Statutes/English-Interpretation

This is an English interpretation of the Statutes. It's there to help understand the statutes for non Dutch readers or who those who have difficulty reading Dutch.

The following is not a legal document and does not constitute legal advice. The Dutch statutes are binding and this translation is provided for convenience only.

This is still a work in progress, please contribute!

Questionable terms:

• Vereniging - Association: Any group of 2 or more people or legal entities who associate with themselves, this does not require any formal registration by definition. If however it is a registered formal vereniging it is it's own legal entity.
• ALV - General Assembly: Roughly a General Meeting, a formal meeting for the vereniging
• Statuten - Bylaws: This has been called statutes before (as in the name as this article) however, the English term is in fact bylaws.

Article 1 – Name and seat?

1. Name and seat?

       The association bears the name: Vereniging "Technologia Incognita".

She is located in the city of Amsterdam

Article 2 - Objective

De association has the objective: to offer space and facilities for technical and creative self-enrichment and collaboration.

Article 3 - Membership

1. Those who can be a member of the association are: natural persons that endorse the objective and statutes of the association. Membership is personal and non-transferable.

2. Members are they who have enlisted with the board as a member and have been allowed to the association as such by the board. In the event of non-admission by the board the general assembly can still decide to admit.

3. The general assembly can appoint a member as an honorary member in recognition of their special merits pertaining to the association. An honorary member has the same rights and obligations as a regular member. They have no obligation to pay contribution.

4. The secretary of the board maintains a registry of members, in which the names and addresses of all members are included. If a member has agreed to convocation of a general assembly by electronic communication, the address that has been supplied by the member for this purpose will be recorded in the registry.

5. A member can be suspended by the board for a period of at most two (2) months, if a member acts contrary to the bylaws, regulations or decisions made by the association, or disadvantages the association unreasonably. During this period of suspension the member will be unable to exercise their rights as a member, their obligations will persist.

6. Within one month after the member has been notified of the decision to suspend, the member can decide to appeal to the general assembly and perform a defense. The board is required to convoke the general assembly to this end within four weeks after receipt of the appeal. During the term of the appeal and pending the appeal the member remains suspended.

Article 4 – End of membership

1. Membership is terminated by: a. death of the member; b. termination by the member; c. termination by the association; d. dismissal.

2. Termination of membership by the member can only take place at the end of the financial year, provided it be written and in accordance with a term of notice of at least one month. In any case membership can be terminated by notice at the end of the financial year following that in which notice is given, or immediately, if it cannot be reasonably required to have the membership persist. The member retains the obligation to pay contribution for the current year. As a result of overdue notice the membership - and with it the associated obligations - will first end at the end of the next financial year, unless the board decides otherwise because of extraneous circumstances. A member can terminate their membership immediately within a month of becoming aware of a decision that restricts their rights or increases his obligations; the decision will then not apply to them. A member can terminate their membership immediately within a month of the communication of a decision to change the legal form of the association, to merge or to bifurcate. In this event they will retain the obligation to pay the original contribution as established for that year.

3. Termination on behalf of the association takes place by the board, by means of written notice to the member, noting the reason(s) of termination. Termination is possible: - if a member no longer satisfies the statutory requirements for membership, - if a member - despite careful reminder - does not honour their obligations towards the association, or - when the association cannot be reasonably required to have the membership persist. With the decision to terminate the date of termination of membership is also determined. The obligation to pay contribution will persist for the current year.

4. Dismissal from membership takes place by the board, by means of written notice to the member, noting the reason(s) of dismissal. Dismissal is only possible if a member acts or has acted contrary to the bylaws, regulations or decisions made by the association, or disadvantages or has disadvantaged the association unreasonably. Dismissal is immediate. The obligation to pay contribution for the current year persists.

5. Within one month after the member has been made aware of the decision to terminate or dismiss them, the member can decide to appeal to the general assembly and perform a defense. The board is required to convoke the general assembly to this end within four weeks after receipt of the appeal. During the term of the appeal and pending the appeal the member is suspended.

