This page contains the unofficial translation of the rules of Data Guild ry. The last update to this document was made on February 23rd, 2023.
The official formatted rules in Finnish, created on March 16th, 2019.
The unofficial formatted rules in English, last updated on February 23rd, 2023.
1 Name, domicile, purpose and languages
1 § Name and domicile
The name of the association is Data Guild ry. In these rules it will be referred to as the guild. The domicile of the guild is Espoo.
2 § Purpose of activities of the guild
The purpose of the guild is to connect students from the Data Science program at Aalto University School of Science and Master’s students studying data science programs, promote their interests at the school and the whole university, and inspir them to follow occupational and societal questions.
To fulfill its purpose the guild may:
- organize meetings, parties, study trips and excursions
- organize study and info sessions related to studies, the school, the university education policy and societal questions
- take care of communications within the guild
- help new members get to know the school and its atmosphere, and help tackle problems in the beginning of studies
- keep in contact with trade unions and companies in the field, and old members of the guild
- supply material related to studies to the members of the guild without seeking profit
- keep in contact and cooperate with the Aalto University Student Union (AYY), Aalto University, the School of Science, the department of Computer Science, the department of Math and System analysis, trade unions of the field, companies, and other stakeholders
3 § Supporting the activities
To support its activities the guild may organize social events, raffles, sales of works, entertainment events, educational events and other comparable activities, practice publishing activities related to its cause, receive donations and wills. In addition, it collects membership fees.
The guild may own movables and fixed assets necessary to its activities.
4 § The languages of the guild
The official language of the guild is Finnish. The operating language of the guild is English.
2 Members and fees
5 § Members
The guild can have ordinary, associate, supporting, honorary and association
members.
Any AYY member that is interested in the guild’s activities can be accepted as an ordinary member of the guild.
Any member interested in the guild’s activities that cannot be accepted as an ordinary member can be accepted as an associate member.
Any person or any legal entity that supports the guild’s activities can be accepted as a supporting member.
Any association whose rules and purpose are aligned with the guild’s spirit and do not break the guild rules in any way can be accepted as an association member.
The guild meeting can, with a three fourths (¾) majority of votes cast, invite as an honorary member someone, who is especially commendable in the guild’s activities or has otherwise significantly worked to advance the guild’s goals.
The proposal to invite an honorary member is made by the board, but a group
consisting of ten (10) members of the guild also have the right to make one.
The guild may have at most ten (10) honorary members at one time.
6 § List of members
The guild is obliged to maintain a list of its members. Members are obliged to inform the guild of changes to their name, domicile or email.
7 § Membership fees
Members are obliged to pay a membership fee to the guild every academic year, the size of which is determined by the annual guild meeting. The membership fee may be different for different member groups. Honorary members do not have the obligation to pay the membership fee.
8 § Resigning from the guild
A member can resign at any time by notifying the chair or the board in writing, or by announcing the resignation to be recorded in the minutes at a guild meeting.
The board may consider a member to have resigned if they have not paid their overdue membership fee within two months.
9 § Expulsion of a member
The board may expel a member who is no longer a member of AYY, or that has outrageously acted against the purpose of the guild. In this case the decision of expulsion must be delivered on paper to the expelled member, or by email to a member that has informed the guild of their email address, without delay.
10 § Appealing against the decision of expulsion
The expelled member has the right to appeal to the guild meeting in writing, which then must uphold the decision with a three fourths (¾) majority of votes cast. The appeal must be delivered to the board within thirty (30) days after the member has received the notice of expulsion, and the appeal must be addressed in the next guild meeting, no later than sixty (60) days after the appeal has been made.
3 Guild meetings
11 § Guild meetings
Guild meetings are the annual meeting, the election meeting and extraordinary meetings.
12 § Annual meeting
The annual meeting must be held during February or March and at least the following matters must be discussed:
- annual report from the previous year
- account report and financial statements
- statement from operations inspectors
- confirmation of the financial statements
- discharge of liability to those who have been responsible for the administration of the association in the previous year
- plan of action prepared by the board for the ongoing term
- budget prepared by the board for the ongoing term
- the amount of membership fee for the next academic year
13 § Election meeting
The election meeting must be held in October or November and at least the following matters must be addressed:
- selecting the chairperson of the board, and other board members for the following term
- selecting people for other guild roles for the following term
- selecting two operations inspectors and their personal deputies for the following term
- selecting the guild “oltermanni”
The guild “oltermanni” is chosen from amongst the Aalto-university teachers for one (1) year at a time for communication between the guild and the school.
14 § Extraordinary meetings
An extraordinary meeting is held when the board sees a need for it or when at least a tenth (1/10) of the guild’s members entitled to vote or ten (10) members entitled to vote demand it from the board for a specific matter that is expressed in writing. The meeting must be held within fourteen (14) days of the board receiving the request, however outside of the terms of Aalto University it must be held within thirty (30) days of receiving the demand.
