Terms

2:60.a10 Council and Oversight Committee are elected for a two-year term, on an alternating rotation: Council is elected on odd years, the Oversight Committee on even years. [Temporary provision: the first Oversight Committee will be elected along with the second full Council at the General Meeting of 2009. The Oversight Committee will be up for full elections again at the Conference of 2010, and again on even years to follow – 2012, 2014 etc.] Elections encompass all seats of the respective body, whether vacant or occupied. No current member of Council may run for Oversight Committee or vice versa.

2:60.a12 Two Auditors are elected every year for a one-year term. No current member of, or candidate for, Council or Oversight Committee may be a candidate for Auditor, nor may a candidate for Auditor run for Council or Oversight Committee.

c) Nominations

2:60.c10 A candidate can only be nominated if they are present and consent to the nomination, or if they have consented in writing prior to the meeting and their written consent is presented during the nomination.

d) By-Elections

2:60.d10 If, for any reason, not all position in Council or on the Oversight Committee are filled, elections must take place to fill the vacancies for the remainder of the current term. Council must give notice of the date and method of election within 14 days of the vacancy via E-Mail and the official Internet platform. Elections are held no less than 7 days, and no more than 30 days, after Community members are given notice. An exception can be made by Council if a General Meeting is less than 90 days away; in such cases the by-elections can take place during that meeting, beside any other votes or elections or as part of them. Otherwise by-elections take place on the Internet or, if necessary, in an Extraordinary Meeting of the General Assembly, as determined by the Council. Officers elected mid-term only remain in office until the next full elections for their respective office.

2:60.d15 Candidacies for by-elections may be announced by the candidates themselves up to 24 hours before the beginning of the elections and may be retracted at any time up to 24 hours after election results have been announced. If a winning candidate has retracted their candidacy the results are recalculated, ignoring votes regarding the retracted candidacy or candidacies.

2:60.d20 By-elections are administered according to Council's elections procedures as per 2:60.a.

Article 2:70 Employees

2:70 Employees of the EUDEC who are members of the organisation have all the rights of members, apart from running for, or holding the office of, Council member (see 3:20), Auditor or member of the Oversight Committee (see 3:30).

Article 2:80 Branding

2:80 For all intents and purposes Council represents EUDEC as regarding the use of EUDEC's logo and any other branding materials. Recognised Regional Chapters (see Article 3:40) are authorised to use and approve brand use in their region. The approval awarded by Council or by a Chapter can be retracted at any time. Council may delegate a specific Workgroup with branding rights. Council decisions on branding override Chapter and Workgroup decisions, and Assembly decisions override all others.

Section 3: Organs of the Community

Article 3:10 Assembly of Members

3:10.10 The governing assembly of the Community is the Assembly of members. All members may participate and vote in the Assembly, as defined in Section 2. The Assembly determines the course of the Community democratically in decisions codified in this Guidance Document and in the records of the Community. All powers, responsibilities and authority delegated by the Assembly, through this Guidance Document or otherwise, remain subordinate to the Assembly's overarching mandate. The Assembly always reserves the right to overrule any decision made by any organ it has ordained, except for Regional Chapters (see Article 3:40).

a) General Meetings of the Assembly

3:10.a10 Council decides the time and place of General Meetings and Assemblies of members. For any set meeting (regular or Extraordinary), an invitation containing the time, location and a draft agenda must be sent to all members by prepaid mail or by E-Mail no less than 45 days before the beginning of the meeting. No further public notice or advertisement is necessary.

3:10.a20 A regular General Meeting is held a minimum of once (1) a year. Notice of the time and place must be given at least 45 days before the first day of the Meeting.

3:10.a30 The Annual General Meeting is held, if applicable, during the annual or biennial EUDEC conference.

3:10.a40 At every Annual General Meeting, in addition to any other business that may be transacted, the report of the Council, the financial statement, the minutes of the previous elections meeting and the report of the Auditors are presented.

