Association bylaws

As of March 3, 2024

§1 – Name, Address and Establishment

Article 1

The association’s name is SwingShoes, and its address is at all times with a sitting board member. SwingShoes is domiciled in Copenhagen Municipality.

Article 2

The founding general assembly was held on Sunday, March 12, 2000, at Valby Community Center.

§2 – Purpose

Article 1

SwingShoes’ purpose is to promote interest in and knowledge of swing dancing.

Article 2

The association holds activities to promote this purpose, including:

  • Party evenings and larger events with live bands and DJ music for swing dancers
  • Regular qualified instruction in swing dancing, etc.

Article 3

The association is a voluntary association operated without commercial interests in such a way that the association’s members are engaged in taking active co-responsibility in the association.

Article 4

The association collaborates with other actors with the same interests.

§3 – Membership

Article 1

The association has three types of members:

  • Ordinary fee-paying members
  • Non-paying members
  • Honorary members

Article 2

To participate in instruction at SwingShoes, it is mandatory that one is a member of the association.

Article 3

Any adult who has paid membership fees to the association and who can support the association’s purpose is accepted as an ordinary member.

Article 4

The size of the membership fee is determined by the general assembly.

Article 5

Resignation from the association can occur at any time by contacting the board.

Article 6

Non-paying members include:

  • Board members and alternates elected at the general assembly
  • Active instructors in the association’s dance instruction

The board establishes the specific criteria for who is considered active instructors.

Article 7

Non-paying members are automatically accepted as members without fee payment.

Article 8

Persons who have made a significant contribution to the association’s goals and activities are accepted as honorary members. Acceptance of honorary members is decided by the general assembly, and an honorary membership does not expire.

Article 9

Non-paying members and honorary members have the right to participate free of charge in the association’s ordinary instruction.

§4 – Exclusion of Members

Article 1

The board can decide to exclude a member who causes serious harm to the association’s goals or activities.

Reasons for this may be (but are not limited to):

  • Violation of the association’s guidelines for good conduct (Code of Conduct)
  • Non-payment of membership fees
  • Criminal offenses, e.g., vandalism, theft, etc.
  • Exclusion from other dance community associations/businesses/clubs

Article 2

There must be a valid reason for exclusion. As a starting point, exclusion can only occur after both an oral warning and a written warning to the member in question. However, in particularly serious cases, the board can proceed directly to exclusion.

Article 3

An excluded member can appeal the exclusion at the next general assembly. This does not have suspensive effect, and the member will be considered excluded in the period up to the general assembly.

Article 4

In connection with the exclusion, the board determines the length of the exclusion. Upon expiration of an exclusion period, the board can decide to extend the exclusion if there is still a valid reason for it.

Article 5

An excluded member is deprived of all membership rights and is forbidden access to the association’s events. Inquiries from the member to the association will not be answered.

§5 – General Assembly

Article 1

The general assembly is the association’s highest authority.

Article 2

The general assembly is held annually before April 1.

Article 3

The board convenes the general assembly with at least 14 days’ notice via email to the association’s members. The invitation is simultaneously published on the association’s website.

Article 4

The invitation must contain the date, time and place for the general assembly, date of the invitation, and proposed agenda.

Article 5

Proposals to be addressed at the general assembly are sent by email to the board until 7 days before the general assembly. Proposals are published on the association’s website no later than the day after the deadline.

Article 6

All members of SwingShoes have access to the general assembly. Each member has one vote, which can only be cast by personal attendance.

Article 7

The agenda for the ordinary general assembly must include the following items:

  1. Opening, including election of chairperson, secretary, vote counter and setting of agenda
  2. Board’s report
  3. Approval of accounts
  4. Setting of membership fee
  5. Review of the board’s budget for information
  6. Treatment of submitted proposals
  7. Election of chairman, vice-chairman and treasurer
  8. Election of ordinary board members and alternates
  9. Election of auditor and auditor alternate
  10. Any other business

Article 8

A decision protocol is kept of the general assembly’s decisions, which is signed by the chairman, a board member and the chairperson.

§6 – Voting

Article 1

Unless otherwise stated in these bylaws, adoption of proposals requires more votes in favor than against. In case of a tie, the vote is repeated, and if there is also a tie in the second round, the proposal is rejected.

