1.NAME OF THE SOCIETY
1.1 The name of the Society is “Latvian Society of the Blind” – abbreviated LNB (hereinafter – the Society), English translation of the name – Latvian Society of the Blind.
2. OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSOCIATION
2.1 To bring together persons with visual impairments, their supporters and supporters;
2.2 To achieve integration of persons with visual impairments into society and improvement of their quality of life;
2.3 To identify and involve persons with visual impairments in the ASSOCIATION and to ensure the protection of their interests;
2.4 To promote education, culture, sport, social rehabilitation, vocational training, employment and provision of technical aids, as well as access to environment and information for persons with visual disabilities;
2.5 To promote the development of social entrepreneurship to facilitate employment of persons with disabilities;
2.6 To promote access to information, communication and exchange of experience among the members of the LWV, motivating them to obtain good education and gainful employment;
3.TERM OF OPERATION
3.1 The Society was founded on 16 June 1926 for an indefinite period of time and is the successor of the rights and obligations of the public organisation “Latvian Association of the Blind”.
4.MEMBERSHIP, WITHDRAWAL AND WITHDRAWAL
4.1 Any natural or legal person who undertakes to abide by the Statutes of the Society may join the Society.
4.2 A natural person shall be admitted to the Society upon personal written application from the age of 16 years. Persons with a visual disability must produce proof of disability. A person under the age of 16 may also join the Society by providing written consent from a parent or guardian.
4.3 An application for admission of a natural person to the Society shall be considered at the next Board meeting of the nearest Territorial Organisation (hereinafter referred to as TO). In case of admission to membership, the Board of the TO shall collect the joining and membership fees.
4.4 If the Board of the TO decides to refuse admission to membership, the person wishing to become a member shall have the right to request a review of the matter by the Central Board of the Society (hereinafter referred to as the “CB”) within one month from the date of receipt of the reasoned refusal.
4.5 A Member may withdraw from the Society at any time by notifying the Board of the relevant TO in writing; in the case of Local Organisations (hereinafter referred to as “LOs”) established by the TO, the Member may notify the Board of the relevant LO, which shall notify the Board of the relevant TO within 5 days.
4.6 A member may be disciplined or expelled from the Society by a decision of the relevant TO Board or CV if the member:
4.6.1 has not paid the membership fee for three months after the due date specified in the Statutes;
4.6.2 does not comply with the decisions of the Society’s bodies;
4.6.3 does not fulfil its duties or obligations;
4.6.4 carries out actions that are contrary to the provisions of these Statutes;
4.6.5 causes significant damage to the activities or prestige of the Society.
4.7 The issue of expulsion of a natural person member of the Society shall be considered by the Board or the CV of the relevant TO at its next meeting, inviting the member to be expelled and giving him/her the opportunity to express his/her opinion. The absence of the expelled member shall not be an obstacle to the decision. The decision of the Board of the TO or the CV to expel a member from the Society and the reasons for this decision shall be communicated in writing to the expelled member and to the Board of the TO or the VO concerned within 5 days from the date of its adoption.
4.8 The decision to admit and expel a legal entity shall be taken by the CV. In case of admission, the CV shall collect the admission and membership fees.
5.RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERS
5.1 Members shall have the right to:
5.1.1 to submit in writing to the Society’s bodies questions and suggestions about the Society’s work and to receive a reply from them within one month;
5.1.2 to participate in elections of the Society’s representatives and bodies, as well as for members with legal capacity who have agreed in writing to be a member of the respective Board or Audit Commission to be elected to the Society’s governing and control bodies;
5.1.3 to be acquainted with the previous annual report of the Society submitted to the State Revenue Service annually after the deadline for submission of documents established by the laws and regulations of the Republic of Latvia;
5.1.4 to be acquainted with the minutes and decisions of all meetings of the bodies of the Society;
5.1.5 to withdraw from the elected bodies of the Society by notifying the relevant body in writing.
5.2 The duties of members of the Society shall be:
5.2.1 comply with the requirements of this Constitution;
5.2.2 to comply with the decisions of the Society’s bodies;
5.2.3 to participate in the work of the Society, to attend meetings of the members of their TO or VO, as well as to actively participate in the promotion of the development of the Society;
5.2.4 to pay the membership fee by 30 December each year;
5.2.5 to preserve and enhance the property of the Society;
5.2.6 to promote the authority of the Society in society.
6. STRUCTURAL FEATURES OF THE SOCIETY
6.1 The Society is organised on the territorial principle – Members of the Society are grouped in TOs and VOs according to their place of residence, workplace, place of study, or taking into account their personal interests.
6.2 The Society consists of territorial units – TOs, which in turn may consist of local units – VOs. TOs and VOs do not have legal personality.
6.3 TOs are established, reorganised or dissolved by a decision of the CV, and VOs by a decision of the TO Board.
6.4 TOs and VOs operate in accordance with these Statutes and the Statutes approved by the CV, which come into force at the same time as the CV’s decision to approve the Statutes.
6.5 The statutes of the TO and the VO shall regulate their activities, determine the numerical composition of the permanent governing body, the economic and financial performance audit body, the election procedure, competences, decision-making procedure, terms of office.
6.6 The activities of the TO shall be supervised by the CV.
7 CONVOCATION AND DECISION-MAKING OF THE MEETING OF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY (hereinafter referred to as the “Congress”)
7.1 The Meeting of the Representatives of the Members of the Society (hereinafter referred to as the “Congress”) is the supreme decision-making body of the Society.
