Constitution
1. Name, seat and the purpose of the association
Under the name WPE WILD PLANET ECOPROJECT SWITZERLAND an confessional and politically neutral association consists in Switzerland.
1.2. Seat of the association
The seat of the association is at the place of the agency.
WPE - WILD PLANET ECOPROJECT, Alte Landstrasse 370, Männedorf, 8708, Switzerland
1.3. Purpose of the association
1.3.1. The purpose of the association is the active promotion of nature conservation and animal protection and the preservation of the wildlife habitat. The preservation of wildlife and its environment. Programmes to avoid that destruction and harmful commercial exploitation of wildlife goes on. The preservation of wildlife and an intact environment and its natural conditions.
1.3.2. Support and protection of the natural parks and the national parks in all their forms like landscape, soil, water, flora, fauna and marine habitat.
1.3.3. Active cooperation with and support of other international organisations for the benefit of nature preservation. Support of the studies and research of wildlife and its habitat.
1.3.4. Cooperation with the government and public facilities in the interest of the preservation of wildlife, especially of existing natural parks and national parks, and the creation of new nature reserves and national parks and support of their administration.
1.3.5. Creation of private nature reserves and animal havens respectively animal orphanages.
1.3.6. To enlighten and inform the public about the meaning of wildlife and nature preservation and the problems arising with that.
1.3.7. To contribute to the enlightenment of local pupils, farmers and all people living in a region with wild animals respectively a nature worth of protection. To enlighten the people about eco tourism and fauna and about the peaceful cohabitation with wild animals.
1.3.8. To find solutions to save endangered wildlife and to contribute to the preservation of endangered species.
1.3.9. Provision of tangible means and benefits for tax-sheltered purposes of the body in favour, and imaginary and if necessary substantial support to fulfil the tax-sheltered purposes of nature preservation.
1.3.10. To achieve these constitutional purposes, appropriate means shall be adopted through contributions/cost allocations, donations and other benefits.
1.3.11. The association exclusively and directly pursues non-profit-making purposes in the sense of paragraph “Tax-sheltered purposes” of the Fiscal Code in its valid version respectively.
1.3.12. The association is unselfishly active. It does not pursue primarily selfish economic purposes.
1.3.13. Means of the association may only be used for constitutional purposes. The members of the association do - in their capacity of members - not receive benefits out of the means of the association.
1.3.14. No person may be benefited by expenses which are alien to the purpose of the association or by extremely high allowances.
2. Membership
2.1. Members
Any natural or juridical person who supports the purposes of the association can become a Member.
The association consist of:
a) Committee members: natural persons with the right to vote and recoupment charges. They co-operate actively in the realisation of the association purpose.
b) Conveyor members: Members with claim of information and recoupment charges.
c) Honourary members: Those members are nominated honorary members who have rendered outstanding services to the association. Honorary members are exempt from the payment of member fees. They have the same rights and duties as the ordinary members and may in particular participate in any convention and meeting.
d) Members of the Cameronn teacher and student network have no right to vote and exempt from the payment of regular member fees.
2.2. Rights and duties of the members
The members have the right to participate in all events offered by the association. Additionally they have the right to file a petition towards the managing board and the meeting of members. The members are bound to support the association and its purpose in due form - also in the public.
2.3. Beginning of the membership
a) The membership must be applied in written towards the managing board. The managing board conclusively decides with a simple majority of votes about the written application. It must not communicate reasons for a refusal to the applicant or the excluding of members.
b) Honourary members are appointed on suggestion by the committee or by any members.
2.4. Ending of Membership
The ending of membership is possible any time. The comitee has to be informed by a written notice. The membership automatically expires if the contributions have not been paid during two years.
The exclusion of a member with immediate effect and for an important reason can be announced in the case that the member severely violates the constitution, the regulations, the purpose of the constitution or the interests of the association. The board decides about the exclusion of a member by simple majority of vote. Before the exclusion from the association, the member must be given the opportunity to express himself regarding the reproaches raised against him within a 2 weeks deadline.
With the ending of the membership, regardless for which reason, all claims arising from the membership expire. A refunding of contributions, donations or other benefit payments is basically excluded. The association’s entitlement to outstanding contribution claims will remain unaffected by that.