6. The requirement of written notice of termination or dismissal is not satisfied if the termination or dismissal is communicated purely electronically.

Article 5 – Prospect-members

1. The general assembly can decide to institute the prospect-membership. Prospect-members are not 'regular' members, lacking voting rights, but affiliates that can participate in the activities of the association. There can be various categories of prospect-members. Prospect-members are only allowed to the general assembly if the assembly decides thus. They do not have voting rights.

2. The regulations regarding admission, termination and dismissal together with the consequences thereof shall as far as possible also apply to prospect-members.

3. The financial contribution connected to the prospect-membership every financial year is determined by the general assembly. This contribution can differ per category depending on the activities that are available to the prospect-member.

4. The secretary maintains a register that includes the names, ages and addresses of the prospect-members.

Artikel 6 - Donors

1. Donors are they who have been admitted by the board as such. Donors are bound by the bylaws, regulations and decisions of the association. They are only admitted to the general assembly if that assembly decides such. They do not have voting rights there.

2. The regulations regarding admission, termination and dismissal together with the consequences thereof shall as far as possible also apply to donors.

3. The general assembly determines the minimum amount that is due, either per financial year, or at once, by the donor to the association. In addition, donors can be asked to institute an automatic payment of the periodic contribution.

4. The secretary maintains a register that includes the names and addresses of the donors.

Article 7 - Contribution of members

1. The members pay an annual contribution, the amount of which is determined by the general assembly. The members can for that purpose be divided into categories that pay different amounts of contribution.

2. The board is authorized to, on account of extraneous circumstances, exempt a member for the whole or part of the contribution due in any one year.

3. The ALV can decide to allow the annual contribution to be paid in installments and can attach conditions to this.

Article 8 - Board: composition and appointment

1. The association is governed by a board consisting of at least three and at most seven persons. The general assembly determines the amount of board members. The board has a chairman, secretary and treasurer. The board provides its own division of duties, unless the general assembly reserves the right to appoint the chairman. The duties of secretary and treasurer can be united in one person. For each of them the board can appoint a substitute from amongst itself, who in case of absence fulfills the duty for whom he is appointed substitute. A non-complete board retains its powers. The board ensures that the general assembly can fulfill the vacancies as soon as possible. If the amount of board members falls below the prescribed minimum, the remaining members will - pending fulfillment of the vacancies - exercise the duties of the board. The board ensures that the general assembly can fulfill the vacancies as soon as possible.

2. The general assembly appoints the board members.

3. Appointment of board members occurs by nomination. The board is qualified to set a nomination. The nomination of the board will be communicated at the convocation of the general assembly. The nomination is not binding.

4. Board members are appointed indefinitely.

Article 9 – End of board membership; suspension

1. Membership of the board ends: - by resignation on account of the schedule of resignation, if such a schedule has been established; - by voluntary resignation by a board member; - by death of a board member; - by placement under receivership of all assets of the board member; - when the board member is no longer a member of the association; - by termination on the score of a decision made by the general assembly with a majority of at least two/thirds of the votes cast, in an assembly in which at least half of the membership is present or represented; - when the board member is declared bankrupt, an arrangement regarding the 'Wet schuldsanering natuurlijke personen' is declared to apply to them or they receive moratorium of payment. This in observance with the following. A member can be suspended at any time on the score of a decision made by the general assembly with a majority of at least two/thirds of the votes cast, in an assembly in which at least half of the membership is present or represented. The suspension amounts to no more than three months and can be extended once by the general assembly with that term. If the suspension is not followed by termination, the suspension will end at the expiry of the term. The board member will be granted the opportunity to answer for himself in the applicable general assembly and can have a counselor assist him thereto.

Article 10 – Board: convocation, assemblies, decision-making

1. Every director is qualified to convoke an assembly of the board.

2. a. The convocation of board assemblies take place in written form, taking into account a term of at least seven days, not counting the day of convocation and that of the assembly, stating the day, starting time and location of the assembly and the agenda to be covered. b. Directors that have made known an address to the association to this end can be convoked to the assemblies of the board by an electronically sent readable and reproducible message.

