Preamble
The work of the DSG is based on the philosophy of Shinichi Suzuki (1898 – 1998). The DSG is responsible for protecting and promoting his mother-tongue method, as well as adapting it to European traditional structures in the field of instrumental music teaching.
§ 1 Name, Registered Office and Financial Year of the Association
1. The Name of the Association is „Deutsche Suzuki Gesellschaft e.V., gegründet 1983″ (DSG). It was entered in the Siegburg District Court Register of Associations under the number VR 3400.
2. Its Administrative Office is at Sankt Augustin, and its activities extend across the Federal Republic of Germany. The Association is of more than local significance. Its members come mainly from German-speaking countries, but due to the internationality of the Suzuki method the Association is open to members from all nations.
3. Its financial year is identical with the calendar year.
§ 2 Aims of the Association
1. The aim of the Association is to promote education and training for children, young people and adults in the fields of arts and music, in particular in the field of music according to the method of Professor and honorary Dr. Shinichi Suzuki.
2. Promotion of the German Suzuki Institute (DSI) with its own independent artistic and educational management.
The German Suzuki Institute is responsible for:
– Teacher training and further education in accordance with the Suzuki method
– Publication and distribution of information and a newsletter
– International exchange of experience as well as development and promotion of the “International Music Teachers Exchange” (IMTEX) working group
– Additional activities to maintain quality standards and to promote the aims of the Association
– Proposals for awarding grants and scholarships to teacher training course members in need, as well as subsidization of tuition fees for deserving Suzuki students in need
– Acquisition of instruments on loan for Suzuki students in need
– Setting up a Suzuki archive and a Suzuki library.
3. Foundation and Operation of Schools
School bylaws and work programs shall be prepared together with the DSI. Suzuki music schools have the following objectives among others:
– Children’s classes based on the elements of DSI teacher training
– Specific teaching programs prepared in collaboration with the DSI. These include flexible public relations work (arranging concerts, workshops, radio and TV appearances among others) and professional documentation of Suzuki work (preparation and testing of new teaching material, publications, etc.)
– Opportunities to sit in on lessons, and teaching practice for DSI teacher training course members.
4. The Association directly and exclusively pursues non-profit-making purposes, in the sense of „Tax-privileged purposes” of the German Fiscal Code. The funds of the Association shall be used only for purposes that comply with these Articles. Members shall not receive shares of the profit, and in their capacity as members they do not receive any other financial allocations from the Association’s funds. The Association is non-profit-making and does not primarily pursue its own financial purposes.
5. No person may benefit from expenditures that are not related to the aims of the Association, or through inappropriately high remuneration.
§ 3 Membership
1. Membership is open to natural or legal persons who are committed to the aims of the Association.
a. Regular members (“full members”)
b. Corresponding members (“supporting members”)
Applications for membership shall be addressed in writing to the Chairperson of the DSG Board. The Board decides on the admission of new members, without specification of reasons. Membership commences with the consent of the Board to admission to the Association. Legal rights for admission do not exist.
2. Persons participating in DSG Suzuki teacher training are obliged to become members of the Association. Individuals identifying themselves with the Association, members of other national Suzuki associations or of the IMTEX working group may become corresponding members.
3. Membership expires upon death of a natural person or liquidation of legal entities, by resignation or exclusion. Voluntary resignation shall be expressed in writing and addressed to the Chairperson with three months’ notice to the end of the calendar year. The obligation to pay membership fees does not end as a result of resignation.
4. The Board may decide to exclude a member if the latter fails to comply with the Articles of Association or any obligations arising therefrom or in any other way adversely affects the interests of the Association and acts against legal decisions and provisions of its executive organs. The member has the right to be heard by the Board and shall be informed about its decision in writing.
§ 4 Membership Fees
1. Members have to pay annual fees. Details are set out in the Contribution Regulations.
2. Membership fees shall be used exclusively for the Association’s purposes.
3. The Contribution Regulations are not part of the Articles of Association. They shall be confirmed or decided upon, respectively, at the General Meeting.
§ 5 Executive Organs
The executive organs of the Association are:
1. The Board
2. The General Meeting
3. The Artistic-Educational Board
§ 6 The Board
1. The Board consists of:
a) The Chairperson
b) The Deputy Chairperson
c) The Secretary
d) The Treasurer
2. Only regular members may become Board members.
3. Board members shall be elected at the General Meeting by simple majority for the duration of four years. They shall continue in office until a new election is held. Re-election is possible.
4. The Board members work in an honorary capacity.
5. The appointment of any Board member may be revoked on important grounds at any time (§27 BGB) [German Civil Code].
6. The Board as defined by the BGB consists of the Chairperson and the Deputy Chairperson. Each one of them alone is authorized to represent the Association. As far as their internal relationship is concerned, the Deputy Chairperson shall be authorized to represent the Association only when the Chairperson is not available.
