The anders wikström family society rules

1. Name and registered office
The name of the society is the Anders Wikström family society (registered association), and its registered office is in Pudasjärvi. Hereinafter the Anders Wikström family society is referred to as the society.

2. Purpose and form of activity
The purpose of the society is to trace Anders Wikström’s history and stages of life, treasure the traditions connected to the history of the family, promote a sense of solidarity among the members of the family, and publicize genealogical research and advance local history work.

To achieve these purposes the society will, if possible:

• Arrange reunions, family get-togethers, excursions and other comparable events
• Engage in and support genealogical research
• Collect and archive information relative to the family and distribute information about the research and traditions
• Practice publishing that is relevant to achieving the purpose of the society
• Collaborate with genealogy societies, local history societies, town and village societies as well as other necessary local, regional and national partners in cooperation.

To financially support its actions the society can accept donated and willed assets and grants, establish genealogy or other funds, and with the appropriate permission organize fundraising events and raffles. The society can own properties that are relevant to its operations. The society does not practice industrial and commercial activities, and the society’s aim is not to produce financial profit to its members.

3. Members
As its permanent members, the society can accept people who are 18 years of age, and have either paternal or maternal connections to the family, or have joined the family by marriage. As a supporting member the society can accept a private person or a society with legal capacity, which has the desire to support the purpose and actions of the society. Both permanent and supporting members are on application approved by the society board. As honorary chairman or honorary member the society board can, during a society reunion, invite a person who has notably supported and advanced the actions of the society.

4. Resignation and dismissal of a member
A member of the society holds the right to resign from the society by announcing it with a written notification to the board or the chairman, or alternatively by stating their wish to resign in a society meeting to be entered in the minutes. The board can dismiss a member from the society if the member in question has failed to settle their due membership fee during the past two (2) calendar years, or has in some other way failed to fulfil the obligations that he/she has committed to by joining the society, or has caused significant damage to the society with his/her conduct within or outside of the society, or does not anymore fulfil the requirements for membership stated by law or the society rules.

5. Membership fee
The amount of the sum of membership fees collected from permanent and supporting members, be it per annum or lifetime, is decided separately for both groups in an annual general meeting. The honorary chairman or honorary members do not have to pay membership fees.

6. The board of directors
The affairs of the society are managed by a board of directors, including a chairman and six (6) board members and six (6) substitute members, elected at the annual general meeting. A balanced representation from different branches of the family is taken into account when the board and substitute members are elected. The term of the chairman and other members of the board is the time between three annual general meetings. Half of the board’s other permanent and substitute members are annually outgoing members, first determined by drawing lots, and after that by turns. Amongst its members the board selects a vice chairman, and among its members or outside a secretary, treasurer and other necessary clerical members, and can establish necessary committees or advisory bodies.

The board assembles on the invitation of the chairman, or when he/she is prevented from being present on the invitation of the vice chairman, when they see a justifiable reason or when at least half of the board members so request. The board has quorum when at least half of its members, including the chairman or the vice chairman are present. In the event of a vote, the result is ruled by the simple majority of votes. In the event of a tie, the chairman’s vote resolves the situation. However, in the event of an election drawing lots resolves the tie. The society board keeps a record of the roll of members in the society.

7. Authority to sign documents in the society
The chairman, vice chairman, secretary and the treasurer hold the signature rights in the society, two of whom have to sign together.

8. Accounting period and performance audit
The accounting period of the society ends annually on the 31st of December. The financial statement with the required documents and the board’s annual reports must be handed over to the performance auditor the latest a month before the annual general meeting. The performance auditor must give their written statement to the board the latest two weeks prior to the annual general meeting.

9. The society’s meetings
When the board or the meeting so decides, it is possible to take part in the meeting via mail or a telecommunications link or other technical aid before or during the meeting. A regular general meeting serves as the annual general meeting of the society, and it is held annually on a date predetermined by the board, during the period from April to September. An extraordinary meeting will be held if the annual general meeting so decides, or if the board deems it necessary, or when at least one tenth (1/10) of the members of the society entitled to vote so request from the board, in the case of a specific matter and the request is made in writing. The meeting must be held within 30 days of the date when the request of a meeting has been submitted to the board.

In the society’s annual general meeting every permanent member, the honorary chairman and the honorary member each hold one vote. A supporting member has the right to be present and speak in the meeting. The resolution of an annual general meeting, unless otherwise dictated in the rules, is the opinion that is supported by more than half of the given votes. In the event of a tie, the chairman’s vote resolves the situation. However, during elections the resolution to a tie will be reached by drawing lots.

10. The convening of a society meeting
The board must convene the society meetings at the latest 30 days prior to the meeting, either by posting a letter to the members, by publishing an invitation in the local newspaper or via email.

11. The annual general meeting
In the society’s annual general meeting, the agenda is the following:

1. Call to order
2. Election of chairman, secretary, two examiners of the minutes and if necessary, two tellers
3. Legality and quorum
4. Approval of agenda
5. Presentation of financial statement, annual report and the performance auditor’s statement
6. Approval of the financial statements and exemption of liability to the board and other accountable persons
7. Confirming the plan of action, the revenue and expenditure estimate and the amount of the sum of membership fees for the next term
8. Decision on the number of members and substitute members to be elected for the board
9. Election of chairman for the board (biennially), and other members and substitute members for the board to replace outgoing members (annually)
10. Election of performance auditor and their substitute for the next term
11. Processing other matters mentioned in the meeting invitation. If a member of the society wishes to have a matter included in the agenda of the annual general meeting, he/she must submit it to the board in written form so well in advance that it can be included in the meeting invitation.

12. Amendments to the rules and dissolution of the society
Decisions regarding amendments to the rules and the dissolution of the society must be made in a society meeting with at least 3/4 majority of the given votes. The meeting invitation must state the inclusion of amendments to the rules or dissolution of the society in the agenda.

In the event of the dissolution of the society or it becoming disbanded, the society’s resources are to be used to advance its cause as allocated by the meeting responsible for the dissolving of the society. The archives are to be signed over to the Finnish National Archives or the provincial archives of the region, or otherwise to support genealogy or personal history research work.

13. Adherence to the Finnish Associations Act
In all the other matters the society adheres to the effective decrees of the law of the Finnish Associations Act.