Statutes

Convenience translation of the version dated 2 September 1998 as published on the previous website.

Preamble

By its function, the Bürgerhaus Neckarstadt West is a place for communication and events for the many activities that develop within a neighbourhood. The house is open to all age groups and nationalities. The rooms of the house and the existing infrastructure are available to the clubs of Neckarstadt as well as to the many self-help groups and citizens’ initiatives.

In addition, there are premises for decentralised social services (e.g. the City of Mannheim’s Seniorentreff). In character, the Bürgerhaus is not only a managed cultural and club venue with scheduled hall bookings, but an open, lively neighbourhood centre offering leisure, cultural, educational, integration and social activities.

§ 1 Name and registered office

1. The association bears the name “Verein Bürgerhaus Neckarstadt West e.V.”.
2. Its registered office is in Mannheim.
3. It is entered in the register of associations at Mannheim Local Court.
4. The financial year is the calendar year.

§ 2 Aims and purpose of the association

1. The association acts as the operator of the Bürgerhaus Neckarstadt West e.V. in Lutherstraße.
2. It is independent and open to all age groups, nationalities and interest groups.
3. Through the Bürgerhaus, the association seeks to contribute to better understanding between the different age groups and nationalities in Neckarstadt and strives to cooperate with other persons, groups, organisations, associations and institutions, primarily from Neckarstadt.
4. The purpose of the association is to run the Bürgerhaus as a neighbourhood community centre with an open café as an information and communication area, and to allocate and rent out halls and group rooms in accordance with a usage concept determined by the association.
5. The purpose set out in the statutes is realised in particular through the neighbourhood-based development, promotion and coordination of
   • social and integrative activities, especially for older people, children and young people, foreign fellow citizens and groups of people affected by particular issues
   • cultural events and projects
   • advisory services during consultation hours
   • health-promoting initiatives and initiatives for the care of the neighbourhood

§ 3 Non-profit status

1. The association pursues exclusively and directly non-profit purposes within the meaning of the section “tax-privileged purposes” of the German Fiscal Code.
2. The association’s funds may only be used for purposes in accordance with the statutes. Members do not receive any payments from the association’s funds.
3. No person may benefit from expenses that are unrelated to the purpose of the association or from disproportionately high remuneration.

§ 4 Membership and fees

1. Any natural or legal person may become a member of the association if they support the idea and content of these statutes.
2. The board decides on admission to the association upon written application.
3. Membership ends:
   1. on the death of the member
   2. by written notice of resignation to the executive board. Resignation is permitted at the end of the financial year subject to a notice period of three months.
   3. by exclusion from the association if the member has seriously violated the interests of the association. In the event of conduct damaging to the association, exclusion takes place by resolution of the board with written reasons, after the member has been heard.
   This resolution must be confirmed by the general meeting at its next session. A simple majority is sufficient. The member concerned must be invited to and heard at both the board meeting and the general meeting.
4. A member may be excluded without a hearing if they have not paid their fee after two reminders.
5. The membership fee is set by the general meeting.

§ 5 Bodies of the association

The bodies of the association are the general meeting and the board. The board consists of the executive board and the extended board (assessors).

§ 6 Board

1. The board consists of three members with equal rights – the 1st chair and two deputies (one of whom acts as treasurer) – and up to four assessors. The association is represented in and out of court by the 1st chair and two deputies.
2. All board members serve on a voluntary basis. Full-time staff and other staff working at the Bürgerhaus on a non-voluntary basis may not be members of the board.
3. The board is appointed by the general meeting for a term of two years. It remains in office until a new board has been validly appointed.
4. If a board member leaves office early, the remaining board is entitled to appoint a substitute member until a new appointment is made by the next general meeting.
5. The board represents the association internally and externally. The board must discuss and decide on all important matters of the association unless the statutes provide otherwise. It is responsible in particular for:
   • convening and preparing the general meeting
   • preparing the annual report, the budget and the staff plan
   • decisions on public relations work relevant to politics and funding bodies
   • concluding and terminating employment contracts and supervising permanent staff
6. The board has a quorum if at least half of its members, including at least two members authorised to represent the association, are present. Resolutions are passed by simple majority. Resolutions are recorded in minutes and signed by the board members who passed them.
7. As a rule, the managing director attends board meetings in an advisory capacity.
8. The board is elected by the general meeting. The chair and the deputies are elected in separate ballots.

§ 7 Managing director

The board appoints a managing director for the Bürgerhaus, who is responsible for the administration and organisation of day-to-day operations and the deployment of staff. Details are set out in the service contract concluded by the board.

§ 8 Advisory committee

1. An advisory committee may be formed.
2. This committee should consist of persons who, owing to their qualifications, are particularly suited to advising the board on specialist decisions. The board appoints up to 5 persons to the advisory committee.

§ 9 General meeting

1. The general meeting is convened by the board at least once a year, in writing, two weeks before the meeting date, stating the agenda.
2. A general meeting must also be convened if the interests of the association so require or if one quarter of all members request it from the board in writing, stating the purpose and reasons.
3. The general meeting has the following tasks in particular:
   • the right to make proposals on the content and conceptual work of the Bürgerhaus
   • receiving the board’s report and discharging the board
   • electing the executive board and the assessors
   • electing two auditors, who may not be members of the board
   • deciding on motions to amend the statutes
4. Every general meeting that has been properly convened has a quorum. Resolutions are passed by a majority of the votes cast. Abstentions are not taken into account. The voting procedure is generally determined by the chair of the meeting. At the request of 1/5 of the members present, voting takes place in writing.
5. Minutes of resolutions must be kept for every general meeting; they are signed by the minute-taker and the chair of the meeting and are available for inspection at the Bürgerhaus.
6. The board is bound by the resolutions of the general meeting.

§ 10 Finances

1. For the duration of the board’s term of office, the general meeting elects two auditors, who carry out an annual audit of the accounts and report to the general meeting.
2. The board is discharged in financial and legal respects by the general meeting, on the auditors’ motion, by simple majority.

§ 11 Amendments to the statutes

1. An amendment to the statutes can only be passed by a 2/3 majority of the members present. Abstentions are not taken into account.
2. The agenda must at least state the points of the statutes affected by the amendment. A completely revised version can only be adopted if it was designated as such on the agenda.

§ 12 Dissolution

1. The dissolution of the association can only be resolved at a general meeting convened specifically for this purpose, by 3/4 of the members present. Abstentions are not taken into account.
2. If the association is dissolved or its previous purpose ceases to apply, the association’s assets revert to the City of Mannheim, which must use them exclusively for non-profit purposes within the Neckarstadt-West neighbourhood.

Mannheim, 2 September 1998