Regulations

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Internal Regulations

Section 1 – Name

Section 2 – Head Office

Section 3 – Aims

                    – The network of ateliers

Every member of the association is requested to take part in one or other ateliers, to be active member, to share experience …

To be a member of an atelier or to attend a seminar HOPE members will be required to pay an individual subscription fee. It is not sufficient to be a deputy of a collective member.

Each atelier is responsible for its own organisation (methodology…).  The Board of Directors must be informed about any “public manifestation” (exhibition, publication …) organised by an atelier.

The Board of Directors will inform the coordinators of any opportunity of promoting the work of the ateliers.

Each atelier approves a co-ordinator who agrees to manage it for a term of two years (renewable). To set up an atelier the board can appoint a temporary co-ordinator until the first meeting.  If no progress is made in an atelier or if it the Board of Directors is called because of internal problems, the Board of Directors may ask the members of the particular atelier to redefine their objectives, methodology, or to apply for another coordinator. (This should be implemented, if the atelier is not working in the spirit of the statutes.)

The coordinator is the pedagogical and logistic organizer of the atelier and he works in relation with:

– the network coordinator: to present a list with the members at the beginning of the year and to tell him/her the evolution of the work done in the atelier.

– the website coordinator: to give information  about activities, planned meetings etc.

– the Board of Directors: to approve any publications in the name of HOPE or the subsidies requested to organize seminars, exhibitions etc.

– the HOPE treasurer: to check the account, to see if there is a subsidy given in the  name of HOPE for the workshop.

To ensure  coherence, development and continuity among the ateliers, a coordinator of the whole Network will be appointed by the board to whom the coordinator has to give feed back and report.

Very close contacts with The coordinator of the NETWORK should be a member of the board – or at least must have the Board of Directors (at present it is Elisabeth CAUCHON (FR)).

                   - Closing an Atelier

An atelier/workshop ends upon the decision of the Board.

Section 4 – Membership

a) Effective and associate membership, payment and suspension:  The members pay their annual subscription fee to the national committee member.  Every year the committee members send a list of all actual members, which shall be continuously updated to the president, the secretary and the treasure.  The subscription of all members must be paid to the treasurer of HOPE before 1st September. If there is a general assembly before this date, the payment must be done before it starts.

b) Honorary members. 

Honorary members are allowed to speak officially using their title “Honorary member of HOPE.  In agreement with the Board of Directors, they can speak or produce publication in the name of HOPE. 

Honorary members can be effective members, if they wish, at the same time and fulfil the criteria of the statutes.

Section 5 – Suspension of members

Section 6 – General Assembly

Rules of order for the General Assembly

6.1. The General Assembly is opened by the President who presides over the meeting. According to the agenda sent 40 days before in 3 languages, according to the addresser

The Conductor of the General Assembly, proposed by the board of directors, is approved by the General Assembly.

The recorder, proposed by the Board of Directors, is approved by the General Assembly.

The Board of Directors appoints the Minute-Secretary.

The negotiations could be tape-recorded as a support for the Recorder (Statutes Art 6).

Enumerators will be appointed by the Conductor, to count the votes.

6.2. The General Assembly will be conducted according to the agenda (Statutes Art 6).

Each proposal for suggested change must be given in writing to the President fifteen days before the General Assembly.

The General Assembly may decide to change the order and later take up the points listed on the agenda.

6.3. The Conductor seeks to further the negotiations of the General Assembly and sees to it that good parliamentary order is maintained.

The individual participants of the General Assembly must in all cases comply with the decisions on order taken by the Conductor.

6.4. The speakers will be invited to speak in the order in which they are registered by the Conductor. However, the President and the Proposer may at any moment ask if they may speak, and the Conductor may allow a short reply. Registration can be done during the General Assembly

6.5. The Conductor may decide on a time-limit for speakers with the acceptance of the General Assembly.

The Conductor or a member may propose the debate closed after the registered speakers. If such a proposal is accepted by the General Assembly, only the President and the Proposer can be given the permission to speak.

6.6. Proposals for resolutions and changes in these must be given in writing to the Conductor.

The Conductor will decide the order in which proposals and changes of proposals will be put to the vote

6.7. All agendas must have room for "Any Other Business" (no decisions)

The comments on the agenda of any member unable to be present should be sent to the President and would be presented by the Conductor at the appropriate place during the General Assembly.

6.8. During the General Assembly, the Board of Directors may demand a short pause for a short meeting

6.9. By the end of the General Assembly, the Recorder and the Minute-Secretary will make a resume of the decisions of the meeting and will ask for the approval by the General Assembly.

6.10. A summary of the General Assembly will be included in the next Newsletter and a detailed report will be sent to each Committee member.

6.11. The Board of Directors should choose at least 2 possible conductors ensuring that they have the following qualifications: they are neutral, experts, able to put things in order and to hand over when required, as well as having a sound knowledge of the statutes.

If neither conductor is accepted by the General Assembly, it is the duty of the General Assembly to provide a suitable conductor.

6.12. The Board of Directors must be aware of need for good translation during the General Assembly to ensure good democracy.

Section 7 – Modifications of the Statutes

Section 8 – Committee

8.1. No central rules for the election of national representatives, but following national principles of electing a president of an association for this country.  Each candidate must be elected by the members of HOPE of his country.  Before the first election the Board of Directors may work with a “contact person” who was the first from a country to join HOPE or seems the most concerned and/or appropriate for starting the collaboration.