7.2 An ordinary Congress shall be convened by the CV not less frequently than once every five years, as well as in all cases when its convening is necessary for the interests of the Society. An Extraordinary Congress shall be convened if requested in writing by not less than one tenth of the total number of members, but not later than one month after the date of receipt of the request.
7.3 The Congress of the Society shall have a quorum if more than half of the elected representatives are present.
7.4 Decisions of the Congress shall be taken by a majority of the number of representatives present. A decision on the reorganisation or self-liquidation of the Society shall require more than two thirds of the votes of the representatives present.
7.5 One representative of a legal entity member shall attend the Congress by proxy in writing.
7.6 Each representative shall have one vote at the Congress. A representative shall have no vote if the Congress decides to enter into a transaction with that representative, to bring an action or to terminate a case against him.
7.7 Elected representatives shall not be entitled to transfer their powers to third parties.
7.8 If the Congress is not quorate, a new Congress shall be convened within a maximum of five weeks with the same agenda and composition of representatives. In such a case, the Congress shall be quorate if at least two elected representatives are present.
7.9 The Congress shall:
7.9.1 discuss the CV, the reports of the Central Audit Commission (hereinafter referred to as the “CAC”) and take decisions on the activities of the Society;
7.9.2 make amendments to the Statutes. If the amendments to the Statutes are not registered by the Register of Societies and Foundations, the CV shall convene a Congress with the previously elected representatives to remedy the deficiencies;
7.9.3 decide on the reorganisation or self-liquidation of the Society;
7.9.4 elect 9 (nine) members of the CV and 3 (three) members of the CRC for a period of up to five years from among the representatives of the Congress who have agreed in writing to be members of the CV or the CRC;
7.9.5 Members of the CV, employees of the Society’s administration, as well as managers of the Society’s companies or departments may not be elected members of the CRC;
7.9.6 Members of the CV and the CRC may be recalled by the Congress.
8.1 The executive body of the Society shall be the Central Executive Board.
8.2 The Central Executive Board shall:
8.2.1 elect from among its members, by public vote, for a period of up to 5 years, the Chairman of the CV of the Society and one or two Vice-Chairmen, determine their duties and remuneration;
8.2.2 have a quorum if more than half of the members of the CV are present at a meeting.
8.2.3 shall be entitled to take decisions without convening a meeting if all the members of the CV vote in favour of the decision in writing on paper or electronically if the electronic document is prepared and signed in accordance with the laws and regulations. The procedure for making and approving such decisions shall be determined by the CV;
8.2.4 shall have the right to decide on all matters which are not the exclusive competence of the Congress;
8.2.5 shall manage and conduct the affairs of the Society, manage and increase the property of the Society and dispose of its funds in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, the Statutes and the decisions of the Congress;
8.2.6 organise the accounting of the Society in accordance with the Law “On Accounting” and other normative acts;
8.2.7 examine the results of the economic activity of the Society and the Society’s enterprises not less than once a year and adopt relevant decisions;
8.2.8 keep the register of members. Information on members is accessible only to members of the Society, as well as to controlling and law enforcement bodies;
8.2.9 determines the amounts of membership and membership fees for natural and legal persons, as well as the range of persons exempt from these fees;
8.2.10 determines the norm of representation to the Congress, the procedure of nomination and election of representatives, convenes the Congress of the Society, prepares the CV report and other materials, arranges their sending to the representatives not later than 14 days before the Congress;
8.2.11 is responsible for its activities to the Congress and reports to it.
8.3 The President and one or two Vice-Presidents shall each have the right of representation individually, and the other members of the CV shall represent the Society jointly.
8.4 The agenda, the materials to be considered and the draft decisions shall be sent to the members of the CV not later than 3 days before the meeting, in a format suitable for the work.
8.5 Extraordinary meetings of the CV shall be convened if requested in writing by not less than one third of the members of the CV within 10 days of receipt of the request.
8.6 The meetings of the CV shall be minuted. The minutes shall contain a record of the decisions taken, indicating the vote for or against each decision by each CV member.
8.7 CV members shall be jointly and severally liable for any damage caused to the Society through their fault.
9. THE AUTHORITY IN CHARGE OF THE CONTROL OF SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL OPERATIONS
9.1 The Central Audit Commission:
9.1.1 is the audit body of the Society. It is accountable to and reports to the Congress. The report shall be sent to the representatives of the Congress not later than 14 days before the Congress;
9.1.2 shall elect a chairman, a vice-chairman and a secretary from among its members by public vote;
9.1.3 shall have a quorum if more than half of the number of members is present at the meeting. Decisions shall be adopted by a simple majority of the number of members present;
9.1.4 shall audit the property and financial resources of the Society, as well as control the observance of the provisions of the Statutes and the execution of the decisions of the bodies of the Society;
9.1.5 once a year give an opinion on the budget and annual report of the Society;
9.1.6 evaluate the accounting and record-keeping work of the Society;
9.1.7 give recommendations to the bodies of the Society on the improvement of the Society’s activity;
9.1.8 act in a public capacity. Its actual expenses shall be paid from the Society’s funds, in agreement with the CV;
9.1.9 coordinate the work of the TO audit committees.
9.2 The members of the CRC shall be jointly and severally liable for damages caused to the Society through their fault.
Svetlana Sproģe, Chairperson of the Central Board of the LNB
The Statutes were approved in Riga on 10 October 2017.