I. Name and location
1 § The name of the organization shall be the Finnish Anthropological Society (Finnish, Suomen Antropologinen Seura; Swedish, Antropologiska Sällskapet i Finland). In this constitution the association is referred to as the Society. The registered address of the Society shall be Helsinki, Finland.
II. Objectives
2 § The Society aims to promote research on people, human society and culture by supporting the discipline of anthropology and closely related fields and projects, and to increase the knowledge and the understanding of different peoples and cultures in Finland.
III. Activities
3 § To fulfil these objectives, the Society
(1) aims to follow scholarship and research in the field of anthropology and related disciplines, and promote cooperation between the represented disciplines and fields of research within the Society
(2) organises events for education, public discussion, planning and distribution of information
(3) proposes initiatives and gives expert opinions on issues within its field of operation
(4) participates in the translation and publishing of anthropological materials
(5) publicises Finnish anhtropological research outside Finland and promotes contact between Finnish and international scholars
(6) supports anthropological research through grants and awards
(7) performs tasks assigned by the Finnish government.
4 § In order to support its activities the Society
(1) collects membership fees
(2) accepts state subsidies and other scholarly grants and uses those grants for their described purpose
(3) organises, in special cases and after acquiring permits, fundraising and lotteries; the Society may start foundations, acquire and own properties useful for its activities, and accept donations.
IV. Members and membership fees
5 § Membership may be granted to persons who are in sympathy with the Society’s objectives.
6 § Memberships in the Society comprises
(1) ordinary members who remit an annual membership fee
(2) student members, who remit a discounted annual membership fee. Student members are defined as people completing their bachelor’s or master’s degree.
(3) honorary members who are distinguished scholars or promoters of anthropology, or who have contributed to the Society’s development. Honorary members are invited at the Annual General Meeting according to a motion by the Board. Honorary members do not remit an annual membership fee.
(4) support members who remit an increased annual membership fee. Private persons and registered organizations may be granted support memberships.
7 § Ordinary memberships, student memberships and support memberships shall be granted to applicants by the Society’s board.
8 § The annual membership fee for all membership groups shall be set at the Annual General Meeting.
V. Resignation and loss of member status
9 § A member may withdraw from the Society by giving notice in writing to the Board or its chairperson, or announcing their resignation at a meeting to be entered in the minutes.
10 § If a member has neglected to pay the membership fee or otherwise neglected the duties they agreed to upon joining the Society, or if a member’s conduct within the Society or outside it has been detrimental to the Society, or if a member no longer fulfils the conditions mentioned in Finnish law or in the Society’s constitution, the membership of the offending member may be terminated by the Board.
VI. The Board
11 § The Society shall be represented by, and its activities directed by, a Board in accordance with this constitution and decisions made at the Society’s meetings.
The Board shall consist of a chairperson, called the president, a vice chairperson, called the vice president, and six board members and six deputies.
The Society’s Annual General Meeting shall elect the president, vice president and board members amongst the Society’s members for three years at a time. Each year two board members shall have their turn to resign. For the first time, the resignation turn shall be decided by lottery. If a Board member resigns before the end of their term, a Board meeting shall elect a new a Board member for the remaining term.
The Board shall choose a secretary, a treasurer and other necessary officers among or outside the Board.
The Board shall meet at the request of the president, or if indisposed, the vice president, when they deem it necessary or when at least two Board members demand it.
The Board shall form a quorum when the president, or the vice president, and a minimum of three Board members are present in a meeting. Simple majority voting shall be used. In case of a tie, the president shall cast a vote to break the tie; however, in the case of an election, a lottery shall be used.
VII. Meetings
12 § The Society’s Annual General Meeting shall be held during January-March at a date determined by the Board at a meeting.
13 § The Society’s Extraordinary General Meeting shall be held when a meeting decides so, when the Board deems it necessary, or when a minimum of one tenth (1/10) of the Society’s members entitled to vote demand it of the Board, in writing, concerning a specific issue. An EGM shall be held within 30 days once the demand has been presented to the Board.
14 § At the Society’s meetings, ordinary members, student members and honorary members shall be entitled to one vote each. Support members shall have the right to be present and the right to speak. At the Society’s meetings, the adopted decision shall be, unless stated otherwise in the constitution, the position which receives more than half of the cast votes. In case of a tie, the president shall cast a vote to break the tie; however, in the case of an election, a lottery shall be used.
VIII. Convening the Society’s Meetings
15 § The Board shall give a minimum of fourteen (14) days’ notice before a meeting by notifying members via letter or email.
IX. The Society’s Annual General Meeting
16 § The following items shall be included in the Society’s General Annual Meeting:
(1) open the meeting
(2) elect a chairperson, secretary and two scrutinisers of the minutes
(3) state the legality of the meeting and the presence of a quorum
(4) approve the agenda
(5) adopt amendments to the constitution
(6) present the financial statement, annual report and auditor’s report
(7) approve the financial statement and discharge the Board and other accountable persons from liability
(8) confirm strategy, budget and membership fees
(9) elect a president and vice president every third year
(10) elect Board members and deputies to replace those whose turn it is to resign
(11) elect one auditor and vice auditor
(12) confirm fees for Board members and officers and grounds for the reimbursement of travel expenses
(13) approve of invitations for honorary memberships
(14) announce rewards and awards granted by the Society
(15) discuss other issues mentioned in the notice of meeting.
17 § If a member wishes for an issue to be discussed at the Annual General Meeting, he or she must notify the Board in writing ahead of time so that the issue can be included in the notice of meeting.
X. Procuration
18 § The Society’s documents must have the signature of two of the following people: the president, vice president, secretary or treasurer.
XI. Accounting Period and Auditing
19 § The accounting period for the Society is one calendar year. The financial statement, its appendixes and the annual report of the Board shall be presented to the auditor a minimum of three weeks before the Annual General Meeting. The auditor shall present his or her written report to the Board a minimum of two weeks before the Annual General Meeting.
XII. Amendment of Constitution and Dissolution of the Society
20 § This constitution may be amended, or the Society dissolved, upon the decision of the Annual General Meeting. The adoption of amendments to the constitution, and the dissolution of the Society, must receive a minimum of two thirds (2/3) of the cast votes. AGM’s notice of meeting must mention the amendment of the constitution or the dissolution of the Society.
21 § If the Society is dissolved, its remaining assets shall be donated to the Academy of Finland or a corresponding public institution for the promotion of research. This shall be decided upon at the dissolution meeting.
22 § All membership benefits shall remain.
The constitution has been approved in the Annual General Meeting, March 2019