1 § Name, Domicile, and Language
The name of the association is Nuorten Kuoroliitto ry, with its domicile in Helsinki and its operating language being Finnish.
2 § Purpose and Activities
The purpose of the Association is to act as the national link between children’s and youth choir associations and to promote and support children’s and youth choir music in Finland. To achieve its purpose, the Association:
- Promotes children’s and youth music education through national counseling, teaching, training, and educational work.
- Works to establish children’s and youth choirs.
- Produces, publishes, and promotes new choral music and materials for the field.
- Provides information about current events and trends in the field.
- Organizes national, international, and regional training, courses, music events, competitions, and other similar events.
- Promotes cooperation between Finnish and foreign children’s and youth choirs as well as music organizations.
- Initiates actions and proposals to promote children’s and youth music activities.
- May grant financial support for projects carried out by its member associations.
3 § Funding and Operations
To support its activities, the Association may, upon obtaining the necessary authorization:
- Receive grants, donations, and bequests, organize fundraising events, sales, and lotteries, and sell supporting products.
- Own property, tangible assets, securities, and establish funds.
- Raise funds by engaging in small-scale publishing activities and conducting publication activities related to its purpose.
- Organize paid training, events, concerts, and other music-related activities.
4 § Members
The Association may accept the following as full members:
- Registered children’s and youth choir associations or their registered support associations.
- Children’s and youth choirs affiliated with public law entities and institutions that are legally competent.
- Legally competent children’s and youth choirs operating abroad.
Choirs of educational institutions, choirs associated with schools, colleges, and churches, may also become members of the Association.
The Association may also accept individuals as MunKuoro members in addition to the aforementioned types of associations.
Supporting members can be individuals or legal entities approved by the Association’s board.
Honorary members may be appointed by the Association’s board, individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of children’s and youth choral singing and the Association’s objectives.
The Association’s honorary chairperson, who may be one individual at a time, can be appointed by the general meeting for special merits in serving as the Association’s chairperson.
5 § Resignation and Expulsion
A member may resign from the Association by notifying the Association’s board in writing or orally during a general meeting.
The Association’s board may expel a member who has failed to pay the membership fee or has acted in a way contrary to these rules or the Association’s purpose.
6 § Membership Fees and Obligations
Full members, educational institution members, MunKuoro members, and supporting members must pay an annual membership fee as determined by the general meeting and provide necessary information about their activities upon request.
MunKuoro members must commit to the common principles and values of MunKuoro.
7 § Association Bodies
The Association’s bodies are the general meeting and the board.
8 § General Meeting
The ordinary general meeting is held annually by the end of May at a time determined by the board.
An extraordinary general meeting is held at a time determined by the previous general meeting, or when the board considers it necessary or if at least one-third of the Association’s members request it for a specific purpose.
The general meeting is convened by the board at least two weeks before the meeting date, through written invitation sent by post or email.
The meeting invitation must include the agenda.
9 § Agenda of the Ordinary General Meeting
At the ordinary general meeting, the following matters are addressed:
- Presentation of the annual report, the auditor’s statement, and confirmation of the financial statements.
- Decision on granting discharge to the Association’s board and other responsible parties.
- Determination of the membership fee and supporting membership fee for the next calendar year.
- Determination of the fees and compensation for the Association’s board members for the next calendar year.
- Approval of the year’s action plan and framework budget.
- Election of the chairperson of the Association (who also serves as the chairperson of the board).
- Election of the Association’s board members and deputy members.
- Election of one operating or financial auditor and their deputy.
- Other matters stated in the invitation.
Matters the members of the Association want to be dealt with in the ordinary general meeting, need to be communicated in written form by the end of the previous year.
10 § Voting Rights at the General Meeting
Each full member is entitled to send one representative for every 25 paid-up members of their organization based on the previous year’s membership payment.
Each representative has one vote, but with a proxy, they can vote with all the votes of their organization.
Educational institution members can send one representative with one vote.
MunKuoro members can send one representative who has the right to speak but not to vote.
All representatives must submit a proxy to the Association’s office no later than the date mentioned in the meeting invitation.
Real-time remote participation in the general meeting and voting is possible if the board so decides.
11 § The Board of the Association
The board of the Association consists of the chairperson elected by the general meeting, who may also be referred to as the chairperson of the Association, and at least four and no more than seven board members, as well as two deputy members.
The board selects a deputy chairperson from among its members and appoints a secretary either from within or outside the board.
12 § Signatory of the Association’s Name
The name of the Association is signed by the chairperson alone, or by the deputy chairperson, or by the operations coordinator together with a board member or other authorized personnel.
13 § Financial Statements and Audit
The Association’s financial year is the calendar year.
The financial statements, the annual report prepared by the board, and other administrative documents must be submitted to the auditor before the ordinary general meeting.
The audit report must be submitted to the Association’s board before the ordinary general meeting.
14 § Amending the Rules
Changes to these rules can be made at the ordinary general meeting if notified in the meeting invitation and if at least three-quarters of the votes cast in the meeting support the proposal.
15 § Dissolution of the Association
A decision to dissolve the Association requires at least five-sixths of the votes cast in a specially convened general meeting.
The decision must be confirmed in a meeting held at least one month later with at least the same majority of votes.
If the Association dissolves, its assets must be used to promote children’s and youth choir music in the manner determined by the last general meeting.
This outlines the structure and operational procedures of Nuorten Kuoroliitto ry (Youth Choir Association), from its core purpose of promoting choral music for children and youth, to the processes of member registration, decision-making, and the dissolution of the Association.
