Statute
of the cultural association under the name "Centre for Creative Photography of Thrace"
ARTICLE 1
FOUNDATION - NAME - REGISTERED OFFICE
An association is founded under the name "CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY CENTER OF THRACE" with headquarters in Alexandroupolis.
ARTICLE 2
PURPOSE
The purpose of the association is the promotion, cultivation and development of art and especially the art of photography.
ARTICLE 3
MEANS OF ATTAINING THE OBJECTIVE
The association will seek to achieve its purpose:
By organizing seminars, exhibitions, screenings, lectures, on subjects that are always related to the arts, letters and intellectual activities in general.
By inviting Greek and foreign artists and photographers to organize screenings, lectures, exhibitions and seminars on their work and photography in general.
By inviting artists and teachers in relation to other artistic spaces.
By producing television shows, video films or other media with photographic or generally artistic themes.
With the publication of magazines, newspapers, books, catalogues, posters, bulletins and the creation of a website.
With the establishment of a lounge, a darkroom, a photo studio, a library, a café, a gallery.
By organizing trips and excursions aimed at photography and artistic education.
By all other appropriate means.
ARTICLE 4
STAMP
The association has a round stamp with the name and the year of foundation in a circle and a design of a camera in the centre.
ARTICLE 5
PARTICIPATIONS - COLLABORATIONS
The union may participate in secondary cultural organizations and related federations and be represented in them by its representatives, elected in accordance with the statutes of the respective federations.
It can cooperate:
With cultural associations, with other mass organizations, clubs, associations and individuals.
With Local Authorities, Public Services and Organizations in Greece and abroad.
ARTICLE 6
MEMBERS - CATEGORIES OF MEMBERS
The members of the Association are divided into regular and guest members.
1) Any adult, Greek or foreigner, can become a full member:
a) to accept the aims and generally the statutes of the association, as well as the decisions of the General Assembly and the Board of Directors,
(b) to pay the annual contribution; and
c) have reached the age of eighteen (18) years.
2) Any Greek or foreigner who is not an adult and wishes to participate in the activities and events of the Association can become a Guest Member. A Visiting Member is exempt from the annual membership fee and is not entitled to elect and be elected.
3) Honorary membership is open to any member of the Association who has rendered services to the Association and has served the purposes of the Association. Such members cannot be removed for financial reasons, are exempt from the obligation of regular subscriptions and lose the right to vote (which they may regain after a period of one year of regular financial contribution to the Association). Such members retain the right to participate in the activities of the Association. The founding members of the Association shall be the 23 who signed the Association's constitution on 3 June 2007 and may not be removed. If, for financial reasons, a founding member is removed, then that member shall be designated as an honorary member as described in the same paragraph.
ARTICLE 7
RIGHTS - OBLIGATIONS OF ORDINARY MEMBERS
Every regular member of the association has both a right and an obligation:
α) Participate in all activities of the association and promote its aims.
b) Participate in decision-making through the procedures of its institutions.
c) To elect and be elected to the organs and delegations of the union.
d) To pay the annual dues and help the financial support of the association.
e) To comply with the decisions of the General Assembly that are in accordance with the statutes and have been taken through democratic procedures.
ARTICLE 8
DELETION OF A MEMBER
Regular Member of the association is deleted by decision of the Board and after written notice for the following reasons:
α) When he/she is unjustifiably overdue with his/her subscriptions for more than 1 year
b) When it deliberately and repeatedly violates the statutes
c) When acting contrary to the decisions of the General Assembly; and
d) When it hinders the realization of the objectives of the association.
The deletion of a member must be ratified by the first extraordinary or ordinary General Assembly of the members. If not ratified, the deletion shall be considered as if it had not taken place and the Board of Directors shall be reviewed for this decision. If a member of the Association is deleted for financial reasons, he/she may be re-registered after one (1) year from the date of deletion. An Association member who is removed by his/her own decision may be re-enrolled at any time.
ARTICLE 9
FINANCIAL RESOURCES
The resources of the association are divided into regular and extraordinary.
Α. Regular resources are the regular annual contributions (subscriptions) of the regular members. The amount of the annual subscription is determined by the General Assembly and is in EUROS and is paid at the beginning of the year or in a maximum of twelve (12) monthly instalments.
Β. Extraordinary resources are any other income not included in the previous paragraph and indicatively, any extraordinary contribution of a member or a third party, any donations, inheritances or bequests to the Association, any grant or other financial support for the purposes of the Association from the state, local government or legal entities under public or private law or domestic or foreign organizations, as well as the proceeds from the sale of publications or from the organization of artistic or educational programs, and from any other offer of services.