15 § Rights in guild meetings
All members have a right to be present at guild meetings. Actual members are eligible to vote. Other members have the right to speak and make proposals.
With the decision of the meeting a person that is not a member of the guild may be given the right to be present and to speak.
16 § Decision-making
Unless stated otherwise in these rules, the decisions in guild meetings are done with an absolute majority of votes. In the case that votes are divided equally, the chairperson of the meeting settles the vote. However, in elections, the vote is settled by drawing lots.
17 § Convening the meeting
The time, place and the agenda for the meeting must be mentioned in the meeting invitation. The meeting invitation must be posted on guild’s email list at least seven (7) days before the meeting, or at least 14 days before the meeting outside the terms of Aalto University.
18 § Quorum
The meeting has a quorum if it has been legally convened and is held in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
19§ Agenda
The agenda of the meeting is the agenda that was mentioned in the meeting
invitation. The meeting may also deal with issues that are deemed urgent with a five sixths (⅚) majority.
When dealing with changing the rules of the guild, electoral system and order, the selection or expulsion of board members or operations inspectors, confirmation of financial statements and discharge of liability, dissolution of the guild, or other matters described in the twenty third (23rd) article Finnish Associations Act, it must be mentioned in the meeting invitation.
20 § Expulsion of a board member or an other official
For a justified reason the meeting may relieve a guild official of their duties during their term. There must be a mention of this in the meeting invitation. When expelling the board or a member of the board, there must be a three fourths (¾) majority.
4 Board
21 § Board
The guild’s matters are handled by the board which is chosen for one calendar year at a time.
The board must consist of a chairperson, and 2-11 other members.
Only actual members of the guild are eligible to run for the chairperson.
22 § Duties of the board
The duties of the board include:
- leading the guild’s activities
- preparing the agenda for guild meetings and execute the decisions made in the meetings
- taking care of the guild’s finances and property
- making decisions about accepting new members
- making a proposal of the guild’s plan of action, budget, annual report and financial statements
- overseeing the activities of committees and guild officials
- convening the guild meeting when needed
- representing the guild
23 § Members of the board
The chairperson of the board convenes the board meetings and facilitates them, convenes the guild meetings and oversees that the guild activities adhere to the guild rules.
The board names a vice chairperson amongst themselves. The vice chairperson takes care of the chair duties if the chairperson is not available. The vice chairperson must be an actual member of the guild.
24 § Board meetings
A board meeting has a quorum when the meeting has been informed of in a way that has been agreed by the board and at least half of the members, and at least the chairperson or vice chairperson is present.
Decisions are made with an absolute majority of votes. In the case that votes are split equally, the chairperson has the deciding vote, in elections, however, in elections the vote is settled by drawing lots.
25 § Signing on behalf of the guild
The name of the association is signed by the chairperson or the vice chairperson together with another board member.
The board can authorize an actual member of the guild to sign alone.
5 Guild officials and committees
26 § Founding, terms, and taking part in activities
The guild meeting and the guild board may appoint committees and guild officials that operate under the board. When doing this the length of the term must be set, and it can be until the end of the term of the board at most.
6 Administration and finances
27 § Term and accounting period
The term and accounting period of the guild are a calendar year.
28 § Operations inspectors
The guild’s finances and administration are supervised by the operations inspectors. The board must give the financial statements with necessary documents and the plan of action to the operations inspectors at the latest twentyone (21) days before the annual meeting. Accounts must be given for inspection also at other times if requested.
The operations inspectors must give the board a written report of the inspection of the guild’s administration and accounts addressed to the guild’s annual meeting at least fourteen (14) days before the annual meeting.
7 Other provisions
29 § Guild’s symbols and logo
The guild meeting decides about the guild symbols, logos and the official notice board.
30 § Rule amendment
Decisions on rule amendments are made in two consecutive guild meetings, which must be held at least seven (7) days apart. In order to make the decision, a three fourths (¾) majority of the votes cast is required in both meetings. The amendment must be mentioned in the invitation to the meeting.
The proposal for an amendment can be made by the board, or a tenth (1/10) of the guild’s actual members or ten (10) of the guild’s actual members given in writing to the board. A proposal made by actual members must be addressed in the next guild meeting.
31 § Dissolution of the Guild
Decisions on the dissolution of the guild are made in two (2) consecutive association meetings, which must be held at least thirty (30) days apart. In order to make the decision, a three fourths (¾) majority of the votes cast is required in both meetings.
The motion of dissolution must be mentioned in the invitation to the meeting.
When the guild is dissolved or discontinued, its funds are transferred to AYY to be used for a cause consistent with the second (2nd) article of its there rules or when that is impossible, to support AYY’s activities.
32 § Entering into force of rule amendments of dissolution
A rule amendment of decision of dissolution enters into force when it has been entered into the association register.
33 § Matters not stated in these rules
Unless otherwise stated in these rules, the Finnish Association Act is followed.