1 § Name and domicile
The name of the association is the Finnish Association for Applied Linguistics (Suomen soveltavan kielitieteen yhdistys – Finländska föreningen för tillämpad språkvetenskap – Association Finlandaise de Linguistique Appliquée r.y.) and its domicile is the city of Jyväskylä.
2 § Purpose and form of activities
The purpose of the association is to promote research and teaching in applied linguistics, and act as the association body of the international applied linguistics association AILA (Association Internationale de Linguistique Appliquée) in Finland.
To realise its purpose, the association acts as the association body for linguists and language teachers, as well as others interested in applied linguistics, provides information about research and training in applied linguistics in Finland and abroad, organises symposiums, conference days, presentation events, meetings and courses, and practices publication activities.
3 § Members
A private person or a legal community that accepts the purpose of the association can be accepted as an ordinary member of the association. A private person or a legal community that wants to support the purpose of the association and its forms of activity, can be accepted as a supporting member. A person who has significantly promoted and supported the activities of the association, can be, with the proposal of the executive board at an association meeting, invited as an honorary president or as an honorary member.
4 § Member’s resignation and expulsion
A member has the right to resign from the association by notifying the executive board or its president in writing, or by announcing their resignation in an association meeting to be included in the minutes.
The executive board can expel a member from the association, if the member has neglected to pay their due membership fee or has otherwise failed to meet the obligations that they have committed to by joining the association, or has acted in a way in the association or elsewhere that has significantly harmed the association, or does not fulfil the legal conditions for membership or the conditions mentioned in the association rules.
5 § Entrance and membership fees
The amount of entrance and annual membership fees collected from ordinary and supporting members is ruled separately for both groups by the autumn meeting. An honorary president and honorary members do not pay membership fees.
6 § Executive board
The affairs of the association are managed by the executive board, which includes the president and nine members of the board elected in the autumn meeting.
The term of office for the executive board and the president is two calendar years. Annually, it is the turn to retire for half of the executive board. The first time the members whose turn it is to retire are decided by lot, and after that, members take turns.
When a board member’s international assignment, family leave or military service prevents them from participating in the executive board’s activities, they must resign from their duty. The board can, at their discretion, convene an extraordinary association meeting to select a member for the remainder of the resigned member’s term. One member may have several consecutive terms in office.
The executive board elects a vice president among its members, and a secretary, a treasurer, and other necessary personnel from either among its members or non-members.
The board convenes at the invitation of the president, or the vice president if the president is prevented from convening a meeting, when the board considers it necessary, or when at least half (five) of the members of the board so insist.
The meeting has quorum when the president or the vice president and five members of the board are present. Votes are settled with absolute majority. When the votes are tied, the president’s vote resolves the issue, however, in an election, the winner is decided by lot.
7 § Authority to sign on behalf of the association
The president, the vice president, the secretary or the treasurer are entitled to sign on behalf of the association, each of them alone.
8 § Accounts and audit
The accounting period of the association is one calendar year.
The financial statements with necessary documents as well as the executive board’s annual report must be handed out to the operations inspectors at least two weeks prior to the spring meeting. The operations inspectors must give their written report to the executive board at least one week prior to the spring meeting.
9 § Association meetings
The association’s annual meeting is held annually on the date ordered by the executive board, during September-December.
The executive board convenes as necessary. The board meetings can also be remote meetings. An extraordinary meeting is held, when the association meeting so decides, or when the executive board deems it necessary, or when at least a tenth (1/10) of the members eligible to vote make a demand in writing to the executive board to deal with a specific matter. The meeting must be held within 30 days from when the request for the meeting has been presented to the executive board.
In the association meetings, every ordinary member, the honorary president and honorary member has one vote. A supporting member has the right to be present and speak at association meetings.
The decision of the association will be, unless otherwise stated in the rules, the opinion that has been supported by more than half of the given votes. When the votes are tied, the president’s vote resolves the issue, however, in an election, the winner is decided by lot.
The executive board convenes as necessary. The board meetings can also be remote meetings.
10 § Convening the association’s meetings
The executive board must convene the association’s meetings at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting by sending a mailed letter or an e-mail to the association members.
11 § Annual meeting
The following matters are dealt with in the association’s annual meeting:
1. Opening of the meeting
2. Appointing the meeting’s president, secretary, two inspectors of the minutes and if necessary, two people to count the votes
3. Establishing the legality and quorum of the meeting
4. Approving the meeting’s agenda
5. Presenting the financial statement, the annual report and the operations inspectors’ report
6. Deciding on confirming the financial statements and discharging the executive board and other accountable persons from liability
7. Confirming the action plan, the budget, and the amount of entrance and membership fees for the next calendar year
8. Electing a president of the executive board when it is the president’s turn to retire
9. Electing other members of the board in place of those whose turn it is to retire
10. Electing one or two operations inspector(s) and their deputy inspectors
11. Dealing with other matters mentioned in the invitation.
If a member of the association wants a matter to be dealt with at the annual meeting, they must notify the executive board in writing so well in advance that the matter can be included in the meeting invitation.
12 § Rule amendments and dissolution of the association
A decision concerning the amendment of the rules and the dissolution of the association must be made in an association meeting with at least ¾ majority of the given votes. Rule amendments or the dissolution of the association must be mentioned in the meeting invitation.
When the association is dissolved, its assets shall be used to further the associations cause, in a way that is determined by the meeting deciding on the dissolution of the association. When the association is disbanded, its assets shall be used for the same purpose.