(61) changes to the Guidance Document or Articles of Association (German Satzung),

(66) Council’s actions, based on annual reports submitted by the Council and the Auditors,

(69) the annual financial report, accompanied by the auditors' recommendation of the previous year and financial discharge of the council, and

b) Agenda

3:10.b10 All matters to be discussed at the General Meeting, regular or Extraordinary, are made known to the membership by means of an agenda produced by Council. A final agenda must be available to members on the official Internet platform no later than twenty-one days before the Meeting. Matters may only be decided if a proposal or motion pertaining to them was presented in the final draft agenda, apart from matters internal to the meeting or gathering itself. Within the two-month period before the meeting at least two preliminary draft agendas have to be released for comment and amendments. Each agenda and agenda draft is sent to all members via prepaid mail or E-Mail along with notification of the time and location of the Meeting.

3:10.b40 The final cut-off date for all additions and changes to the agenda is 28 days before the date of the Meeting.

3:10.b50 During the Meeting, Council is responsible for presenting each of the points on the agenda to the membership. When presenting proposals made by members outside Council, Council may give a brief outline of the discussion surrounding the matter before allowing the proposing member to present their proposal.

3:10.b60 New motions may be put forth that were not on the agenda so long as they are intended as an alternative or amendment to a motion on the agenda (whether it has already been decided or not). It is also always possible to put forth proposals about matters internal to the meeting or gathering. However, new motions that are neither meeting-internal nor alternatives to agenda proposals require an ad hoc Assembly vote before they can be discussed. If the Assmebly allows the discussion, the matter is a Special Motion and requires a 2/3 majority to pass. If a Special Motion is approved by the General Meeting its decision does not come into effect until reviewed by the Oversight Committee. If the Oversight Committee unanimously declare the motion invalid it is repealed. Otherwise it goes into effect immediately after review. A motion that has been declared invalid may be proposed on the agenda of the next General Meeting.

c) Extraordinary Meetings and Referenda

3:10.c05 Any member may at any time request an online Referendum. A request can pertain to no more than one Referendum and requires a successful petition of voting members in order to succeed (that is, in order for the Referendum to take place). The initial request is submitted to the Chief Coordinators (see 3:20.m). The Council notifies all EUDEC members of the petition by E-Mail or paper post within 14 days. Council provides at least one online method for members to declare their support for the petition. The petition succeeds as soon as it has received a number of supporters equal to or greater than an absolute majority of EUDEC members, or alternatively 30% of the voting members present at the previous Annual General Meeting. Petition and Referendum votes are for all intents and purposes identical with Assembly votes (and thus may only be cast by full members in good standing). For the purpose of counting both voting members present at the previous AGM and supporting votes for the petition a member school is counted as three individual members.

3:10.c10 An Extraordinary Meeting may only be called by means of Assembly resolution or online Referendum. The text of a Referendum calling an Extraordinary Meeting must specify all agenda topics and the time and location of the meeting. This procedure is not necessary if the Guidance Document allows the petitioning member (or organ) to call an Extraordinary Meeting. (e.g. 3:30.f10)

3:10.c20 An Extraordinary Meeting called by Referendum must take place no more than 60 days and no less than 45 after the Referendum succeeds.

3:10.c25 A Referendum takes place no more than 30 days and no less than 7 days after the petition to hold it succeeds. The Referendum may decide a single motion that could otherwise be passed by the Assembly. The method and duration of the Referendum is set by Council but has to be approved by the member requesting the Referendum.

d) Order

3:10.d10 The Chairperson or acting Chair of the General Meeting maintains order at all times when the Meeting is in session. For this purpose the Chair (or acting Chair) may at any time:

(12) After two warnings entered into the minutes, remove a participant from the meeting until the end of the current discussion

3:10.d20 The Chairperson may determine time limits for discussions in advance and announce these on the final agenda. The Assembly may, by a simple vote, extend or change any time limit set by the Chair.

3:10.d30 A Secretary must be elected or agreed upon by Assembly for every meeting for managing minutes, tallies, speakers' lists and any other managerial tasks that may arise during the meeting.

3:10.d40 At every meeting two volunteers must be approved by majority vote for counting votes.

Article 3:20 Council

3:20.10 The affairs of the Community are managed and administered by an elected Council on behalf of the Community. Council's roles:

(11) Council represents EUDEC publicly, legally and politically, and carries out the decisions of the Assembly.

