Statute of
Polish Copernicus Society of Naturalists


I. Name, headquarters, area of activity and legal character of the Society.

§1.

The Society is called the Polish Copernicus Society of Naturalists, and is a registered society with legal personality.

§2.

The Society's area of activity is the whole Republic of Poland. The Society develops its activities through its Branches and Sections.

§3.

The Society's headquarters shall be in the city of Kraków, however the Society's authorities may, on the basis of a resolution of the Society's General Meeting, choose to locate its headquarters in other cities.

II. Society's goals.

§4.

The goal of the Society is:
a) dissemination and popularization of natural sciences through educational and cultural activities, getting to know and protection of native nature;
b) promoting ethical and humanistic values of nature;
c) conducting and supporting research work in the field of nature protection;
d) Scientific support for work on the restoration of extinct species;
e) conducting and supporting work on the preparation and updating of the network of protected areas;
f) supporting research and work on improving methods of management and environmental management in degraded areas;
g) conducting nature education and research aimed at improving the quality of this education;
h) organizing national and international conferences and symposia on natural sciences;
i) international cooperation in the field of nature protection, especially in border areas.

§5.

The Society performs its tasks by:

a) Systematic and planned organization of scientific meetings with lectures, papers and communications combined with discussion and criticism, as well as exhibitions and other cultural activities;
b) arranging public lectures, demonstrations, exhibitions and scientific tours;
c) publishing periodicals on natural sciences and collecting book collections;
d) promotion of natural sciences through special publications and mass media;
e) organising competitions;
f) cooperation with organizations and institutions with similar goals and tasks.

III. Members of the Society, their rights and obligations.

§6.

Members of the Society are divided into honorary, ordinary and supporting members. A legal person may only be a supporting member of the Society. The minimum fee of a supporting member is twenty times the fee of an ordinary member. Supporting members have the right to participate in all works connected with the realization of the Society's statutory tasks. Supporting members are accepted by the Main Board of the Society.

§7.

Honorary membership shall be conferred by the General Assembly at the request of the Main Board in recognition of outstanding achievements in the field of science or work for the Society. The candidates proposed by the Main Board shall be accepted or rejected by the General Assembly. Honorary members have all the rights of regular members, but are exempt from paying dues.

§8.

An ordinary member of the Society may be anyone who professes to be a nature lover, recognizes the objectives listed in this statute, is recommended to the Society by two of its members and accepted by the Branch Board. The names of new members are announced at scientific meetings of the branches.

§9.

Ordinary members have active and passive electoral rights to the authorities of their branch. They can take part in all initiatives undertaken by the Society. They have the right to use the Society's library and to receive its publications under the conditions set by the General Assembly..

§10.

The obligation of ordinary members is to work for the Society, in particular to actively participate in scientific meetings of the Society and regular payment of dues determined by the General Assembly.

§11.

A member may be struck off the Society's membership list for acts not befitting the dignity of a Society member, or for activities detrimental to the Society. The expulsion shall be made by way of a resolution of the Branch General Assembly passed by a two-thirds majority of votes present at the General Meeting of the Branch. A struck off member has the right to appeal to the General Meeting of the Society..

§12.

Any member may withdraw from the Society by notifying the Executive Committee of his branch in writing. Members in arrears with their dues for one year shall have their membership rights suspended, and those in arrears for two years are automatically removed from the list of members.

§13.

Members of the Society performing elected functions (members of the Main Board, members of the Branch Board, members of the Branch Review Committee) shall not receive any remuneration for their activities.

IV. Authorities.

§14.

The authorities of the Society are: The General Assembly of the Society, the Main Board and the Main Reviewing Committee.

A. GENERAL MEETING.

§15.

The supreme authority of the Society is the General Assembly. The members of the Main Board, the Main Reviewing Committee participate in the General Assembly, Presidents of the branches and delegates of the branches, as well as other persons invited by the Main Board, however without a casting vote. The General Assembly grants the dignity of an honorary member, badges of the Society, and furthermore:
a) accepts or rejects the report of the Main Board, including the reports of the Branch Boards, granting or denying its approval;
b) decides in the last instance on appeals of members in cases of striking off, as well as disputes between The Main Board and Branch Boards or other authorities of the Society;
c) conducts elections of the General Board and the General Reviewing Committee;
d) sets the amount of the membership fee and determines the conditions under which Society members receive
publications.

§16.

Delegates to the Society's General Meeting are elected by the General Meetings of Branches from among their members. Branches with up to 50 Branch Offices with up to 50 members elect one delegate for each further 50 members, with the rest equal to or exceeding 25 members being counted as a full 50 members, Branches may elect an appropriate number of alternates in case a delegate is unable to perform his/her function. Delegates are authorized by the list sent to the Main Board by the Branch Boards before the Society's General Meeting .

