Article 1
The Comparative Education Society in Europe shall be an international non profit making association of scientific and educational character.
Its Statutes are drafted in accordance with the provisions of the Belgian law of 25th October 1919 amended 6th December 1954.
The French name of the Society shall be: Association d'Education Comparée en Europe and its German name: Gesellschaft für Vergleichende Erziehungswissenschaft in Europa.
Its acronym shall be CESE in all languages.
REGISTERED OFFICE
Article 2
The Society shall have its registered office in a municipality of the Brussels conurbation, and at present at 1050 Brussels, rue de la Concorde 51.
The registered office may be relocated to any other address in the Brussels conurbation by a decision of the Executive Committee.
PURPOSE
Article 3
The purpose of the Society shall be to encourage and promote comparative and international studies in education by:
- promoting and improving the teaching of comparative education in institutions of higher learning;
- stimulating research;
- facilitating the publication and distribution of comparative studies in education;
- interesting professors and teachers of other disciplines in the comparative and international dimensions of their work;
- encouraging visits by educators to study educational institutions and systems throughout the world;
- co operating with those who in other disciplines attempt to interpret educational developments in a broad cultural context;
- organising conferences and meetings;
- collaborating with other Comparative Education Societies in order to further international action in this field.
MEMBERSHIP
Article 4
The Society shall consist of:
1. Ordinary members:
- teachers of, and research workers in comparative and international education, active in institutions of higher learning.
- persons concerned with studies in comparative and international education or related areas, and active in educational agencies and organisations.
Admission to ordinary membership shall be subject to a decision of the Executive Committee. The application procedure shall be as described in the Rules of Order.
2. Honorary members: persons who have rendered long and distinguished services to comparative and/or international education may be elected to honorary membership by a three quarters majority decision of the general assembly.
Honorary members shall have the same rights and privileges as ordinary members.
Article 5. 1
Any member may resign at any time by written notice to be delivered to the Executive Committee.
Article 5.2
Members whose subscriptions are in arrears for more than two years shall not be entitled to exercise any of their membership rights, unless the Executive Committee decides otherwise.
The Executive Committee may recommend the exclusion of such members to the general meeting.
Article 5.3
A member who acts contrary to the Statutes may be excluded from the Society by a two thirds majority decision of the general meeting.
No member shall be excluded except upon three months notice from the Secretary Treasurer by mail; specifying the grounds upon which exclusion is based, and after having been given the opportunity to be heard.
Article 5.4
A member who resigns or is excluded shall forfeit any right to many part of the assets of the Society.
GENERAL MEETING
Article 6
The general meeting of members shall have all powers for achieving the purpose of the Society.
The following areas shall, in particular, fall within the competence of the general meeting:
- amendments of the Statutes;
- approval of the Rules of Order;
- exclusion of members;
- election of the members of the Executive Committee;
- approval of the CESE budget and accounts;
- dissolution and liquidation of the Society.
Article 7
General meetings shall be held at least once every two years, such time and place as the Executive Committee may decide.
General meetings shall include a business session and a professional session.
Convening notices shall be sent to all members at least three months prior to the date of the meeting, by the Secretary Treasurer.
An Agenda, established by the Executive Committee, shall be sent to members at least one month prior to the date of the meeting.
Special general meetings may be held on decision of the Executive Committee or on written request of least one sixth of the association membership. In the latter case, the meeting shall be held within three months of the request being received by the President.
Convening notices to a Special general meeting shall be sent at least three months prior to the date of the meeting.
A quorum shall be constituted by at least fifteen members, whose dues are paid for the current year. When such quorum is present, the members so assembled shall act as the legislative body of the Society.
Except in special cases provided for by the Statutes, decisions shall be carried by a simple majority vote of the members present.
Each member shall have one vote.
Votes shall be cast according to the procedure described in the Rules of Order.
Article 8
Professional meetings:
* Meetings for the purpose of discussing items of academic and professional interest including joint meetings with other professional bodies may be arranged on an international, national or regional basis by members of the Society with the concurrence of the Executive Committee.
Inter-continental meetings:
* Professional meetings with other Comparative Education Societies, international organisations or other professional societies may be arranged by the Executive Committee with appropriate announcements to the membership.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Article 9.1
The Society shall be administrated by an Executive Committee consisting of a President, the immediate Past President, two Vice Presidents and two other members.
