Articles of the Belletrist Association Society, 2012

We the members of the Belletrist Association on this day decided the establishment of our new Articles on the basis of the Civil Code and Act CLXXV of 2011 on the Right of Association, Non-profit Status, and the Operation and Funding of Civil Society Organisations.

1.    Name of the society: Belletrist Association Society
Short name of the society: Belletrist Association

2.    Seat of the Association: 1053 Budapest, Károlyi Mihály u. 16.

The Belletrist Association is a professional, interest protection and service provision organisation that has been founded by writers who respect the works of and are spiritually close to each other.

3. Objective of the Association

- to ensure public appearance as well as representation on every possible forum for all interests, opinions and standings that have been drawn up by the Association’s general assembly, a work team or other bodies authorised by the general assembly;
 - to assist in the solution of financial problems of its members and to this end cooperate with other organisations that set the same objectives;
- to render services that contribute to the solution of practical professional problems tied to literary activities;
- to construct an information network in Hungarian and in foreign languages;
- to create and update a hompage that furnishes other literary organisations as well as magazines, publishing houses, foundations, cultural organisations and the reading public with information concerning the members and events of the Association;
- to inform its members on tenders launched, fellowships, publication possibilities, conferences and cultural events;
- to popularise world literature as well as classic literary works in Hungarian;
- to introduce the representatives of the contemporary Hungarian literature in libraries, cultural and educational institutions; and finally its objective is
- to perform any cultural activity that is decided and supported jointly by its members.

 4. Tasks of the Association

- to facilitate meetings between writers and readers on as many forums as possible,
- to keep contact with cultural and educational institutions,
- to cooperate with other writer Associations,
- to represent the interests of the members.


5. Membership in the Association

 - A member of the Association can be any private person, irrespective of his/her citizenship who publishes opuses in literature, literature history, literary criticism, including translations, as well as persons engaged in prominent literary and cultural organisation activities – who voluntarily asks for admission,
- applications for admission could be submitted via e-mail accompanied by CV, list of publications and written recommendations given by two members of the Association.
- Decision on admission should be passed by the general assembly. The applicant will be notified on the decision in writing.
- Rights and obligations of the founding members and the members admitted later are identical.
-   On the ground of Act CLXXV of 2011 and paragraph (4) of Article 62 of the Civil Code, members could be vested with special legal status (contributing or honorary members).
-  A member in special legal status may not elect / be elected for office, he/she could be engaged in the bodies of the Association in advisory capacity without voting right. Honorary member is elected by the members of the Association. A contributing member takes part in the Association through making financial contributions.
Members in special legal status may complain at the court of law decisions of the Association only if they are personally concerned.
 
Rights of the members:
- to participate in activities, events, the general assembly of the Association; to exercise voting rights regarding decisions to be passed by the general assembly,
- members may elect / be elected for any office of the Association and when elected they are obliged to act with due diligence,
- to initiate discussions on issues belonging to the objectives of the Association,
- to request the Association to protect interest that belongs to its objectives, to participate in the information exchange and in the events organised by the Association,
- to request information from the officers of the Association, regarding any issues related to the operation of the Association.

Obligations of the members:
- to pay the annual membership fee determined by the general assembly,
- to observe the articles of the Association,
- to refrain from endangering the achievement of the objectives of the Association.

Membership will be terminated by way of:
- resignation notified in writing,
- death of the member,
- disqualification,
- cessation of the Association.

6. Organisation and operation of the Association

6.1. The general assembly
The supreme body of the Association is the general assembly that is made up of all the members of the Association. Each member has one vote in the general assembly. A vote can be aye, nay or abstention. A decision can validly be passed with the votes of 50% of the members present + 1 person.
The general assembly should be convened at least once each year; the invitation should state the date and the venue as well as the agenda of the general assembly. Invitations should be sent to the members via mail or e-mail, at least 8 days prior to the general assembly. The chair is entitled to convene the general assembly.
A general assembly should be convened out of turn if it was required by the court of law or if at least 10 percent of the members expressed such intention in writing with the indication of the reason and the objective. The letter of invitation for the succeeding general assembly should indicate the date and the venue as well as the agenda of the general assembly.
In the case of an extraordinary general assembly the preliminarily notified agenda may be changed if at least 50% of the members + 1 member are present and consented the same by simple majority (50% of the members present + 1 member)

Scope of authority of the general assembly:
- phrasing, amendment and approval of the articles of the Association,
- admission and disqualification of members,
- election and withdrawal of the officers of the Association,
- approval of the annual budget of the Association,
- approval of the annual accounting report of the managing and the representative bodies,
- decision on the merger of the Association with another organisation or on the cessation of the Association,
- determination of the amount of the membership fee,
- decision in all issues that according to the articles come under the scope of authority of the general assembly.
The general assembly has quorum if more than 50% of the members entitled to vote (50% + 1 member) are present. The general assembly passes its decisions in open voting, with simple majority of the members present.
Officers are elected in secret ballot if more than one candidates run for an office, and in open ballot if only one candidate runs.
If the bodies of the Association would not have quorum, such body should be convened repeatedly. Such repeated meeting should be convened with the original agenda at a date succeeding the date of the meeting without quorum.
As regards the general assembly, its repeated meeting has quorum irrespective of the number of the members present. As regards any other body of the Association, a repeated meeting has quorum if more than half of its members are present.