§17.

A General Meeting of the Society is convened by the Main Board at least once every three years. The Main Board at least 14 days before the General Assembly notifies the Branch Boards of the place, date and agenda. A General Meeting can also be convened upon a written request of the Society's Main Reviewing Committee or Branch Boards representing at least 1/4 of the Society members.

§18.

In order for the General Assembly's resolutions to be valid the presence of at least 1/3 of the and delegates representing at least half of the Society's branches. In case of lack of quorum, the second date is set, in which any number of those present shall be sufficient to pass valid resolutions in all matters except for the Society's dissolution.

§19.

Resolutions of the General Meeting are passed with a simple majority of votes, except for resolutions concerning changes in the statute, striking off members who appeal to the General Assembly, or dissolution of the Society. In these cases a majority of two thirds of votes is required. Voting is open. Elections are held openly, unless a majority is in favour of a secret ballot.

B. GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF THE SOCIETY.

§20.

The Main Board exercises internal supervision over the activities of the Society, its branches and sections, as well as over organized competitions and financial matters. It also appoints Editorial Committees and Editors-in-Chief of the Society's periodicals. Meetings of the Executive Committee are convened by the President to consider specific matters. Resolutions of the Management Board shall be adopted by a simple majority of votes in the presence of the President, one of the Vice Presidents and at last half of the Management Board members.

§21.

The Main Board of the Society consists of a president, 2-4 vice-presidents, a secretary, a treasurer, the chairman of the Main Committee of the Biological Olympiad and other members of the Board elected for three years, unless the General Assembly is convened earlier to elect new authorities. The Main Board also includes the presidents of the branches for the duration of their term of office in the Branch Board. Members of the Main Board cannot be sentenced by a final judgment for an intentional crime prosecuted by public indictment or a fiscal crime. treasury offence. The General Assembly elects the President and Vice Presidents by name, the remaining members of the members of the Main Board are voted on without specifying their functions. The proper executive body of the Society is the Presidium of the Board, i.e. the President, Vice Presidents, Treasurer and Secretary. If during the term of office any member of the authorities resigns, the authorities of the Society have the right to co-opt members, however the list of co-opted members cannot exceed 1/3 of the number of elected members.

§22.

The Board Presidium manages the Society and represents it outside. To make declarations of will on behalf of the Society are authorized two members of the Presidium acting together. To make legal actions concerning the property rights and obligations of the Society, the President (or vice-president) and the accountant acting jointly. To make legal acts in the scope of property rights and obligations related to the activity of KGOB is authorized by the chairperson or vice-chairperson and the accountant of the Main Committee of the Biological Olympiad, while in District Committee of the Biological Olympiad, the chairperson and secretary of the NAC acting jointly.

§23.

The Presidium of the Board, in case of conducting economic activity, establishes its detailed principles and employs full-time employees and determines their remuneration. It creates and liquidates the Society's plants, determines the rules of operation, appoints and dismisses the managers of these plants and determines their remuneration.

C. CENTRAL REVIEWING COMMITTEE.
§24.

The Main Reviewing Committee is a statutory collegiate body of control and supervision of the Copernicus Society, it is separate from the governing body (Main Board), and is not subject to it in the exercise of internal control or supervision.

§25.

The General Reviewing Committee shall be elected by the General Assembly and shall perform its functions until the next General Assembly is convened. This Commission shall consist of a Chairman and two members. Additionally, the Commission may consist of two substitutes in case of resignation of one or two members of the Commission. Resolutions of the Main Reviewing Commission shall be adopted by a simple majority of votes in the presence of at least 2/3 of the members.

§26.

Members of the General Reviewing Committee:
a) they must not be members of the managing body or be in a marital relationship with them,
in cohabitation, in a relationship of kinship, affinity or subordination in office;
b) not have been convicted of an intentional crime prosecuted by public indictment or a fiscal offence;
c) may receive reimbursement of reasonable expenses or remuneration in the amount not exceeding the average monthly remuneration in the enterprise sector as announced by the President of the GUS for the previous year.
§27.

The Main Auditing Committee is obliged to inspect the books and cash documents before the General Assembly, inspect the Society's financial state and prepare a written inspection report with possible conclusions. The Main Reviewing Committee shall have the right to inspect any books, financial documents and the Society's economy at any time.

V. Financial basis of the Society.

§28.

Podstawą finansową Towarzystwa są:
a) membership fees, the amount of which shall be established by the General Assembly upon the motion of the Main Board.
The membership fees are collected by the branches, keeping 80% to cover the administrative costs; 80 %;
b) bequests, donations and inheritances, both in Polish zloty and in foreign currencies, made by natural persons and
legal persons from Poland and abroad;
c) economic activity for this purpose the Society may establish its own Production, commercial and service plants, establish branches, subsidiaries and enterprises, as well as establish companies or acquire shares (stocks) in companies;
d) proceeds from collections and public events;
e) income from scientific and popular science activities (congresses, national and
international conferences, lectures, etc.), permanent and occasional publications, exhibitions, etc..;
f ) Grants and donations from national and international associations and foundations.

