These statutes have been published in the appendixes (schedules) of the Belgian law gazette (Moniteur Belge/Belgisch Staatsblad) of 9 June 1934, changed in the appendixes (schedules) of 5 September 1968,
2 September 1982 and 26 March 1998

Chapter II

ADMINISTRATION AND FUNCTIONING

Article 6 – The Association is governed by a board of directors, composed of maximum fifteen and minimum five members, who are elected for at least three years by the general assembly and chosen among the ordinary (effective) members or patrons.

In case of any vacancy, the board of directors provides temporarily for a substitution of its members. Their definitive replacement occurs at the next general assembly meeting.

The prerogatives of the thus elected members expire at the exact moment the mandate of the replaced members was to expire.

The resigning members can be re-elected.

The board elects among its members a secretariat, composed of a chairman, two vice-chairmen and a secretary-general.

Article 7 – The board of directors meets once a trimester and or when summoned by its chairman at the request of a quarter of its membership.

The presence of 50% of the membership of the board of directors is required in order to have valid deliberations. If however the deliberation deals with assistance and solidarity measures in favour of other persons than members of the Order of Leopold, the presence of three quarter of the membership is required, as well as a favourable vote with unanimity of the members in attendance.

Minutes are drawn up of all meetings.

The minutes are signed by the chairman or by one of the vice-chairmen and the secretary-general.

The board of directors pursues the activities of the Association in accordance with the law.

The board of directors is obliged to submit annually the accounts of the previous financial year as well as the budgetary previsions for the next financial year to the approval of the general assembly.

Article 8 – The members of the board of directors and the accountants should not be remunerated for the functions that have been entrusted to them.

Article 9 – he board of directors is allowed to appoint paid officers; those can be invited to attend the meetings of the general assembly and of the board of directors, only with a consultative voice.

The amount of the membership fees is determined annually by the board of directors.

The maximum membership fee amounts to ten thousand Belgian francs or its equivalent.

These fees can be bought off by means of a once-only payment of twenty times the amount.

The president or his representative allows the payment of the expenses. Both in justice and in all civil actions, the Association is represented by the president or his representative. The representative of the Association has to possess his full civil rights.

Article 10 – The general assembly of the Association is composed of the honorary members, the patrons, the ordinary (effective) members, the adherent members, the foreign members and the affiliated members.

The associations, which boast the title of affiliated member of the Association, are represented at the general assembly meetings by a delegate.

The general assembly must gather each year in May.

It must be convoked by the board of directors whenever one quarter of the membership requires so by letter.

The board of directors is entitled to summon the members to an extraordinary meeting whenever the study of a special and urgent item requires it.

The agenda is set up by the board of directors.

The secretariat of the general assembly is the same as that of the board of directors

The assembly listens to the reports about the management of the board of directors and about the financial and moral situation of the Association. It approves the accounts of the previous financial year and the budgetary previsions for the next financial year, it discusses the matters put on the agenda and, when necessary, the renewal of the composition of the board of directors.

Article 11 – All members of the Association should be convoked by the board of directors at least fifteen days before the fixed date of the general assembly meeting, either by letter or by a an insert in the magazine of the Association, providing it boasts a magazine.

The agenda must be mentioned on the convocation. All proposals, signed by a number of members equal to one twentieth of the last annual membership directory, must be sent to the chairman of the board of directors before 31 March.

All members can be represented by another member at the general assembly meeting.

Article 12 – All decisions of the general assembly will be communicated to the membership by means of the magazine of the association.

Article 13 – The general assembly can only deliberate legitimately about amendments to the statutes when the object of these amendments is specifically mentioned. Any amendment can only be accepted in case of a two third majority of the voices.

If however the amendment concerns one of the aims of the Association as further specified in article number 2, it will only be valid if voted unanimously by all members present at the meeting.

If two third of the membership is neither present nor represented at the first general assembly meeting, a second meeting can be called which, regardless the number of members present, will be able to deliberate, but this decision must be submitted for homologation to the civil court of justice.

Article 14 – The deliberations of the board of directors concerning the purchase, exchange and transfer of property of the accommodation necessary for the pursuit of the aim of the Association, the raising of a mortgage on this accommodation, a lease with a duration for more than nine years, transfer of property which are part of the grant and the loans, must be submitted to the approval of the general assembly.

Article 15 – Revoked text.

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