Statute

§1 Name, Headquarters, Fiscal year

1.1. The name of the organization is "Förderverein TEDDY e.V." (TEDDY Sponsorship Society)

1.2. The society's headquarters are in Berlin

1.3. The fiscal year coincides with the calendar year

§2  Purpose, Non-profit Status

2.1. The lesbian-gay film award "TEDDY" (first awarded in 1987) is, as an officially recognized award of the Berlin International Film Festival, the only film award of its kind in the world. The purpose of the organization is

1. to use the financial means of the society to provide grant awards to accompany the TEDDY.
2. to support and sponsor other lesbian and gay film projects whose content and purpose further the creation and dissemination of tolerance and understanding between homosexuals and heterosexuals.
3. to underline the social importance of a lesbian-gay film award nationally and internationally.

2.2. The society is to attain its goals especially through:

1. guaranteeing and sponsoring the award ceremonies on the last Sunday of the Berlin Film Festival;
2. support, collection, and publication of infomation about lesbian-gay topics in film and about the artists creating these films worldwide;
3. international announcement and support of the TEDDY film award, i.e. through publication and/or events;

2.3. The society's goals activities are exclusively non-profit in accordance with German tax laws.

2.4. The society's activities are aimed at attaining the stated goals and not to perpetrate itself for its own purpose. The society is permitted, in conjunction with these goals, to set and maintain its own aims.

2.5. All officers active in the society work on a volunteer basis. No expenditures are to be incurred which are not in accordance with the society's named purpose or in disproportionally high amounts.

2.6. The society's financial means are only to be used in conjuncture with the official purpose of the society.

§3 Members

3.1. The society has regular and supporting members.

3.2. Regular members can actively take part in all society activities.

3.3. Supporting members support the tasks of the society through dues, gifts and/or other donations, without the right to participate in the activities of the society.

§4 Membership

4.1. Any living person can become a member of the society, and living or legal persons or entities can become a supporting member.

4.2. The executive committee decides on admission to membership after written application.

4.3. Appeal against rejection of an application for membership can be made to the executive committee within one month after written refusal of membership. The decision on appeals against refusal are made by a two-thirds majority at the next regular membership meeting.

§5 Termination of Membership

5.1. Membership is terminated by

1. death of the natural person or termination of legal entity
2. withdrawl
3. expulsion.

5.2. A membership withdrawl is effective at  the receipt by the executive committee of a written declaration of withdrawl from the member.

5.3. The executive committe can by a majority vote  expel a member who has acted against the interests of the society or who is more than one year in arrears in payment of his membership dues after two unheeded reminding notices. Appeal is possible in accordance with the stipulations made in §4.3 above. Appeal against a decision suspends the decision until the appeal is decided.

5.4. Dues and donations paid in advance will not be refunded.

§6 Membership Dues

6.1. Members are to pay dues.

6.2. The amount of the dues and of a possible application fee and their due dates are set by the member meetings.

6.3. Decisions about reduction, postponement, or cancellation of fees and dues are made on an individual basis by the executive committee.

§7 Bodies of the Society

7.1 The society's organizational bodies consist of

1. the members assembly (§§8-12)
2. the executive committee (§13)
3. the business manager (§14)
4. the advisory committee (§15)-

§8 Members' Assembly

8.1. The members assembly consists of regular members. The quorum is the number of participating regular members. Each regular member has one vote. The members assembly is exclusively responsible for the following:

1. election and dismissal of the executive committee
2. ratification of the budget drawn up by the executive committee and the audit and honorable discharge of the executive committee.
3. ratification of the annual report of the executive committee
4. the creation and determination of the amount of a possible membership application fee and its due date
5. ratification of amendments to the statutes and dissolution of the society.
6. decisions on appeals against the refusal of admission to membership and against the expulsion of members.
7. additions and ammendments to the agenda.

8.2. Motions made in conjuncture with §§8.1.g) and 13.4, which were not presented to the members at the latest along with the invitation to the members assembly, may only be decided upon at the following members assembly.