(12) Council acts as a deliberative body that considers and executes EUDEC's strategy as defined by the Assembly.

(13) Council additionally coordinates the activities of the Regional Chapters (see Article 3:40) and Workgroups (see Article 3:50) and provides EUDEC's members and organs with information.

(14) Finally, Council prepares and organises General Assemblies and is responsible for the implementation of any other task necessary to further the organisation's Aims and objectives.

3:20.20 Council consists of no less than 7 and no more than 11 members, all of whom are elected for a term of two years at the Annual General Meeting of members (see Article 2:60, as well as (a) below, for Elections procedures). The exact number of seats on Council is set for every term by the General Meeting when Elections take place. This number remains set until changed by the General Meeting.

3:20.30 At least three members of the Council must be age 18 or older (as required by German law; cf. Articles of Association).

i) Powers and Duties

3:20.i05 Council is obligated by all Assembly decisions and may never contradict or override them, in word or in spirit.

3:20.i10 Council is the sole body entitled to represent EUDEC in all matters legal or political (except such cases as another group is delegated such entitlement: for one example, see 3:50.a40). In this role, Council may enter into lawful contracts on behalf of EUDEC or transact any business not subject exclusively to the Assembly's authority. The Council sees that all necessary books and records of the Community required by this Guidance Document, by the Articles of Association (Satzung) or by any applicable statute or law are regularly and properly kept.

3:20.i20 The Council may appoint any person or persons to perform any function which they deem necessary to conduct efficiently the EUDEC’s business. The Council is responsible for administration of all of EUDEC's employment contracts.

3:20.i30 TEMPORARY COMMITTEES: The Council may set up such temporary committees as they deem necessary to serve the needs of the Community for so long as it serves a current, useful purpose. Temporary committees are open to all members of EUDEC (full or associate) and each elects a Chairperson who answers to Council and keeps the Community informed of the committee's progress.

3:20.i40 SAFE-KEEPING of GUIDANCE DOCUMENT: The Council is responsible for the safe-keeping of the Guidance Document and for identifying and putting forth motions to update and amend the Guidance Document and other internal documents and regulations, proposes adjustments to the Articles of Association following any relevant changes to the Guidance Document and advises the Community on these matters.

[3:20.i45 TEMPORARY PROVISION: After the Assembly of August 2009 has ratified any changes to the Guidance Document, Council may make any necessary adjustments to the Articles of Association, so long as the purpose of these is only to ensure compatibility between the two documents or to ensure compatibility with German law.]

3:20.i50 SUPERVISION of CONTENT: The content of any event held by or in the name of EUDEC is subject to approval by Council. This authority can be delegated to a Regional Chapter or Workgroup ad hoc and retracted at any time.

a) Election

3:20.a10 ELIGIBILITY: The following are eligible for election to EUDEC Council: Full individual members in good standing, students or employees of full member schools in good standing, member school voting representatives or anybody else nominated by a full member school in good standing. An individual can only run if they have been in EUDEC for 2 continuous months and attended at least one General Meeting. For individuals who are not full individual members (i.e., school members), the school's membership is considered instead, and as such the school has to have been a full member in good standing for 6 continuous months. As for the requirement to have attended a General Meeting, candidates present at nomination can count that Assembly towards this requirement. Additionally, individuals who are not individual full members of EUDEC must be eligible for full individual membership.

3:20.a20 Any candidate who accepts their election and is not an individual full member of EUDEC must apply for full individual membership (as per Article 2:10) within 7 days of the elections or be automatically disqualified.

b) Transition

3:20.b10 After full elections all members of the previous Council (at the time of elections) shall be automatic Project Associates (as per 3:20.s) until the first summit of the new Council. The leaving members of Council shall thus assist the new Council in assuming its role and shall help smooth the transition.

c) Meetings

3:20.c01 VALIDITY: A meeting of Council is considered official and valid if all members of Council are made aware that it is taking place, and fair, democratic procedures have been followed in determining the time and location.