3. The assemblies of the board are held at a location to be determined by whoever convokes the assembly.

4. If there has been an act contrary to any of the previous two clauses, the board can nevertheless take legal decisions, granted that all directors are present or represented as the assembly.

5. A director can grant another director written proxy to represent them at the assembly. An electronically noted proxy counts as a written one. A director can only represent one other director at the assembly.

6. In the assemblies of the board every director has one vote. As far as no greater majority is dictated, decisions by the board are made with absolute majority of cast votes. In the event of a tie vote the vote of the chairman is decisive.

Article 11 - Conduct of meetings, minutes, decisions outside of meeting

1. The chairman conducts the assemblies of the board; in his absence the assembly will arrange its own conduct.

2. The chairman of the assembly decides the manner in which votes in the assemblies are to be held.

3. The judgement expressed by the chairman in the assembly regarding the outcome of a vote is decisive. The same applies for the content of a decision taken, in as far as there has been a vote about a non-written proposal.

4. Minutes shall be held of that which has transacted in the meetings by the person appointed as such by the chairman of the assembly. The minutes shall - after they have been set - be signed by the chairman and the secretary.

5. The board can also take decisions by other ways than an assembly, provided that all directors have declared themselves to be in favour of the proposal in written form. A written declaration also includes an electronically sent, readable and reproducible message, sent to the address that the board has set for this purpose and has made known to all directors.

Article 12 – Board: duties and powers

1. The board is charged with the direction of the association. Every director is to be held to reasonable fulfillment of the duties assigned to him towards the association. The board is required to maintain and store an administration and all applicable books and other files of the assets and of all applicable proceedings of the association, according to the demands that result from these proceedings, in such a way that the rights and obligations of the association can be met at any time. The board is required to store the intended books and other files for seven years.

2. The board is not qualified to take decisions to enter into agreements to obtain, estrange or object registered property, nor to enter into agreements in which the association bonds itself as guarantor or individual debtor, makes a case for third parties, or bonds as warranty for the debt of a third party. This restriction of the authority of the board can be objected to third parties. The board is not qualified to accept legacies, unless this occurs under beneficiary acceptance.

3. The board requires approval from the general assembly to make decisions to: a. rent or in another way transact registered property; b. enter into financial loans or credit agreements; c. provide financial loans; d. enter into settlements to end a dispute; e. perform in law, including arbitration, excluding taking conservative measures and other legal measures that cannot be postponed; f. make investments or take other legal acts that exceed the figure that the general assembly can appoint each year; g. enter into, modify or terminate employment contracts. The lack of this approval cannot be objected by or to third parties.

Article 13 – Representation

1. The board represents the association.

2. The representative authority is also due to two directors acting jointly, of whom at least one must be the chairman, secretary or treasurer, or the director who, as listed in the entry in the trade register, acts as observer for one of these roles.

3. The aforementioned representative authority of the board and directors still exists even in the event of a conflict of interest between the association and one or more directors.

4. The board can decide to grant one or more directors or third parties temporary or indefinite power of attorney, to represent the association within bounds of such.

5. In all cases in which the association has a conflict of interest with one or more directors, the general assembly can appoint one or more persons to represent the association.

Article 14 – Reporting and accountability

1. The financial year of the association is equal to the calendar year.

2. The board ensures that the finances of the association are maintained and accounted for, in such a way that the rights and duties of the association can be ensured. The board provides an overview and - in as far as the association conducts an enterprise - the income and expenses will be supplemented with the net profit of the enterprise, the whole to be called: 'the annual financial statements'.

3. The board submits the financial statements to the general assembly for approval. If the truthfulness of these statements is not verified by an accountant as meant in article 2:393.1 Burgerlijk Wetboek, then prior to submission the statements will be verified by an audit commission appointed by the general assembly consisting of at least two members who are not members of the board. A member can be in this commission for at most two subsequent years. The board is required to give the audit commission access to the entire administration and relevant papers and provide any information requested. If the commission finds it necessary for a proper execution of its duties it can be assisted by an external expert. The commission reports the examination to the general assembly, together with a recommendation whether or not to approve the statements. Following the approval of the statements by the general assembly, the proposal is made to acquit the board of its submitted report and accountability.

