VENDSYSSEL FESTIVAL

Statutes of Vendsyssel Festival

1. Purpose
Vendsyssel Festival is a cooperative association open to parish councils, municipalities, associations, etc., with the purpose of organizing cultural activities (concerts, theatre performances, etc.) of high artistic quality in Vendsyssel.

The tasks of the cooperative are:
– to coordinate such activities and provide information about them
– to encourage and initiate cultural activities with the aim of covering the entire region.

2. Organisation
a. The General Assembly
The highest authority of the cooperative is the General Assembly.

The General Assembly consists of the following:
– the elected board of Vendsyssel Festival
– one representative appointed by each of the subsidizing municipalities
– one representative appointed by each of the concert organizers who, within the past three years, have held concerts under the auspices of Vendsyssel Festival
– the regional coordinators appointed by Vendsyssel Festival
– the auditors elected by the General Assembly
– one representative from the board of Friends of Vendsyssel Festival

The ordinary General Assembly meeting is held every year in November and is convened with three weeks’ notice. Notice may be given by letter or email.

The agenda for the General Assembly meeting is as follows:
1. Election of a chairperson of the meeting
2. Report from the chair of the board
3. Presentation of the financial accounts and the budget
4. Incoming proposals
5. Election of the chair of the board
6. Election of board members
7. Election of auditors
8. Any other business

An extraordinary General Assembly meeting shall be convened when the board deems it necessary, or when at least 20% of the members submit a written request to the chair. Notice for an extraordinary meeting is given in the same manner as for an ordinary meeting.

The General Assembly makes decisions by simple majority among those present; however, proposals to amend the statutes require a majority of 75% of those present.

Proposals to be considered under item 4 of the agenda, including proposals for amendments to the statutes, must be submitted in writing to the chair no later than six working days before the meeting.

b. The Board
The board consists of the chair and eight members, elected by the entire General Assembly.

In addition, the local organizers and the municipal representatives may each elect a member to the board, cf. below.

The chair is elected annually.

The eight board members are elected for two-year terms, with half of them elected each year.

The representative of the local organizers is elected in odd-numbered years.
The representative of the municipal authorities is elected in even-numbered years.

Membership in the General Assembly is not required to be eligible for election to the board.

The board constitutes itself and must at minimum appoint a vice-chair and a treasurer.
If a board member resigns permanently, the board may appoint a substitute until the next General Assembly meeting.

The board makes decisions by simple majority. In the event of a tie, the chair’s vote is decisive.

c. Work of the Board
Provided there is budgetary coverage, the board may employ a paid secretary and/or treasurer.

The board is obligated to set the timeline and procedures for cooperation between the local organizers and the board, and may also establish rules for concerts being included in Vendsyssel Festival.

d. The Chair
The chair of the board is also the chair of the General Assembly and the official representative of the cooperative.

In the absence of the chair, these responsibilities pass to the vice-chair elected by the board.

e. Voting Procedure for Board Elections
All members of the General Assembly have voting rights.

Candidates for the board who are not members of the General Assembly, and persons employed by the cooperative who are not members of the General Assembly, do not have voting rights.

For the election of the chair, each voter shall cast one and only one vote for one of the proposed candidates.
For the election of board members, each voter may cast up to four votes among the proposed candidates. The four candidates who receive the highest number of votes are elected. In the event of a tie, a new vote is held among the candidates with equal votes, following the same voting procedure as for the election of the chair.

If requested by any attendee, voting shall take place in writing.

3. Finances
The financial year runs from 1 October to 30 September of the following year.

At the ordinary General Assembly meeting, the assembly decides whether to elect two auditors or an audit firm to carry out the audit of the festival’s accounts. The board subsequently appoints the audit firm to perform the audit. The appointment is for one year at a time.

At the same meeting, the audited accounts and the budget for the coming year must be approved.
The board obtains funds through public and private contributions and manages these funds in accordance with the approved budget.

Each concert organizer bears all expenses related to their own concerts, including KODA fees, and retains the income themselves.

4. Dissolution
A proposal to dissolve Vendsyssel Festival can only be considered if it has been placed on the agenda for a General Assembly meeting or an extraordinary General Assembly meeting, and must be adopted by at least 75% of the members present.

In the event of dissolution, any surplus shall, by decision of the General Assembly, be transferred to another association with a charitable or non-profit purpose.

Adopted at the virtual General Assembly meeting in November 2020.