§29.

Revenues from public events may be used only in accordance with the purpose for which they were organized. From the funds The Society's funds can also be used to finance other tasks, connected with the spread of knowledge about nature and all activities for nature protection. The Society's funds can be used to grant scientific scholarships and pay for participation in scientific conferences scientific conferences, both in Poland and abroad (as far as it is possible). Income from donations, grants, inheritances and bequests can be used to achieve all the Society's goals, unless the donors decide otherwise. In the case of appointing the Society to an inheritance, the Management Board shall make a declaration to accept the inheritance with the benefit of inventory. The Management Board has the right to refuse to accept the inheritance or donation.

§30.

All income may be used only for the statutory purposes of the Society. The Main Board may donate its resources for prizes for the winners of competitions announced by the Polish Copernicus Society of Naturalists.

§31.

Assets of the Society:
a) shall not be used for granting loans or securing obligations with respect to the members members of the Society, members of its authorities or employees, or persons with whom employees are in a marital relation or in a relationship of kinship or affinity The Society's members, members of its bodies or employees, or persons with whom the employees are
married or in a relationship of kinship or affinity in a straight line, kinship or affinity relationship in the collateral line to the second degree, or are related by adoption, custody or guardianship hereinafter referred to as "related persons".;
b) cannot be transferred for the benefit of the Society members, members of its authorities or employees as well as their relatives, on principles other than in relation to third parties, in particular if the transfer is made free of charge or on preferential terms;
c) may not be used for the benefit of the Society's members, board members or employees as well as their relatives on principles other than in relation to third parties, unless such use results directly from the statutory aim of the Society;
d) may not be used to purchase goods or services on special terms from entities in which members of the organisation, members of its bodies or employees and their relatives, on principles other than in relation to third parties or at prices higher than market ones.

VI. Branches of the Society.

§32.

In order to carry out the tasks of the Society, branches of the Society are set up in individual localities with a range determined in agreement with with the approval of the Main Board. A new branch must have at least 20 members. When the number of members falls below 15, the Main Board may dissolve a branch and the remaining members declare affiliation to another branch.

§33.

The authorities of the branch are: General Meeting of the Branch, Branch Board and Branch Audit Committee. The Branch General Assembly elects a Branch Board composed of: chairman, his deputy, secretary, treasurer and as many members as it deems necessary. The Branch Review Board is a branch control authority elected by the General Meeting of the Branch, consisting of: chairman, deputy chairman and at least one member of the board. The Branch Review Board controls formally the accounting and spending of the branch office funds. It is obliged to check annual accounts and submit a motion to the Branch General Meeting to grant or refuse to grant a vote of acceptance to the Branch Board. The Branch Board convenes the Branch General Meeting once every three years before the General Meeting in order to listen to and discuss the Board's report, elect a new Board and the Audit Committee for the three-year term of office and elect delegates to the Society's General Meeting. Legitimate resolutions of the General Meeting of the Branch are passed with a simple majority of votes in the presence of half of the Branch members. In case of lack of quorum, the Meeting convened on the second date shall pass valid resolutions irrespective of the number of members present. Resolutions of the Audit Committee are passed by a simple majority of votes in the presence of at least 3 members.

§34.

The Branch Board notifies the Main Board of the Society about the number of its members once a year. Two weeks before the Society's General Meeting The Society shall submit to the Main Board a report on activity of the Branch, its financial status etc. Resolutions of the Branch Board are passed by a simple majority of votes in the presence of the chairperson or his/her deputy. The Branches are obliged to cooperate closely with the District Committees of Biological Olympiad District Committees operating in their area.

§35.

It is the duty of each Branch to submit its annual activity reports, branch plan and budget estimates to the General Board.

VII. Sections of the Society.

§36.

In order to perform its statutory tasks, the Society may establish thematic sections with a nationwide range. Members of the sections hold Conventions at least once a year. A Section of the Society shall be headed by a Section Chair elected in an open ballot for a period of three years by the Section members. Members of the section are members of the Society.

§37.

It is the duty of each Section to submit its annual activity reports, Section plan and budget estimates to the Executive Committee. The Sections which do not fulfill these obligations are subject to dissolution by the General Assembly of the Society.

VIII. Dissolution of the Society.

§38.

The Society may be dissolved and its Articles of Association amended only by a resolution of the General Meeting passed in accordance with the provisions of § 18 and § 19. and containing provisions on the Society's assets. Such a resolution requires the approval of the registry authority.