The Statue of the Professional Association of Hungarian Speech and Language Therapists
 
The Professional Association of Hungarian Speech and Language Therapists (Magyar Logopédusok Szakmai Szövetsége Egyesület) was established in accordance with Act CLVI of 1997 on Public Benefit Organisations and Act II. of 1989 on the Right of Association.
 
       I. General Provisions:
 
1. § (1) The name of the association: Professional Association of Hungarian Speech and Language Therapists
       (2) The postal address of the association: 11/E Berzsenyi tér, Budapest, 1046, Hungary
(3) The geographically territory of the activity of the Association: Hungary
(4) The Professional Association of Hungarian Speech and Language Therapists is a legal entity
(5) The Association operates as a public-benefit organization.
 
       II. Goals and activities
 
§ 2. (1) The goals of the association are:
a) The development of the science of SLT, the deepening of the scientific and methodological knowledge of the members, and the spread of SLT knowledge in the society;
b) The phrasing, representation, protection and execution of the professional interests of special educators with college or university (BA/MA) degrees in SLT (SLT major special education teachers, SLT teachers and SLT therapists) in domestic and international forums and vis a vis authorities;
c) Expanding the professional knowledge of SLTs and assisting their activities;
d) Providing opportunities for SLTs to take on professional and scientific roles and to expand their knowledge;
e) Ensuring that the profession's scientific competence is appropriately high in state, municipal and other organizations, participating in the training of SLTs;
f) Taking positions on the definition of knowledge content that is necessary for attaining professional SLT qualifications in the interest of securing the value of SLT diplomas.
g) Ensuring the professional and ethical norms of SLT activities, taking positions and making recommendations in professional and ethical questions of SLT practice;
h) Informing the public about questions concerning SLT;
i) Lobbying to implement the professional goals.
       (2) In order to reach its goals the Association:
a) Cooperates with any other association, alliance and governmental, social and business organization;
b) Monitors speech and language therapy related professional and education political aims, and also offers opinions and suggestions about them;
c) Contacts and cooperates with the international and national organisations of  SLTs, especially from the European Union to support the Euro-Atlantic Integration, and also organizes working groups;
d) Organizes panel discussions to discuss the speech and language therapy related professional and scientific issues in order to offer opinions about them;
e) Organizes scientific conferences, and publishes a professional journal;
f) Establishes region and county based communities; and
g) Professional-ethical committees;
h) Acts in order to protect human and citizen’s rights; and
i) To ensure equal opportunities for underprivileged people – especially for people with communication disorders;
j) Does professional work in the fields of education, ability improvement and prevention, and also provides information about them;
k) Awards the high quality professional and scientific work.
 
       III. Public benefit
 
3. § (1) Our association’s aim is to execute its activities as a public-benefit organization. The activities for public-benefit, listed in the second paragraph, are named in line with Act CLVI of 1997, § 26, specifically:
1. Scientific activities, research;
2. Education, training, skills development, spread of knowledge;
3. Promoting social equality of opportunity for disadvantaged social groups;
4. Protecting human and civil rights;
5. Promoting Euro-Atlantic integration.
       (2) As a public-benefit organization the association provides activities and services for everyone living in Hungary, and does not exclude any non-member. 
       (3) In order to ensure the financial background to fulfil its public-benefit related goals the association shall do business activities, establish foundations and corporations, or join any of them.  
       (4) The association does business activities only in order to fulfil its public benefit related goals, without endangering them. The profit from the association’s business activity has to be divided, and used only for the purposes described in the Statue of the Association. 
       (5) The association is politically independent, doesn’t provide financial support to any political party and doesn’t do direct political activity.
 
