I Name, Duration, Seat, Purpose

Article 1
Under the name of European Association of Astronomy Education (EAAE) an association is established. It shall be registered with the competent register of associations and shall have its seat at Garching bei München. Following its registration its name shall be "European Association for Astronomy Education (EAAE) e. V.". The duration of the Association shall be perpetual and shall be governed by German Law.

Article 2
1. The Association is with ref. to section "Tax Concessions" of the taxrate decree, an exclusively non-profit making organisation
2. The Association persuses no economic interest for its own benefit.
3. All resources of the Association may be used exclusively in accordance with the statutes of the association. Members will not receive financial support from the resources of the Association.
4. No person shall receive benefits not directly connected to the aims of the Association or receive unreasonable payment from Association.

Article 3
1. The purpose of the Association is to improve and promote astronomical education at all levels in all institutions involved in teaching astronomy in Europe.
2. The aims of the Association are in particular:
a) To promote a greater interest in, and an awareness of, the role of astronomy education.
b) To increase the effectiveness of European astronomy education at all levels through research and the exchange of information and experience.
c) To be a responsible body able to provide informed and authoritative advice on coordinated European astronomy education.
d) To encourage as deemed appropriate by its Members the development of resources for teaching of astronomy.
3. To acheive these aims the Association shall act in the following ways:
a) Promote cooperation between European educators through provision of an international network of information, astronomy resources and teaching materials.
b) Promote the training of teachers in astronomical concepts.
c) Arrange special activities for those studying astronomy.
d) Develop astronomy courses for use by pupils, students and adults in European education establishments at primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

II Membership

Article 4
Membership is open to individuals and institutions concerned with or interested in the teaching of astronomy or in the promotion of astronomy education at all levels. Membership is bound to the condition of supportive to the aims and activities of the Association. Support of pseudosciences (e.g. astrology) is not compatible with Membership in the EAAE. Written application for Membership shall be decided by the Executive Council.

Article 5
Membership of the Association according to article 4 shall be of the following categories:
a) Ordinary Members shall be individuals or institutions who intend to participate in, or to contribute to, the activities of the Association.
b) Sponsoring Members shall be institutions or individuals who intend to promote the aims and activities of the Association by sponsoring means.
c) Individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the aims of the Association may be elected Honorary Members by the General Assembly.

Article 6
Membership terminates
a) on cancellation by Member. Cancellation shall be made in writing to a Member of the Executive Committee.
b) on death.
c) on failure to pay membership fees for two years and following two written reminders.
d) on expulsion, which can be decided by the Executive Council and confirmed by the General Assembly after a full report and after the member has been given the opportunity to fully present the arguments in their favour.

Article 7
Societies with aims closely related to the aims of the EAAE may become Affiliated Societies upon approval by the General Assembly.

III Organisation

Article 8
The bodies of the Association are
a) the General Assembly.
b) the Executive Council.
c) the National Representatives.

Article 9
1. The General Assembly is the supreme authority of the Association. Its formal functions are:
- to receive the report of the President about the Association's past activities
- to examine and approve the audited report of the Treasurer
- to approve the actions of the Executive Council
- to approve any budget which is set.
2. The General Assembly has all such powers that have not been conferred to another body under the present Statutes; e.g. it elects the Executive Council, and can delegate some of these powers to other bodies of the Association.
3. An Ordinary General Assembly must be summoned every three years by the Executive Council. An Extraordinary General Assembly may be summoned at any time, either by the Executive Council or by a written request of one fifth of Members.
4. The summons or in the last-named case, the written request, must indicate precisely the agenda of the items that should be discussed and also the place and time of the meeting. Each General Assembly shall be announced to the members in writing by the Executive Council not later than two months before the event.
5. Each Member may propose items to be discussed and candidates to be elected by the General Assembly.
6. The General Assembly elects, by simple majority, two auditors who cannot be Members of the Executive Council. The auditors perform an audit of the Treasurer's report.
7. The record of the General Assembly shall be signed by the President and the Secretary. If one of these is not able to sign, a Member of Executive Council may sign for them.

Article 10
The Executive Council is the governing body of the Association. It consists of
a) President
b) Vice-President
c) Secretary
d) Treasurer
e) Editor
f) four other Members

Article 11
The Executive Council is elected by the General Assembly. It holds office for three years.

