LAAJ RULES

RULES OF THE LATVIAN FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

The Rules of the LAAJ were adopted at the Conference of delegates on 31st December, 2010 in Melbourne, Victoria.

NAME, OBJECTIVES AND MEMBERSHIP

1. The name of the organisation is: “The Latvian Federation of Australia and New Zealand”, herein referred to as the LAAJ, which is the abbreviation of the organisation’s name in Latvian: “Latviešu apvienība Austrālijā un Jaunzēlandē”.
2. The objectives of the LAAJ, operating in line with democratic tradition, are to promote:
   1. co-operation between Latvians and Latvian organisations in Australia and New Zealand in social, cultural and welfare areas. (The term “organisations” include societies, their branches, congregations and other organised bodies);
   2. the development and preservation of Latvian culture in Australia and New Zealand;
   3. co-operation with organisations and government institutions in Latvia; and
   4. d. co-operation with Latvian organisations in other countries.
3. For the purpose of achieving its objectives, the LAAJ is authorised to:
   1. make representations to governments and other authorities on behalf of people of Latvian origin;
   2. subscribe to, become a member of and co-operate with any other association or organisation, whether incorporated or not, whose objectives are similar to those of the LAAJ;
   3. encourage and assist the preservation and safe-keeping of existing Latvian cultural works and to promote the development of new cultural works for the enjoyment and benefit of Latvians and the community in general;
   4. encourage, support, organise and co-ordinate schools, courses, lectures, meetings, conferences and other activities for the teaching of the Latvian language, literature, history and other aspects of Latvian culture and sport;
   5. provide or contribute towards the provision of prizes, awards and distinctions to persons and works promoting the objectives of the LAAJ;
   6. purchase, lease, exchange, hire and otherwise acquire any lands, buildings, easements or property real and personal and any rights or privileges which may be requisite for the purposes of, or capable of being conveniently used in connection with, any of the objectives of the LAAJ, provided that in case the LAAJ shall take or hold any property which may be subject to any trusts, the LAAJ shall only deal with the same in such manner as is allowed by law having regard to such trusts;
   7. enter into arrangements with any government or authority, supreme, municipal, local or otherwise that may appear conducive to any or all of the objectives of the LAAJ and to obtain from any such government or authority any rights, privileges and concessions which the LAAJ may consider it desirable to obtain and to carry out, exercise and comply with any such arrangements, rights, privileges and concessions;
   8. invest the assets of the LAAJ in authorised trustee investments or as authorised by the Conference of delegates;
   9. borrow or raise or secure the payment of money in such manner as the LAAJ may think fit and to secure the same or the repayment of performance of any debt, liability, contract, guarantee or other engagement incurred or to be entered into by the LAAJ in any way;
   10. borrow or raise or secure the payment of money in such manner as the LAAJ may think fit and to secure the same or the repayment of performance of any debt, liability, contract, guarantee or other engagement incurred or to be entered into by the LAAJ in any way;
   11. take such steps by personal or written appeals, public meetings or otherwise, as may from time to time appear expedient for the purpose of procuring contributions to the funds of the LAAJ whether as donations, annual subscriptions or otherwise;
   12. make donations.
4. Members
   1. All Latvian organisations in Australia and New Zealand, and individual adults may apply for admission to membership of the LAAJ. The application for membership shall be in such form as the Executive Committee prescribes. The Executive Committee shall determine the application and is not required to give reasons for the rejection of any applicant;
   2. Individual members may on payment to the LAAJ of a fee determined by the Executive Committee be admitted as life members and thereupon releases them from liability to pay any further membership fees.
   3. The Executive Committee may suspend for a nominated period any member from membership provided that such member shall have a right of appeal to the Conference of Delegates;
   4. The Conference of delegates may suspend for a nominated period any member from membership or expel any member.
   5. Any member may resign from membership of the LAAJ by giving written notice to The Executive Committee.
   6. The Executive Committee maintains the register of members.

