Bylaws
Bylaws in force: 28.03.2022 10:29:54. This is an unofficial English translation; in case of any discrepancy, the Finnish version prevails.
1. Name and domicile of the association
The name of the association is Viral Vegans ry, and it uses the name Viral Vegans in its activities. The abbreviation of the association’s name is VV.
The domicile of the association is Helsinki. Hereinafter in these bylaws, the association is referred to as Viral Vegans or the association.
2. Purpose and activities
Viral Vegans is an animal rights association whose purpose is to end speciesist oppression, to promote ethical veganism, and to build and maintain a vegan community. These form part of an overarching purpose in which speciesist oppression is replaced by ethical veganism.
Viral Vegans defines ethical veganism as follows:
Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude – as far as is possible and practicable – all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose, while promoting the development and use of animal-free alternatives. In dietary terms, veganism denotes the practice of not consuming any products of animal origin at all.
To fulfil its purpose, the association’s activities include
organizing campaigns, public events and cultural events, publishing activities, the non-profit renting and brokering of premises for vegan and animal rights activities, and other activities in line with Viral Vegans’ values and goals.
To support its activities, the association has the right to accept
donations, grants and bequests, to engage in business activities by selling products that support the association’s activities, to own and manage the real and movable property necessary for its activities, to organize fundraising campaigns and lotteries with the relevant permit, and to pursue its purpose through other forms of support as well.
The association is religiously and party-politically non-aligned. Viral Vegans does not accept any form of discrimination or hate speech in its activities, such as sexism, racism, transphobia, ableism or discrimination based on sexual orientation.
3. Members
3.1 Full members
Full members are approved by the board of the association upon application. A full member has the right to vote, speak and attend at meetings of the association. A full member must accept the purpose and activities of the association.
In accordance with the purpose of the association, full members of Viral Vegans must meet two conditions:
- They do not eat any foods of animal origin.
- They define themselves as vegan.
3.2 Supporting members
A person becomes a supporting member by paying the membership fee. A private individual, company, association or other legal entity that wishes to support the purpose and activities of the association may be accepted as a supporting member. A supporting member has the right to speak and attend at meetings of the association.
4. Joining fee and membership fee
The annual general meeting decides separately for each membership group on the amount of the joining fee charged to full members and of the annual membership fee charged
to supporting members. The joining fee for full members is paid once. Supporting members pay their membership fee annually.
5. Resignation and expulsion of members
A full member or supporting member has the right to resign from the association by notifying the board of the association or its chair in writing, or by announcing their resignation at a meeting of the association for entry in the minutes.
The association may consider a full member or supporting member to have resigned from the association if the member has not paid their joining fee or membership fee for either the previous or the current financial year.
The board of the association may expel a full member or supporting member by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the votes cast if the member
1. has failed to fulfil the obligations to which they
committed by joining the association; or
2. has, through their conduct within or outside the association,
significantly harmed the association or acted against its values or goals; or
3. no longer meets the conditions of membership
set out in the bylaws of the association.
6. Board
The affairs of the association are managed by a board consisting of a chair and 2–8 other full members as well as 0–8 deputy members, elected at the annual general meeting. The deputy members are general deputies, and the board decides the order in which they are called upon. The term of office of the board is the period between electoral meetings.
The board elects from among its members a first (1st) and, if necessary,
a second (2nd) vice-chair, and elects from among its members or
from outside the board the other officials needed to share or perform the duties of secretary and treasurer or other tasks deemed necessary. The board meets when convened by the chair or, if the chair is unable to do so, by the vice-chair, when they consider it necessary or when at least half of the board members so request. The board may hold its meeting, and a board member may take part in a board meeting, via a data or telephone network. The board has a quorum when at least half of its members, including the chair or vice-chair, are present.
Votes are decided by an absolute majority of the votes. In the event of a tie, the chair has the casting vote, but in elections the result is decided by drawing lots.
7. Signing for the association
The association’s name is signed by the chair of the board,
the vice-chair, the event producer, the marketing specialist, the content producer, the legal expert or another official, two of them together. The board may authorize a full member of the board to represent the association alone.
8. Financial year
The financial year of the association is the calendar year.
9. Meetings of the association
If the board or the meeting of the association so decides, members may also take part in a meeting of the association by post or by means of a telecommunications connection or other technical means during or before the meeting. The association holds one annual general meeting each year, on a date set by the board between July and December.
At meetings of the association, each full member has one vote and may also stand as a candidate. A supporting member has the right to attend and speak at meetings of the association.
Unless otherwise provided in the bylaws, the decision of a meeting of the association is the opinion supported by more than half of the votes cast. In the event of a tie, the chair of the meeting has the casting vote, but in elections the result is decided by drawing lots.
10. Convening meetings of the association
The board must convene meetings of the association at least seven days before the meeting by letters posted to the members, by email, on the association’s website or in a social media group used by the association.
11. Annual general meeting of the association
The annual general meeting of the association handles the following matters:
1. opening of the meeting
2. election of the chair and secretary of the meeting, two
scrutinizers of the minutes and, if necessary, two vote counters
3. establishing that the meeting is lawfully convened and has a quorum
4. approval of the agenda of the meeting
5. presentation of the financial statements, the annual report and
the statement of the operations auditors/auditors
6. decision on the adoption of the financial statements and on discharging
the board and other accountable persons from liability
7. confirmation of the amounts of the joining and membership fees for the following
calendar year
8. election of the chair and other members of the board
9. election of one or two operations auditors and a deputy operations auditor
or one or two auditors and a deputy auditor
10. consideration of other matters mentioned in the notice of the meeting.
If a member of the association wishes to have a matter considered at the annual general meeting, they must notify the board of it in writing in good time so that the matter can be included in the notice of the meeting. Only a full member of the association may be appointed as a member of the board.
12. Amending the bylaws and dissolving the association
A decision to amend the bylaws or to dissolve the association must be made at a meeting of the association by a majority of at least three quarters (3/4) of the votes cast. The notice of the meeting must mention the amendment of the bylaws or the dissolution of the association. If the association is dissolved, its assets shall be used to promote the purpose of the association in the manner decided by the meeting that decides on the dissolution. If the association is ordered to be terminated, its assets shall be used for the same purpose.