a. The Association will be called Down Syndrome Association Malta.
b. The Association will adopt the logo - shown above, on the left hand side
1A. Interpretation
1.1 In this statute, unless the context otherwise requires:
Words in the singular shall include the plural, and words in the plural shall include:
the singular:
Words importing the masculine gender shall include females.
The Association will promote the interests, development and integration in society of all those persons who have Down Syndrome by:
a. help in training by means of counseling or advice and other means available to persons who have Down syndrome, the parents or custodians (guardians) in the family environment.
b. Make the necessary pressure on the Government and all those competent entities to ensure the development of suitable facilities and benefits.
c. Encourage and help in the setting up of more facilities of care for persons that have Down syndrome.
d. Encourage and give counseling on the setting up of more facilities training for people working in this field.
e. Educate on how every person with Down Syndrome can reach his/her maximum physical and mental potential possible.
f. Provide and encourage courses, lectures and conferences for the public in general and for professional workers having to do with problems related to Down Syndrome.
g. Give information regards existing facilities that people with Down Syndrome have at their disposition in Malta and abroad.
h. Work with other organizations or authorities in order to reach these goals.
i. Foster international contacts with similar organizations abroad and participate in international conferences
Any profit from the Association will be used to attain the goals of the Association. As regards finance, no member of the Association can make personal gain from any of its activities.
4.1 Membership in the Association may be of two kinds:
(i) Full Membership; or
(ii) Associate Membership
4.2 Admission to Membership shall be at the sole discretion of the Committee referred to in Article 6 of this Statute.
4.3 Full membership is open to:
(i) Individuals who have Down syndrome aged 18 years or over; And
(ii) Individuals aged 18 years or over who are a family member of an individual or individuals Down syndrome whose names have been notified to the Association.
For the purpose of this article "family members" means natural or adoptive parents, ascendants or descendants, spouses and individuals having the care and custody or legal guardianship of a person who has Down syndrome, and shall include where applicable curators and tutors.
Individuals who have Down syndrome aged 18 years or over admitted as members under article 4.3(i) shall act personally or through a family member, as the case may be. A family member shall not be entitled to be registered as a Full Member under article 4.3 (ii) if the individual notified to the Association is himself a member in terms of article 4.3 (i) and is represented by a family member, unless the Committee expressly decides to admit such family member to Full Membership.
4.4 Full Members shall be entitled to the following rights:
(i) the right to attend and vote in the general meeting, including the right to receive notices convening any general meeting and to appoint members of the Committee;
(ii) the right to be eligible to be members of the Committee.
(iii) the right to receive circulars/newsletters whenever published (or sent);
(iv) the right to make use of the centre and of other facilities of the Association, under such terms as the Committee shall from time to time determine; and
(v) any other rights that the Committee may from time to time consider appropriate
In the case of members admitted under article 4.3 (i), the said rights may be exercised on behalf of the said members by the family member vested with their representation.
4.5 Associate members shall have the following rights:
(i) the right to attend, but not to vote, in any general meeting, including the right to receive notices convening any general meeting;
(ii) the right to receive circulars/newsletters whenever published (or sent);
(iii) the right to make use of the Centre and of other facilities of the Association, under such terms as the Committee shall from time to time determine; and
(iv) any other rights that the Committee may from time to time consider appropriate.
4.6 Membership in the Association is voluntary, and any member who has honoured his commitments towards the Association may terminate his membership by giving six months prior notice in writing to the Committee.
4.7 Membership for one year shall be Euro 2.50 in respect of Full Membership and Euro 5.00 for Associate Membership.
4.8 Where two spouses are Full Members, the annual fee shall be discounted by Euro 2.50.
4.9 Membership for life shall be Euro 25.00 payable once only for Full Membership and Euro 40 payable once only for Associate Membership
(a) Subscriptions are payable on the 1st January of every year. Registration for membership of the Association is to be submitted in writing to the President 15days from the date of renewal of subscription. Subscriptions not renewed within 1year and 2 months will be considered as resignations from the Association.
(b) The committee can exempt members from the annual subscription if it is of the opinion that this fee will constitute a financial hardship on the member concerned.
