Articles of Association Education+

Association under the ​ name ​ “Education + : Community of Supporters of Alternative Forms of Education and Emancipatory Pedagogy

ARTICLE 1
Establishment – Name – Registered office
Established in Chalkida according to the provisions of the Civil code: a non-profit
association called ​ Education + : ​ Community of Supporters of Alternative Forms
of Education and Emancipatory Pedagogy. ​ In English, the name will be
“​ Education +”. ​ The registered office of the Association is in the city of Chalkida.
ARTICLE 2
Objectives of the Association
The objectives of the Association ​ are to enhance, disseminate and promote:
1. The right to freely choose a method of education, as set out in the UN
and European Union texts.
2. The ideas of democratic and self-directed education in the Greek
educational system.
3. The right to establish and operate private and public alternative
schools. (e.g. democratic schools )
4. The right for caregivers to choose an environment or a combination of
learning environments for their children.
ARTICLE 3
Means of achieving the objectives
To achieve the above objectives, the Association, may use, inter alia, any of the
following means:
1. Offering cooperation as a legal entity in ventures and individual actions
of similar interest.
2. Strengthening, creating, and implementing programs and actions in the
fields of human rights protection, humanitarian aid, social care and
welfare, education, and vocational training.
3. Dissemination of other educational systems (e.g. Waldorf) through
training of parents and teachers.
4. Creating a library and a resources archive for self-directed and
democratic education.
5. Promoting local and international partnerships with various entities:
research centers, universities, research institutes, educational
institutions, public and private institutions, schools, institutes,
laboratories, associations, social cooperatives, NGOs, local
development agencies, private initiatives, etc.).
6. Production of informational material, printed and digital.
7. Organizing events, conferences, exhibitions and other related activities.
8. Strengthening, developing, and networking of autonomous research,
educational, social and artistic structures within and outside Greece.
9. Supporting (practically, morally and legally) families opting for
alternative forms of education.10. Organizing events to assist financially or taking similar actions to
achieve the objectives of the association or similar bodies,
associations, groups etc.
Reference to the above means is only indicative, as the Association may pursue its
objectives by any other lawful means.
ARTICLE 4
Members – rights and obligations
1. Members of the Association are distinguished into full and honorary. Greek
citizens or foreigners legally residing in the country, who have reached the
age of 18, and accept the Association’s objectives can be registered as full
members, upon their application to the Board of Directors.
2. Honorable Members are appointed by decision of the General Assembly
and are persons who have contributed, either morally or materially, to the
promotion of the Association’s objectives. The number of honorary
members cannot exceed 1/20 of full members.
3. Member registration is accepted upon application by decision of the Board
of Directors. In any case, only full members shall have the right to vote.
Honorary members may attend general meetings without the right to vote.
4. The annual subscription is determined by decision of the General
Assembly and the right of registration for full members of the Association
is determined by decision of the Board of Directors.
5. Any member who fails to fulfill his / her obligations to the Association, to
the provisions of the Articles of Association, to the decisions of the
General Meetings and demonstrates behavior incompatible with its
objectives, shall be removed by decision of the General Assembly. An
appeal may be lodged according to Article 88 of the CC.
6. Each member has the right to withdraw from the Association, subject to
the notification of withdrawal at least three months before the end of the
fiscal year, and her\his withdrawal shall be effective at the end of that year.
7. Full members of the Association have the right to attend the General
Meetings, to speak, to vote, to be nominated and be elected as members
of the Board, after their registration.
8. Refusal or delay in payment of the annual subscription by a member of the
Association precludes the member from exercising the right to attend
General Meetings, and entails the possibility of being deleted from the
Association’s register, upon decision of the General Assembly. (mentioned
above)
ARTICLE 5
Bodies of the Association
The bodies of the Association are the General Assembly, the Board of Directors, the
Audit Committee, and the Electoral Committee.ARTICLE 6
General Assembly
1. The General Assembly is the Association’s sovereign body and shall
decide on any matter which is not within the jurisdiction of any other body.
2. The General Meeting is in quorum if at least 1⁄4 of the active members who
have fulfilled their financial obligation to the Association are present. In the
event of no quorum, the Session shall be repeated the following week, at
the same time, in the same place and with the same agenda without
further notice. The second time the body is in a quorum regardless of the
number of attending members.