6.2 The presidium
The presidium is the administrative and representation body of the Association which is vested with full scope of rights including the power of representation and should represent the Association in between two general assemblies.
The presidium is made up of three members (the chair and the two deputy chairs) who are elected by the general assembly from among the members for a period of three years.
The chair or in case of his/her absence the deputy chairs separately are entitled to represent the Association at third parties, including right of disposal of the bank account.

Tasks of the presidium
- to govern the activities of the Association, to organise events, to establish contacts with Hungarian an foreign associations, institutions engaged in similar activities; to monitor tenders, write bids and render accounts in this respect,
- to call the attention of the members on available fellowships,
- to protect interests on various forums,
- clerical activities (correspondence, report elaboration, preparation of the bookkeeping documents, keeping contact with bookkeepers, lawyers).
The presidium may be assisted in its everyday work by co-workers. Selection of such co-worker comes under the responsibility of the presidium. Tasks of the co-worker:
- to update the homepage and the internet-aided appearance of the Association,
- to design letters of invitation, posters,
- to keep contact with printing houses,
- to preserve the documents of the Association,
- to exchange e-mails with the members,
- to maintain the list of members,
 - to register the payment of the membership fees.

6.3  Work teams
In order to implement certain tasks, the general assembly may set up work teams composed of the members of the Association. If necessary, work teams may involve experts who are not members of the Association. Work teams have no legal personality. Any member of the Association may be a member of a work team. Each member may participate in the work of several teams.
The head of the work team is responsible for convening the work team, controlling its work, as well as for the presentation of standings, opinions, materials and results so elaborated, either via the information network of the Association or for the public.

7. Handling of the documents of the Association

Protocols should be taken on the meetings of the general assembly and the presidium. Such protocol should state the venue and the date of the meeting, the content and scope of any decision passed, the number (and possibly the names) of supporters and opponents. A protocol should be signed by the chair, the taker of the protocol and to attesters. The attendance list forms part of the protocol, it should contain name, residence and signature of the participants.
After the general assembly the presidium should send a report to the members, either by mail or e-mail

8. Financial management of the Association

The assets of the Association are made up primarily from the membership fees paid by the founding members. In addition, the assets of the Association may be completed with donations from private or legal persons and assets acquired in tenders. Acceptance of donations is conditional upon the approval from the chair and the deputy chairs.
The Association is burdened with unlimited liability for its debts. The members – apart from their obligation to pay membership fee – are not burdened with liability for the debts of the Association.
The Association, if the general assembly deems it necessary for the achievement of its objectives may carry out entrepreneurial activity as secondary activity.
In accordance with the legal rules, after the closure of the books of each business year, the Association is obliged to elaborate reports on its activities, assets, financial and earnings position with effect of the balance sheet statement day, i.e.as of the last day of the business year or as of the termination of the Association.
In the case of the Association the business year is identical with the calendar year

9. Termination of the Association

The Association ceases to exist by way of
- its union with another Association (fusion, merger),
- the decision of its main body concerning dissolution,
- its dissolution by a court of law,
- dissolution ordered or stated by a court of law in view of the results of a judicial supervisory proceeding,
- termination ordered by a court of law following a proceeding started due to insolvency, accompanied by the Association’s deletion from the registry.

If the dissolution of the Association would be stated or ordered, the assets of the Association could be dedicated to any objective of public interest appearing in the civil sphere, which is in harmony with the objectives of the Association.

Amendment of the articles


On its general assembly held on 3 December 2012, the Belletrist Association – included under no. 7069 in the registry of civil society organisations by virtue of resolution 11.Pk 60551/97/2 passed by the Metropolitan Court on 17 June 1997 – decided to amend its articles at the following points:
-    point 1 of the Articles is supplemented with the short name of the Association,
-    point 4 of the Articles is replaced by provisions determining the tasks of the Association,
-    point 5 of the Articles is replaced by provisions regarding membership in the Association,
-    point 5 of the Articles is supplemented with provisions regarding members in special legal status,
-    point 6 of the Articles is replaced by provisions regarding the organisation of the Association,
-    point 6.1 of the Articles is supplemented with provisions regarding the convening of repeated general assembly,
-    point 7 of the Articles is replaced by provisions regarding the handling of the documents of the Association,
-    point 8 of the Articles is replaced by provisions regarding the financial management of the Association,
-    point 9 of the Articles is replaced by provisions determining the cases of the termination of the Association.


Any issues not regulated in the articles of the Association shall be governed by the provisions of Act CLXXV of 2011, Act CLXXXI of 2011 and the Civil Code.

The general assembly of the Association, held on 3 December 2012, approved its articles with the above wording.