(c) The Association will keep a Register of all the members of the Association and will include the name, surname, address, the I.D. number, the Special I.D. card and the date of registration.
(a) The Management of the Association will be directed by a Committee of nine (9) which should include the President, General Secretary, Treasurer and Premises Officer. All the members will be elected in a General Meeting of the Association and will keep their office for two years. They can propose for the Committee those members that pay their subscriptions regularly. One Associate Member can be elected in the Committee formed of nine (9) persons.
(b) The President, the General Secretary and the Treasurer are elected by the members of the Association in a General Meeting whilst the other posts are elected by the members of the Committee.
(c) The Association will indemnify (protect) wholly, render back, freely and without damage, pay back and defend the Committee and all the Committee Members from any liability including claims, requests, resources, court sentences, actions, damages and expenses incurred by any act or omission caused by or in the name of the Association.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision in this Statute, Family Members of who are Full Members of the Association in terms of clause 4.3 (i) of this Statute shall qualify to appointment as a member of the Committee even if not themselves members of the Association.
(a) The AGM is held at the end of the financial year of the Association that ends on the 31st December and not later than that 31st March of the following year.
(b) The General Secretary calls every General Meeting by a notice and agenda that have to arrive at the Members' house by not less than a week before the date of the meeting.
(c) The decisions of the General Meeting will be taken by a majority of votes.
(d) Two qualified auditors will be elected at every General Meeting in order to verify invoices of the Association for the following year and the Treasurer will keep all the books and documents at the disposition of the auditors.
(e) The quorum of the General Meeting will consist of half the number of members of the Association. If the quorum is not constituted within half an hour after the stipulated time, the work intended will take place just the same in the presence of any number of members present and the decisions taken will be valid.
(f) An extraordinary General Meeting may be held whenever it is felt necessary and can be requested either by two thirds of the Committee or by a petition made by not less than half the number of requested members. This request or petition will be sent to the General Secretary who will have to convene (or call and assemble) a meeting within two weeks.
(a) The Committee will hold at least 6 meetings per year. There shall not be a lapse of three months between a meeting and another.
(b) Apart from this, meetings may take place at any time under the direction of the President, and the meeting can be called by a written request signed by not less than three members of the Committee and addressed to the President who ensures that he convenes the Committee within seven days from the date of the request.
(c) In the absence of the President and the Vice-President, the members present will propose a President just for that meeting.
(d) The Committee can invite experts at its meeting.
(a) All the meetings of the Committee are to be publicised by the General Secretary by means of a letter addressed to every member delivered by hand or by mail.
(b) The notice has to indicate the time, place, and the agenda of the meeting and if it is of a general interest or a special request, this has to be specified in the notice.
(c) The General Secretary has to send a copy of the minutes of the meeting together with the notice to every member not less than five days from the date of the meeting, except in the case of a special urgency, and this will be decided by the President when notice of just two days before, will suffice.
There shall be no decisions taken as long as there is no quorum present. The quorum shall be made up of five members. However if the quorum is not formed after half an hour from the stipulated time, the meeting will be adjourned for another day as soon as possible, irrespective of the number of Committee members present and the decisions arrived at will be valid.
(a) Every decision regarding Association will be taken in a meeting of the Committee, and no member of the Committee, not even the President can take a decision alone. In special cases advice may be sought and decisions arrived at when at least three Committee members are present. These three will include two of these three officials: the President, the General Secretary, the Treasurer and then another member.
(b) The decisions of the Committee will be taken by a majority of votes. In case where there is an equal number of votes, the President will have the casting vote.
(a) Any Committee member who may wish to resign may do so in writing to the President. If the President wishes to resign he has to give notice to the Vice- President.
(b) A Committee member who is absent from three or more consecutive meetings, without a valid reason will be asked to justify his absence by the General Secretary. If, in the opinion of two thirds of the Committee members, these absences are not justified, the Committee member will be deemed as not forming part of the Committee anymore and will be notified by the General Secretary.
(c) In case of a resignation, or whenever there is vacancy in the Committee, the place will be filled by those members who had obtained the largest number of votes in the General meeting after those members who had been elected. In case of a tie that there is more than one member, who has the same number of votes, lots will be drawn to determine the winner. If there is nobody, a willing member appearing on the Register may be co-opted.