If none of them is of Belgian nationality the Executive Committee shall include an additional member of this nationality.
Article 9.2
Members of the Executive Committee shall be elected by the general meeting from amongst the individuals who have held the capacity of member of the Society for a least one year, and whose dues are paid for the current year.
The term of office of the members of the Executive Committee shall be two years, commencing at the conclusion of the general meeting at which they were elected. Members of the Executive Committee may be re elected but shall not hold the same office for more than two consecutive terms of two years. They may be relieved of their duties by a two thirds majority decision of the general meeting.
Article 9.3
Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held at such time and place as the Committee may decide, but must be held at least once a year.
At least one month's prior notice of the Executive Committee meetings shall be given by the Secretary Treasurer.
Decisions shall be carried by a simple majority vote.
Votes shall cast according to the procedure described in the Rules of Order.
Article 9.4
The Executive Committee shall have full powers of administration and management, subject to the prerogatives of the general meeting.
The Executive Committee may delegate some of its powers to one or several of its members.
All the deeds committing the Society shall, except for special proxies, be signed by two members of the Executive Committee.
Legal proceedings, both as plaintiff and as defendant, shall be taken, with due action, by the Executive Committee, represented by the President or another Committee member designated for the purpose by the latter.
Article 10. 1
The President shall act as Chairman at Society and Executive Committee meetings. In his absence, such meetings shall be presided over by one of the two Vice Presidents.
Article 10.2
A Secretary Treasurer shall be appointed every year by the Executive Committee, which shall fix his remuneration and shall have the power to dismiss him.
The Secretary Treasurer shall be responsible to the Executive Committee for:
- the maintenance of the Society's records and the circulation of its documents.
- arranging payment of disbursements, in accordance with the provisions of the Rules of Order.
- arranging general meetings, and notifying members in due time of the time, place and preliminary programme of these meetings.
- preparing the reports on the receipts, expenditures and financial condition of the Society, to be submitted by the Executive Committee to the general meeting.
- arranging for an audit of the books prior to each general meeting, by auditors who shall be appointed by the Executive Committee.
- any other duties that may be assigned to him by the Executive Committee.
COMMITTEES
Article 11
The Executive Committee may set up ad hoc Committees to deal with matters of scientific or professional interest.
FINANCES
Article 12. 1
The financial year of the Society shall begin on 1st January and end on 31st December of each calendar year.
Article 12.2
The amount of the annual subscription shall be determined by members at a general meeting. Any proposal to change the amount of the annual subscription shall be brought to the attention of members at least three months prior to the general meeting at which the proposal is to be considered.
Article 12.3
Subscriptions shall be due on the 1st January and be payable to the Secretary Treasurer.
Paid up members shall be entitled to participate in professional and business meetings of the Society, exercice their voting rights, and be entitled to such other rights and privileges as may be granted to all members to the Society.
Article 12.4
Every second year, the Executive Committee shall communicate the accounts of the two closed financial years and the budget for the ensuing years, for the approval of the general meeting.
RULES OF ORDER
Article 13
Details of the procedure governing the international operation of the Society shall be dealt with in Rules of Order established by the Executive Committee and approved by the general meeting.
AMENDMENTS TO THE STATUTES AND DISSOLUTION
Article 14
Any proposal regarding amendments to the Statutes of the dissolution of the Society shall emanate from the Executive Committee or from at least 20 % of the association members.
Members shall be notified in writing of such proposals by the Secretary Treasurer, at least two months prior to the date of the general meeting which shall deliberate on the proposals aforesaid.
No decision shall be adopted unless it is voted by a two thirds majority of the association members.
However, if less than two thirds of the members are present at the general meeting, a new meeting shall be convened in the same conditions as the preceding one, which subsequent meeting shall definitely and validly decide on the proposal in question, by a majority of two thirds of the members present.
In the event of dissolution, the general meeting shall determine the method of winding up and liquidation of the association.
GENERAL PROVISION
Article 15
Anything which is not provided for by the present Statutes, and in particular the publications to be made in the appendix of the Moniteur Belge (the Belgian Official Gazette) shall be settled according to the approvisions of the Belgian law of 25th October 1919 amended 6th December 1954.