Statues
1. General Statutes
1.1. Name
The name of the association shall be Mälekon, which is an abbreviation of Mälardalens Högskolas Ekonomistuderandes Förening.
1.2. Type of Association
The Mälekon Association shall be a non-profit, religiously and politically independent association.
1.3. Purpose
The purpose of the Mälekon Association is:
- to stimulate interest in and debate on economic issues.
- to raise interest in and provide information about economic studies at Mälardalen University.
- to raise the quality of economics education at Mälardalen University.
- to promote contacts between members and the business community, administration, and other organizations.
- to promote other contacts relevant to members and encourage good fellowship.
- to enhance the status and attractiveness of members of society in their role as economists.
- to promote contacts between the association and its members with other line associations at Mälardalen University and its members.
- The association has the right to buy and sell items that benefit the members of the association.
2. Members
2.1. Types of members
Members of the Association are honorary members, senior members, and ordinary members.
2.2. Honorary member
Honorary members may be elected by the General Assembly, following a proposal by the Board or a proposal to the Board by at least 20 ordinary members. The General Assembly decides on this matter by simple majority. Honorary members are exempt from membership fees.
2.3. Senior member
Employees of Mälardalen University and graduates in economics are entitled to join the Association by paying a membership fee.
2.4. Ordinary member
Ordinary members of the association are students with a financial specialization at Mälardalen University who have paid any membership fee to the association. A member of Mälekon also becomes a member of SERO (Sveriges Ekonomföreningars Riksorganisation).
2.5. Exclusion of a member
The Board of Directors may provide there are exceptional reasons, decide by majority vote to exclude a member from the Association. When a member is expelled, he/she has the right to a statement of reasons from the Board as to why the expulsion is taking place. The Board shall also have the right, by majority decision at a meeting of the Board, to rescind the expulsion of a member.
3. Organization
3.1. Division of activities
The organs of the Association Mälekon are:
1. The General Assembly of the Association – which is the highest decision-making body of the Association.
2. The Board – which is the decision-making and executive body of the Association between the General Assemblies.
3. The working body of the Association as defined in Chapter 7 of the Statutes.
In addition to these bodies, there is an auditor appointed by the General Assembly to audit and control the finances of the Association.
3.2. Accountability
The Board is responsible to the General Assembly for its activities. The working bodies of the Association are responsible to the Board for their activities in accordance with Chapter 7 of the Statutes. The Board has the power to give direct orders/instructions to the working committees of the Association by ordinary decision of the Board meeting if the need arises. Any committee sections and other members (e.g. committee for the introduction of new students, etc.) are responsible to the Association’s working bodies as defined in Chapter 7 of the Statutes.
3.3. Financial year
The financial year of the Association shall be from 1 July to 30 June.
4. Job description
4.1. Job descriptions
In addition to the statutes of the association, the duties of the elected representatives shall be regulated by job descriptions. It is the responsibility of the Vice-President of the Association to provide job descriptions and to update them when necessary.
4.2. Amendment/update
Following proposed changes to job descriptions, the Board shall adopt these changes by majority vote. As a guideline, these job descriptions should be updated every two years
5. The Board
5.1. Composition
The Board of the Association consists of 12 members: the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer and the Chair and Vice-Chair of the following committees:
- Business Committee
- Social Committee
- Marketing Committee
- Education Committee
All posts are elected by the General Assembly of the Association.
5.2. Substitutes
The number of substitutes is limited to a maximum of two in the Board. Alternates have voting rights in the Board and are elected by the General Assembly of the Association. In the event of a vacancy on the Board, alternates are obliged to fill these vacancies until the vacancy is filled. Otherwise, the regular duties of alternates are regulated by job descriptions (see Chapter 4).
5.3. Powers and duties of the Board
The Board is the Association’s decision-making and executive body between General Assemblies (see § 3.1 Division of activities)
The Board shall plan, coordinate and manage all aspects of the Association’s activities.
5.4. Management of the Board
The Board is chaired by the President of the Association and, in his/her absence, by the Vice-President of the Association. If neither of these is present at a Board meeting, a chairman of the Board meeting is elected by majority vote. However, this presupposes that a quorum is present.
5.5. Board meeting
The Board of Directors shall meet whenever the President of the Association or at least the majority of the members of the Board of Directors call for a meeting.
At least nine (9) Board meetings shall be held each fiscal year.
5.6. Notice and agenda for Board meetings
The agenda shall include only those proposals for decisions, discussions or information submitted to the Chairman of the Board before the notice is sent out. The notice and agenda must be received by the members of the Board and any other persons invited at least three (3) days before the next meeting of the Board.