(a) The Committee may elect persons to be patrons of the Association.
(b) The Committee may elect persons to be Honororary Presidents of the Association.
(c) The Committee may elect as 'Advisor' and/or Counsellor, persons who having had experience, aptitude and interest may be of benefit and an asset to the Association.
(a) The Committee may as deemed necessary, elect sub-Committees.
(b) These Sub-Committees will be elected to lead some work or activity of the Association and regulate procedures of their meetings in conclusion with the General Secretary.
(c) Each of these Sub-Committees may invite expert persons specializing on specific topics and who may not be members of the Association. (d) The President of each of these Sub-Committee has to be members of the Committee.
The President of the Association will lead (or direct) the meetings of the Committee, plan their agenda together with the General Secretary, he will present the Report of the workings of the Association at the annual General meeting and will represent the interests of the Association.
(a)The General Secretary will conduct administration work and present the Administrator Report at the Annual General Meeting.
(b) The General Secretary will keep in full details the minutes of the Committee meeting as well as those of the General Meetings.
(c) All the minutes and any correspondence of every Committee member will be kept at the Centre after they have been dealt with during the first meeting of the Committee after the correspondence is received at the Centre.
(a) The Treasurer will receive all the money of the Association, will leave a receipt every time and deposit them in the account that the Committee decides to open in a bank.
(b) The Treasurer will give the financial report in the Annual General Meeting.
(c) The Treasurer will settle every payment under Euro70. He may keep up to Euro 70 in cash some of which he can repay those Officials who make petty expenses in the name of the Association.
(d) Every expense exceeding Euro 70 of extraordinary nature may be incurred after the approval of the Committee.
(e) Expenses/Payments done by a cheque have to be signed by two of the following Officials: the President, the General Secretary and the Treasurer.
(f) Donations given for a specific goal as well as money earned through some activity carried out by the Association or for the benefit of the Association for some specific aim, cannot be spent for any other scopes different from those definite one, as possible as can be.
(a)The Premises Officer is responsible for taking care of the Centre of the Association, under a policy as established by the Committee. He is in charge of the keys, permits and maintenance as well as holding an appropriate inventory and will keep all the books and equipment of the Association.
(b) The Centre may be lent to persons or other Associations with the approval of the Committee and under conditions as deemed necessary.
(a) For the Association to be dissolved, a motion has to be carried out by two-thirds of the members in a General Meeting. This motion has to be given in a notice by an agenda sent at least one month before hand. The meeting will elect a liquidator. All the money and assets left over after all the debts and expenses have been paid, will be donated to bodies as approved at the General Meeting.
(b) If for any reason, the Association ceases to exist, all its assets shall be transmitted in favour of such Non-Government non profit making organisation or organisations whose objects and functions are similar to those of the Association as the General Meeting shall nominate, saving any reservations made by benefactors and donors in respect of any property donated by them.
Any change/s in the Statute may be possible only through a General Meeting and written notice has to be given one month beforehand to the General Secretary. The latter will pass on this notice to the registered members in the agenda of the General Meeting.
21.1 The Association shall be a non-profit making organization. Accordingly, it's purpose excludes that of making profits, and subject to what is provided below no part of the income, capital or property shall be made available directly or indirectly to any promoter, founder, administrator, donor or any other private interest.
21.2 If a promoter, founder, member, administrator or donor is another non-profit making organization enrolled in accordance with any law in force from time to time in Malta, the limitation referred to in paragraph(3) of this clause shall not apply provided the availability of such income, capital or property is subject to conditions which are consistent with the general purposes of the grantor organization.
21.3 Should the Association obtain a pecuniary gain from its activities such gain shall not be received by or credited to any of its members but shall be exclusively utilized for its established purposes. Where the Association buys or sells or otherwise deals in services such activities shall be exclusively related to its principal purposes.
21.4 The patrimony of the Association may be augmented by further endowments by the Members or by third parties with the concurrence of the Committee.
22.1 The address of the Association shall be at 45 South Street Valletta, Malta or such address as the Committee may, from time to time, determine.