4. In an assembly to be held before the end of the financial year, the board drafts a budget of the income and expenses of the following financial year. The budget is drafted by the treasurer and sent to the directors in the penultimate month of the financial year prior to the financial year that the budget applies to at the latest.

5. The board drafts a policy and actualizes this policy periodically. This policy shows the proceedings of the association, the acquisition of funds, the management of the assets of the association and the spending of such.

Article 15 – General assembly; capacity; annual assembly

1. To the general assembly all capacities are due, that are not granted to the board by the law or bylaws.

2. Annually, no later than six months after the end of the financial year, a general assembly - the annual asembly - shall be held. This assembly shall include, but is not limited to: a. the report from the board regarding the preceding financial year; b. the recommendation whether or not to approve the annual financial statements of the last financial year; c. the recommendation to acquit the board; d. appointing the members of the audit commission for the following financial year; e. appointing board members if there are vacancies within the board; and f. propositions from the board or the membership, as announced at the convocation for the assembly. No later than a month before the end of the financial year, the board submits the budget for the next financial year to the general assembly for approval.

Article 16 – Convocation to assembly

1. The general assembly is convoked by the board. An amount of members, together qualified to cast at least a tenth of the votes, can file a written request with the board to convoke a general assembly within four weeks of receipt of that request. If the board has not sent out a convocation to assembly within fourteen days after receipt of the request, the requesters can convoke the assembly themselves. The demand for a written request as meant in the preceeding paragraph is also satisfied if the request is submitted electronically.

2. The convocation to the general assembly is made via: - a publication in the association bulletin; or - a written message sent to the addresses of the members according to the register. The convocation can, with consent from a member, also be sent via an electronically sent, readable and reproducible message to the address that has been made known by the member for this purpose.

3. The term of convocation will amount to no less than fourteen (14) days, excluding the day of convocation and the day of the assembly.

4. Together with the location, date and time of the assembly, the convocation must include an agenda showing what subjects shall be covered.

Article 17 – Admittance and suffrage

1. Admitted to the general assembly are all non-suspended members of the board and the association, and the legal representatives of the underage members of the association. The assembly can decide to also admit other persons to a part of the assembly. Suspended members are admitted to that part of the assembly where the defence as meant in article 3.6 and article 4.5 is at hand.

2. Every regular member and every honorary member of the association has one vote. A suspended member does not have the right to vote. The suffrage of an underage member can only be exercised by their legal representative.

3. A member with the right to vote can authorize another to be their proxy. This authorization must be presented in written form to the board prior to the vote. The demand for a written authorization is satisfied if the authorization is submitted electronically. One member can represent no more than one other member.

Article 18 – Decisionmaking in the general assembly

1. In as far as these bylaws do not rule differently, a decision is made with absolute majority of votes of the members present and represented in the assembly, regardless of the amount thereof. Blank and invalid votes do not count towards decision making, but do count to determine any quorum specified in these bylaws.

2. The judgement as pronounced by the chairman about the outcome of a vote is decisive. Het in de vergadering uitgesproken oordeel van de voorzitter over de uitslag van een stemming is beslissend. Hetzelfde geldt voor de inhoud van een genomen besluit, voor zover werd gestemd over een niet schriftelijk vastgelegd voorstel. Wordt onmiddellijk na het uitspreken van het oordeel van de voorzitter de juistheid daarvan betwist, dan vindt een nieuwe stemming plaats, als de meerderheid van de vergadering of, als de oorspronkelijke stemming niet hoofdelijk of schriftelijk geschiedde, een stemgerechtigde aanwezige dit verlangt. Door deze nieuwe stemming vervallen de rechtsgevolgen van de oorspronkelijke stemming.