ARTICLE 10
ORGANS
Organs of the association are:
Α) THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
(B) THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
C) THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Board of Directors is elected by the General Assembly of members. It has seven members and its term of office is two years. The Audit Committee consists of three (3) members.
ARTICLE 11
A' GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The General Assembly is the sovereign - supreme body of the association and exercises control and supervision over the other bodies of the association. General Meetings are regular or extraordinary.
Α) Extraordinary meetings are convened by the Board of Directors with a written invitation to each member and include date, time, place and agenda items. The invitations shall be given at least 10 days before the General Meeting.
B) Regular General Assemblies are announced on a special board. Their date may also be set by the previous General Assembly.
The ordinary or extraordinary General Assembly is attended by those full members who have fulfilled their financial obligations and have registered up to three (3) months before the date of the General Assembly of the Association.
ARTICLE 12
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The General Assembly has the following powers:
Α) Decides on the report of the outgoing Board of Directors, approves the balance sheet and budget, the report of the Audit Committee, decides on the discharge or not of the Board of Directors from any responsibility and the action plan for the next year.
B) Elect a three-member Election Committee, which immediately after the election accepts the nominations and prepares the ballot paper(s). It shall also be responsible for the voting and the entire electoral process and shall appoint the members of the new institutions and delegations.
C) Decide on any amendment of the statutes
D) Decides on the dissolution of the association and
E) Elect the members of the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE 13
CALL TO THE GENERAL MEETING
The regular General Meeting is held at the beginning of each year and before two (2) months have passed.
Extraordinary General Meetings are held:
A) By decision of the Board of Directors which determines the items on the agenda.
B) By application to the Board of Directors signed by at least 1/5 of the financially settled members of the association. The Board shall convene the General Assembly within 15 days of the submitted request, which must include the items on the agenda.
ARTICLE 14
PRESIDENCY OF THE GENERAL MEETING
The General Assembly elects a President and General Secretary. President and General Secretary. The President shall direct the debate, declare the opening and closing of the General Assembly, keep the order of the agenda, draw up a list of speakers, give and take away the floor from members, put matters to the vote. The General Assembly shall have sole authority to settle any problems that may arise. The Secretary shall keep the minutes and sign them at the end of the meeting together with the President of the General Assembly.
ARTICLE 15
GENERAL ASSEMBLY DECISIONS
Decisions of the General Assembly are taken by an absolute majority of the members present. Voting shall be by roll call or by show of hands. Secret ballots shall be taken for the election of the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee, or on matters decided by the General Assembly.
ARTICLE 16
QUORUM
The quorum of the General Assembly is constituted when half plus one of the members who have paid their subscriptions are present. The Secretary of the General Meeting shall check the quorum on the basis of an updated list provided by the Treasurer of the Board. If there is no quorum, the General Meeting shall be repeated within 7 days, with the same subjects and shall be considered to have a quorum with those present.
ARTICLE 17
Any objection to any vote at the AGM shall be submitted in writing to the President of the AGM, who shall put it to a vote immediately and before the results of the vote taken are announced. If the objection is upheld, the vote shall be repeated; if not, the result of the vote taken shall be confirmed.
ARTICLE 18
ELECTION ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Every two years the regular General Assembly, which is characterized as an election-accounting meeting, elects the Board, the Audit Committee and the delegations for the Federations.
Α) The election shall be by secret ballot and by ballot papers.
B) Election shall be by ballot papers of combinations or individual candidates.
C) The distribution of seats of combinations or individual candidates is made by the system of simple proportional representation. The total number of seats shall be multiplied by the number of valid ballot papers of each combination and the product shall be divided by the total number of valid ballot papers. The integral result expresses the number of seats obtained by the combination (or individual candidate) in the first distribution. Any seats not filled in the first allocation shall be allocated to the combinations in the order of their highest fractional balances.
D) If there are only individual candidates, then their names shall be listed in alphabetical order on a joint ballot paper, in which case each member may place up to three crosses.
E) Any member of the association who has registered at least three (3) months before the election has the right to "vote" and "be elected".
ARTICLE 19
The Annual General Meeting shall be convened under the responsibility of the Board of Directors before the expiry of two years from the previous Annual General Meeting and with at least 15 days' notice to the members.
ARTICLE 20
Seven (7) members are elected for the Board of Directors in order of preference. Three (3) members shall be elected for the Audit Committee. For each Delegation to the Federations shall be elected as many members, as specified in the statutes of the respective Federation. The remaining members in order of preference in each body or delegation shall be considered as alternates.
