1. Name, area of activity, seat, legal character
§ 1
The association is named: "International Scientific Association ESPERE", named further as ESPERE. The name ESPERE is an abbreviation of Environmental Science Published for Everybody Round the Earth.
§ 2
The seat of ESPERE is located in Cracow (Kraków), Poland. The activity of ESPERE is realised on the territory of the Republic of Poland and may be realised on the territory of any other country if ESPERE is represented by members in the respective country.
§ 3
ESPERE is a registered association, acting in accordance with Polish law in force concerning associations and therefore has the personality at law.
§ 4
The Steering Committee uses the rectangular stamp with the inscrption "Miedzynarodowe Towarzystwo Naukowe ESPERE" (International Scientific Society ESPERE).
§ 5
1. The activity of ESPERE is based on welfare work of all its members. ESPERE can engage employees to carry on its affairs.
2. ESPERE can be a member of national and foreign organizations which have similar aims of activity.
2. Aims and means of activity
§ 6
ESPERE is an international organisation of scientific and educational character, formed by scientists working in the fields of Earth Science and representatives of the national educational systems involved in the development of teaching material or teaching practise in Earth Science.
§ 7
The aims of ESPERE are:
1. Raising public awareness in the field of functioning, usage and protection of natural environment;
2. Promoting the idea of the sustainable development and good management of natural resources (i.e. ESPERE shall inform about the laws of nature, climatic processes and cycles in the Earth system, the principles of sustainable development and how deliberate management is based on it);
3. Transfer of the objective, scientific knowledge on natural environment to all social groups interested in it, in an understandable manner for non-scientists (i.e. ESPERE shall pursue the world-wide, multilingual and unbiased publication of the scientific knowledge about the climate system, environmental processes, their human-made alteration and related topics for a wider public and the educational systems in participating countries);
4. Promoting the dialogue between scientists and non-scientists and stimulate an increase of the unbiased science's impact on the public awareness concerning the issues related to natural environment;
5. ESPERE shall foster the activities of single persons or organisations, who pursue the objectives of the association.
§ 8
ESPERE realises its aims by:
1. Organising and realising national and international scientific programmes, whose aims are in accordance with ESPERE's aims described in clause 7;
2. Making thematic web pages in Internet, devoted to the issues related to climate and geoscience, in English and in all national languages of the countries where ESPERE operates;
3. Organising workshops, seminars, lectures, publishing popularised scientific, methodological and educational materials, in traditional printed form and in electronic forms, in English and in all national languages of the countries where ESPERE operates;
4. Initiating and facilitating the school scientific and educational programmes concerning natural environment issues (e.g. integration of contents related to climate and geoscience in day-to-day teaching in schools);
5. Co-operation with associations, scientific and educational institutions, in order to create and disseminate popularised scientific and educational materials on Earth science related issues;
6. Organising and participating in scientific conferences, congresses and meetings devoted to Earth science issues;
7. Co-operation with state administration, social and private organisations.
§ 9
ESPERE may conduct economic activity in accordance with Polish law in force. The income from the economic activity of ESPERE serves to realise its statutory aims and may not be distributed among its members.
3. Members, their rights and obligations
§ 10
Members of ESPERE are divided into two groups:
1. Regular Members;
2. Honorary Members
§ 11
1. To become a Regular Member of ESPERE, a candidate must be an adult citizen of any country and:
1. Be a scientist with an academic degree or a teacher/pedagogist, and work on issues related to natural environment;
2. Deliver a signed membership declaration to the ESPERE office;
3. Be accepted by the Steering Committee.
2. An ESPERE member may belong to other social, political and other organisations, but may not use ESPERE for propagation of their ideas, opinions etc.
§ 12
A regular member has the right to:
1. Actively participate in election of ESPERE's authorities;
2. Be elected into ESPERE's authorities;
3. Unlimited usage of the materials created by ESPERE, in accordance with Polish law in force;
4. Submitting proposals concerning ESPERE's activity to the General Assembly and the Steering Committee.
§ 13
A regular member is obligated to:
1. Obey the provisions of the Statutes, regulations and resolutions of ESPERE;
2. Participate in ESPERE's activity and contribute to the realisation of its aims;
3. Pay the membership fee as set by the General Members' Assembly. A member who does not pay the membership fee may be rebuked by the Steering Committee, and devoided the right to use the ESPERE materials without any limits.
§ 14
1. A regular membership ceases due to:
1. Resignation of a member, submitted to the ESPERE office;
2. Resolution of the Steering Committee in case of ascertaining a member's activity to the detriment of ESPERE, or in case a member was sentenced with legally valid verdict for common crime.