3. Mocht bij stemming over de verkiezing van personen bij eerste stemming geen meerderheid worden verkregen, dan zal een nieuwe stemming plaats hebben. Als ook dan geen meerderheid verkregen wordt, zal bij een tussenstemming worden beslist tussen welke personen zal worden herstemd. Staken de stemmen bij verkiezing van personen, dan beslist het lot.

4. Als de stemmen staken over een voorstel dat niet gaat over de verkiezing van personen, is het voorstel verworpen.

5. Alle stemmingen vinden mondeling plaats, tenzij de voorzitter of ten minste drie leden vóór de stemming laat of laten weten een schriftelijke stemming te verlangen. Schriftelijke stemming geschiedt bij ongetekende, gesloten stembriefjes. Besluitvorming bij acclamatie is mogelijk tenzij een lid hoofdelijke stemming verlangt. Een stemgerechtigd lid kan zijn stemrecht ook uitoefenen door middel van een elektronisch communicatiemiddel, mits de stemgerechtigde via het elektronisch communicatiemiddel kan worden geïdentificeerd, rechtstreeks kan kennisnemen van de verhandelingen ter vergadering en het stemrecht kan uitoefenen. Bovendien is vereist dat de stemgerechtigde via het elektronisch communicatiemiddel kan deelnemen aan de beraadslaging. Het bestuur kan voorwaarden stellen aan het gebruik van het elektronisch communicatiemiddel. Deze voorwaarden worden bij de oproeping bekend gemaakt.

6. Een eenstemmig besluit van alle leden, ook al zijn deze niet in een vergadering bijeen, heeft, mits met voorkennis van het bestuur genomen, dezelfde kracht als een besluit van de algemene vergadering.

7. Als in een vergadering alle leden aanwezig of vertegenwoordigd zijn, kunnen - mits met algemene stemmen - geldige besluiten worden genomen over alle aan de orde komende onderwerpen, ook al is het onderwerp niet of niet op de voorgeschreven wijze bij de oproeping aangekondigd of heeft de oproep niet op rechtsgeldige wijze plaatsgevonden.

Article 19 – Leading of meetings; notes

1. De vergaderingen van de leden worden geleid door de voorzitter van de vereniging of zijn plaatsvervanger. Ontbreken de voorzitter en zijn plaatsvervanger, dan wijst het bestuur een ander bestuurslid aan als voorzitter van de vergadering. Wordt ook op deze wijze niet in het voorzitterschap voorzien, dan voorziet de vergadering zelf in haar leiding.

2. Van het verhandelde in elke vergadering worden door de secretaris of een ander door de voorzitter van de vergadering daartoe aangewezen persoon notulen gemaakt, die door de voorzitter en de notulist door ondertekening worden vastgesteld.

Article 20 – Changes to the statutes

1. De statuten van de vereniging kunnen worden gewijzigd door een besluit van de algemene vergadering. Wanneer aan de algemene vergadering een voorstel tot wijziging van de statuten zal worden gedaan, moet dat steeds bij de oproeping tot de algemene vergadering worden vermeld.

2. Degenen die de oproeping tot de algemene vergadering ter behandeling van een voorstel tot statutenwijziging hebben gedaan, moeten ten minste vijf dagen vóór de vergadering een afschrift van dat voorstel, waarin de voorgestelde wijziging woordelijk is opgenomen, op een daartoe geschikte plaats voor de leden ter inzage leggen. Dit afschrift moet ter inzage liggen tot na afloop van de dag waarop de vergadering wordt gehouden.

3. Een besluit tot statutenwijziging moet worden genomen met een meerderheid van ten minste twee/derde van de uitgebrachte stemmen. In die vergadering moet ten minste de helft van de leden aanwezig of vertegenwoordigd zijn. Is het vereiste aantal leden niet aanwezig of vertegenwoordigd, dan kan een nieuwe algemene vergadering worden bijeengeroepen waarin het besluit kan worden genomen met een meerderheid van ten minste de helft van de uitgebrachte stemmen, onafhankelijk van het aantal op deze vergadering aanwezige of vertegenwoordigde leden. Bij de oproeping voor de nieuwe vergadering moet worden vermeld dat en waarom een besluit kan worden genomen, onafhankelijk van het aantal op de vergadering aanwezige of vertegenwoordigde leden. De hiervoor bedoelde tweede vergadering wordt niet eerder dan twee weken en niet later dan vier weken na de eerste vergadering gehouden.