3. The General Assembly elects the members of the Board of Directors and
the Audit Committee every two (2) years, decides on the dismissal or not
of a member, upon proposal of the Board of Directors, and dismisses a
member pursuant to Article 88 C.C, decides on the approval of the annual
budget, balance sheet and profit and loss report, on changing the
Association’s objectives, on its dissolution and on the amendments to the
Articles of Association.
4. The General Assembly also has the oversight and control of the other
administrative bodies, entitled, at any time, to terminate them, provided
that their termination is dictated by overriding reasons, and in particular
due to serious infringement of their duties or due to lack of sound
management of the Association’s affairs. The termination or removal of a
member requires the participation in the General Assembly of at least 3/5
of the registered members of the Association.
5. The General Assembly is composed of the Association’s full members.
6. The General Assembly meets regularly once a year on any day of the first
quarter of the year. The General Assembly may meet exceptionally when
the Board of Directors considers it necessary in the interests of the
Association or the convocation is requested by at least one-fifth of its
active members, by written request addressed to the Board and specifying
the matters to be discussed. In this case, the convocation must take place
no more than fifteen (15) days after receipt of the request.
7. Members are invited to the General Meeting by the Board of Directors by
individual invitations or by newspaper announcements at least ten (10)
days before the date set for the meeting. The invitation shall set out the
items on the agenda and shall specify the place and exact date of the
meeting. The agenda of the issues to be discussed at the General
Assembly is prepared by the Board of Directors. Members may attend the
meeting via an online platform if they are unable to attend. An electronic
vote is valid if it is approved by a majority of the members of the General
Assembly.
8. The decisions of the General Assembly shall be validly adopted by an
absolute majority of the attending members.
9. If at least 3⁄4 of the active members provide a written consent to a set
proposal, a decision regarding that proposal may be taken without the
meeting of the members.
10. At each convocation, the General Assembly, prior to any discussion,
elects the regular bureau of the General Assembly consisting of: the
Chairperson, the Secretary, who is required to keep detailed minutes of
the meeting, and one member.11. In cases other than elections and questions of confidence, where a secret
ballot is required, voting shall be open and acted upon by show of hands,
or by roll-call vote or by means of an electronic platform.
12.The provisions of Article 98 of the Civil Code shall be valid and applied to
every vote of the General Assembly.
13. In case of resignation or absence of a member of the Board of Directors
for any reason, at least 1/5 of the members may request an Extraordinary
General Assembly for the purpose of electing a temporary administration
of the Association to proceed with election. These members undertake
also to invite the rest of the members to this meeting.
ARTICLE 7
Board of Directors
1. The right to be elected to the management of the Association shall be
exercised only by full members, provided that: a) they have full legal
capacity; b) they are not deprived of their political rights; c) on the day of
their election they have fulfilled their financial obligations to the
Association.
2. The Association is managed by a seven-member Board of Directors,
elected every two years within the first quarter of each year, by a majority
of its full members. Voting shall be by secret ballot. The Board of Directors
consists of the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, General Secretary,
Treasurer and 3 members / advisors.
3. The Board of Directors administers and manages the Association’s
interests and property, in accordance with the provisions of the Articles of
Association, draws up the report on the management of the previous year,
the budget for the following year, which the Audit Committee submits to the
General Assembly for approval, as well as accountability at the end of
each year. It establishes various committees, temporary or permanent, and
entrusts them with the study and handling of various issues and activities
of the Association.
4. The Board of Directors meets regularly every two months, and in
extraordinary cases, whenever the Chairperson or at least four members
of the Board may consider it necessary.
5. The decisions of the Board of Directors shall be taken by a majority of the
present members and shall be in quorum when five of its members are
present. In the event of a tie for a decision, the vote of the Chairperson
shall prevail.
6. For personal issues and questions of trust, the vote is secret. The minutes
of the meetings of the Board of Directors shall be signed by the present
members after reading them at the next meeting.
7. A Board member who is unjustifiably absent from two consecutive BoD
meetings or three non-consecutive Board meetings in the same year loses
membership of the Board and is replaced by the first successive alternate
member on the basis of the votes cast.
8. The Board of Directors meets at the registered office of the Association,
elsewhere, or online by decision of the Chairperson.