3:20.c05 ATTENDANCE: Meetings of Council in person or online, when not confidential (see 3:20.c06-07), are open to all members of the EUDEC, who may attend as observers but not vote, and may not speak unless permitted by Council (this does not apply to members of the Oversight Committee). The minutes of all non-confidential Council meetings are promptly made available on the official Internet platform. The minutes of confidential meetings are limited to the purview of Council alone (including future Councils).

3:20.c06 PRIVATE DISCUSSIONS: The first part of any Council meeting, no longer than 20 minutes, may be made private and confidential. During private discussions no one outside Council may be present unless specifically invited by Council.

3:20.c07 CONFIDENTIALITY: Any discussion about the possible termination of an employment contract or about the application for any individual's membership in EUDEC or the termination thereof is confidential. However, the reason for the meeting's confidentiality is not confidential and Council informs members who would have liked to attend (or read the minutes) as to the reason for the discussion's confidentiality. Council is not obligated to name names when providing this information. Council may decide by unanimous vote to invite or interview an individual otherwise excluded from attendance. Any decisions made in confidential discussions are not confidential, and must be entered into the minutes along with any necessary explanations.

3:20.c10 The Council meets in person in at least 3 official summits per year (ideally once every 4 months) at a time and place made known to the membership in advance. A draft agenda for the summit must be made available for EUDEC members on the official Internet platform no later than 14 days before the summit.

3:20.c20 TRAVEL FUNDS: The Council may decide to allocate available funds to individual Council members for costs incurred for travel to Council summits. Council designates a limited amount of funds available for travel costs. The Chief Coordinator (see 3:20.m) is in charge of ensuring that these funds are allocated fairly and equally. A Council member may not request funds exceeding the total needed for the least expensive travel option available, taking into account reasonable travel time, ecological impact and convenience. The Chief Coordinator collects all receipts for reimbursed travel expenses and submits them to the Council Treasurer or responsible staff member. Council gives full account of the allocation of travel funds in its yearly financial report.

d) Annual Agenda

3:20.d10 Within the 4 months following the Annual General Meeting (or Conference), Council announces its Annual Agenda for the coming year, illustrating the areas on which Council plans to focus in the coming year. This Agenda is made available on the official Internet platform and sent to all members via E-Mail.

e) Absence

3:20.e10 Any member of Council who expects to be unavailable for an extended period of time must give notice to Council. A member of Council may take an official absence from office up to a total of 14 weeks per 12 months in office. During an official absence the member is not required (but still allowed) to attend meetings and summits of Council or to fulfil any other function mandated in this Guidance Document or in any other document of the EUDEC. Any regular functions or elected offices should be delegated for the duration of absence.

3:20.e20 Notice of official absence must be given to a Chief Coordinator (see 3:20.m) in advance of the planned absence, along with an estimate of the duration of absence.

3:20.e40 Absence in excess of the time afforded by 3:20.e10 is not allowed under any circumstances. Members of Council who do not step down in case of such prolonged absence may be disqualified by the Oversight Committee (see Article 3:30). The Chief Coordinator informs the Oversight Committee of any absences taken in contradiction of this section.

f) Removal of Members

3:20.f10 In the event that a Council member has missed three (3) consecutive meetings of the Council (in person or online) without notice of intent to be absent (as per 3:20.e20) Council is tasked with notifying the Ombudsman. (The Ombudsman is the chairperson of the Oversight Committee as per Article 3:30.) The Oversight Committee must then discuss the continued office of said Council member. This notification constitutes a demand that the Oversight Committee make a decision.