ARTICLE 21
Β' BOARD OF DIRECTORS TERM OF OFFICE - CONSTITUTION INTO A BODY
The term of office of the Board of Directors is two years. Within 7 days of their election, the members of the Board of Directors, at the invitation of the councillor who obtained the majority of votes, shall be constituted and shall elect by secret ballot the President, Vice-President, General Secretary and Chairman of the Board of Directors. Secretary and Treasurer. Once constituted as a body, and no later than within seven (7) days, the newly elected members shall meet in joint conference with the outgoing Board members for briefing and delivery. A handover protocol shall be drawn up for the delivery.
ARTICLE 22
If a candidate does not obtain an absolute majority in the vote for a position on the Board, the vote shall be repeated with the first two candidates who obtained a majority.
ARTICLE 23
BOARD OF DIRECTORS CONVOCATION
The Board is convened by the President and meets at least once a month. It shall hold an extraordinary meeting at the request of at least three of its members or the President. Any extraordinary meeting shall be held after giving three days' notice to the members of the Board.
ARTICLE 24
Decisions of the Council shall be taken by an absolute majority of the members present. In the event of three unsuccessful votes, the vote shall be repeated the following day.
ARTICLE 25
A member of the Board, who is absent without justification for more than three regular or extraordinary consecutive meetings, is automatically considered to have resigned as a member of the Board and his/her place is taken by the first alternate. If there is no substitute, the Board or the General Assembly, ordinary or extraordinary, shall decide on the replacement.
ARTICLE 26
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board of Directors manages the association and represents it in every external appearance, in its relations with third parties. It manages the finances of the association, makes the budget and balance sheet. It convenes the General Assembly, appoints the committees and generally decides on any matter of the association, except those for which the General Assembly is responsible.
ARTICLE 27
>At the meetings of the Board, the Secretary shall keep the minutes, which shall be signed by all those who take part in each meeting. A special numbered book, certified by the President of the association, shall be kept for the minutes. Each new book shall be seen by the Chairman of the first meetings used..
ARTICLE 28
PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD
The President of the Board represents the association in the courts, in every authority, in every natural or legal person, sets the agenda of the Board, convenes the Board, which he presides over, is accountable to the General Assembly on behalf of the Board and signs with the Secretary General every document of the association. The President shall be deputized by the Vice-President in each of the above actions.
ARTICLE 29
SECRETARY OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Secretary General shall keep the register of the association and the seal. He shall keep the minutes of the Board of Directors, minutes of incoming and outgoing documents, sign with the President every document and put the seal where he signs. In general, he shall keep all books necessary for the operation of the association.
ARTICLE 30
TREASURER
The Treasurer collects dues, registration fees and extraordinary contributions and generally all benefits of the members to the association. He shall also pay or collect any amount from any source for the benefit of the association. In such cases he shall issue printed receipts of the association. He shall have the approval of the Board of Directors for every expenditure. He shall keep such books as are necessary and shall keep on file all supporting documents for payments and all incoming and outgoing documents of the association having a financial content. Deposit club funds in banks in an account of the association and withdraw them with the authorization of the Board of Directors bearing the seal of the association. By resolution of the Board of Directors shall keep a sum of money in the club fund to meet day-to-day needs. All of the above actions may be taken by another Board member with the written authorization of the Treasurer. If the treasurer is temporarily unable to perform his/her duties, the Board shall perform them with the President or the Secretary General.
ARTICLE 31
C' AUDITING COMMITTEE
The Audit Committee consists of three members elected by the same vote as the Board of Directors and for the same period of time (two years). The EC audits the finances of the association at least once a year, exercising cash and management control over the Board of Directors and submits its findings with a report to the General Assembly.
ARTICLE 32
MODIFICATION - DISSOLUTION
(a) The amendment of the statutes of the association requires a decision of the General Assembly taken by a quorum of 1/2 of the members in good financial standing and by a majority of 3/4 of the members present.
(b) The association may decide to dissolve itself by an Extraordinary General Meeting at the request of the Board of Directors or at least one third of one third of its members. The dissolution of the association requires a decision of the General Assembly taken by a quorum of 1/2 of the members in good financial standing and a majority of 3/4 of the members present.
ARTICLE 33
The Board of Directors decides on any matter that is not specifically regulated in the present statutes.
ARTICLE 34
The present statute consisting of 34 articles including the present one was discussed and voted by article and in its entirety by the members of the association on 28 January 2019 in Alexandroupolis and the Association's Management is authorized to submit it for approval to the Court of First Instance of Alexandroupolis.