ARTICLE 8
Powers of the Chairperson – Vice-Chairperson1. The Chairperson of the Board shall direct the business of the Association in
accordance with the decisions of the General Assembly and of the BoD,
the terms of these Articles of Association and the provisions of Law.
2. Represents the Association in Courts of every degree and jurisdiction, in
Public, Municipal and other authorities, in legal entities of Public and
Private Law and generally in judicial and extra-judicial matters.
3. Directs the meetings of the Board of Directors, signs with the present
members the minutes of the meetings, supervises and ensures the
observance of the provisions of the Articles of Association and the
implementation of the decisions of the Board of Directors and the General
Assembly, and supervises the General Secretary, the Treasurer and
management.
4. The Chairperson, along with the General Secretary and the Treasurer, shall
draw up the annual balance sheet, budget and report as well as the report
of the Board of Directors’ activities, which shall be approved by the Board
of Directors and by the Audit Committee, and submits them for approval to
the General Assembly at its first regular annual meeting.
5. Powers of the Vice-Chairperson: Shall replace the Chairperson in all his/her
duties when absent or is unable to attend. Such replacement shall always
be made to the knowledge of the Chairperson or otherwise deemed
unlawful. Representation of the Association vis-à-vis the State requires the
authorization of the Chairperson.
ARTICLE ​ 9
Responsibilities of the Secretary
The Secretary acts and processes the correspondence of the Association, receives
the applications and, upon approval, records the members’ registrations, keeps the
minutes of the Board meetings, keeps the seal, co-signs with the Chairperson the
documents of the Association, keeps a record and checks with the Chairperson the
fund and management. He/she shall also co-sign with the Chairperson the receipts
and payment orders, as long as their observance is decided by the Board of
Directors.
ARTICLE 10
Responsibilities of the Treasurer
The Treasurer shall keep the Fund and is obliged to deposit in the Bank any excess
amount of money determined by the Board of Directors. Executes payments,
arranges them, personally or by a collector authorized by the Board of Directors,
collects members’ subscriptions and signs any receipts. She/He holds the treasury
book, the required accounting books, as well as the auxiliary books and is also
personally responsible for their maintenance, as well as for the money entrusted to
him/her and the rest of the Association’s property. She\He submits a quarterly
summary of the financial situation of the Fund and its management in general to the
Board of Directors.
Article 11
Responsibilities of the ConsultantsThe consultants’ responsibilities are:
● To participate in the Board meetings and to replace other members of
the Board, other than the Chairperson, who is replaced only by the Vice
Chairperson.
● The organization of events, gatherings, celebrations, seminars, lectures,
excursions, etc.
● Also the coordination of committees and the supervision of relevant
work.
ARTICLE 12
Resources and financial management
1. The resources of the Association are divided into regular and
extraordinary, and are as follows:
1.1. Regular resources are the registration fees and subscriptions of members,
the amount of which will be determined by decision of the General
Assembly.
1.2. ​ Extraordinary resources are emergency contributions as defined by the
Board.
1.3.​ Voluntary contributions or donations by members or third parties and
subsidies or grants by individuals or legal persons under private or public
law, provided they do not bind the Association in any way.
1.4. ​ The proceeds from festivals, lectures, excursions and other events and
activities.
1.5. ​ Any other income that comes legally to the Association.
1. The management of the Association’s finances is based on the budget of
revenue and expenses, which is prepared by the Board of Directors and
approved by the General Assembly and is effective from January 1st to
December 31st of each year.
3. Until the budget of the new year is approved, receipts and payments may be
made on the basis of the budget of the previous year.
4. Each year’s balance sheet and PL report, as well as the Audit Committee ‘s
report, must be submitted to the General Assembly for approval within
three (3) months from the end of the financial year.
5. Funds may be collected upon issuing a duplicate receipt, stamped with the
seal of the Association and signed by the Treasurer.
6. Part of the funds is held in cash and the rest is deposited in a Bank
according to the Board’s decision.
7. The withdrawal of money from a Bank account can only be made by the
Chairperson of the Board of Directors, following the decision of the Board
of Directors.
8. The payments of the Association may be done in cash, wire transfers and
payment orders and checks signed by the Chairperson of the Board of
Directors and the Treasurer.