ADMINISTRATION, ACTIVITIES, FUNDS

5. The Conference of delegates herein referred to as “the Conference” has ultimate authority in the LAAJ. It determines the guidelines for the operation of the LAAJ, the time and place of the Latvian Cultural Festivals and other important matters.
6. The Conference shall be convened by the Executive Committee of the LAAJ:
   1. As the need arises and in any event, at least once every 3 years;
   2. On the requisition in writing of at least five member organisations or fifty individual members. Such requisition shall state the purpose of the Conference and be delivered to the Chairperson of the Executive Committee or in their absence to the Deputy Chairperson. If the Executive Committee fails to convene a Conference within 3 months of delivery of the requisition, then the requisitioning member organisations or any of them may proceed to convene a Conference at the seat of the Executive Committee.
   3. The date, time and venue of the Conference shall be notified to all members and office bearers at least 3 months prior to the Conferences.
   4. Notice of the Conference shall include the proposed agenda, including all the Executive Committee, Cultural Foundation, Division, Section and member propositions for resolution by the Conference. Propositions may include appropriate supplementary information as attachments.
   5. Notice of the Conference shall include an invitation for members to submit their own propositions or commentaries regarding the proposed agenda to the Executive Committee at least 2 months prior to the Conference.
   6. All propositions and commentaries received by the Executive Committee, subject to the provisions in paragraph (6e), shall be notified to all members at least 1 month prior to the Conference.
7. Voting at the Conference
   1. Member organisations shall have at least one vote and are entitled to be represented by at least one delegate at the Conference, together with one further vote and delegate for each full quota of 50 members in excess of their first 25 members.
   2. Church congregations and other organisations which are required to pay nominal or no membership fees are entitled to one vote and one delegate each.
   3. The minimum membership fee for member organisations is for 25 members.
   4. Only those member organisations whose fees due are paid at least 1 month before the Conference, are entitled to vote at the Conference.
   5. Any group of at least 25 individual members whose fees due are paid at least 1 month before the Conference may accredit one member as its delegate to the Conference. Such delegate shall have one vote. No member may be in more than one group of individual members.
   6. f. Delegates must produce written accreditation and membership figures from their organisations or the individual members they represent.
8. Member organisations not represented at the Conference may make written submissions and vote in writing on any business placed on the agenda by the Executive Committee.