4. Een statutenwijziging wordt van kracht onmiddellijk nadat deze in een notariële akte is vastgelegd. Iedere bestuurder is bevoegd om een statutenwijziging bij notariële akte vast te leggen. Een authentiek afschrift van de akte van wijziging en een doorlopende tekst van de gewijzigde statuten moeten worden neergelegd bij het handelsregister.

Article 21 - Fusion; split; "change legal form"

Op een besluit van de algemene vergadering tot fusie of splitsing in de zin van Titel 7 van Boek 2 Burgerlijk Wetboek en op een besluit van de algemene vergadering tot omzetting van de vereniging in een andere rechtsvorm overeenkomstig artikel 2:18 Burgerlijk Wetboek, is het bepaalde in het vorige artikel zoveel mogelijk van overeenkomstige toepassing, onverminderd de eisen van de wet.

Article 22 - Disbanding

1. De vereniging kan worden ontbonden door een besluit van de algemene vergadering. Het in deze statuten bepaalde over een besluit tot statutenwijziging is van overeenkomstige toepassing op een besluit tot ontbinding. Bij het besluit tot ontbinding wordt de bestemming van een eventueel batig liquidatiesaldo vastgesteld. Als de vereniging op het tijdstip van haar ontbinding geen baten meer heeft, houdt zij op te bestaan. In dat geval doet het bestuur daarvan opgave aan het Handelsregister. De boeken en bescheiden van de ontbonden vereniging blijven gedurende de wettelijke termijn onder bewaring van de door het bestuur bij het besluit tot ontbinding aangewezen persoon. Binnen acht dagen na het ingaan van zijn bewaarplicht moet de aangewezen bewaarder zijn naam en adres opgeven aan het Handelsregister.

2. De vereniging wordt bovendien ontbonden: - door insolventie nadat de vereniging in staat van faillissement is verklaard of door opheffing van het faillissement wegens de toestand van de boedel; - door een daartoe strekkende rechterlijke uitspraak in de bij de wet genoemde gevallen.

Article 23 - Vereffening

1. Het bestuur is belast met de vereffening van het vermogen van de vereniging, voor zover bij het ontbindingsbesluit geen andere vereffenaar(s) is (zijn) aangewezen.

2. Na het besluit tot ontbinding bevindt de vereniging zich in liquidatie. De vereniging blijft na haar ontbinding voortbestaan indien en voor zover dit voor de vereffening van haar zaken nodig is. Gedurende de vereffening blijven de bepalingen van de statuten voor zoveel mogelijk en nodig van kracht. In stukken en aankondigingen die van de vereniging uitgaan, moeten aan de naam van de vereniging worden toegevoegd de woorden ‘in liquidatie’.

3. Een batig saldo na vereffening krijgt een bestemming die zoveel mogelijk in overeenstemming is met het doel van de vereniging. Deze bestemming wordt vastgesteld bij het ontbindingsbesluit, of bij gebreke daarvan, door de vereffenaar(s). De vereffening eindigt op het tijdstip waarop geen aan de vereffenaars bekende baten meer aanwezig zijn. De vereniging houdt in geval van vereffening op te bestaan op het tijdstip waarop de vereffening eindigt. De vereffenaars doen daarvan opgave aan het Handelsregister.

Article 24 – Regulations

1. The general assembly can establish one of more regulations.

2. A regulation can provide further rules on including, but not limited to membership, the introduction of new members, contribution, the proceedings of the board, working-groups or commissions, the assemblies. A regulation cannot be contrary to the law or the bylaws and cannot contain provisions which are to be handled by the bylaws.