The European Social Simulation Association (the “Association”) is a non-profit Association according to the current by-laws and in the sense of Article 60 ff. of the Swiss civil code. The Association shall have perpetual existence.
The purpose of the Association is particularly to:
The domicile of the Association shall be in Zurich, Switzerland.
The bodies of the Association are the:
The financial means of the Association consist of the ordinary and extraordinary membership payments, contributions of general nature or from legacies, proceeds from Association activities and if the case arises subsidies from public institutions.
Fiscal year starts on 1 January and ends on 31 December.
The assets of the Association guarantee the Association’s liabilities; personal liability of Association members is excluded.
Membership is open to all persons and organizations who demonstrate an interest in achieving the Association’s objectives mentioned in Article 2.
The Association consists of:
Requests for membership shall be directed to the Management Committee. The Management Committee decides on the acceptance of new members.
Membership ceases through:
Responsibility for ending membership belongs to the Management Committee. The person concerned can formally appeal the decision of the Management Committee to the General Assembly. Not paying membership fees for 2 consecutive years can result in exclusion from the Association.
The General Assembly shall be the highest body of the Association. The General Assembly consists of all the members of the Association.
The General Assembly is responsible for the following tasks:
The General Assembly can give its opinion on any other subject it has not entrusted to another body of the Association or it can be invited to do so.
The General Assembly shall be called to meet by the Management Committee 20 days in advance. This invitation must include the agenda. The Management Committee can, if need be, convene an extraordinary General Assembly.
The President of the Management Committee or another member of the Management Committee will chair the General Assembly.
Decisions of the General Assembly are taken by simple majority of the present members. In the case of a tied vote the Chairman/Chairwoman has a casting vote.
Voting takes place by raising one’s hand. Voting takes place anonymously if at least 5 members request such. Voting by proxy or in writing is permitted.
The General Assembly convenes at least once per year after being called to meet by the Management Committee.
The agenda of the yearly (that is regular) General Assembly comprises:
The Management Committee is required to add to the agenda any proposal by a member received in writing 10 days ahead of the regular or extraordinary General Assembly.
An extraordinary General Assembly convenes after a call to meet by the Management Committee or by request of a fifth of the members.
The Management Committee is responsible for the implementation and execution of the General Assembly’s decision. The Management Committee leads the Association and takes all necessary means and actions to achieve the purpose of the Association. The Management Committee decides on all questions that are not explicitly the responsibility of the General Assembly.
The Management Committee consists of at least 5 and maximally 15 members who are elected for 2 years by the General Assembly. The Management Committee constitutes itself. The Management Committee convenes (personally or online) as often as running the Association requires.
The Association shall be committed by the collective signature by two of its Management Committee members, provided however, that one of the signing members shall either be the President or the Treasurer.
The responsibilities of the Management Committee are:
The Management Committee is responsible for the Association’s accounts.
The Management Committee is responsible for hiring and discharging of paid and pro bono employees of the Association. The Management Committee is allowed to award contracts of limited duration to members of the Association or to external third parties.
The Financial Auditor assesses the Association’s accounts and provides a report to the General Assembly. The Financial Auditor consists of 2 controllers elected by the General Assembly.
The dissolution of the Association is decided upon by the General Assembly. It requires a majority of two thirds of the members present. In case the Association possesses assets, these assets must be transferred to an organization with similar purposes.