3:20.f20 The Assembly may remove a member of Council from office if the member has been suspended by the Oversight Committee (see 3:30.f10). A special majority of two thirds of votes cast in the Assembly is needed to finalise the disqualification.

h) Voting

3:20.h10 Proxy voting is allowed in all meetings and on all matters decided by Council. The procedures for proxy voting within Council may be determined by Council without recourse to the Assembly.

j) Remuneration of Council Members

3:20.j10 The Council members receive no remuneration for acting as such except repayment of reasonable expenses incurred by them in the normal course of their duties, such as travel expenses for attending Council summits (see 3:20.c20).

k) Council Officers

3:20.k10 The Council designates a Chair, Vice Chair, Chief Coordinator, Secondary Coordinator, Treasurer, Region Coordinator, Workgroup Coordinators and General Contact. The Officers are elected at a meeting held soon after the Annual General Meeting and must be members of Council. No person may serve as a Council Officer if they have been disqualified as a member of the Council. Members of Council are allowed to hold multiple Council Offices, and groups of two or three members of Council may jointly run and be elected for any single Office. However, the Chair, Vice Chair and Treasurer must be three separate individuals, and, as required by German law, these three must be 18 years of age or older.

l) Duties of Chairperson

3:20.l10 When present the Chair, or any Council member delegated by the Chair, presides at all meetings of the Assembly of the Community, unless any member wants to have an election for chairperson, in which any member can run as candidate for chairperson. During the absence or inability of the Chair the Vice Chair, or such other Member as the Council may appoint for the purpose, may exercise any such duty or power.

3:20.l20 The Chair, or the Vice Chair or other Council member in the absence of the Chair, is the official spokesperson for releasing to the public only such information as is authorised as official policy. The Council can also appoint a person to act on their behalf to release information to the public.

m) Duties of the Chief Coordinators

3:20.m10 The Chief Coordinator takes the minutes of each meeting and presents them at the subsequent meetings at the direction of the Council. The Chief Coordinator is charged with coordinating the general management and supervision of the affairs and operations of the EUDEC Community and with additional coordination duties outlined throughout this Guidance Document.

3:20.m20 The Chief Coordinator is responsible for the safe custody of all Community records and must release no information from these records except as authorised by the Council or as required by statute. At all meetings of Council and of the Assembly the Chief Coordinator, or a Secretary they have appointed, takes minutes, recording all matters brought forth, all motions proposed and all votes and their outcomes and sees that the minutes are made available on the official Internet platform to all members within 14 days of the end of the meeting, the summit or the gathering in which the meeting took place.

3:20.m30 The Chief Coordinator maintains the financial records of the Community and is in charge of managing the Community's finances on a day-to-day basis. The Coordinator presents the records to the Treasurer and to the Auditors in full for auditing.

3:20.m40 The Secondary Coordinator is deputy to the Chief Coordinator. The Chief Coordinator keeps the Secondary Coordinator abreast of their work and delegates tasks to them as needed. Any task of the Chief Coordinator may be delegated to the Secondary Coordinator at any time, on a temporary or long-term basis.

n) Duties of the Treasurer

3:20.n10 The Treasurer audits the Community's financial records and presents a financial report at each Council summit and an annual financial statement of the year’s transactions to members at the Annual General Meeting. The Treasurer prepares an annual budget for Council’s approval in advance of the beginning of each financial year.

o) Duties of the Region Coordinator

3:20.o10 The Region Coordinator maintains contact with the Regional Advisors and informs Council about their work. At every meeting of Council the Region Coordinator gives a report, as appropriate, of the state of the Chapters and any news they may have. (See Article 3:40) The role of Region Coordinator may also be allocated to a Project Associate.

p) Duties of the Workgroup Coordinators

3:20.p05 Two or more Workgroup Coordinators are elected to maintain contact and coordination with the Community's Workgroups (see 3:50). The role of Workgroup Coordinator may also be allocated to a Project Associate.

3:20.p10 The Workgroup Coordinators maintain contact with all Workgroups and oversee their work. At every meeting of Council the Workgroup Coordinators give a report, as appropriate, of the state of the Workgroups and any news they may have.

3:20.p20 A Workgroup Coordinator may, if they see fit, delegate contact with a given Workgroup to a peer in Council. This delegation may be ended at any time by the Coordinator or by the delegated contact.

r) Duties of the General Contact

3:20.r10 The General Contact receives enquiries from interested parties within and without the Community and replies to them or forwards them as appropriate. At every meeting of Council, the General Contact gives a report, as appropriate, of any news pertaining to these enquiries.

s) Project Associates

3:20.s10 Council may, at their discretion, appoint Project Associates at any time. A Project Associate is appointed for collaboration with Council on one specific project or more and is invited to take part in all meetings of Council for the duration of their term. An appointment or the retraction of any appointment must be announced to the Ombudsman as soon as possible and be entered in the minutes.