§ 7 Duties of the Board
1. The Board is responsible for managing the Association within the scope of the Articles of Association and in accordance with the decisions taken at the General Meeting.
2. The Chairperson shall call a Board Meeting at regular intervals, stating the agenda. At least two Board members are required for a quorum.
3. The Chairperson chairs the General Meeting and the Board meeting.
4. A Board meeting is not required if the Board members have adopted a written voting procedure.
5. The Board takes decisions by simple majority. In the event of a tie, the Chairperson or – in his absence – the Deputy Chairperson shall have the casting vote.
6. Written records shall be prepared of all Board decisions.
7. The Board runs the daily business of the Association and arranges the General Meeting. At the General Meeting the Board shall submit the Annual Report and the Financial Report for the period elapsed since the last General Meeting and a draft business plan for the current financial year. The Board is authorized to change or amend the Articles of Association to the extent required by official regulations. Any such changes or amendments shall be submitted for approval at the next General Meeting.
§ 8 General Meeting
1. The Board shall call a General Meeting when necessary, subject to at least two weeks’ notice. The period begins one day after dispatch of the notice to the last given address of each member. Additional General Meetings shall be called by the Board as required, or on written application by one fifth of the regular members. The notice must be in writing, including the agenda.
2. The following duties are reserved for the General Meeting:
a) Receiving and approving the written Annual Report of the Board, and the Statement of Account
b) Discharging the Board
c) Electing the new Board
d) Determining the membership fee levels
e) Deciding on a membership fee scale and any changes thereof
f) Defining and changing the Articles of Association
g) Nominating honorary members
h) Deciding about applications submitted by members
i) Deciding on the liquidation of the Association
3. The General Meeting shall take its decisions by simple majority vote of the members present. A quorum does not depend on the number of members present. Each full member – including honorary members – shall have one vote. In the event of a tie, the motion shall be deemed to be rejected. For exercising the right to vote, another member may be authorised in writing. This authorization has to be issued separately for each General Meeting; however, any one member may not represent more than three different voters. A majority of three quarters of the valid votes cast by the members is required for changing the Articles of Association as well as for liquidation of the Association (§ 33 BGB). The General Meeting determines the method of voting. Corresponding members have neither an active nor a passive voting right.
4. Minutes shall be taken of the General Meeting’s resolutions, citing place and time of the Meeting as well as the results of voting. The Minutes shall be signed by the Secretary and by the Chairperson of the DSG chairing the Meeting.
§ 9 Financial Transactions
The financial transactions are managed by the Treasurer; in particular he shall:
a) Keep proper records of income and expenditure in accordance with § 140 ff. of the German Fiscal Code;
b) Draw up the Annual Statement of Accounts and submit it at the regular General Meeting;
c) Maintain a register of the Association’s assets.
§ 10 Documentation
1. All Minutes of the Association’s meetings shall be signed by the Chairperson or the person chairing the meeting, respectively, as well as by the Secretary.
2. At the end of the year the Secretary, in agreement with the Chairperson, prepares the Board’s report for presentation at the regular General Meeting.
§ 11 Artistic-Educational Advisory Council
1. The artistic-educational advisory council consists of Teacher Trainers and lecturers of teacher training courses.
2. The advisory council meets as required and on invitation by the Board. Electronic media may be used for arranging such meetings as well for the respective invitations.
3. It advises on the artistic-educational working program of the DSI.
4. It promotes the interests of the DSI in public and with the parties involved in music education.
5. It reports on its work at the General Meeting.
§ 12 Liquidation of the Association
1. A resolution for liquidation of the Association may be passed only at a General Meeting and by a quorum as stipulated in § 8 No. 3, para. 2. Unless otherwise decided during the General Meeting, the Chairperson, the Deputy Chairperson, the Secretary and the Treasurer shall be appointed as liquidators. Resolutions of the liquidators have to be unanimous. Apart from that, the provisions of BGB (§ 47 ff.) shall apply.
2. In the event of liquidation or annulment of the Association or on discontinuation of its purpose to date, the Association’s assets shall go to “Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes e.V., Ahrstr. 41, 53175 Bonn (Germany)”.
§ 13
Any questions not covered in sufficient detail by these Articles of Association shall be decided by the Chairperson until the matter will be finally resolved at the General Meeting. As far as the voting procedure is concerned, BGB §§ 32, 33 and 41 shall apply.
Remscheid, 1st November 2015
Deutsche Suzuki Gesellschaft e.V., gegründet 1983