Statutes of the Association
Central European Union of Technical Museums
1.
Name, Seat and Field of Activity:
1.1 The Union is called „Central European Union of Technical Museums“(„Mitteleuropäische Union
Technischer Museen“, shortly MUT).
1.2 The seat of the union is in Vienna.
1.3 The field of activity comprises the regions of the founding museums.
2.
Objectives of the Union:
MUT Union is non-profitable and aims in a historically interconnected area to:
2.1 collectively examine the history, economic formation and social influences in the field of
technology and natural sciences, possibly to interchange the knowledge;
2.2 exchange information, thoughts, people and ideas between the members;
2.3 improve the knowledge of the member of the union;
2.4 improve the knowledge of technical and natural sciences development, its personalities and
gained objects in the members´ countries
2.5 help and understand specific features, problems, trends of development and circumstances of
technology and natural sciences of all member countries
2.6 gain general and special knowledge of history and development, exhibition and procurement
techniques, inventarisation, storage, general and special technical museums planning, exhibitions,
new buildings, their infrastructure and management in museology field, etc.
2.7 bring the matters and special problems of technical museums closer to public
2.8 help the contacts in museology field between member countries;
2.9 create a base for inter- and multidisciplinary exchange of ideas in all points mentioned above
3.
Activities to realise the union´s objectives:
The intended aim of the union should be realized by:
3.1 Ideal activities: professional events, travelling exhibitions, study travels to member museums,
publishing books and resolutions, collaborators´ exchange and other projects, supporting the
objectives.
3.2 Providing the needed resources: enrollment fee, profits from events, publications and events
of different clubs, gifts, collections, state and private subsidies, museum items sale in the broad
sense of the word
4.
Types of Membership
The members of the union are divided to:
-full members; they are museums fully participating on activities of the union
-supporting members; they subsidize the union´s activities by paying higher membership fees
-honorable members; they are people who are named honorable members deservedly
5.
Acquisition of the Membership
Both physical persons and corporate bodies can become members of the union and final
acquisition is provided by the board of directors. Membership can be denied with no reason.
Naming the honourable members is proceeded by plenary meeting of the board. Preliminary
acquisition is done by a proposer. This membership is valid before constituting.
6.
Mebership termination
The membership terminates by death of physical persons or loss of corporate personality of legal
bodies; by voluntary leaving, deletion, exclusion or revoking the honorable membership.
6.1 Voluntary leaving can be done at any time, but it must be announced to the managing board
on paper.
6.2 Deletion of a member can be done by the board of directors, if the member is urged more
than third times to pay the membership fee and with more than 6 months delay. Duty to pay due
fees remains inviolate.
6. 3 Exclusion of a member from the union can be done due to breach of the obligations or
dishonest behaviour by the board. One can appeal against the decision to a plenary meeting. Until
the plenary meeting reaches the decision, the membership is suspended.
6.4 Exclusion of honorable membership can be done at the plenary meeting on the basis of the
board´s suggestion with reasons, see above 6.3.
7.
Members´ Rights and Duties:
7.1 Full members are allowed to attend all events of the union and use all facilities. Full members
have the right to participate in the plenary meeting with the right to vote both actively and
passively.
7.2 Members are bound to support the union´s objectives and to avoid any inappropriate
behavior, which could harm the union´s good name and objectives. They are also required to
pay the enrollment fee and membership set by a plenary meeting. Honorable members are not
required to pay any fees.
8.
Plenary meeting:
8.1 Regular plenary meeting is annual.
8.2 Special plenary meeting can be called for by the decision of the board or by suggestion of at
least one-third of members on paper. In these cases the special meeting must be held within the
four months after the suggestion arrived.
8.3 All members must be invited to a plenary meeting on paper at least four weeks before the
given date. Time schedule comes out of the meeting´s programme. The managing board is obliged
to call the meeting.
8.4 Proposals to the individual parts of the programme must be submitted 24 hours before the
meeting.
8.5 Valid resolutions - except for those on the initiative to convene a special plenary meeting - may
be raised only for the items on the agenda.
8.6 All members have the right to participate in the plenary meeting. Full members are entitled to
invite participants as advisors. Right to vote is governed by Section 7 of the statutes. Each member
entitled to vote shall have one vote. Legal bodies are represented by one appointee. Transfer of
the right to vote by written proxy is permissible. Plenary meetings of the quorum present at half of
all members or their representatives eligible to vote. If the plenary meeting for a defined time
does not make a quorum, plenary session is held 30 minutes later with the same agenda and is a
quorum regardless of the number of participants.
8.7 Plenary meeting is chaired by the President, if not possible, then his deputy. If he is busy, the
oldest member of the Board shall keep the meeting.
8.8 Besides death and the expiration of the terms (10.2) the function concludes by the removal of
the member of the Board (10.9) or withdrawal (10.10).
8.9 Plenary meeting may at any time revoke the whole Board or individual board members from
office.
8.10 Members of the Board may at any time give written notice of their resignations. The
declaration of withdrawal must be directed to the Board, in the case of the entire Board this must
be done at a plenary meeting. Resignation of the Board shall come into force until the election of a
new Board of Directors.
11.
Tasks of the Board of Directors:
The Board is concerned with the leadership of the association. It covers all the tasks that
are not reserved for another body of the association.
These particular issues belong to the scope of its activities:
a) Drawing up the annual budget and the annual report and accounts
b) Preparation and convening of regular and special plenary meetings
c) Property management of the association
d) Admission, exclusion and removal of the members of the association
e) Admission and removal of the staff of the associations.
12.
Special Duties of Individual Members of the Board
12.1 President or his deputy shall represent the Union externally. The Board may authorize the
Secretary-General to manage routine matters.
12.2 The following points are valid within the Union:
a) The President chairs the meetings and the plenary meetings of the Board. If it is delayed, he is
authorized to issue separate commands in matters that fall within the scope of the plenary
meeting or the Board, but it requires additional approval by the competent organ of the Union.
b) The Secretary should support the president in the conduct of affairs of the association. His duty
is keeping records of plenary meetings and the Board of Directors.
c) The Treasurer is responsible for proper management of the association´s finance.
d) The deputies of the president, secretary and treasurer may act only if the president, secretary
or treasurer is busy; effectiveness of the actions is not affected.
Auditors:
13.1 Both auditors are elected by the plenary meetings of the Board for a term.
13.2 Auditors are responsible for the standard business audit and final revision of accounts. They
are required to report on the outcome of the plenary session.
13.3 Otherwise, the auditors shall apply the provisions of paragraphs 10.2, 10.8, 10.9 and 10.10.
13.
14.
Arbitration Court:
14.1 All disputes arising from relations within the association shall be decided by thecourt.
14.2 The arbitral tribunal shall consist of five full members. It is designed so that each of the
parties of the dispute shall notify the Board within two weeks of two full members as arbitration
judges. Designated arbitrators shall elect the fifth full member by a majority of votes. In case of
the tie, the lots are drawn to determine.
14.3 The arbitration court shall decide with the presence of all its members by a simple majority.
The court shall try to its best knowledge and belief. Court´s decisions are valid within the group.
15.
Cancellation of the Union:
15.1 The voluntary dissolution of the Association may be appointed only at the special plenary
meeting convened for that purpose and only subject to a majority of votes according to section
8.7 of the Statutes.
15.2 Last union´s board must give written notice of voluntary dissolution of the senior offices of
the union and publishes it in newspapers for the official announcement
In the case of voluntary dissolution or termination of the meaning of the association, outgoing
board shall transmit any existing assets to a beneficial organization for the purpose of research of
the history of technology and museology.