3:20.s20 A Project Associate may be any natural person not currently on the Oversight Committee.

3:20.s30 Project Associates are appointed for a term ending at the end of the next Council summit or General Meeting. At the terminal meeting of the Project Associates' term, Council may, by simple majority vote, extend a Project Associate's appointment for an additional term. The term of Project Associates can only be extended individually.

Article 3:30 Oversight Committee

3:30.10 The affairs of the Community and its Council are overseen by an elected Oversight Committee. The Oversight Committee arbitrates disputes and addresses members' complaints in accordance with the word and spirit of the Articles of Association and this Guidance Document. It may never contradict or override these documents in any way, nor any decision of the General Assembly.

3:30.20 The Committee consists of 3 members, elected for a term of two years by the Assembly of members. The Oversight Committee is headed by its chairperson, the Ombudsman (see 3:30.g).

a) Election

3:30.a10 No member of the Oversight Committee may be a member of Council or a first-degree relative of any member of Council.

3:30.a20 Only an individual who is currently a full member of EUDEC in good standing (see 2:10.a25) and who has been a full member of EUDEC for at least ten (10) full months may be elected for the Oversight Committee.

b) Votes

3:30.b10 A vote to exercise the Committee's judicial power may take place, following debate, at any such time as the Ombudsman calls a vote. A vote also takes place, following debate, at any such time as Council puts forward a specific question to vote by the Oversight Committee.

3:30.b20 The Oversight Committee may conduct its debates and votes over the Internet, by conference call or in person. A vote may only be held if notice has been given to all members of the Committee and fair democratic procedure was followed to allow all members to take part in the vote.

d) Dissolution

3:30.d20 Assembly can at any time remove the current membership of Oversight Committee and, as soon as possible, hold elections for all seats on the Committee anew. Such a procedures can be initiated only by two thirds of votes cast in a General Meeting or Referendum. Such a resolution may only be passed if fourteen days' notice has been given of intention to pass such resolution. Elections for the new makeup of the Committee can take place online or, if specified in the resolution, at an Extraordinary Meeting.

e) Powers

3:30.e10 The Oversight Committee may repeal any internal procedures made as per Article 2:50. Such a decision must be based on the criteria for disqualification outlined in 3:30.h40-43.

3:30.e20 The Oversight Committee may suspend the office of a Council member or any other Officer of the Community, or the certification of any Regional Chapter, Workgroup or other Committee, pending a final decision by the Assembly. A suspension of a member or officer can only be based on the criteria for disqualification as set forth in 3:30.h.

3:30.e25 The Oversight Committee may recommend the termination of any EUDEC employment contract, pending a final decision by Council or Assembly. Such a recommendation may only be made if it has been sufficiently demonstrated that breach of contract has taken place.

3:30.e40 Whenever the Committee exercises any of the above powers the decision must be explained by the Ombudsman or a member delegated by the Ombudsman, subject to disclosure as per 2:30 within 14 days of the decision.

f) Matters Brought Before the Assembly

3:30.f10 At such a time as a matter must be brought before the Assembly by the Oversight Committee for a final decision (as per 3:30.e or any other part of this Guidance Document) Council must within 14 days of the initial decision give notice of the date and method of the decision. Notice must be given by an individual mailing to all members, by paper post or by E-Mail. The debate and vote are held no less than 7 days and no more than 30 days after notice was sent out. The deciding vote can take place on the Internet or in an Extraordinary Meeting of the General Assembly, as determined by the Council. Unless specified otherwise in this Guidance Document (as in 3:20.f20) this decision is made by a simple majority vote as per Article 2:40.

g) Ombudsman

3:30.g10 The Committee elects a Chairperson from its midst, who is Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is elected at a meeting held soon after the Annual General Meeting, and no person may serve as Ombudsman if, after election, they have been disqualified as a member of the Committee.