2. The verdict brought out as described in clause 14, point 1, sub-section 2, may be referred to the decision of the General Members' Assembly, by submitting the adequate request to the Steering Committee.
3. Members who resigned or whose names were taken off the members' list, may apply again for the membership not sooner than one year from the date of resignation or taking off the name, and in case of persons sentenced with legally valid verdict - when the punishment period is completed.
§ 15
1. Honorary members may be adult citizens of any country who have made outstanding contributions to popularising the knowledge about natural environment or to activity in support of ESPERE.
2. Honorary membership is conferred on a candidate by the General Members' Assembly, due to the motion tabled by the Steering Committee, in a ballot, with the majority of at least 2/3 of the votes and participation of at least half of all ESPERE's members in the first term; in the second term - regardless of the members' number.
3. A Honorary Member may be deprived of the membership by the General Members' Assembly on the proposal of the Steering Committee.
§ 16
Honorary Members:
1. May not actively participate in election to ESPERE's authorities or be elected to ESPERE's authorities;
2. Have the right for unlimited usage of the materials created by ESPERE, in accordance with Polish law in force;
3. May submit proposals concerning ESPERE's activity to the General Assembly and the Steering Committee;
4. Are relieved from the duty of paying the membership fee.
§ 17
Honorary Members of ESPERE may not consist more than twenty (20) per cent of all its members.
4. Authorities
§ 18
1. The authorities of ESPERE are:
1. General Members' Assembly;
2. Steering Committee;
3. Board of Control.
2. The term of office of all ESPERE authorities lasts for 4 years, and they are elected in a ballot.
3. Members of all authorities perform their duties voluntarily.
4. Members of the Steering Committee and Board of Control may belong only to one of those bodies.
A. General Members' Assembly
§ 19
The utmost authority of ESPERE is the General Members' Assembly. The Assembly is carried and documented parallel in Polish and English.
§ 20
General Members' Assembly is carried once a year. The activity scope of General Members' Assembly comprises of:
1. Passing/declining resolutions about planned statutory and financial activity of ESPERE;
2. Examination and acceptance of reports of the Steering Committee and the Board of Control;
3. Deciding about the vote of acceptance of accounts for the outgoing Steering Committee, which follows the submitted resolution of the Board of Control;
4. Election of the members of the Steering Committee and Board of Control;
5. Passing/declining resolutions on honorary membership;
6. Passing/declining resolutions about the changes in the Statutes;
7. Passing/declining resolutions about the membership fee;
8. Passing/declining resolutions about other issues submitted by the members;
9. Passing/declining resolution about the dissolving of ESPERE.
§ 21
1. The following groups may participate in the General Members' Assembly with the right to vote:
1. Regular Members of ESPERE;
2. Members of the Steering Committee and the Board of Control
2. Invited guests and honorary members may participate in the General Members' Assembly,
without the right to vote.
§ 22
1. Resolutions of the General Members' Assembly are passed with simple majority of votes, regardless the number of persons participating in the voting.
2. The Steering Committee informs the members of ESPERE about the date, mode and agenda of the General Members' Assembly at least thirty (30) days before its beginning.
3. General Members' Assembly may be carried out via Internet, without simultaneous presence of the participating members in the same place, with the usage of computer software that guarantees the anonymity of the members during votings.
4. The Steering Committee is obliged to convene an additional General Members' Assembly in case an adequate application is submitted, supported by thirty (30) per cent of all ESPERE members. The additional General Members' Assembly must be convened within one (1) month from the date of receiving the application.
B. Steering Committee
§ 23
1. The Steering Committee consists of the Executive Director, elected by the General Members' Assembly, and six (6) members, also elected by the General Members' Assembly. At least one (1) position in the Steering Committee is always conferred to a citizen of the Republic of Poland who is a member of ESPERE and participated as a candidate in the elections to the Steering Committee.
2. The Steering Committee elects from its members the Secretary of the Steering Committee and the Treasurer of the Steering Committee, within one (1) month from the date of the elections.
§ 24
1. The activity scope of Steering Committee comprises of:
1. Representing ESPERE and acting on its behalf, excluding the situations of taking ESPERE property's recognizances, which are regulated by the clause 35;
2. Directing the activity of ESPERE in accordance with the Statutes and resolutions passed during the General Members' Assembly;
3. Passing/declining resolutions about periodical plans of statutory and financial activity;
4. Designation of ESPERE's representatives to executive boards of the companies, if ESPERE is their stockholder;
5. Deciding about publishing policy of ESPERE, appointing the editors and editorial boards;
6. Passing/declining resolutions about internal regulations of the Steering Committee functioning and other additional internal regulations;
7. Managing the assets and funds of ESPERE, passing resolutions about purchasing, selling and mortgaging the property of ESPERE.
