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STATUTES OF THE ESTONIAN ASSYRIOLOGICAL SOCIETY 1. Preambula. 1.1. Estonian Assyriological Society (henceforth the Society) is a voluntary academical non-profit association. 1.2. The official name of the Society is Eesti Assürioloogia Selts, in English: Estonian Assyriological Society, in German: Estnische Assyriologische Gesellschaft. The official abbreviation of the name of the Society is EAS. 1.3. The main area of activity of the Society is the Republic of Estonia; the Society also has the right to be officially represented in foreign countries. The address of the Society is: Faculty of Theology, University of Tartu, Ülikooli 18, 51014 Tartu, Estonia. 1.4. The association holds the rights of a non-profit association, the seal, the symbols and a bank account. 1.5. The working languages of the Society are Estonian, English and German. 1.6. The Society acts in conformity with the laws of the Republic of Estonia, and the Statutes. 1.7. The Society has the right: 1.7.1. to open and to close bank accounts and make financial operations, 1.7.2. to make agreements in Estonia as well as abroad with both private and legal persons. 2. Object and forms of activity of the Society. 2.1. The object of the Society is studying and promoting the study of Ancient Near East cultures, languages, history, religion and neighbouring disciplines, uniting persons dealing with these fields, and developing international contacts with scholars and interested persons. 2.2. The main forms of activity of the Society are: 2.2.1. organizing scientific and educational events, 2.2.2. building up a library, 2.2.3. publishing studies and articles in the fields of interest of the Society, 2.2.4. promoting translation from Ancient Near East languages, 2.2.5. procuring scholarships and grants for students and researchers, 2.2.6. arranging other events connected with the aims of the Society. 3. Members of the Society. 3.1. The Society has full, honorary, correspondent and sustaining members. 3.2. The full member of the Society may be everyone engaged in the fields of interest of the Society. 3.3. The full members are accepted at the general assembly on the ground of personal application of the applicant by the majority of votes. 3.4. The obligations of the full member are: 3.4.1. to pay the membership fee according to the order settled by the general assembly; 3.4.1.1. the full member who has not paid the membership fee loses his membership until the payment is made, 3.4.1.2. if the full member has not paid the membership fee of the previous year, that person may be excluded from the Society by the decision of the general assembly; 3.4.2. to be responsible for the property of the Society given to that person's use with all that person's property in due proportion. 3.5. The rights of the full member are: 3.5.1. to take part and vote at all the assemblies of the Society, 3.5.2. to take part in all the events organized by the Society, 3.5.3. to use the library of the Society, 3.5.4. to make proposals concerning the activities of the Society, 3.5.5. to have access to the documents and correspondence of the Society, 3.5.6. to have full information about the Society, 3.5.7. to elect and to be elected to the board and the auditing committee of the Society, 3.5.8. to leave the Society after having informed in written form the board. 3.6. Leaving the Society. 3.6.1. If the full member leaves the Society voluntarily, the board excludes that person from the Society on the ground of personal application in written form. 3.6.2. The full member can be expelled from the Society by the general assembly if that person neglects the Statutes or causes harm to the Society. The expelled member will be notified immediately in written form. 3.7. Honorary members may be persons who have well deserved of studying or promoting the study of Ancient Near East cultures, languages, history, religion and neighbouring disciplines. 3.8. Honorary members are elected at the general assembly at the proposal of at least two full members. 3.9. The rights of the honorary member are: 3.9.1. to take part in all the assemblies of the Society, 3.9.2. to take part in all the events organized by the Society, 3.9.3. to use the library of the Society, 3.9.4. to make proposals concerning the activities of the Society, 3.9.5. to have full information about the Society, 3.9.6. to resign the honorary membership. 3.10. The corresponding member of the Society may be everyone engaged in the fields of interest of the Society outside the main area of activity of the Society. 3.11. Corresponding members are elected at the general assembly on the ground of personal application. 3.12. The obligation of the corresponding member is to pay the membership fee according to the order settled by the general assembly; 3.12.1. the corresponding member who has not paid the membership fee loses his membership until the payment is made, 3.12.2. if the corresponding member has not paid the membership fee of the previous year, that person may be excluded from the Society by the decision of the general assembly. 3.13. The rights of the corresponding member are: 3.13.1. to take part in all the assemblies of the Society, 3.13.2. to take part in all the events organized by the Society, 3.13.3. to use the library of the Society, 3.13.4. to make proposals concerning the activities of the Society, 3.13.5. to have full information about the Society, 3.13.6. to resign the membership of the Society. 3.14. The supporting member may be either private or legal person who supports the aims of the Society. 3.15. The supporting members are elected at the general assembly on the ground of their application. 3.16. The obligation of the supporting member is to pay the membership fee according to the order settled by the general assembly; 3.16.1. the supporting member who has not paid the membership fee loses his membership until the payment is made, 3.16.2. if the supporting member has not paid the membership fee of the previous year, that person may be excluded from the Society by the decision of the general assembly. 