Regulations
1. The Society
The name of the Society is Pohjoismaiden estetiikan seura (Nordiska sällskapet för estetik, Nordisk Selskab for Æstetik, Nordisk selskap for estetikk, Norræna fagurfræðifélagið , The Nordic Society for Aesthetics). It is based in Helsinki, Finland.
2. Purpose and Activities
The purpose of the Society is to support and advance research and other scholarly activities in the field of Aesthetics. The Society organizes scholarly meetings and congresses, informs members about events and publications in Aesthetics, and is involved in publishing a scholarly journal.
3. Membership
Everyone who accepts the purpose and regulations of the Society can become a member.
4. Annual member fee
The membership fee is set at the annual meeting by a simple majority of members present.
5. Board
The board manages and overlooks the Society’s activities. The board consists of five members, one from each Nordic country, five deputy members, one from each Nordic country, and two doctoral student members. If there are no candidates for the board from a particular Nordic country, the annual meeting can elect two members from some other Nordic country. The same applies to deputy members. The chair, the vice-chair, and the other board members are elected at the annual meeting. The board selects a secretary, a treasurer, and other officers from the board members, or invites somebody outside of the board to the position. The board convenes at the invitation of the chair, or the vice-chair, or at the request of at least four board members. The board is quorate when at least half of the members, including the chair or vice-chair, is present. Votes are decided by simple majority. If the votes are even, the chair’s vote carries the motion.
6. Persons entitled to sign the name of the Society
The chair, vice-chair, secretary and treasurer have individually the right to sign the name of the Society.
7. Accounting period
The accounting period of the Society is the year between the annual meetings, standardly from May 1st to April 30th.
8. Meetings of the society
The board has to call the annual meeting at least 14 days in advance of the suggested date by letter or by email. The annual meeting of the Society takes place in May or June on a date decided by the board. At the annual meeting, every member who has paid the annual fee of the society has one vote. Issues are decided by a simple majority. In the case that votes are evenly cast, chair’s vote decides, with the exception of election in which case selection is made by lot.
9. Annual meeting
At the annual meeting, following issues will be tabled for discussion:
- Opening of the meeting.
- Election of the chair of the meeting, secretary, two attestants of the minutes, and two counters of votes.
- Legality and quorum of the meeting.
- Approval of the agenda of the meeting.
- Balancing of the financial accounts, report of the annual events, and treasurer’s report including the auditor’s report.
- Confirming the balance, and granting discharge to the board members and other responsible persons.
- Confirming the plan of activities and the budget for the next year. Deciding the amount of the membership fee.
- Election of the chair, vice-chair, and other members of the board for the Society.
- Election of one or two auditors and one or two deputy auditors.
- Other issues mentioned in call for the annual meeting. If a member of the Society wants an issue to be discussed at the annual meeting, she or he must give a written notice of it to the board well in advance, so that the issue can be mentioned in the call.
10. Changing the rules and dissolution of the society
The decision of changing the rules and dissolution of the society must be made in the annual meeting with a majority of at least 75% of the votes. There must be a mention in the call about the changing of the rules or about the dissolution of the society. In the case of the dissolution of the society, the society’s funds must be used to advance the purposes of the society in a way decided by the meeting in which the society is dissolved.