       IV. Membership
 
4. § (1) The members of the Association: regular members, youth members, retired members, and supporting members.
       (2) Regular members are those persons who
a) Attained a higher education degree in Hungary or have an officially recognized foreign degree with SLT professional qualification - a copy of the degree must be attached to the application form.
b) Accept the Association's Charter;
c) States that he/she will actively participate in the work of the Association;
d) Pays the regular membership fee.
       (3) Youth members are those students actively studying speech therapy who:
a) Accept the Association's Charter;
b) State that he/she will actively participate in the work of the Association;
c) Are recommended by at least two Regular members;
d) Pay the quarter of the membership fee.
The admission process for Youth members is the same as the one for regular members, with the exception that Youth members shall not have a degree.
       (4) Honorary members are Hungarian or foreign citizens who
a) Are honourable persons;
b) Have done outstanding theoretical or practical work in the field of SLT or social sciences.
       (5) Supporting members are those natural persons, legal persons, or organizations without legal person status who
a) Accept the statue of the Association;
b) Morally and financially support the activities of the Association.
The admission process for supporting members is the same as the one for regular members, with the exception that supporting members don’t need to have SLT degrees.
(6) The Presidency makes the decision about the admission of regular members, youth members and supporting members. The admission of honorary members is approved by the General Assembly (GA), following the proposals of the Presidency. The honorary membership status comes into existence after the written approval of the new member.
(7) The rights of regular and youth members:
a) Attending at GA, taking part in the work of the association and in the decision making process of the GA, sharing observations, proposals and opinions about the operation of the organisation;
b) Proposing issues related to the Association for discussion;
c) Requesting information about the association’s activity. The request shall be answered within 30 days.
d) Regular and youth members have the right to elect the administrators, representatives and other officers of the Association, and they are also electable. The representatives of the Association shall be at least 18 years old.
e) Suggesting agenda items for the GA and the Presidential Meeting;
f) Participating at the conferences and events of the Association, considering the relevant terms. 
One third of the regular members may propose holding an extraordinary GA or presidential meeting. To call the meeting a written proposal must be submitted describing the cause and the aim of the new meeting.
       (8) Honorary and Supporting members have the right to attend at the GA, to consult at the GA and to use the services of the Association. They are not electable, do not have the right to elect or vote and shall act in accordance with the Statue of the Association. 
Youth members shall pay the membership fee as it is described in the Statue of the Association. Supporting members shall provide the contracted support.
       (9) Legal entities and other organizations shall be represented to exert their rights as a member. Natural persons shall present to exert their rights.
(10) The Presidency keeps an up-to-date record of the members.
(11) The cessation of a member happens in the case of
a) the death of the member,
b) the cessation of the Association,
c) the exit of the member,
d) the exclusion of the member,
e) the cancellation of the membership,
f) the revocation of honorary memberships status,
   g) the cessation of the supporting legal entity.
       (12) A member’s intention to exit must be declared to the Presidency via letter or email. The membership status changes right after the declaration. 
(13) The Presidency of the Association automatically excludes those members
a) Who become convicted by the court and prohibited from public affairs. 
b) Who do not respect and work in accordance with the Statue of the Association and the Professional Ethical Codex.  
During the exclusion procedure the member has the right to present answers and to participate at an interrogation. 
       (14) The resolution about the exclusion of a member shall be sent to the member as a registered letter in five working days. The letter shall also include information about the right to appeal and the relevant regulation of the association.
       (15) The excluded member has the opportunity to appeal within 15 days via letter. The request shall be sent to the Presidency, and it is considered at an extraordinary GA session. The GA may approve or deny the Presidency’s resolution about the exclusion of the member. Before the beginning of the exclusion process the involved member shall be informed about the beginning of the process and the possibility to appeal, in order to have enough time to prepare with answers and represent his/her personal opinion. 
       (16) The honorary membership status can be revoked by the GA. The rules of the revoke are the same as in the case of other members.
       (17) The association automatically revokes the membership status from those members who are being late on their membership fee for more than a year and does not pay it 30 days after getting a written prompt. 
 