3.17. The rights of the supporting member are: 3.17.1. to take part in all the events organized by the Society, 3.17.2. to make proposals concerning the activities of the Society, 3.17.3. to have full information about the Society, 3.17.4. to resign the membership of the Society. 4. Management of the Society. 4.1. The highest governing body of the Society is the regular general assembly of members that is summoned at least once a year (announced in written form at least 7 days in advance) by the board of the Society to be held during the first three months of the year in order to approve the report of the past year, to elect the board of the Society, and to establish the rules of governing the Society. 4.2. The extraordinary general assembly is summoned by the board on its own initiative, or at the request of the auditing committee, or at the justified request of at least one tenth of all full members of the Society, and announced in written form at least one week in advance, giving the reasons for summoning the assembly. 4.3. Adopting decisions at the assembly. 4.3.1. The assembly has the right to make decisions if at least a half of the full body of full members is present or represented. If less than a half is present or represented, the board summons another assembly (announced in written form at least 7 days in advance) in three weeks that has the right to make decisions if at least two members are present or represented. 4.3.1.1. The full member may be represented in the assembly only by another member of the Society on the ground of simple warrant. 4.3.2. The decisions of the assembly are made by a simple majority, excluding the following cases: 4.3.2.1. if the Statutes are adopted or altered, and 4.3.2.2. if the annual report is to be approved, for which two thirds of votes of the full members present are required; 4.3.2.3. if the Society terminates its activities, for which five sixths of votes of the full members present are required, and at least two thirds of the members of the Society should be present; 4.3.2.4. if the aim of the Society is altered, for which the consent of all members is required. 4.3.3. The voting is overt, if the assembly does not decide otherwise. 4.3.4. The decisions at the general assembly are made only within the limits of previously announced agenda. 4.4. The decisions of the general assembly are recorded. 4.5. The regular general assembly has the exclusive right: 4.5.1. to adopt or alter the Statutes and to alter the aim of the Society, 4.5.2. to elect the board and the chairman, 4.5.3. to elect the auditing committee, 4.5.4. to approve the audit of the Society, 4.5.5. to approve the report of the auditing committee, 4.5.6. to adopt the budget, the programme, and the rules for the current year, 4.5.7. to reorganize or terminate the activities of the Society, 4.5.8. to establish the amount and the procedure of paying the membership fee. 4.6. The general assembly has the right: 4.6.1. to accept new members, 4.6.2. to authorize the board or members to make financial operations, to enter into a contract and to represent the Society, 4.6.3. to elect substitute members of the board until the next elections, 4.6.4. to discuss and approve the current programme. 4.7. The board of the Society: 4.7.1. made up of at least five members, the chairman included, is elected at the general assembly from among the full members for one year, 4.7.2. manages the Society in conformity with the authority given by the general assembly, 4.7.3. is competent if at least 50 per cent of the members of the board are present, 4.7.4. makes decisions with the consent of more than 50 per cent of the members of the board present, 4.7.5. represents the Society in conformity with the laws, 4.7.6. prepares the draft of the budget, 4.7.7. prepares the agenda of the general assembly, 4.7.8. makes a report at every general assembly, 4.7.9. distributes its duties among its members. 4.8. The Chairman of the Society: 4.8.1. is elected at the regular general assembly from among the full members for one year, 4.8.2. represents and manages the Society in conformity with the authority given by the general assembly, 4.8.3. makes a report at every general assembly. 4.9. The auditing committee of the Society, 4.9.1. made up of three members, is elected at the regular general assembly for one year, 4.9.2. audits the Society if needed, but at least once a year, making a report to the general assembly, 4.9.3. observes that the activities of the society conform to the laws and the Statutes. 4.9.4. The member of the auditing comittee may not at the same time be the member of the board. 5. The property and financial operations of the Society. 5.1. The Society is a non-profit organization. 5.2. The property of the Society is made up of: 5.2.1. membership fees, 5.2.2. gifts, donations, grants, and the legacy of private and legal persons, 5.2.3. the proceeds from the events orgnized by the Society. 5.3. The property of the Society is used for: 5.3.1. organizing scientific and cultural activities associated with the aims of the Society, 5.3.2. building up the library of the Society, 5.3.3. grants and scholarships, 5.3.4. developing international research contacts, 5.3.5. organizing scientific and educational events, 5.3.6. other activities associated with the aims of the Society. 5.4. All the financial transactions of the Society are documented. 6. The termination of the activities of the Society. 6.1. The activities of the Society may be terminated in conformity with the laws. 6.2. The activities of the Society may be terminated by the decision of the regular general assembly, if at least two thirds of the members of the Society are present, with the majority vote of five sixths of members present. 6.3. All the problems arising from the termination of the activities of the Society (dividing the property, financial responibility, covering the expenses) are solved by the meeting called for the termination of the activities of the Society. The Statutes of the Estonian Assyriological Society were approved by the general assembly on 13 October, 1998.