3:30.g20 The Ombudsman is tasked with receiving complaints and petitions by members of the Community. Upon receiving a petition the Ombudsman must resolve the matter to the satisfaction of the petitioner or put the matter to debate and vote by the Committee.

3:30.g40 The Ombudsman reports to Council and to the Community on any votes or discussions of the Committee. All Committee decisions are subject to disclosure as per Article 2:40.

h) Disqualification

(12) It has been sufficiently demonstrated that the member, by his, her or its decisions, impedes EUDEC's Aims of Article 1:10 or the declaration of Article 1:20, signed as part of the membership application form, or any other procedure of membership in Article 2:10.

3:30.h20 The status of Council member, Workgroup chairperson, Regional Advisor or Project Associate may only be revoked by disqualification based on one or more of the following criteria:

(22) It has been sufficiently demonstrated that the member has acted against the decisions codified in this Guidance Document or against the interests of EUDEC as defined therein, or has not acted in EUDEC's best interest.

(23) The member has, while in official capacity on EUDEC business, in their behaviour or presentation, represented EUDEC badly or in such a manner unacceptable to common norms.

(24) The member has failed to fulfil their official role as defined in this Guidance Document.

(25) It has been sufficiently demonstrated that the member has accepted bribery, be it in the form of currency, payment in kind or personal favours of any nature.

3:30.h30 A member of Council may be disqualified if it has been sufficiently demonstrated that their absence exceeds the period of official absence allowed in 3:20.e10 (14 weeks in every 12 months in office).

3:30.h40 Internal procedures created as per 2:50 may be repealed on the following grounds:

(41) The procedures contradict the Guidance Document, or any other decision of the Assembly, in word or in spirit.

(42) The Committee is convinced that the procedures are based on, or may cause, unfair discrimination (which is discrimination based on immaterial criteria).

(43) The Committee is convinced that the procedures impede, rather than enable, the effective work of the organ that created them, or any other organ of EUDEC.

Article 3:40 Regional Chapters

3:40.10 Regional Chapters have the duty of publicly representing EUDEC on the regional, national and local levels.

3:40.20 An established Regional Chapter is recognised in the records of the Community. An official Regional Chapter may be established by members of EUDEC within a geographical region, provided all members in that region were allowed to attend the founding meeting and sufficient effort was made to make the meeting known to them. In order to become a recognised Chapter the Chapter must agree upon Terms of Reference with Council. The Terms of Reference must clarify the legal, financial and organisational relationship between EUDEC and the Regional Chapter. Once Council has approved the Terms of Reference the Chapter is entered in the records as a recognised Chapter. Council may at any time revoke a Chapter's status if it has not yet been recognised by the Assembly. During the Annual General Meeting any newly-recognised Chapters are discussed, and a vote takes place to award the Chapter recognition. Once a Chapter has been recognised by the Assembly only the Assembly may revoke the Chapter's status.

a) Tasks

3:40.a10 Regional Chapters are tasked with providing a translation of EUDEC's Guidance Document, membership forms and announcements to members, into the main administrative language of their region.

3:40.a20 If it is within the means of the Regional Chapter a Regional EUDEC Website should be created and administered by the Chapter. The website must conform to the style and quality of the central EUDEC website and provide information in the region's dominant language(s).

b) Regional Advisor

3:40.b10 Any certified Regional Chapter must have one Regional Advisor, delegated by the Chapter from amongst its membership, to manage and coordinate the contact with EUDEC's Council and Assembly. Regional Advisors are tasked with updating Council, by means of contact with the Region Coordinator (see 3:20.o).

3:40.b30 The Regional Advisor (or a Regional Contact appointed by the Advisor) receives enquiries from interested parties in the Region and in its dominant language(s) and answers these or redirects them to the Council's General Contact if necessary.

c) Membership

3:40.c10 CHAPTERS and MEMBERS' RIGHTS: All members of a recognised Chapter have the same rights as a member of EUDEC, taking into account the same differentiations between types of membership (full vs. associate) and kinds of member (individual vs. school vs. organisation) as are differentiated in this Guidance Document. Chapters share their member information database with Council.