8.2. Minutes of the Committee meeting to be taken and approved

8.3. Agendas must have room for "Any Other Business" (no decisions)

8.4.The President provides the agenda , he may delegate the leadership

8.5.The national representatives should be elected for a period of two to three years (renewable) and should have a deputy

8.6. The Role of the Committee member is:

*  to represent his country

* to inform the board of directors, the committee and the GA regularly, at least every second year, about the developments of education for sick children in their own country and about Comenius and other EU projects in their country

* to gather information, articles etc. and to send them to the editor of the Newsletter* to remain in contact with their national members and give them information from the board of directors, congresses and other events within HOPE

* to hand over requests, publications, etc. of his country to the Board of Directors

* to collect the subscriptions, send the total amount to the treasurer and transmit the member’s list to the secretary and the treasurer (see section 4 a)

* to make hospital pedagogues and teachers for sick children aware of the association HOPE and encourage membership

* to try to find associate members

* to keep in contact with the national associations for education of sick children, for special education and/or similar organisations, the national school administration and ministry of education in order to exchange information between them and HOPE

* to promote the aims of HOPE and the charter for education of sick children etc. in their country

8.7. It is the task of the Committee, between the times of the General Assembly, to find candidates for the Board of Directors willing to run for office to ensure

* a sufficient geographical spread of members of the Board of Directors

* representatives of somatic and psychiatric hospitals

* representatives of all levels of teachers in hospital

The Committee presents Board of Directors’ candidates to the Board of Directors to be presented for election at the General Assembly

8.8. The Committee meeting will run following the same form as those of the General Assembly (invitation …)

Section 9 – Board of Directors

9.1.The members of the Board of Directors, who are geographically spread, represent the interest of the whole of Europe (they have to be neutral in their decisions and to concentrate on the planning of the future of HOPE).

9.2.It is recommended that there should be a gradual change in members of the Board of Directors, which will not be more than 1/3 every General Assembly ( 1 Senior Officer, 2 Board of Directors members). At least two third of the members of the Board of Directors must be active teachers in charge of sick children. Moreover, the President and the Treasurer must be active members

9.3. Each member of the Board of Directors should sent a deputy, approved by the President, wherever possible.

The President, Secretary and Treasurer must send named deputies to Board of Directors meetings if they are indisposed.

9.4. The members of the Board of Directors are free to speak their own opinions as long as they state it is their personal view but must loyally report  the discussions of the Board of Directors.

9.5.Board of Directors meetings take place twice a year

9.6.The President is the legal head of the association and signs all legal and important papers

9.7. The President should have experience of conducting business meeting

9.8. When a member of the Board of Directors represents the Board of Directors in areas not discussed, he/she must inform the members of the Board of Directors and any concerns must be expressed to the President within 10 days

When there are areas of which he/she is unsure, these facts must be expressed as a personal opinion and not that of the Association. These areas must be presented at the next meeting of the Board of Directors for their decision.

9.9. The Secretary will send the members of the Board of Directors the proposed agenda for their meetings for comments and additions, to be given the final approval by the President.

9.10. The Secretary may write general letters on behalf of the association, but must consult the President for important decisions, who may in turn decide to consult the Board of Directors

9.11. The Treasurers’ role is laid down in the Statutes Art 11

9.12.The Treasurer will keep up to date the member’s list and issue membership cards

9.13. Rules for the candidates for the Board of Directors.

A member of the Board of Directors should be an active member of the Association

All proposals for the candidature must be introduced three months before the General Assembly The candidates should provide a curriculum vitae, express what they wish to do in the Association and what they could offer

Section 10 – Legality

To avoid duplication all applications or agreements in the name of HOPE must have the signed approbation of the President.

Section 11 – Finances

11.1  The subscriptions are to remain at the level already given, until the General Assembly decides differently:

* Effective members:  15 €

* Collective members: 30 €

There can be an additional fee of some € for each national administration costs.

 

11.2. Travel costs :

Travel costs for Committee meetings:

Concerning the low budget of HOPE, it is necessary that the national representatives look for their own sources for travel and accommodation costs to attend Committee meetings. If they don’t succeed, HOPE will pay the travel costs within the limited budget. It is the duty of each Committee member to look for the cheapest possibility. If not, the Board may pay only the cheapest way to travel.

If there are not enough finances, the Board has to decide about paying a percentage of the costs. The Committee members have to present the original tickets for the reimbursing of their costs.

Travel costs for Board meetings:

Also for the Board meetings it is necessary that the Board members look for own sources for travel and accommodation costs to attend Board meetings. If they don’t succeed, HOPE will pay the travel and accommodation costs. It is the duty of the Board members to look for the cheapest possibility. The Board members have to present the original tickets for the reimbursing of their costs.

11.3. The Treasurer and the President are each authorised to make transactions of up to 250€ per transaction and if they are both indisposed, the day-to-day business may be performed by 2 members. The Board decides who on the Board is allowed to transfer the money from the Bank account.

Section 12 – Internal Regulation

Section 13 – Unforeseen matters

A congress should be organised every 4 years.

The Board of Directors will decide the place on basis of the documents introduced by the different countries three years before the congress.

The Board of Directors will take account of the change in geographical spread, the accessibility, accommodation, financial support and contents.

 

These are the Internal Regulations of HOPE as agreed at the Fifth General Assembly, held at Cliniques Universitaires St. Luc, Brussels on 31st October 2004

Articles 3.1., 11.1, 11.3 amended at the 6th HOPE General Assembly held at the Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street WC1N 1EH, London, on November, 4th, 2006