Sanoma tavoittaa

1§ Name and registered office of the association
The name of the association is Elämä ja Valo ry.
The name can also be used as Romani language Dživiba ta Jang.
The registered office of the association is Helsinki. The association's activities are nationwide.

 

2§  The purpose of the association
The basic purpose of the association's activities is, based on Christian values, to promote the growth of the Roma's spiritual well-being, survival in the challenges of everyday life, and to develop the sense of community of the Roma population. The spiritual and social growth of the Roma is developed e.g. through spiritual teaching and by involving the Roma population in the activities of the churches.

The purpose is also other social inclusion of the Roma population, as well as promoting the mental and physical well-being of Roma in crisis situations and improving their quality of life through humanitarian aid. The association's activities include aid targets at home and abroad.

 

3§ Implementation of purpose
In order to fulfill its purpose, the association organizes spiritual teaching events and other similar events, club, presentation, camp and training activities and other comparable activities. In addition to this, the association engages in publishing activities.

To support its activities, the association can:

to accept donations and bequests, to own properties necessary for its activities and to acquire funds by organizing, with the appropriate permission, collections of clothes and goods, fundraisers and lotteries, at the events it organizes, it gathers voluntary groups among the participants in such a way that it cannot be considered an actual fundraiser and by carrying out publishing activities related to its purpose.

 

4§ Members and membership fees
A person who accepts the principles and purpose of the association can be accepted as a full member of the association. A private person or a legal entity that wants to support the purpose and activities of the association can be accepted as a supporting member. Full members and supporting members are approved by the board of the association upon application. A recommendation from the applicant's parish must appear on the application of the actual member.

A supporting member has the right to speak, but not the right to vote, at the association's meetings. A supporting member cannot be elected to the board of the association.

A person who has significantly promoted and supported the association's activities can be invited as an honorary chairman or honorary member at the board's proposal at the association's meeting. The honor of the honorary chairman and honorary members is for life.

The size of the joining and membership fee is decided by the association's autumn meeting, and they can be different for different member groups. Honorary presidents and honorary members do not pay joining and membership fees.

 

§ 5 Resignation and dismissal of a member
A member has the right to resign from the association by notifying the board of directors or its chairman in writing, or by notifying the resignation in the minutes of the association's meeting. The resignation takes effect upon notification.

A member who fails to pay his due membership fee can be dismissed from the association by the board. In addition to this, the board can remove a member from the membership of the association, if the member has otherwise failed to fulfill the obligations to which he/she has committed by joining the association, or has significantly damaged the association by his/her conduct inside or outside the association, or no longer fulfills the membership conditions stated in the law or the association's rules.

Before dismissing a member, the board of the association must inform him of the intention to dismiss and reserve an opportunity for the member to be heard.

 

§ 6 Administration
The association's affairs are handled by the board, which includes seven (7) regular members and two (2) alternate members.

The autumn meeting of the association elects the actual members of the board for three years at a time, however, so that two (2) or three (3) of the actual members are on the resignation rotation every year. In the first two years, the number of shifts is determined by lottery, then according to the shift.

The autumn meeting of the association chooses the alternate members for one year at a time.

The board meets at the invitation of the chairman or, if he is unable to do so, by the vice-chairman or at the request of the majority of the board members. The board has a quorum when at least four (4) of its members, including the chairman or vice-chairman, are present. Votes are decided by an absolute majority. In the event of a tie, the chairman's vote will decide, but in elections, the lottery will be held.

The board chooses a chairman and a vice-chairman from among themselves. The secretary and treasurer are chosen by the board either from among themselves or from outside. The board approves the action plan and the budget for each fiscal year.

 

7§ Writing the name of the association
The name of the association is written by the chairman, vice-chairman or secretary of the board, two together.

 

8§ Accounting period and audit/operational audit
The association's accounting period is a calendar year. The financial statement with the necessary documents, the minutes of the board meetings and the annual report of the board must be given to the operational auditors or auditors no later than one month before the spring meeting. The performance inspectors/auditors must give their written opinion to the board no later than two weeks before the spring meeting.

 

9§ Association meetings
The association holds two regular meetings each year. The spring meeting of the association is held in January-May and the autumn meeting in September-December on the day determined by the board. An extraordinary meeting is held when the association's meeting so decides or when the board deems it necessary or when at least one-tenth (1/10) of the association's voting members request it in writing from the board for a matter specifically notified. The meeting must be held within thirty days after the request to hold it has been presented to a board member. At the association's meetings, each full member, honorary chairman and honorary member has one vote. A supporting member has the right to attend and speak at the meeting. Unless otherwise specified in the rules, the decision of the association's meeting shall be the opinion supported by more than half of the votes cast. In the event of a tie, the vote of the chairman of the meeting will decide, but in the case of elections, there will be a lottery.

The invitation to the association's meeting is sent to members at least two (2) weeks before the meeting, either by letter to the addresses in the association's membership list, by announcing the meeting on the association's website or in the Life and Light magazine provided by the association.

 

The following matters will be discussed at the association's spring meeting:

 

• Opening of the meeting
• the chairman of the meeting, the secretary, two auditors of the minutes and, if necessary, two tellers are elected
• the legality and quorum of the meeting are stated
• the agenda of the meeting is approved
• the financial statements, annual report and statement of operational inspectors/auditors are presented
• a decision is made on the confirmation of the financial statements and the granting of discharge from liability to the board and other responsible parties
• other matters mentioned in the meeting invitation will be discussed.

 

The following matters will be discussed at the autumn meeting of the association:

 

• Opening of the meeting
• the chairman of the meeting, the secretary, two auditors of the minutes and, if necessary, two tellers are elected
• the legality and quorum of the meeting are stated
• the agenda of the meeting is approved
• the action plan, income and expenditure estimate and the amounts of joining and membership fees for the next calendar year are confirmed
• board members are elected to replace those who are resigning
• one or two auditors and deputy auditors or one or two auditors and deputy auditors are selected
• other matters mentioned in the meeting invitation will be discussed.

 

If a member of the association wants to have a matter discussed at the association's spring or autumn meeting, he must notify the board in writing in good time that the matter can be included in the meeting invitation.

 

§ 10 Amendment of the rules and dissolution of the association
The decision to change the rules and dissolve the association must be made by a majority of at least three-fourths (3/4) of the votes cast at the association's meeting. The meeting invitation must mention changing the rules or dissolving the association. When the association is dissolved, the association's funds are used to promote the purpose of the association in the manner determined by the meeting deciding on the dissolution. When the association becomes liquidated, its assets are used for the same purpose.

 

11§ Other rules
In matters outside these rules, the Association Act is followed.