§9 Convoking the Members Assembly

9.1. A regular members assembly must be alled at least onca annually. The asembly is convoked by the executive commitee with a prior written notification to the members of two weeks, including a written agenda. The period of notification begins ont he day following the mailing of the invitations.

9.2. The written notice to a member is valid when sent to the last address known to the society.

§ 10 Members Assembly Procedures

10.1. The members assembly is chaired by a member elected for this purpose by a simple majority vote of the assembly.

10.2. The members assembly is not open to the public. Guests are allowed to attend a members assemly when approved by a majority vote of the assembly.

10.3. Voting is done by the raising of hands. The members assembly can decide that secret ballot is necessary for voting on issues where a two-thirds majority is required.

10.4. The quorum is the number of members present at the assembly. Decisions are made by simple majority of votes cast, if not determined otherwise in the statutes. Abstaining votes carry no weight.

10.5. Statute ammendments including amendments concerning the purpose of the society and on dissolution of the society can only be ratified by a two-thirds majority of members present at the members assembly.

§11 Irregular Members Assembly

11.1. The executive committee can at any time convoke an irregular members assembly when in the interest of the society. The executive committe must convoke an irregular members assembly when demanded by two-thirds of the regular members.

11.2. §§ 9 and 10 apply accordingly to any irregular members assembly.

§12  Records

12.1. Minutes of the decisions of the members assembly are to be taken and signed by a designated secretary. Amendments to the statutes are to be recorded in writing.

12.2. The minutes must be sent to the members no later than the invitation to the next members assembly.

§13 The Executive Committee

13.1. The executive committee consists of three members and is elected for a term of office of three years by the members assembly. The executive committee remains in office until appointment of a new executive committee. If a member of the executive committee leaves office before the end of his/her term of office, the remaining committee can appoint at the most one additional member to fill the vacancy. The term of office of a replacement member of the executive committee ends at the next members assembly.

13.2. Decisions of the executive committee are taken by a simple majority vote. Any motion with an equally divided vote is considered denied. The quorum for the executive committe is reached by the presence of two members of the executive committee. In the case of a two member meeting, motions are passed by unanimous vote only; with a divided vote, the motion is denied.

13.3. The executive committee representes the society in all legal and non-legal functions. The committee can be represented by two of its members together.

13.4. The executive committee can be dismissed by the election of a new executive committee by a two-thirds majority of members present at any members assembly.

13.5. The executive committee carries out the work of the society according to the decisions taken at the members assembly. The executive committee oversees the tasks of the business manager and business office.

§14 Business Manager

14.1. The executive committee can appoint a business manager. The business manager can be a natural person or legal institution. The business manager follows the guidelines set by the executive committee.

14.2. The duties of the business managers are determined in a contract to be made between the business manager and the executive committee.

14.3. The business manager is head of the business office and is expected to carry out the tasks of the society.

§15 Advisory Committee

15.1. The society can create an advisory committee.. The executive committee is responsible for initiating the advisory committee.

15.2. Task of the advisory committe is to support the work of the executive committee. The members of the advisory committee elect a chairperson and vice-chairperson and sets up its own rules of order.

15.3. The task of the advisory committee is to assist and advise on decisions regarding the policies for the work of the society and for carrying out specific tasks to this end.

§16 Dissolution of the Society

16.1. At the dissolution of the society or its non-profit status, the assets of the society are to be transferred to the "Lesbian-Gay Office Film e.V" (Lesbisch-Schwules Büro Film e.V.), if not  otherwise stipulated by the members society. The recipient of the assets must make immediate and non-profit use of the assets. Decisions on the future use of the society assets can only be made after approval of the German Tax Office.

Amtsgericht Charlottenburg, Vereinsregister Nr. 17309 Nz
c/o Aschenneller, Grainauer Straße 11, 10777 Berlin

Bank

Berliner Sparkasse
BLZ/Code 100 500 00
Kto/Acc No  1150 009 809

Tel.: +49.30.215 74 30
Fax: +49.30.217 26 92
E-Mail: teddy@teddyaward.org
www.teddyaward.tv