3. Membership fees
The contribution rules respectively valid and decided by the general meeting are decisive for the amount of the annual membership fees, promotion fees, admission fees, shares in the costs.
WPE Switzerland raises contributions of the committee members and the conveyor members. The height of the contributions is determined by the committee and amounts at the moment 60.00 euros per year. It decides, if necessary, on contribution freeing.
By entries or escapes in the course of the year the full member's contribution is to be paid for the opened year.
4. Organs of the association
Organs of the association are
a. The Comitee consist of members
b. The Comitee - Managing board
c. The Comitee agency
d. The Revision Agency
5. Managing Board
5.1. The managing board is composed as follows:
one chairman/chairwoman
the substitute of the chairman/chairwoman,
one treasurer
one secretary
They are elected by the general meeting for the duration of 4 years. The unlimited re-election of board members is admissible. After expiry of the delay the board members remain in office until their successors take office.
5.2. Annual general meeting
A general meeting will be called by the managing board on demand, at least, however, once in the business year, if possible in the first half of the business year. The managing board sends the invitation in written to the last-known member’s address 14 days / 1 month in advance, announcing the draft agenda.
1. Supreme organ of the association is the general meeting. It has especially the following tasks:
- to accept and to discuss the annual reports
- financial accounting for the expired business year
- discharge of the managing board
- (in the year of election) election of the managing board
- to decide on the constitution, about modifications of the constitution and the closing of the association
- to elect the cash auditors who may neither be part of the managing board nor belong to a body appointed by the managing board and who may not be employees of the association
The agenda of the general meeting must in particular contain the following topics:
Report of the managing board
Report of the cash auditor
Discharge of the managing board
Election of the managing board
Election of two cash auditors
Approval of the budget estimate for the running business year to be presented by the managing board
Fixation of the fees/contributions for the running business year and adoption of contribution rules
Decision-making about present applications
Members’ applications to the agenda must be submitted to the managing board in written at the latest 2 weeks prior to the general meeting. Topics of the agenda submitted subsequently must be announced to the members in due time before beginning of the general meeting. Later applications – also applications submitted during the general meeting – must be put on the agenda if the majority of the members entitled to vote and present at the general meeting agree with the treatment of the applications (applications of urgency).
The managing board must immediately call an extraordinary general meeting if the interest of the association requires that, or if the call is required in written from the managing board by at least one third of the members entitled to vote stating the purpose and the reasons therefore.
The chairman or his substitute leads the general meeting. On proposal of the chairman/chairmen the general meeting can determine a special supervisor of the meeting. Resolutions of the general meeting are recorded in a protocol within 2 weeks after the general meeting and are signed by 2 members of the board. The protocol can be inspected by each member at association’s offices.
Voting rights / Quorum
Regular and honorary members are entitled to vote. At the completion of his 18th year each member has one vote which may only be exercised personally.
2. The general meeting has a quorum regardless the number of members having appeared.
3. The general meeting makes ordinary resolutions. Abstentions from voting are not considered. At equality of votes an application is classified as defeated.
4. Voting in the general meeting is effected by lifting hands or by acclamation.
5. For modifications of the constitution and for resolutions to close the association a three-third majority of the attending members entitled to vote is required.
2. The managing board is responsible for directing the work of the association. It may give itself rules and regulations and may distribute special tasks among its members or install committees for their elaboration or preparation.
3. The managing board in the sense of § 26 BGB (German Civil Code) is the chairman/chairwoman, the substitute of the chairman/chairwoman, the treasurer and the secretary. Two board members represent the association judicially and out of court.
4. The board makes ordinary resolutions. The board has a quorum if at least three members are present or agree in written. At equality of votes the application is classified as defeated.
5. Resolutions of the managing board are recorded in a protocol and signed by at least two members of the board authorized to present.
6. If a member of the board leaves before expiring of his time of election, the board has the right to call a provisional board member. Board members determined this way stay in office until the next general meeting takes place.
11.2. Closing of the association
1. On closing or annulment of the association or on discontinuation of its previous non-profit purposes, the association assets must be transferred to the tax-privileged organisation/body mentioned in § 2 of the constitution.
2. The board members in office and authorized to present are determined as liquidators unless the general meeting terminally resolves something else.
