Statute

Statute of the German Ranger Association

§ 1 Name and registered office of the association

1. The association bears the name “Bundesverband Naturwacht” (German Ranger Association).
   According to the register of associations the name is “Bundesverband Naturwacht e.V.” (German Ranger Association, registered association).
2. The registered office of the association is in Rostock (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania).
3. The business year of the association is the calendar year.

§ 2 Common public interest, objectives, functions

1. The association pursues solely and directly non-profit objectives in the sense of the paragraph „tax-deductable objectives“ of the general tax code.
2. The aim of the association is the promotion of nature conservation.
   The purpose of the statute is realized in particular through
   • the representation of interests of the full-time rangers in Germany
   • publicity in order to achieve an increased estimation of rangers in the general public
   • the development of professional basics for the management of protected areas
   • the representation of the German rangers at the I.R.F. (International Ranger Federation)
   • the co-operation with organizations of nature conservation in Germany and internationally.
3. The association acts in a selfness manner; it does not pursue primarily objectives of commercial viability.
4. Resources of the association may only be used for statutory aims. Members do not receive allowances from the resources of the association. Nobody shall be advantaged through spending that do not fulfill the association’s aims or through disproportionately high compensation.
5. In case of liquidation of the association or in case tax-privileged aims cease to exist, the property of the association is delegated to the environmental trust WWF-Germany, that on their part utilizes the association’s property solely and directly for charitable purposes.

§ 3 Acquisition of membership

1. Any natural person of full age, who has an occupational reference to nature conservation and who is prepared to support the care for protected areas full-time is able to become a member.
2. The steering committee may decide to accept natural and legal persons as well as minors as sustaining members. Sustaining members do not have a right to vote in the association.
3. At the suggestion of the steering committee the meeting of members may nominate honorary members appointment for life.
4. Requirement for the acquisition of membership is a written application of admission directed at the steering committee.
5. The steering committee decides at its own discretion about applications of admission. The steering committee informs the applicants in writing about the acceptance or rejection of their application.

§ 4 Termination of membership

1. Membership ceases with death, exclusion, deletion from the list of members, or discharge from the association.
2. Discharge is to be carried out as a written declaration to the steering committee. A discharge can only be declared at the end of the financial year. A period of notice of two months is to be observed.
3. A member may be deleted from the list of members by decision of the steering committee, in case the member is in arrears with the payment of the membership fee or allocation despite a written monition done twice. The member has to be informed about the steering committee’s decision of deletion from the list of members. Appeals against the decision are not granted.
4. Members may be by decision of the steering committee excluded from the association in case they have culpably and grossly offended the interests of the association. The members must be granted a hearing before the decision-making of the steering committee. Members shall receive a written explanatory statement about the decision of the steering committee. Members may make an appeal against the decision to the meeting of members addressed at the steering committee within one month from receiving the decision. The steering committee has to report the exclusion to the next regularly called meeting of members, which makes a concluding decision about the exclusion. Until the decision all rights and honorary posts of the by decision of the steering committee excluded member recline.

§ 5 Subscription of members, cost allocation

1. Members pay annual subscriptions. For the funding of particular projects or for clearance of any financial difficulties of the association full members may have to pay allocation.
2. Amount and due date of annual subscriptions and allocations are determined by the meeting of members.
3. Honorary members have all the rights of members; they are free from the obligation of payment of subscriptions and allocations.
4. In justified particular cases the steering committee may exempt or defer fees, subscriptions and allocations entirely or partially.

§ 6 Rights and obligations of members

1. Members are entitled to take part in activities of the association and to address their professional problems to the association.
2. During their activities for the association members have to observe the passed rules of order as well as the obligation to support the common objectives and purposes of the association.

§ 7 Institutions of the association
Institutions of the association are the meeting of members and the steering committee.

§ 8 Meeting of members

1. At the meeting of members every member has one vote. The exercise of the right to vote cannot be transferred to a third party.
2. The meeting of members is responsible for the following matters:
   a) acceptance of the annual report of the steering committee
   b) to formally approve the action of the steering committee
   c) determination of the amount and due date of the membership subscriptions and allocations
   d) election and deselection of the steering committee
   e) resolution to changes of the statute and of the liquidation of the association
   f) resolution to an appeal against a decision of exclusion by the steering committee
   g) election of cash auditors
   h) nomination of honorary members

§ 9 Convocation of the meeting of members

1. The regular meeting of members shall take place during the first four months of every year. The steering committee calls the meeting of members with a time limit of two months in written form and with the agenda included. The time limit starts with the day following the dispatch of the letter of invitation. The letter of invitation counts as sent to the members when it is directed at the last address provided by a member to the association. The steering committee compiles the agenda.
2. Until a minimum of one week before a meeting of members every member may address in written form an addition to the agenda to the steering committee. At the beginning of the meeting of members the chairman is going to hold a voting on the requested addition. In order for the proposal to be accepted into the agenda, a majority of 2/3 of the valid votes cast is necessary. Changes of the statute as well as proposals for the deselection of the steering committee have to be announced to the members in written form together with the letter of invitation to the meeting of members; otherwise they are inadmissible.

