1 § Name and place of residence
Name of the registered Association is Helix ry and its domicile is the City of Helsinki. Name “Helix” can be utilised in informal contexts.
2 § The purpose of the Association
The Association is a student organisation, which aims to act as an overseer of common and collective good for the students of biochemistry, microbiology and cell and molecular biology at the University of Helsinki. The student organisation aims to introduce its members to questions about their fields professions and by endorse the principles of sustainable development in its operations.
3 § Meeting the objectives
To meet its objective, the Association
- Oversees the study-related and occupational benefits of biochemistry, microbiology, and cell and molecular biology students
- Develops student organised educational activities
- Keeps in touch with other student organisations and other associations of the field
- Contributes to good morale and solidarity and creates team spirit among the students
- Follows societal changes concerning biosciences
- Aims to promote the appreciation of biosciences in the Society. To promote these objectives, the association publishes its own magazine, organises study counselling, meetings, presentations and other social events.
- Gives statements, makes initiates and acts in other similar ways
- Can receive donations and testaments
4 § Members
a) Official membership
To become a official member entitled to vote, the applicant must study biosciences as a primary or secondary subject in a undergraduate or graduate programme. The membership is free for the first 7 years after which the member is charged with a membership fee defined by the student association.
b) Endorsement membership
To become an endorsement member of the Association, one must support the Association with a yearly endorsement member fee. The endorsement member fee is determined by the Association meeting.
c) Honorary membership
To be named an honorary member of the Association, they must have had a significant impact for the good of the Association; Honorary membership can be granted for another reason as well if the Association so agrees. Acceptance of the honorary membership is determined by the Associations meeting. Honorary member does not pay the membership fee.
5 § Rights of the members
All of the Associations members have a right to participate in the events organised by the Associations.
All members of the Association have a right to speak in the Associations meetings.
Official members have a right to vote in the Associations meetings. Other members of the Association do not have a right to vote in the Associations meetings.
In the Association’s meetings all members can be present and have a right to speak. Official members have a right to run for the Association’s Board and functionary positions. Other members of the Associations do not have a similar right.
6 § Resignation of a member
A member can resign from the Association by announcing it to the Board or its Chairperson with a written statement or by announcing the resignation in a meeting of the Board and requesting its addition to the minutes.
7 § Discharging of a member
The Board can unanimously discharge a member, who has not paid the membership fee or has been involved in causing substantial harm on the possessions or the operation of the Association or has posed as a representative of the Association in the public without authorisation causing harm to the Association. The Board can also discharge a member who no longer meets criteria of membership.
8 § The Functionaries of the Board
At the Association’s Election meeting, the Association elects functionaries at its discretion to take care of the Associations affairs for one (1) calendar year at a time. Other Associations meetings can also elect functionaries but only until the end of the calendar year. The Board of the Association can also designate functionaries for tasks which are not associated with financial activities or other great responsibilities until the end of the calendar year.
9 § The Association’s Board
The affairs of the Association are endorsed by the Board. The Board is composed of the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary and a minimum of three and maximum of eleven other official members of the Association. The Association can discharge a Board member from their duties and as needed can select another person in their place.
10 § Boards meetings
A meeting of the Board is summoned by the Chairperson or the Vice-Chairperson. The meeting must be announced minimum of three days before at the home page and common mailing lists of the Association. A meeting of the Board has a quorum, if minimum half of the members of the Board are present, including the Chairperson or the Vice-Chairperson. The Association’s meeting can discharge a Board member who does not fulfill the membership requirements.
11 § Authority to sign documents
The name of the Association can be endorsed by the Chairperson and the Treasurer; the Vice-Chairperson and the Secretary can endorse the name in presence of the other. The Board can authorize a member a of the Association to endorse the name alone.
12 § Association’s meeting
The utmost quorum is by an official meeting of the Association summoned at least twice during the academic year. The official meeting has to be summoned if a regular meeting or a meeting of the Board so decides or at least 1/10 of the members of the Association with a right to vote so demand with a written statement; In this case, the Board is obliged to summon an official meeting within a fixed period of one month from the arrival of the written statement, and simultaneously complying with the restriction in 14 §. The meeting is legal and has a quorum when it has been called for according to the rules of the Association. An official meeting has to be announced two weeks in advance on the home page and the general mailing list in accordance to rules of the Association except in the case of the exemption mentioned in 13 §. The meeting invitation has to include a mention of the amendment of the rules, dissolution of the association and matters regarding the discharging of the Association members and other matters obliged by the Finnish Association Act.
13 § The Associations meeting dates
The Association’s meetings have to be held in the University of Helsinki during autumn or spring term.
14 § Accounting period and term of office
Association’s operation and accounting period is the calendar year. Management and accounts are inspected by two Operations Inspectors chosen in the Election meeting. They will present their statement and propositions at the Annual meeting. The Operations Inspectors will be chosen for a fixed period of one year. The accounts and annual report have to be submitted to inspection minimum of three weeks in advance of the Annual meeting. Responsibility on balancing of the accounts shall be on the Treasurer. The Operations Inspectors have to present their statement of the Association’s accounts and management to the Board at least two weeks before the annual meeting.
//The official meetings of the Association must be announced two weeks in advance on the Association’s home page and general mailing list, except in the case of situation stated in 19 §.//
15 § Associations annual and election meeting
The Association holds two official meeting annually. The Association’s Annual meeting is summoned in the beginning of the year before the end February. The Association’s Election meeting is held during the autumn semester of the University of Helsinki.
At the Annual meeting the following topics are addressed:
- Presentation of the annual report formulated by the Board
- Presentation of the accounts of the Association and statement of the accounts and of the management by the Operations Inspectors.
- Verdict about the approval of the financial statements and discharge of the former Board and other functionaries accountable from responsibility
- Acceptance of income and expenditure scheme for the year
- Acceptance of the strategy for the year
- Decision of membership fees and collection for each membership group separately.
- Other presented points considering the section 24§
The following topics will be addressed at the Election meeting:
- Election of the Chairperson, Vice-person, the treasurer and secretary
- Election of other Board members
- Election of two Operation Inspectors and their deputies
- Election of other functionaries
- Other subjects to be presented in accordance to the Finnish Association act 24§
16 § Changing of rules
Modifications and additions to the rules can be done, when the subject has been presented and addressed in two sequential meetings with a minimum of two week interval between them. The modifications or additions will be approved with a ⅔ majority in the latter meeting.
17 § Dissolution of the Association
Decision about shutting down the operation of the Association must be addressed in two sequential meetings which have been summoned minimum two weeks in advance, and in accordance to the rules, in a local, Helsinki-region newspaper. The meetings must be organised minimum one month and maximum two months apart and the decision must have 4/5 majority of the votes in both meetings.
18 § The use of funds upon the dissolution of the Association
The dissolution of the Association is decided in two prior meetings according to lawful meetings of the Association which have been announced two weeks before in some Helsinki newswpaper or other publication. Meetings must be held in a month or every two weeks and the dissolution decision must have 4/5 votes of the whole Board.
Funds are donated according to the Associations purpose, which are determined by the 17 § meetings
19 §
Otherwise existing Association law is followed and adhered.
This document is not an official translation.
The Association reserves the rights to make modifications to this translation.
(Latest update: 6th of February 2021)