Article 2

In personal elections where a single position is to be filled, each participant can vote for one candidate, and the candidate with the most votes is elected. If only one candidate is nominated, that person is elected unless the assembly decides to issue a confidence vote. In that case, the candidate is elected if more than 50% of the votes express confidence.

Article 3

In personal elections where more than one position is to be filled, each participant can vote for a number of candidates corresponding to half the number of positions to be filled, rounded up. The candidates who obtain the most votes are elected. If no more candidates are nominated than there are positions, the nominated candidates are elected.

Article 4

In case of a tie in personal elections, lots are drawn. The drawing of lots takes place publicly.

Article 5

All personal elections are conducted in writing. Other votes are conducted by show of hands as a starting point, unless two or more attendees request written voting.

Article 6

Nomination can occur by personal attendance at the general assembly, or by prior commitment to the board via email.

§7 – Extraordinary General Assembly

Article 1

An extraordinary general assembly is held at the request of a majority of the board, or when at least 1/3 of the members submit a written reasoned request to the chairman specifying the topics they wish to be addressed.

Article 2

The general assembly is held no later than four weeks after the request has come to the board’s attention.

Article 3

An extraordinary general assembly is convened with 14 days’ notice following the same procedure as the ordinary general assembly. At an extraordinary general assembly, only items specified in the invitation can be addressed.

§8 – The Association’s Board

Article 1

The board constitutes the association’s daily management and is the highest decision-making authority between general assemblies. The board leads the association in accordance with these bylaws and the general assembly’s decisions.

Article 2

The board consists of:

  • A chairman elected by the general assembly
  • A vice-chairman and a treasurer elected by the general assembly
  • Four ordinary members elected by the general assembly

Chairman, vice-chairman, treasurer and ordinary members are elected in four different separate votes.

Article 3

The general assembly also elects 2-3 alternates who step in when other board members are absent, in order according to who obtained the most votes in the election.

Article 4

In case of the chairman’s departure, the vice-chairman is constituted as the new chairman, and the board constitutes a new vice-chairman from among its members.

Article 5

In case of the vice-chairman’s or treasurer’s departure, the board constitutes a new vice-chairman or treasurer from among its members.

Article 6

Each board member can only hold one mandate.

Article 7

If a board member leaves prematurely and cannot be replaced by an elected alternate, the board can choose to recruit a new member. This is published on the association’s website and via email to members. If 10 or more members object to the new member, that person steps down again unless the board convenes an extraordinary general assembly with the election on the agenda.

Article 8

The board holds at least 6 meetings per year.

Article 9

The board establishes its own rules of procedure and has a quorum when at least four board members are present. In case of a tie in the board, the chairman’s vote is decisive.

§9 – Accounts

Article 1

The association’s fiscal year is December 1 to November 30.

Article 2

The board is responsible to the general assembly for budget and accounts.

Article 3

The association’s accounts, bank accounts and any cash are managed by the treasurer.

Article 4

The accounts are reviewed by the auditor elected at the general assembly.

Article 5

Accounts for the past accounting period are published together with submitted proposals for the general assembly, cf. §5 article 5.

Article 6

The accounts are presented to the ordinary general assembly for approval and must be provided with the auditor’s endorsement.

§10 – Signing Rules and Liability

Article 1

The association is represented externally by the signature of the chairman and at least one other board member. The chairman and treasurer can jointly establish accounts at a financial institution.

Article 2

However, for the purchase, mortgaging or sale of real estate, the signature of the entire board is required.

Article 3

The association is only liable for its obligations with the assets belonging to the association at any time. The association’s members or board bear no personal liability.

§11 – Bylaw Amendments

Article 1

These bylaws can only be amended with a 2/3 majority among those present at a general assembly where the amendment proposal appears on the agenda.

Article 2

However, amendments to §11-§13 require a majority among 4/5 of those present at two consecutive general assemblies.

Article 3

Bylaw amendments take effect immediately.

§12 – Dissolution of the Association

Article 1

Dissolution of the association can only take place with a 4/5 majority among those present at two consecutive general assemblies with at least three months between them, one of which must be ordinary.

Article 2

The association’s possible assets must go to charitable purposes according to the dissolving general assembly’s specific provisions.

§13 – Dispensation

Article 1

The general assembly can decide to grant dispensation from these bylaws with a 2/3 majority. However, dispensation cannot be granted from §9-§13.

§14 – Latest update

Article 1

Thus adopted at the association’s general assembly on March 3, 2024.