       V. Structure
 
5. § (1) The structural units of the Association: General Assembly (GA), Presidency, Board of Supervisors.
       (2) Following the approval of the Presidency the members of the Association are allowed to establish sections and project groups, in accordance with
a) The geographical location (county and/or region); or
b) The specification of a certain topic.
       (3) In order to reach the goals of the Association the Presidency may also establish other kinds of project groups.
       (4) The Presidency provides detailed regulation about the establishment of any kinds of project groups.
6. § (1) The GA is the main structural unit of the Association consisting of all the members.
       (2) The GA shall be called at least one time a year. A written invitation shall be sent to all of the members at least ten days before the meeting.
       (3) The written invitation shall include the certain date of the repeated meeting in case of the GA would not be quorate, and a reminder, that repeated GA is quorate irrespectively of the number of the members represented.
       (4) The GA is quorate if at least the half of the regular and youth members present. The repeated GA is quorate irrespectively of the number of the members represented.
       (5) The GA shall be called if one third of the members submit a written proposal that describes the cause and the aim of the new meeting.  In this case the President shall call the GA in 30 days.
       (6) The GA must be called if
a) One third of the members submit a written proposal that describes the cause and the aim of the new meeting;
b) The Presidency finds it necessary to call a special GA;
c) The legal redress of the Presidency’s excluding resolution is necessary;
d) The special GA shall be called if the court orders it.
(7) Calling the GA is the duty of the president.
       (8) The GA is led by the President. The President has the right to entrust somebody else with this task. 
       (9) The record of the GA shall be certified by the President and two other members, elected by the GA. 
(10) Only the GA a has the right to
a) Announce the inception or the dissolution of the Association and the merger with other Associations;
b) Accept and modify the Statue of the association;
c) Elect the officers of the Association;
d) Asses the amount of the membership fee;
e) Approve the annual report of the Presidency and the public-benefit report;
f) Approve the annual budget and the final accounts;
g) Approve the Rules and Regulations of Operation of the Association;
h) Elect and to depose honorary members and presidents;
i) Approve the professional and ethical codex of speech and language therapists;
j) Give awards considering the recommendations of the Presidency;
   k) Elect the members of the Board Of Supervisors for one year;
   l) Make decision in any field if it is entitled by the legal regulation.
       (11) The resolutions of the GA in open voting shall be passed by the majority of the members’ votes, participating at the meeting. Each member has the right to vote. In case of equal voting, the vote of the President shall be the final.
       (12) The two-third of the regular members’ votes (open voting) are needed to
a) Accept and modify the Statue of the Association;
b) Announce the dissolution of the Association and the merger with other associations;
c) Make resolution about the deposition or exclusion of honorary members.
       (13) The officers are elected by secret ballot. That candidate wins the election that gets more than fifty percent of the votes. If no candidate gets at least the half of the votes the voting shall be repeated. The second round is won by the candidate who gets the majority of the votes.  
       (14) The members at the GA vote also by secret ballot on any notice of appeal against the association’s resolutions and the revocation of the honorary membership status.
(15) The sessions of the GA are opened.
       (16) The President has the right to invite the representatives of social and business organisations and individuals to the AGMs. In these cases advisory right is also give to the invited representatives.  
       (17) The President shall enter the resolutions of all GA sessions into the Book of Resolutions. The Book of Resolutions contains all the GA’s resolutions including the content, the scope, and the date of the resolutions, the proportion of supporters and objectors and their names in the case of open voting.  
       (18) The resolutions of the GA shall be communicated to the people concerned in a verifiably way and be published on the website of the association within 30 days. The resolutions of the GA are communicated to the people concerned by the General Secretary within 8 days via registered letter.
 
7. § Presidency: the unit of administration, representation and management.
       (1) The Presidency consists of 10 persons: the President, three Vice-Presidents, the General Secretary, the Secretary, the Notary and three other members. The honorary presidents elected by the GA are not the members of the Presidency.
(2) The members of the Presidency are elected by the GA for a five year period.  
       (3) The Presidency manages the Association during the period between two sessions of GA and executes the decisions of the GA. The Presidency holds session minimum two times a year. Additional sessions can be held if the members of the Presidency find it necessary. The sessions are called by the President. The call is adequate only if all of the members of the Presidency are informed about the session and the items on the agenda ten days before the session. The sessions of the Presidency are opened events. The honorary presidents shall also participate at the session and advisory right is given to them.
(4) The Presidency is quorate if at least the half of the members present.
       (5) The resolutions of the Presidency in open voting shall be passed by the majority of the members’ votes.
(6) The other rules of procedure of the Presidency are determined by itself.
(7) The scope of tasks and rights of the Presidency:
a) Executing the resolutions of the GA;
b) Managing the membership related issues;
c) Managing all of the activities in relation to calling the GA, preparing and supporting the GA;
d) Preparing the business decision making process, preparing and discussing the annual budget and programs;
e) Preparing the Association’s Rules and Regulations of Operation;
f) Preparing the annual report;
g) Preparing the annual public-benefit report;
h) Managing the operational tasks;
i) Establishing and disbanding sections and working groups;
j) Suggesting people for honorary membership or honorary presidency;
k) Reporting the officers of the association;
l) Managing the procedure of exclusion. 
       (8) The Presidency shall report its decisions and measures of the period between two sessions of the AG.
       (9) The President shall enter the resolutions of the GA into the Book of Resolutions. The Book of Resolutions contains all of the resolutions of the GA including the content, the scope, and the date of the resolutions, the proportion of supporters and objectors and their names in the case of open voting. [6.§ (19)]
 