2. In case the number of Steering Committee's members is diminished for the reasons independent of the Committee, the Committee has the right to fill the vacant posts (but no more than three (3) of them) up to the complete number of Committee's members, by passing an adequate resolution.
§ 25
1. Meetings of the Steering Committee are convened by the Executive Director or the Secretary of the Steering Committee, at least once per 6 months.
2. The Executive Director or the Secretary of the Steering Committee is obliged to convene a meeting of the Steering Committee if at least its three (3) members demand it.
3. Meetings of the Steering Committee may be carried out via Internet, either via electronic mail (without simultaneous presence of the participating members in the same place) or as a teleconference (simultaneous communication of persons being in different places).
4. The resolutions of the Steering Committee are valid if they are passed with simple majority, with the participation of at least half of the members.
5. The meetings of the Steering Committee are carried and documented in English. After every meeting, the documentation is translated into Polish.
C. Board of Control
§ 26
1. The Board of Control is elected by the General Members' Assembly in the number of five (5) persons, who elect among themselves the Chairperson of the Board of Control and the Secretary of the Board of Control, within one (1) month from the date of election. At least one (1) position in the Board of Control is always conferred to a citizen of the Republic of Poland who is a member of ESPERE and participated as a candidate in the elections to the Board of Control.
2. Members of the Board of Control are not allowed to belong to other authorities of ESPERE.
3. Resolutions of the Board of Control are valid if they are passed with simple majority, with the participation of at least four (4) its members.
4. In case the number of The Board of Control's members is diminished for the reasons independent of the Board, the Board has the right to fill the vacant posts (but no more than two (2) of them) up to the complete number of Board's members, by passing an adequate resolution.
§ 27
1. The Board of Control is established to carry at least once per year a control of the whole activity of ESPERE, with special focus on financial activity as far as its advisability, reliability and economic management are concerned. The Board of Control submits the adequate report and conclusions to the General Members' Assembly.
2. The Board of Control has the right to submit to the Steering Committee a demand for explanations of the conclusions resulting from the control.
5. Advisory Boards of ESPERE
§ 28
There are two advisory boards in ESPERE:
1. Scientific Advisory Board;
2. Educational Advisory Board.
§ 29
1. Scientific Advisory Board is established to provide high quality, objectivity and scientific reliability of the materials elaborated, delivered and published by ESPERE. Every text, web page or other publication created within ESPERE must obtain positive opinion of at least two (2) members of the Scientific Advisory Board to be released in any form as ESPERE publication.
2. Scientific Advisory Board consists of scientists who specialise in the fields of science related to natural environment issues, with at least five (5) years of professional experience.
§ 30
1. Educational Advisory Board is established to guarantee high pedagogic and educational quality of the materials elaborated, delivered and published by ESPERE. Every text, web page or other publication created within ESPERE must obtain positive opinion of at least two (2) members of the Educational Advisory Board to be released in any form as ESPERE publication.
2. Educational Advisory Board consists of educationists, methodological experts, teachers and/or people from other relevant disciplines who elaborate educational materials about natural environment or teach subjects related to natural environment issues.
§ 31
The Advisory Boards consist of members of ESPERE who:
1. Were chosen by the Steering Committee in an adequate resolution;
2. Agreed to become members of the Boards.
§ 32
The membership in Advisory Boards of ESPERE is of unlimited duration. The membership may cease due to forfeiture of ESPERE's membership as described in clause 14 or due to resignation submitted to the Steering Committee.
6. Assets and funds
§ 33
The assets of ESPERE consist of immovables, movables and funds.
§ 34
The funds of ESPERE consist of:
1. Grants and donations;
2. Receipts from traditional and electronic publications;
3. Dividends;
4. Funds gained due to research activity;
5. Legacies and testaments;
6. Membership fees;
7. Income from the statutory activity;
8. Income from the economic activity carried in accordance with the law in force.
§ 35
ESPERE property's recognizances are taken together by: a the member of the Steering Committee and the Treasurer of the Steering Committee, from whom at least one is the citizen of the Republic of Poland, after obtaining the approval from the Steering Committee.
7. Changes of the Statutes
§ 36
The resolution about changes in the Statutes is valid when it is passed by the General Members' Assembly, with the majority of two thirds (2/3) of the votes, with the participation in voting of at least half of the ESPERE members.
8. Dissolving of ESPERE
§ 37
The resolution about dissolving of ESPERE is valid when it is passed by the General Members' Assembly, with the majority of two thirds (2/3) of the votes, with the participation in voting of at least half of the ESPERE members.
§ 38
For all the issues not included in this statutes, the Polish law on associations is used.