5.7. Quorum of the Board
A quorum of the Board of Directors is constituted when the meeting is chaired by an appointed chairperson and at least half of the members of the Board of Directors are present and have been given the right to make decisions. In the event of a tie, the chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote.
5.8. Voting
Voting shall be open. If any person with the right to propose a motion requests a secret ballot, a secret ballot shall be held.
5.9. Right to attend, speak and make proposals
The right to attend, speak and make proposals at meetings of the Board shall be accorded to such persons, in addition to the ordinary members of the Board, as the Board may decide.
5.10. Minutes
Minutes shall be kept of each meeting of the Board, whether ordinary or extraordinary, by the secretary chosen for the meeting. This secretary shall be elected by the Board during the meeting. On a continuous basis, a condensed text of what the Board meeting discussed shall be made available to the members. Members have the right to access the minutes upon request.
The minutes shall contain at least the items of business, motions, decisions, and any reservations. The minutes shall also indicate the persons who have been responsible for the matters dealt with, the motions, the decisions, and any reservations.
5.11. Approval of minutes
The minutes shall be approved by the person elected by the Board of Directors to approve them. It is a requirement that the person approving the minutes is present at the meeting for which he/she is approving the minutes.
5.12. Duties of Board members
It is the duty of the elected members of the Association’s Board of Directors and alternates to act in accordance with the Association’s bylaws and job descriptions in the performance of their duties.
5.13. Declaration of Disbelief
A declaration of no confidence in any person holding a position of trust within the Association shall take effect upon the decision of the Board of the Association. If a member of the Board has failed to attend three consecutive Board meetings without a valid absence or has seriously misconducted himself/herself in a position of trust, the Board has the right to expel the member of the Board. A qualified majority of at least 2/3 of the ordinary voting members of the Board is required for a vote of no confidence.
5.14. Election of replacements
In the event that a member of the Board of Directors is removed from office under any circumstances (e.g. by the termination of his/her term of office or by a vote of no confidence) during the current term of office, a substitute will take his/her place in that office. The Board is mandated to fill this position on an interim basis until the General Assembly of the Association can appoint the new member. In the event of an interim appointment, the alternate shall resume his/her regular role.
5.15. Term of office
The term of office is one year and the same as the Association’s financial year.
6. Association General Meeting
6.1. Voting rights
The right to vote at the General Assembly is vested in all ordinary members present. Voting may not be by proxy.
6.2. Ordinary General Meeting
Ordinary General Meetings are held twice a year, at the latest before the end of October for the autumn term and at the latest before the end of May for the spring term.
6.3. Extraordinary General Meeting
Extraordinary General Meetings are held at the request of the Board or at the request of at least 20 ordinary members of the Association. This request shall be submitted to the President of the Association in the first instance and to the Vice-President of the Association in the second instance.
After the Board or at least 20 ordinary members of the Association have called for an extraordinary general meeting, it is the responsibility of the President of the Association to hold the meeting within one (1) month of the date on which the President has received the request.
6.4. Management of the General Assembly
The General Assembly is chaired by the appointed chairman. This is appointed by a majority decision of the meeting. The General Assembly also elects a secretary to take the minutes.
6.5. Election of tellers and scrutineers
Two tellers shall be appointed at each General Assembly. Their task is to approve the minutes and, in addition, to act as scrutineers when necessary.
6.6. Notice of meeting
The Board of Directors shall convene a General Meeting of the Association, the President of the Association having primary responsibility for sending out this notice. The notice with the agenda of the General Assembly shall be received by the member and posted at least fourteen (14) days before the date of the General Assembly.
6.7. Motion
All members of the Association have the right to submit motions to the General Assembly. Motions must be submitted to the chairman/convener of the meeting at least ten (10) days before the meeting.
6.8. Quorum
The General Meeting of the Association shall decide on all matters by a simple majority, i.e. 50% of those present with a quorum is required for a decision to be adopted unless the Articles of Association stipulate otherwise as to the percentage of those present with a quorum required for a decision to be adopted.
6.9. Voting
Voting shall be open unless someone at the meeting with the right to propose a resolution proposes a secret ballot. In the event of a tied vote on all resolutions, the Chairman of the General Meeting shall have the casting vote.
6.10. Spring General Meeting
At the Spring General Meeting of the Association, it is the responsibility of the General Meeting:
to elect the Board of Directors in accordance with Chapter 5
to elect an auditor and deputies
to set the membership fee for the coming year
6.11. Autumn General Meeting
At the autumn general meeting of the association, the meeting is responsible for:
to examine and adopt the Board’s annual report for the previous financial year.
to examine and approve the audit report for the previous year.
to approve the profit and loss account and the balance sheet for the previous financial year.
to consider the question of discharge from liability of the Board of Directors. The members of the Board of Directors concerned by this question shall not be entitled to vote on this matter.