Proceedings at the Conference

9. The Conference shall be conducted in the Latvian language.
10. Leadership of the Conference
    1. Until the election of the Conference chairperson, the Conference shall be lead by the Chairperson of the Executive Committee or in their absence by the Deputy Chairperson of the Executive Committee.
    2. The Executive Committee shall appoint a delegate confirmation committee prior to the Conference. The delegate confirmation committee shall report its results to the Conference before the election of the Conference chairperson.
    3. Following the official opening of the Conference and report by the delegate confirmation committee, a Conference chairperson, minute taker and 2 returning officers shall be elected from the delegates present at the Conference.
11. All propositions or amendments to propositions shall be given to the Conference chairperson in writing, before debate of that proposition or amendment begin.
12. All propositions, except Executive Committee propositions, must be supported by at least 1 other delegate to the Conference.
13. Polling
    1. Unless a secret poll is requested by at least one-tenth of delegates present at the Conference, a question for decision at the Conference shall be determined by a show of hands.
    2. Before voting on an original proposal a vote shall be taken on each amendment to the proposal.
    3. In the case of multiple amendments to a proposal, the Conference chairperson shall determine the order in which they are voted on.
    4. If one or more amendments to a proposal are accepted, then the original proposal shall be altered to include the accepted amendments. The Conference shall then vote on the altered proposal.
14. Resolutions at the Conference are passed by a simple majority. A three-quarters majority of the total number of votes entitled to be cast by delegates present at the Conference is required to amend these Rules, to wind up the LAAJ and to remove Executive Committee members and auditors from office before the expiry of their term.
15. Counting
    1. “a simple majority” means at least half plus 1 of the total number of votes entitled to be cast by delegates present at the Conference, including all votes for, against and abstaining.
    2. “a two-thirds majority” means at least two-thirds of the total number of votes entitled to be cast by delegates present at the Conference, including all votes for, against and abstaining.
    3. “a visible majority” means that the Conference chairperson may determine “a simple majority” exists without the need to count hands. Any delegate may also request a count of hands immediately following the announcement of “a visual majority”. A count of hands shall be undertaken in this circumstance.
16. Resolutions of the Conference must be in accordance with these Rules of the LAAJ.
17. Any proxy votes received, as permitted by Rule 8, may only be counted when polling for the specific proposition for which they were submitted.
18. The Conference minute taker and Conference Chairperson shall prepare, sign and send to the Executive Committee the minutes of the Conference within 3 months of the Conference. The Executive Committee is responsible for sending the minutes of the Conference to all members
19. The Conference shall:
    1. Determine the seat and period in office of the Executive Committee, which shall be at least 2 years.
    2. Elect an Executive Committee, comprising a Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, Vice Chairpersons for the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia, the Chairperson of the Cultural Foundation, 2 Secretaries, a Treasurer and the Directors of the Divisions. The Chairperson of the Executive Committee and other office bearers shall be elected directly by the Conference. Persons not residing at the pre-determined seat of the Executive Committee may be elected as office bearers. It is permissible, if required, for one person to hold multiple positions on the Executive Committee.
    3. Elect an Audit Committee.
20. Each LAAJ representative to the World Federation of Free Latvians (PBLA) Executive Committee shall also be a member of LAAJ Executive Committee.
21. The Audit Committee shall audit the books of account of the Executive Committee, all Divisions and Sections, and the Cultural Foundation, annually, and report thereon to the Executive Committee and the following Conference.
22. Conference delegates and members of the Executive and Audit Committees may not receive payment for the performance of their duties or attendance at meetings. No part of the income and property of the LAAJ shall be paid or transferred in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, to its members by way of profit or gain.
23. The LAAJ shall have a Council comprising the past and present Chairpersons of the Executive Committee. The Council shall act as a consultant to the Executive Committee
24. The Executive Committee:
    1. May appoint additional members to the Executive Committee, if required, to fill any vacant positions.
    2. Any member of the Executive Committee may resign from membership of the Executive Committee by giving written notice to The Executive Committee. The Executive Committee may appoint a replacement from within the Executive Committee or any other candidate suitable to the Executive Committee.
    3. Shall meet at least once every 2 months.
    4. Resolutions of the Executive Committee shall be decided by a majority of votes, cast by a show of hands.
    5. A quorum for a meeting of the Executive Committee shall be no less than 6 members of the Executive Committee.
    6. A member of the Executive Committee having a direct or indirect conflict of interest with a question arising must disclose the nature and extent of that interest to the Executive Committee, and shall not vote with respect to that question. The member may participate in debate of the question and express their opinions.
    7. Proper minutes of all proceedings of Executive Committee meetings shall be kept.
25. LAAJ resources comprise membership fees determined by the Conference, payments to foundations, gifts and other receipts. Member organisations liable to pay membership fees shall do so by 31st August of the year in respect of which they are levied.
26. The Executive Committee may, subject to Conference resolutions, issue instructions concerning the allocation of LAAJ funds and the operations of the various Divisions.
27. On ceasing its operations, the LAAJ shall transfer its assets in accordance with a Conference resolution or in default thereof, to the “Freedom Foundation” (Brīvības Fonds).

THE INFORMATION DIVISION

28. The objectives of the Information Division are to:
    1. Disseminate information about the activities of the LAAJ;
    2. Disseminate information about Latvia, the Latvian nation and culture.
29. The Division shall co-ordinate, as necessary, its activities with similar Latvian information institutions overseas, The World Federation of Free Latvians, Baltic Committees and Latvian diplomatic and consular representatives

THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS DIVISION

30. The Cultural Affairs Division shall promote Latvian education and encourage the development and preservation of Latvian culture.
31. The Cultural Affairs Division shall initiate, establish and promote the development of Latvian cultural activities and work for the preservation and propagation of cultural values.
32. The Cultural Affairs Division comprises a Director who is a member of the Executive Committee and the various Section Leaders.
33. For the purpose of pursuing its objectives, the Division may have the following Sections: Schools, Further Education, Literature, Handicrafts, Music, Theatre, Visual Arts, Sciences, Post Graduate Studies, Folk Dancing and Film.
    1. The Schools Section co-operates with Latvian schools and co-ordinates their activities, arranges the supply of educational materials, and organises conferences for parents and teachers. In conjunction with the Further Education Section, it is responsible for the preparation of new teachers for Latvian schools.
    2. The Further Education Section co-ordinates all Latvian post-school education. It deals with all those problems of Latvian education that do not involve the Latvian Ethnic Schools. It oversees the operation of the “Tervete” children’s camp, “Anna Ziedare” summer school and the “3×3” camp.
    3. The Literature Section is responsible for maintaining contact with Latvian authors and others active in the field of Latvian literature, and promotes the development of Latvian literature.
    4. The Handicrafts Section is responsible for maintaining contact with Latvian craftsmen. It works for the preservation and development of Latvian folkloric designs, promotes the formation of handicraft groups and associations, organises seminars and displays and develops collections of Latvian artefacts.
    5. The Music Section is responsible for maintaining contact with Latvian musicians and composers, promotes the development of Latvian choirs and attends to other matters related to Latvian music including the organisation and promotion of concerts by Latvian musicians.
    6. The Theatre Section attends to matters relating to theatre, the development and preservation of Latvian theatre, and promotes the organisation of Theatre Festivals.
    7. The Visual Arts Section is responsible for maintaining contact with Latvian painters, graphic artists, sculptors and others working in the field of Latvian visual art. It promotes Latvian art and organises exhibitions.
    8. The Sciences Section is responsible for maintaining contact with Latvian scientists, for promoting the recognition of professional qualifications obtained by Latvians overseas, encourages the undertaking of research projects and deals with problems covering any branch or field of science in which Latvian scientists are involved or which concerns the Latvian people or their country.
    9. The Post Graduate Studies Section is responsible for arranging opportunities for suitable university graduates from Latvia to do post-graduate studies at tertiary institutions or associated facilities in Australia.
    10. The Folk Dancing Section promotes the development of Latvian folk dancing groups, their co-operation and interaction.
    11. The Film Section is responsible for maintaining contact with Latvian film producers, promotes the documentation on film of important events in Latvian society, and organises Latvian film archives and exhibitions.

34. Each Section Leader vacates office on the election of a new Executive Committee. The incoming Director may re-appoint those Section Leaders who remain in office and nominate new Section Leaders for confirmation by the Executive Committee.
35. The Director may establish ad hoc committees. The meetings of such committees shall be chaired by the Director.

THE YOUTH DIVISION

36. The Youth Division promotes and develops the interest of Latvian youth in its Latvian heritage, promotes the participation of youth in Latvian youth organisations and activities, the preparation of youth leaders and co-ordinates the work of youth organisations and groups, in areas such as sport, summer schools and seminars, folk dancing, music and theatre ensembles.
37. In order to assist the work of the Youth Division and for the support of and better contact with various youth interest groups, the Division’s Director should liaise with the “Latvian Youth Association of Australia.”
38. The Director of the Youth Division and the Section Leaders of the Cultural Affairs Division shall co-operate in areas in which their responsibilities overlap.

THE ECONOMIC AFFAIRS DIVISION

39. The Economic Affairs Division organises the annual LAAJ fundraising campaign and seeks to identify other possible sources of income

THE CULTURAL FOUNDATION

40. The LAAJ shall have a Cultural Foundation
41. The Chairperson of the Cultural Foundation is elected by the Conference for the same term as the Executive Committee.
42. The Board of Management of the Cultural Foundation comprises the Chairperson, the Directors of the Cultural Affairs and Youth Divisions and at least three and not more than six other members nominated by the Chairperson and confirmed by the Executive Committee.
43. The objectives of the Foundation are to promote and finance Latvian education, youth activities and cultural endeavours.
44. The Foundation shall co-ordinate its activities with similar Latvian institutions overseas.
45. The Conference and the Executive Committee may each issue directions concerning the Cultural Foundation’s operations and allocation of finances.
46. Subject to Rule 45, the Board determines applications for the allocation of finance submitted by the Directors of the Cultural Affairs and Youth Divisions, and other applicants. Board resolutions require the support of at least five Board members.
47. The Board shall report annually on its operations to the Executive Committee.