LAWS
of the
Danish Nobility Association
Name and purpose
§ 1.
The association’s name is “Dansk Adels Forening”. The association’s home is Copenhagen.
The association was created by a merger of the Danish Nobility Association and the Association for the Publication of the Danish Nobility Yearbook. The association took place with effect from 1 January 1983.
The association carries on the past history and traditions of the Danish Nobility Association and the Association for the Publication of the Danish Nobility Yearbook.
§ 2.
The purpose of the Association is:
– to publish “Danmarks Adels Aarbog” and other publications in connection with the Danish nobility,
– to make the apartments in the Association’s property in Gothersgade 158, Copenhagen, available to the members and their children, cf. § 14,
– to arrange events that strengthen the unity between the Association’s members,
– to provide financial support to the members and
– as the case may be to provide support to other persons or associations that deal with or own cultural values related to the Danish nobility.
Members
§ 3.
Any man and woman who is of Danish nobility and who is a member of a family listed in the attendance lists of the Danish Nobility Yearbook can be admitted as a member of the Association.
§ 4.
The membership ceases upon resignation, which can only be made in writing to the Association with one month’s notice until the end of a calendar year.
The Board of Directors may exclude a member. If the exclusion is due to circumstances other than membership fees, the excluded member may appeal the validity of the exclusion to the first general meeting, which is held at least four weeks after notification of the exclusion. The decision of the general meeting is final and cannot be appealed to the courts.
§ 5.
The membership fee is determined each year by the Board of Directors for the coming calendar year.
One membership fee is fixed for the members who receive the Yearbook and another membership fee for the members who do not receive the Yearbook.
The General Assembly
§ 6.
The general meeting is the Association’s highest authority.
§ 7.
The Annual General Meeting is held before the end of each year in June. The general meeting is held at a place elected by the board in Denmark. Notice must be given in writing with at least fourteen days’ notice.
§ 8.
Extraordinary general meetings are held when the board of directors finds it necessary, or when at least 1/10 of the members of the Association request this in writing for a specific stated purpose. Extraordinary general meetings are announced in the same way as ordinary general meetings.
§ 9.
The agenda for the annual general meeting must include:
1. Election of chairman.
2. Report of the Board of Directors.
3. Submission of audited accounts for approval.
4. Election of members to the Board of Directors.
5. Proposals received.
6. Possibly.
The chairman chairs the general meeting and decides all questions concerning the manner in which the matters are handled and the voting.
Proposals, including for the election of members to the Board of Directors, which are to be considered at an ordinary general meeting and which have not been submitted by the Board of Directors, must be submitted to the Association before 1 March of the year.
§ 10.
At the general meeting, each member of the Association has one vote.
The matters discussed at the general meeting are decided by a simple majority of votes, cf. however, § 15.
Any member of the Association may demand a written vote.
Voting is possible by written proxy for a named member of the Association who participates in the general meeting. However, a member may vote for a maximum of four absent members by proxy.
§ 11.
A brief report is passed on what happened at the general meeting in a protocol authorized by the board of directors, which is signed by the board of directors.
Board of Directors
§ 12.
The association is led by a board of five to seven members elected by the annual general meeting. The board elects its own chairman. The board members resign at each ordinary general meeting, but can be re-elected. No one may be elected to the Board of Directors in the year in which he or she reaches the age of 75 or later.
In the event of resignation from the Board of Directors, the Board of Directors may supplement itself until the next general meeting. If the number of board members falls below five, the board must supplement itself.
The Board of Directors elects a treasurer and an additional member of the Board of Directors from among its members, who, together with the Chairman, act as a business committee between the Board meetings.
The Board of Directors meets at least once a year and otherwise at the convening of the Chairman, or when at least two Board members submit written proposals to this effect, and it has a quorum when more than half of the Board members are present.
Notice of a board meeting is given with a notice of at least eight days.
All decisions are made by a simple majority of votes. In the event of a tie, the Chairman has the casting vote.
The duties of the board members are unpaid.
Minutes are kept of what happened at the board meetings, which are signed by the board.
Subscription rights
§ 13.
The association is signed by the chairman or by two board members in association. The Board of Directors may issue a power of attorney.
The property Gothersgade
§ 14.
The leases in the Association’s property in Gothersgade 158 and 158 A, Copenhagen, are reserved for the Association’s members and their children. The leases are rented out to young people eligible for education for a limited period of no more than 6 years. Rental conditions etc. are determined by the board.
Financial Accounting
§ 15.
The Board of Directors must submit accounts each year of the Association’s assets, its income and expenses. The association’s financial year is the calendar year.
The association’s accounts must be signed by the board members.
Auditing of the Association’s accounts is carried out by a state-authorized public accountant elected by the board.
Amendment of laws etc.
§ 16.
For the adoption of a resolution to amend the Association’s laws, it is required that at least 2/3 of those entitled to vote are represented at the general meeting, and that the resolution is adopted by at least a 2/3 majority of the votes cast. If the proposal is adopted by a 2/3 majority of the votes cast, but the mentioned number of eligible voters is not represented, the Board of Directors must convene a new extraordinary general meeting within 14 days to be held no later than 6 weeks after the first general meeting. At the new, extraordinary general meeting, the proposal can be adopted by a 2/3 majority of the votes cast, regardless of the number of eligible voters represented. Proxies to attend the first general meeting are, unless revoked, also valid at the second general meeting.
Proposals for dissolution of the Association can only be made by a general meeting in the same way as stated in subsection. 1, however, that a 3/4 majority of the votes cast is required for adoption.
In the event of the Association’s dissolution, the Association’s possible assets and its archive must be used for a purpose that benefits Danish genealogy and personnel history. The association’s last sitting board will make a final decision on this.
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Thus adopted at an ordinary general meeting on 18 May 1983 in the Danish Nobility Association and at an ordinary meeting of the Board of Representatives on 1 July 1983 in the Association for the Publication of the Danish Nobility Yearbook and amended at general meetings on 28 May 1990, 13 December 2001, April 5, 2005, May 7, 2008 and May 27, 2008.