8. § The Board of Supervisors
(1) The Board of Supervisors is the association’s own supervising organisation consisting of a president and two other members. The rules of procedure of the Board of Supervisors are determined by itself.
       (2) The members of the Board of Supervisors (only regular members) are elected by the GA for five years. The members of the Board of Supervisors shall not hold any other office at the Association. The members of the Board of Supervisors hold their office respecting the Statue of the Association and confirm it with signing a declaration. 
(3) The members of the Board of Supervisors are equal in their duties and rights.
(4) The Board of Supervisors supervises the operation and the financial activity of the association, and prepares a report about it for the GA.
(5) The members of the Board of Supervisors Presidency participate at the sessions of the Presidency, advisory rights are also given to them.
(6) The Board of Supervisors shall inform and call the executive section of the Association in the case of
a) Noticing any illegal or harmful activity or omission that requires the intervention of the certain section;
b) The officers of the Association have to be called to account for some reason. 
       (7) The executive section of the Association has to be called within 30 days if the section of supervision finds it necessary. After 30 days the section of supervision may also call the executive section.
       (8) If the competent section of the Association does not act to ensure the legal operation of the Association the Board of Supervisors shall inform the authorities. 
       (9) The sessions of the Board of Supervisors are called at least once a year by its president. The written invitation shall be sent to the members of the Board of Supervisors at least ten days before the meeting including the agenda. The sessions of the Board of Supervisors are opened and reported. All reports shall include the place and date of the session, the list of the members and guests presented, the agenda, the comments, the resolutions, the validity of the resolutions and the name of the notary.  The reports are signed all by the members of the Board of Supervisors presented at the session.
       (10) The Board of Supervisors is quorate if at least the half of the members present. The resolutions of the Board of Supervisors in open voting shall be passed by the majority of the members’ votes, participating at the meeting.
       (11) The resolutions of the Board of Supervisors are published and communicated to the people concerned in the same way like the resolutions of the GA.
 
VI. Officials
 
9. § (1) The scope of tasks and rights of the President:
a) Managing the activity of the Association;
b) Calling the GA and countersigning the resolutions of the GA; 
c) Decision making and acting in all manners;
d) Managing and supervising the execution the recues of the GM and the Presidency; 
e) Keeping contact with other social and representative organisations;
g) Leading the sessions of the Presidency;
h) Representing the association;
i) Acting in all the cases falling in its cognizance;
j) Calling the sessions of the Presidency;
k) Managing the work of the officers;
l) Managing the business activity of the Association;
m) Exercising the employer rights;
n) Performing any other tasks named by the legal regulation.
(2) Vice-Presidents
a) The Vice-Presidents manages some of the Association’s fields of activity like business, science, communication, speech and language therapy training, etc. 
b) In the case of the permanent incapacitation of the President one of the Vice-Presidents fulfil the President’s duties.
(3) The scope of tasks of the General Secretary:
a) The General Secretary manages the operative work of the Association;
b) Executes the resolutions of the AGM and the Presidency;
c) Manages the work of the Secretary.
(4) The Secretary:
a) Manages the daily work of the Association with the General Secretary as a superordinate; and
b) Handles the official documents and the invoices of the Association.
(5) The Notary takes the minutes at the sessions of the Presidency.
(6) The Honorary Presidents support the work of the Association as advisers.
 
VII. Representation
 
10. § (1) The President has the right to represent the Association as an individual.
(2) In the case of the permanent incapacitation of the President the Presidency asks one of the Vice-Presidents to fulfil the President’s duties.
(3) To dispose of the bank account of the Association the signature of the President and the General Secretary is needed. 
(4) In the case of the permanent incapacitation of the President or the General Secretary the Secretary substitutes the missing person.
 