§ 10 Exceeding meeting of members
The steering committee may call an exceeding meeting of members anytime. An exceeding meeting of members has to be called if the interests of the association require such an action or in case 1/5 of the members demand in writing a call from the steering committee under specification of the purpose and reasons. The rules for the regular meeting of members equally apply for an exceeding meeting of members.

§ 11 Passing of a resolution of the meeting of members

1. The chairperson leads the meeting of members, or in case of hindrance the 1. deputy chairperson, or the 2. deputy chairperson. In case of absence of any representative, the meeting appoints a chairperson. In case the chairperson stands for election of a function, the chair of the meeting has to be passed on to an election supervisor for the time of voting and the preceding discussion. The meeting elects the election supervisor.
2. The chairperson determines the manner of the voting. The vote has to be secret if at least 3 present members with voting powers request a ballot.
3. The meeting of members is private. The chairperson may allow guests.
4. The meeting of members is quorate regardless of the number of present members.
5. In general the meeting of members takes decision with simply majority of the cast valid votes. Abstentions always count as invalid votes and do not influence the vote. Only Yes and negative votes are crucial.
   A majority of 2/3 of the cast valid votes is necessary for changes of the statute. A change of the objective of the association may only be decided with the agreement of all members. For this purpose a written agreement by members, who were not present at the meeting of members, may be addressed to the steering committee within one month after the meeting.
6. At elections the person, who gets more than half of the cast valid votes, is elected. In case of several candidates of which no one got more than half of the votes, a second ballot between the two candidates with most of the votes is held. The winner of the second ballot is the one, who gets more votes than the rival candidate. In case of equal votes a lot drawn by the chairperson decides.
7. Minutes of the decisions by the meeting of members are recorded. The respective secretary and the chairperson of the meeting sign the minutes. In case of changes of the statute the accurate wording has to be recorded.

§ 12 Steering committee
The steering committee in terms of the § 26 German Civil Code consists of the chairperson, the 1. and 2. deputy chairperson, and two additional members of the steering committee, whose tasks are defined in the standing orders. Every member of the steering committee has the sole right to represent the association. Only the following members of the steering committee shall make use of their power of representation: the 1. deputy chairperson in case the chairperson is prevented and the 2. deputy chairperson in case both the chairperson as well as the1. deputy chairperson are prevented. The power of representation is not limited thereby.

§ 13 Responsibility of the steering committee

1. The steering committee is responsible for all matters of the association unless the statute transfers them to another organ. The steering committee takes care of especially the following tasks:
   a) preparation and calling of the meeting of members as well as the compilation of the agenda;
   b) implementation of decisions of the meeting of members;
   c) correct accounting, compilation of the annual reports, preparation of the budget;
   d) resolutions of acceptance of members.
2. The steering committee collocates its own rules of procedures. The steering committee is also entitled to commission a secretary, and to order her/his tasks and conditions of employment. The steering committee may form committees of experts and task forces.

§ 14 Election and term of office of the steering committee

1. The steering committee is elected by the meeting of members for a term of three years starting from the election. However, the term lasts until the election of a new steering committee. A reelection is acceptable. Every member of the steering committee has to be voted for individually. The election of the steering committee is in principal a ballot. Only members of the association are allowed to be members of the steering committee. In case a member retires early during her/his tenure from the steering committee, the remaining steering committee appoints a temporary replacement until the next meeting of members and registers her/him at the local district court. Once person cannot hold several functions of the steering committee. Together with the ending of membership of the association ends the function of a member of the steering committee.
2. The founder members elect the first steering committee that remains in term until the first following called meeting of members. The first called meeting of members elects a new steering committee.

§ 15 Meetings and resolutions of the steering committee

1. The steering committee makes its decisions at a board meeting that is called and led by the chairperson. A deadline of one month for the call shall be observed. It is not necessary to announce an agenda. The call may occur in written form or verbally.
2. The steering committee is quorate when at least three of its members are present. The majority of the valid cast votes decides at resolutions. In case of a tie of votes, the vote of the head of the board meeting decides.
3. The steering committee may decide in a written procedure if all members of the steering committee declare their agreement with the terminal regulation.
4. Minutes of the decisions of the board meeting have to be kept. Decisions are declared at the meeting of members.

§ 16 Cash auditors
The meeting of members elects two cash auditors each for a term of three years. The cash auditors’ task is to examine the association’s previous accounting year in each case for accounting. The cash auditors have to have all documents of the association at their disposal for examination including bills, bank statements and the like. The cash audit should be completed the latest one month before the meeting of members. Cash auditors do not have to be members of the association.

§ 17 Liquidation of the association

1. The liquidation of the association can only be decided by a majority of 9/10 of the valid cast votes at a meeting of members.
2. If the meeting of members does not decide differently, the chairperson and the deputy chairperson together are authorized to represent liquidators.
3. After the liquidation the existing property will be transferred to the environmental trust WWF-Germany. WWF-Germany will use the association’s property solely and directly for nonprofit purposes. This applies accordingly in case the association is dissolved for any other reason or lost its legal capacity.