1. Name and Headquarters
The association is called Arbeitskreis Meteore, abbreviated as AKM.
The headquarters of the association is Potsdam. It can be relocated to any place within Germany by resolution of the general meeting.
2. Purpose of the Association
The non-profit aims of the association are:
- to promote science and research
- to enable members to engage more deeply with meteors, halos, auroras, and other atmospheric phenomena,
- to coordinate amateur astronomical research efforts in these areas,
- to support suitable observation networks,
- to ensure the availability of observational data for scientific purposes,
- to promote information exchange and collaboration on national and international levels,
- to popularize results of our own investigations and international research in these fields.
3. Public Benefit
The AKM pursues exclusively and directly charitable purposes within the meaning of the section "Tax-favored Purposes" of the Tax Code. The AKM operates selflessly; it does not primarily pursue its own economic purposes. Funds of the AKM may only be used for statutory purposes. Members do not receive profits or any other benefits from funds of the AKM. No person may be favored by expenditures that are foreign to the purposes of the association, or by disproportionately high remunerations.
4. Membership
There are two types of membership:
- Full Members
Admission as a full member occurs upon receipt of the written application, payment of the first fee, and confirmation by the board. With admission, the full member recognizes the statutes as binding. Full members have the right to vote in AKM meetings, elect the board, and other AKM committees. The minimum age for full membership is 16 years. - Honorary Members
The board may appoint individuals as honorary members for their merits in investigations in the fields of meteors, halos, auroras, or for their special services to the association. Honorary members do not pay a fee, have the right to speak at meetings, but no voting rights (except those who were full members before becoming honorary members).
5. Membership Fees
Membership fees are determined by the general meeting for each calendar year.
Members use their own instruments and materials for observations and other activities related to the AKM. There is no liability for personal property during events, including observations. At the annual general meeting, a financial report is presented by the treasurer for approval.
6. Termination of Membership
Membership ends:
- through death,
- by resignation at the end of a year, communicated in writing to the board one month before the end of the year,
- with payment arrears of more than a year, or
- through expulsion, which can be pronounced by the board for gross violations of the AKM's goals, and must be confirmed by the general meeting with a simple majority. If votes are tied, the application is rejected. The affected member can appeal this decision, which the next general meeting decides by a simple majority. If votes are tied, the appeal is rejected.
7. General Meeting
The general meeting is the supreme body of the AKM. It is responsible for overall planning and electing the board. In particular, the general meeting can
- approve financial planning and accounting,
- exclude members,
- change the statutes and
- decide on the dissolution of the association.
The general meeting is usually held once a year. Members are notified in writing at least four weeks in advance of the date and location.
The regular general meeting is convened by the board.
An extraordinary general meeting can be convened by the board if needed or must be convened by the board if more than a third of full members demand it. This meeting must take place within 12 weeks of the request.
Minutes of the general meeting must contain
- the attendance list,
- the agenda,
- the general course of the discussion and
- the verbatim motions and resolutions as well as voting results.
The meeting minutes must be signed by the secretary and the chairperson and are kept by the managing director, available upon justified request.
Members may participate in the general meeting without being present at the venue and exercise member rights (voting rights, participation in discussions, right to submit motions, etc.) through electronic communication.
8. Quorum
The general meeting has a quorum if it has been duly convened. If the general meeting is not quorate, an extraordinary general meeting can be convened in accordance with Point 7. It is to be designated as a follow-up meeting and has a quorum if it has been duly convened.
9. The Board
The board conducts the business of the AKM. It consists of
- the chairperson
- the managing director
- the deputy managing director
- the treasurer
- the scientific secretary
All members of the board are elected by the general meeting for a term of three years. The chairperson is elected individually and requires an absolute majority of valid votes cast in person or electronically. Other board members are elected in a block vote, with candidates receiving the most valid yes votes being elected. In the case of a tie, a run-off is held among the affected candidates. If there is another tie, the decision is made by drawing lots. Newly elected board members assign tasks among themselves in the constituent meeting. If a board member resigns during their term, the board can temporarily appoint a replacement until the next general meeting. Expert individuals can be co-opted onto the board without voting rights. The board presents a report on its work at the general meeting. The board presents a report on its work at the general meeting.
10. Amendments to the Statutes
Proposals for amendments to the statutes must be announced with the invitation to the general meeting. Amendments to the statutes require the approval of two-thirds of the full members present at the general meeting.
11. Dissolution
The AKM is dissolved if at least three-quarters of all full members request it in a written vote. The board can entrust one or more full members with the dissolution. If the association is dissolved or tax-advantaged purposes cease, the association's assets pass to a legal entity under public law or another tax-advantaged organization for use in science and research.
12. Entry into Force
This statute was announced at the general meeting on 18.03.2023 and adopted in the present form.