3:40.c20 MEMBERSHIP and CHAPTERS: Chapters are informed whenever a member in their region is accepted or rejected by Council, and newly-recognised Chapters receive a full list of members in their region. Chapters are not obligated to accept applicant on the mere grounds of EUDEC membership and geographical location, but may not accept the application of an applicant who has been rejected by EUDEC Council.

3:40.c25 DOUBLE MEMBERSHIP: It is always permissable to be member in EUDEC e.V. as well as in a recognised Chapter. It is never permissable to be a member of two recognised Chapters simultaneously.

3:40.c30 MEMBERSHIP FEES and CHAPTERS: A member of EUDEC e.V. who is a member of a recognised Chapter pays their membership fees to the Chapter, unless the Chapter is organised as a dependent project of EUDEC e.V. (as opposed to as a separate legal entity.) The Terms of Reference between a recognised Chapter and EUDEC Council must determine how the income from membership fees is divided, which party collects the fees and how the funds are transferred. The Terms of Reference may give a Chapter permission to charge additional fees from its membership, beyond those mandated by the Fee Schedule, but these additional fees may only be used for the Chapter itself. Every recognised Chapter may set membership fees that are higher or lower than the fees set by Assembly. These fees are applicable for the Chapter's region for all members of EUDEC and of its Chapters.

Article 3:50 Workgroups

3:50.10 Ongoing or limited projects undertaken by the Community are organised in the framework of Workgroups, which are open to all members of EUDEC.

a) Recognition

3:50.a10 Council may recognise a singular or ongoing project as an official Workgroup.

3:50.a20 Recognised Workgroups are registered by Council in the records of the Community. Council may dissolve a Workgroup when appropriate, their reasoning subject to disclosure as per 2:30.

3:50.a30 Each recognised Workgroup elects a chairperson from its midst who is responsible for communication with Council and Assembly.

3:50.a40 On a case-by-case basis Council may ordain a particular Workgroup to publicly, legally or politically represent EUDEC generally or within the scope of a particular project. This authority may be revoked by Council resolution without notice at any time. The decision to delegate or revoke this authority must be explained, subject to disclosure as per Article 2:30.

Article 3:60 Auditors

3:60.10 The Assembly of members appoints two Auditors to monitor, audit and report on the bookkeeping of the Community. They are elected during the annual Full Elections – see Article 2:60 for election procedures.

3:60.20 An Auditor may not at any point or in any way also be a member of Council or of the Oversight committee, nor may they be the Regional Advisor of any Regional Chapter, at the same time as they are an Auditor.

3:60.30 The Auditors prepare a report on the bookkeeping of the Community for each Annual General Meeting. The Auditors have full purview of all financial records of the Community. The Treasurer (see 3:20.n) and Chief Coordinators (see 3:20.m) provide them with any information they need. The Auditors present their report to the Assembly immediately following the Treasurer's report and budget presentation.

Section 4: Conditions

Article 4:05 Conflicts of Interpretation

4:05 Any conflicts of interpretation arising from this Guidance Document, including but not limited to omissions and lacunae, may be determined by resolution of Council, pending approval by the Oversight Committee. Such decisions are subject to disclosure as per 2:30.

Article 4:20 Execution of Documents

4:20.10 Deeds, transfers, licences, cheques, bills of exchange or other orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Community, contracts and engagements on behalf of EUDEC, are signed by two members of Council. Contracts in the ordinary course of the Community's operations may be entered into on behalf of the Community by the Council.

4:20.20 Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary contained in the Guidance Document of the Community the Council may at any time, by resolution, direct the manner in which, and the person or persons by whom, any particular instrument, contract or obligations of the Community may or shall be executed.

Article 4:90 Guidelines, Resolutions and Amendments

4:90.05 This document has been approved by the General Assembly. Any additions, amendments or alterations to this Guidance Document must be approved by a two-thirds majority at a General Meeting or by Referendum.

[4:90.10 Temporary Provision: until the end of the Annual General Meeting of 2010, changes can be made to the Guidance Document with a simple majority, save to Articles 1:00, 1:10, 4:90, and paragraphs 2:10.a10, 2:10.a11, and all Articles which relate directly to the Articles of Association.]