9. For expenditure above 3.000 € a valid order is required from the Board,
while for expenditure above 50.000 € a resolution of the General Assembly
is required. In any event, the treasurer and the Chairperson of the Board of
Directors shall inform the members of the expenses incurred during the
BoD meetings.

ARTICLE 13
Electoral Committee
Candidates for any other position may not be members of the Electoral Committee.
The Electoral Committee is elected by the election convocation and, after the end of
the voting, closes the voting protocol, draws up a report with each candidate’s votes
and announces the first seven (7) in votes as members of the Board of Directors,
followed by the deputies and members of the Audit Committee.
Within eight (8) days of the General Meeting, under the responsibility of the majority
counselor, the Board of Directors convenes and elects the Chairperson,
Vice-Chairperson, General Secretary and Treasurer.
ARTICLE 14
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee is elected by the General Assembly during the election, with a
two-year term. It consists of three members. The Chairperson and the Secretary of
the Committee are elected by secret ballot among the members.
The Audit Committee has the right to be informed on the management and assets of
the Association and to monitor the Board of Directors on an ad hoc basis, whenever it
deems appropriate, and regularly at the end of each year. Every second year, at the
end of the Board’s term of office, the Audit Committee submits a comprehensive
report on the overall management of the outgoing Board of Directors throughout its
term of office, which is read in the General Assembly after the stocktaking of the
outgoing Board, in line with the provisions of Article 9 hereof.
The Audit Committee has the right to convene an extraordinary meeting of the
General Assembly in order to inform members of any mismanagement identified
when conducting an audit.
In case of disagreement between its members, the disagreeing member shall draw
up a separate report and the General Assembly shall decide.
ARTICLE 15
Amendment of the Articles of Association – Change of objectives – Dissolution
1. The amendment of the Articles of Association and the dissolution of the
Association shall be decided by the General Assembly, requiring the
presence of at least half (1/2) of the members and a majority of
three-fourths (3/4) of the present members.
2. The Association is dissolved in the cases provided for in Article 105 of the
Civil Code or when this is decided so by the General Assembly according
to the provisions of the previous paragraph.
ARTICLE 16
The decision to change the objectives of the Association requires consent of all
members. Absentees can give their consent in writing.
ARTICLE 17
Fate of the Association’s assetsThe assets of the Association in case of dissolution shall not be distributed among its
members, but they shall be distributed to similar associations by decision of the
General Assembly.
ARTICLE 18
The Association has a seal bearing the name and year of establishment around it
and its mark at the center.
ARTICLE 19
Books of the Association
I. The books kept by the Association are divided into mandatory and optional.
II. The Association keeps as mandatory:
a. Register of the Association’s members. It records all the details of the members of
the Association.
b. Book of Board Minutes.
c. Book of the General Assembly Minutes.
d. Book of Receipts – Payments.
III. Optionally kept by the Association:
a. Incoming and Outgoing Documents Protocol.
b. Book (archive) of Incoming and Outgoing documents.
c. Book of attendance at the General Assembly.
d. Book of consumables.
The Association may also keep other Books as per its needs.
ARTICLE 20
General provisions
I. The Association is entitled to participate in broader unions of Associations or similar
associations, domestic or foreign and this is decided by the General Assembly. For
the representation and relationship of the bodies with the Association by decision of
the General Assembly, representatives are elected through the secret ballot
procedure of the Board of Directors or the General Assembly assigns the duties of
representation directly to a member/members in each case, and the provisions of this
Statute and the relevant laws are applied.
II. The actions of the bodies of the Association are substantial and binding on the
Association, as long as they are decided within their competence and during their
term of office.
ARTICLE 21
The First Ordinary Assembly, which will nominate the members of the Board of
Directors, shall take place within two (2) months of the approval of these Articles of
Association and the registration of the Association in the Books of the Associations of
the competent court. Until then, the Association will be managed by an Interim
Administrative Committee (of four members)
ARTICLE 22
Provisional OrderThe financial burden of the members of the Association until the General Assembly
decides otherwise is as follows:
1 . Annual membership fee: 15.00€. A year is defined as calendar year (from 1/1 to
31/12 of each year)
ARTICLE 23
Final Provision
These Articles of Association consist of twenty-three (23) articles drafted and
approved by the founding members in Chalkida and are signed as follows:
THE FOUNDERS