VIII. Regulation of conflict of interest
 
11. § (1) In line with the Civil Code [Ptk. 685. § b)] no person shall take part in the Association’ resolution making process who, or whose relatives
a) Are exempts of the commitments, or financially interested in the contracts of the Association;
b) Have share in other benefits. Non-cash benefits, like the free or membership based services of the public-benefit and social benefit organizations are exceptions.
(2) The president, member and auditor of the supervising committee shall not be
a) The president or the member of the executive section;
b) A person who has any kind of working relation with the Association. Legal regulation may allow some exceptions. 
c) A person who has share in benefits of the Association, excepted non-cash benefits, like the free or membership based services.
d) Ahe relatives of the people described in category a); b) and c)
12. § (1) Following the dissolution of a public-benefit association its leading officers (working at the association for minimum one year) shall not be elected to the leading officers of the Association for two years if the dissolved association had any unsettled debts. 
       (2) The leading officers or nominated leading officers shall inform all the concerned public-benefit organizations about their positions in advance. 
 
IX. Assets and financial management
 
13. § (1) The Association manages its assets in accordance with the budget approved by the GA. The Presidency prepares an annual report about the management of the Association’s assets and presents it to the GA for approval.
(2) Source of revenues:
a) Membership fees;
b) The financial support of supporting persons and legal entities;
c) Business incomes;
d) Incomes from the events organised by the association according to its purpose;
e) Other incomes.
(3) The expenses of the Association:
a) The direct costs of public benefit activities;
b) The direct costs of other activities according to the Association’s purpose;
c) The direct costs of the Association’s business activities;
d) The indirect costs of public benefit activities and other activities those shall be divided using the cost/income ratio.
(4) All matters not regulated in by this Statue shall be regulated by the Accountancy Law.
(5) The payment method of the membership fee is determined by the GA. The Presidency keeps a record of the payment of the membership fees. 
(6) The Association is responsible for its debts with its assets. The members of the Association are not responsible for the Association’s debts only for paying the membership fee.
(7) The Association was not founded primarily to operate as a business organisation. The Association’s business activities are only secondary in importance.  The Association’s business activities shall never endanger its social benefit activities, they shall support the Association’s other activities. 
(8) The Association has no investments and investment regulation.
(9) The Association shall no issue bill of exchange or any other kind of debt securities.
(10) The Association shall not have an amount of debt that endangers its activity. The financial support of the state shall not be used as a debt deposit or instalment.
(11) The Association keeps its assets on its bank account and a reasonable amount as petty cash. 
 
X. Using the services of the Association
 
14. § (1) The way of using the services of the Association is always ruled by the contract signed with the Association.  
       (2) The sample contracts about the Association’s current services are available on the homepage of the Association. The sample contract also includes the appropriate manner and place of use of the services and the contact information.
 
XI. Validation of the annual report
 
The annual report is validated by the AGM in accordance with the general rules of resolution making.
 
XII. Public-benefit report
 
15. § (1) The Association prepares not only an annual report, but also a public-benefit report. l In accordance with the legal regulation the public-benefit report shall be published on hthe website of the Association until 30th June after the year of validation
       (2) The public-benefit report includes
a) The annual report;
b) The record of the use of the budget support;
c) The record of the use of the Association’s assets;
d) The record of the payments;
e) The certain amount of the financial support provided by the central budget, the state foundations, the local governments and any other institution of the local government;
f) The record of the allowances of the association’s officers;
g) a short introduction into the association’s public benefit related activities.
(3) The public-benefit report is available for anybody, making copies is also allowed.
XIII. Publicity
 
16. § (1) On the homepage of the Association all the information about the operation of the Association, and its services and reports are available. The operating system of the Association and the reviews are also available.
The Association shall publish the annual public-benefit report until 30t June after the year of validation.  
       (2) As a public benefit organization the Association insures the availability of all the documents related to its operation. The demand to check any documents shall be communicated to the Secretary of the Association. Following the confirmation of the letter, the visit is arranged in five working days. The documents can be checked during normal office hours.   
 
XIV. Dissolution of the Association
 
17. § (1) The Association may dissolve if
a) the majority of the AGM votes for its dissolution or integration with another public organisation. 
b) the court disbands it, or determines its dissolution.
       (2) After a decision on dissolution has been reached, the GA shall make known the name of the other organizations or foundations that shall inherit the remaining assets of the organization after all its debts have been paid. In case of dissolution the Presidency shall act as the liquidator.
 
XV. Final Provisions
 
18. § All matters not regulated in by this Statue shall be regulated by the Civil Code, Act CLVI of 1997 on Public Benefit Organisations, Act II. of 1989 on the Right of Association and other normative acts.
 
Budapest, November 29, 2008.
 
Lajos Péter

 

President