Charter

Charter of the International B. Traven Society (registered association) Resolved at the Founding Meeting on Sept. 30, 2003 in Berlin

§ 1

Name, Headquarters, Business Year

The association shall be named International B. Traven Society (registered association).
It shall be headquartered in Berlin and shall be entered into the Register of Associations.
The business year shall be the calendar year.

§ 2

Goals and Tasks of the Society

The Society shall exclusively and directly follow non-profit goals, within the meaning of the “tax-privileged goals” section of the German fiscal Code.

The Society shall be active for the common good, and shall not operate primarily for profit-making purposes. The task of the Society shall be to keep vibrant the discussion of the works of Ret Marut/B. Traven and to promote their study.

The goals of the Society shall be realized:

- by way of public events (lectures, readings, exhibitions, etc.);

- by establishment of a B. Traven Web site;

- by supporting and participating in literary, academic and other endeavors which are consistent with the goals and within the possibilities of the Society.

Income of the Society may be used exclusively for purpose consistent with this Charter. Employees shall not receive any compensation from funds of the Society. No individual may benefit from expenditures that are inconsistent with the purpose of the Society, or from unreasonably high compensation.

§ 3

Membership

Individuals who recognize the goals and tasks of the Society, as specified in § 2 above, may become members. Membership shall be acquired by way of a written membership application, which shall be decided upon by the executive board. The results of the decision shall be communicated to the applicant in writing. In the case of rejection, appeal may be made to the membership meeting. Individuals who – without becoming members – support the Society in an ideal and/or material manner may become sponsors and friends of the Society.

Membership shall be forfeited by way of:

Death;
Termination on the part of a member, which shall be declared in writing to the executive board, effective at the end of a given calendar year by complying with a three-month notice period.
Exclusion.

§ 4

Exclusion of a Member

Exclusion of a member may be effected only if that individual has repeatedly taken action against the goals of the Society, and requires a resolution by the membership meeting.

§ 5

Rights of Membership

Membership shall include the right to participate in the annual membership meeting, and to exercise the rights incumbent upon the membership meeting as the highest organ of the Society.

§ 6

Dues

A membership fee shall be paid upon acceptance into the Society. Dues shall be determined by the membership meeting consistent with current needs. Dues shall be payable at the beginning of each calendar year.

Annual dues are € 70.00 for institutions and patrons, € 35.00 for employed individuals, and € 20.00 for students and unemployed individuals.

§ 7

Organs

The organs of the Society shall include:

the membership meetings;
the executive board.

§ 8

Membership Meeting

The membership meeting shall have the following tasks:

election of the executive board;
acceptance of the activity report and the financial report of the executive board;
determination of the amount of membership dues;
resolutions on amendments to the Charter and all other matters specified by the Charter;
resolutions regarding the dissolution of the society.

§ 9

Deadline for Calling of Membership Meetings

To the extent possible, the annual membership meeting shall be called by the executive board in the first quarter of the calendar year. Invitations, which must include the agenda, must be issued in writing at least four weeks before the day of the meeting. The executive board shall be empowered to call extraordinary membership meetings. If one-third of the members submit an application to that effect in writing, it shall be required to do so.

§ 10

Resolutions

Membership meetings shall be chaired by the chairperson; if s/he is prevented from attending, by one of the two deputy chairpersons. Each member at the meeting shall have one vote. Resolutions by the membership meeting shall be subject to the circumstances specified in the agenda. With the exception of items involving amendments to the Charter or dissolution of the Society, the membership meeting may add additional items to the agenda for immediate consideration.

All resolutions of the membership meeting shall be taken by simple majority vote.

Minutes shall be taken of membership meetings; these shall include the exact text of all resolutions and the results of voting. The minutes shall be signed by the chairperson or one of his/her deputies, and by the secretary.

§ 11

Executive Board

The executive board shall consist of three members: a chairperson, a deputy chairperson, and a treasurer. The members of the executive board shall be elected by the membership meeting by simple majority for terms of two years. They shall exercise their offices until new elections are held. Upon withdrawal of a member, the executive board shall be empowered to appoint another member in his/her place; retroactive consent shall be obtained at the next membership meeting.

Re-election of executive board members shall be permissible.

The executive board shall operate the day-to-day business of the society; it shall be responsible for administration and use of Society funds. The treasurer shall keep accounts of all income and expenditures.

Resolutions by the executive board shall be made by majority vote. In the case of a tie, the vote of the chairperson shall be determinative.

The chairperson shall represent the Society, both in courts of law and elsewhere (§ 26 BGB [German Civil Code]).

§ 12

Advisory Board

The executive board shall be empowered to appoint an advisory board for expert consulting and support.

§ 13

Dissolution

In the case of dissolution of the Society, or if its goals are no longer tax-privileged, its assets shall be transferred to the Erich Mühsam Society, Lübeck, Germany (registered association), who shall be obligated to use it directly and exclusively for non-profit purposes. Dissolution shall be resolved by the membership meeting upon application by the executive board. The invitations of the executive board to the membership meeting which is to resolve the dissolution must be issued four weeks in advance of the membership meeting.

Founding members:

Frank Nordhausen, Kollwitzstr. 66, 10435 Berlin, Germany (Chairperson of the executive board)

Dr. Christoph Ludszuweit, Nostitzstr. 36, 10961 Berlin, Germany (Deputy Chairperson)

Alexander Behrendt, Marchlewskistr. 25, 10243 Berlin, Germany (Treasurer)

Hermann Klinger, Kreuzbergstr. 71, 10965 Berlin, Germany (Auditor)

Wolf-Dietrich Schramm, Travelmannstr. 16, 23564 Lübeck, Germany (Auditor)

Prof. Dr. Gerhard Bauer, Kaiserwerther Str. 4, 14195 Berlin, Germany

Birgit van de Sand, c/ Jose Coll, 55, 07360 Lloseta, Spain

Timothy Heymann, Maria Eugenia Montes de Oca Luján, Rubén Dario 45 – 19 Col. Polanco Mexico, D.F. 11580