6.12. Minutes
Minutes shall be kept of each ordinary and extraordinary general meeting of the Association by the secretary elected by the meeting. The minutes shall thereafter be made available to members not later than seven (7) working days after the ordinary and extraordinary general meetings of the Association. The minutes shall at least contain the business transacted, the motions, the decisions, and any reservations. The minutes shall also indicate the persons who have been responsible for the matters raised, motions, decisions, and any reservations.
6.13. Approval of minutes
The minutes of the General Assembly shall be approved by two elected auditors, appointed by the General Assembly.
6.14. Closure of business
The General Assembly may, subject to a decision by simple majority, adjourn matters which are not considered capable of being resolved by the current General Assembly. These matters shall then be brought up again at the next General Meeting to be held, irrespective of whether an Ordinary or Extraordinary General Meeting of the Association is held.
7. Working bodies of the Association
7.1 Definition
The working body of the Association is the Committee of the Association.
7.2. Working bodies of the Association
The working bodies of the Association are:
- The Business Committee
- Marketing Committee
- Social Committee
- Education Committee
7.3. Composition
The committees are composed of an elected chairman and vice-chairman and any number of other members.
7.4. Responsibility
Each committee is accountable to the Board for the activities of its respective committee, primarily the committee chair.
7.5. Authority
The committee exercises decision-making powers on matters relating to the day-to-day running of the committee’s activities.
8. Appointment of Trustees
8.1. Ordinary appointment of elected representatives
Prior to the AGM at which the appointment of elected representatives to the Association is to take place, it is the responsibility of the Board to announce the positions to be filled.
Thereafter, the General Assembly of the Association elects the Trustees to the positions to be filled. In the event of more than one candidate for the same post of an elected representative, the general meeting has the right to decide which candidate will be elected. In such cases, a vote is taken in which the highest number of votes cast by the Association’s General Assembly determines which of the candidates is appointed. In the event of a tie, the Chairman of the General Assembly shall have the casting vote in accordance with Article 6.9.
8.2. Extraordinary appointment of elected representatives
In case of vacancies in the Board, the Board has the right to fill these positions on an interim basis. However, this must be decided by the next General Assembly.
9. Finances
9.1. Accounting
It is the responsibility of the Board to ensure that inventories and other assets are regularly recorded in lists and registers. The Association’s accounts must be kept in accordance with good accounting practice.
9.2. Membership Fee
The general meeting of the Association sets the membership fee, see § 6.10.
9.3. Company and account signatures
The role of the company secretary and accountant automatically falls to the President and the Treasurer. In the event of an objection by a member of the Meeting or a member of the Board, a vote shall be taken.
9.4 Budget
The budget is set at the first Board meeting of the current fiscal year.
9.5 Remuneration
Those who incur expenses such as travel and representation in the work of the Association shall be reimbursed with the corresponding amount. Reimbursement of expenses is decided in the first instance at the Board meeting, in the second instance by decision of the Association’s President and Treasurer. Should a person who has incurred expenses for the association not receive reimbursement on the grounds that the association does not have sufficient liquid assets to pay for the expenses, this person should petition the association in bankruptcy. This presupposes that the Board of Directors of the Association has decided that this expenditure is authorized and that the person should be reimbursed for the expenditure.
9.6. Expenses
The Presidium has the right to decide on expenses up to 1500 SEK.
10. Amendment of the Statutes
10.1. Amendment of the Statutes
The amendment of these statutes requires the decision of two successive General Assemblies of the Association where a qualified majority of at least 2/3 approves the decision. One of these general meetings shall be an ordinary general meeting (i.e. spring or autumn meeting). Proposals for statutory resolutions must be included in the agenda for the general meeting.
11. Dissolution
11.1 Dissolution of the Association
The decision to dissolve the Association requires the approval of two subsequent ordinary general meetings of the Association by at least a 3/4 qualified majority. Alternatively, a general meeting of the Association must be attended by all those present with a quorum and by 3/4 of the elected members of the Board of Directors in order to be able to decide on dissolution.
11.2. Management of assets in the event of dissolution
Following a decision to dissolve, the assets of the Association shall be converted into a fund. The trustee of the fund shall be the head of the department responsible for the economics education at Mälardalen University. The fund’s resources shall be used to promote the creation of an economics association for economics students at Mälardalen University, primarily in Västerås.
