Counselling and instructions

What happens if the association operating within TREY wants to change their rules?

If you change the rules or make new ones, we recommend following these instructions:

1. Modify the rule items in question.
2. Bring the amendment with the modifications clearly indicated to the student union for the association sector to check. The easiest way is to send the amendments to the association sector by email.
3. The association sector checks the rules and confirms that the rules adhere to the Association Standing Order.
4. Make the needed revisions to the rules.
5. Send the amendment to the association sector for a re-check. This makes everyone’s job easier because the rules that the association sector checks are more likely to receive the approval of the Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH).
6. Approve of the changes in a board meeting to be motioned in a general meeting.
7. Approve of the change according to your current rules in the general meeting. It is likely that this requires two general meetings.
8. Send the rules for PRH to check.
9. PRH accepts your change of rules and the new rules come into effect.
10. Finally, send the approved rules for the student union.

If the association is only being founded, the same process applies, except that the rules do not have to be approved twice. A constitutive meeting is enough. Read about founding an association below.

You should reserve time for rule changes. Most associations’ rules govern that the rule change must be approved in two consecutive meetings, and the meetings must be at least two weeks apart. Taking into consideration the summoning period of the meetings (usually five working days), the rule change will take at least a month. In addition, depending on the business of the student union’s organisational sector, checking the rules might take a few weeks, depending of course on the necessary revisions and the amount of revision cycles.

How is an association founded?

Contact the student union’s organisational sector ahead of time before founding an association and talk about your intentions. A basis for rules is made together with the association sector before the constitutive meeting, and with the help of the basis it’s easy for the association to create its own rules.

The association is founded like any other registered association. A group as large as possible of people interested in the association’s future activity is gathered in the constitutive meeting, where a decision about founding the association is made, the rules for it are accepted and other relevant matters to the association’s activity are decided upon.

The easiest way to report an association is the PRH’s e-form, which requires the new association’s rules, the founding member’s e-signature with an online bank account and the service fee for the founding report. More information on reporting an association can be found from the PRH’s website.

How is a constitutive meeting conducted and what should be decided there?

The constitutive meeting is summoned ahead of time and by using all the biggest information channels. This helps the association to get the largest possible member base from the beginning, which is needed to create permanent activity. The invitation should specify that it is a constitutive meeting and include information about what kind of association is being founded. The convener can be anyone.

The agenda for the actual meeting is the following:

• Opening the meeting
  • The convener opens it
• Organising the meeting
  • A chair, a secretary and 2 scrutineers are chosen
• The agenda is approved
• Founding the association
  • In the minutes, enter e.g. “Decided to found a club called Temppu and accepted the attached rules. Those present at the constitutive meeting became members of the club.”
• Choosing the board
  • The amount that the rules govern, in the way that the rules govern
• Choosing the performance auditors
• The size of the membership fee and the support membership fee
• Agenda and budget for the first activity period
• Other possible practicalities concerning the beginning of the activities
  • The symbols of the club: symbols, flags, pennants, ribbons, overalls etc.
  • Opening a bank account
  • Getting an email account
  • Etc.
• Closing the meeting

The minutes of the meeting are signed by at least the chair and the scrutineers. The rules and list of people that participated in the meeting must be attached to the minutes.