Article 12
The executive Council according to paragraph 26 of German Civil Law consists of the President, the Secretary and of the Treasurer. Each of them has power alone to represent the Executive Council, to act for and to sign in the name of the Association. The Association is bound by these signatures.

Article 13
The Editor shall collect new items and publications that are of interest to Members and regularly disseminates them.

Article 14
The National Representatives are to facilitate the work of the Association concerning their respective countries. The National Representatives shall be bound by the decisions of the Executive Council. The General Assembly elects, by simple majority, National Representatives according to proposals of the Members of the corresponding countries. There should be one Representative for each of these countries.

IV Finances

Article 15
The financial period shall be the calendar year.

Article 16
The Executive Council shall establish a budget for an appropriate period.

Article 17
The Treasurer shall arrange the financial transactions of the Association under the instructions of the Executive Council.

Article 18
1. The fees shall be fixed by the General Assembly.
2. The financial liability shall be limited to the Annual Membership fee.

Article 19
1. The resources of the Association are
a) dues paid by Members
b) possible gifts, bequests and legacies
c) subsidies or grants which may be awarded to it by public or private bodies
d) any other resources which may derive from its own activities.
2. In order to fulfil its purpose and to secure its functioning the Association may at any time constitute or organize separate or independent funds or bodies and give them an appropriate legal structure.

V Amendments and Winding-Up

Article 20
1. Any proposal of amendments of the Statutes shall be sent by the Executive Council to all Members of the Association at least two months before the General Assembly which shall decide upon such a proposal.
2. To be approved any amendment of the Statutes shall require the favourable vote of two-thirds of the Ordinary Members present and voting.

Article 21
1. The winding-up or merger of the Association may be decided only by an Extraordinary General Assembly, formally summoned for this special occasion.
2. The decision shall be valid if approved by three-quarters of all Ordinary Members of the Association present and voting.

Article 22
It is assumed that the Association has abandoned its purposes and aims if no General Assembly has taken place in the preceeding ten years. In such case the legal existence of the Association shall end.

Article 23
1. In the event of the Association being wound-up or merged, the remaining assets after discharge of all depts shall be transferred to a legal entity of a public body or a tax-privilleged body, to be used for the promotion of education in the field of astronomy.
2. In the event of the Association being dissolved automatically, the remaining assets shall be transferred to ESO.

VI Temporary Regulations

Article 24
1. If parts of the Statutes are complained by the register court to be incompatible with registration conditions, the Executive Council, according to paragraph 26 of German Civil Law (article 12), respectively each of these persons has power alone to change the Statutes in the necessary way in order to remove these complaints.
2. If parts of the statutes are complained by the Revenue Office to be incompatible with the conditions to obtain the status of a non-profit Association, the Executive Council, according to paragraph 26 of German Civil Law (article 12), respectively each of these persons has power alone to change the Statutes in the necessary way in order to remove these complaints.

Athens 25th November 1995

Changed:
Düsseldorf 2nd April 1996

Appendix to the Statutes

Excerpt from the Declaration of the EU/ESO Workshop on "Teaching of Astronomy in Europe's Secondary Schools", Garching, November 25-30, 1994.

Aims of Astronomy Teaching

Astronomy should contribute towards the consciousness that, in a complex society abounding in science and technology, a scientific education is essential for the choices that every citizen has to make in the democratic life. Students should feel that the Earth is a wonderful place in the Universe, and to be cared for and defended.

The following particular goals are desirable:

(i). Astronomy education should be started as early as possible in the primary school and progress in the following years. Through the media, students are nowadays exposed to a multitude of mainly unstructured impressions from the space sciences and associated areas: the teaching of astronomy in schools will establish the structure and the desirable organisational concepts.

(ii). By the end of compulsory education, students should have been involved in observation, experimentation and discussion of the following ideas from astronomy:
a. Our place in the Solar System, progressing to our place in the Universe;
b. The nature of objects we see in our sky, for instance, planets, comets, stars, galaxies.
c. Examine thinking from the past ages and more recent times to explain the character, origin and evolution of the Earth, other planets, stars and the Universe.

(iii). In initial training of teachers and their subsequent in-service training, these ideas (iia - c) should be introduced and reinforced. Recent studies of students' misconceptions and ideas in astronomy provide a useful basis for the further development of teaching methods.

(iv). Since astronomy can provide a unique opportunity for fascinating, whole school activity, support should be provided for optional courses and extra-curricular work in astronomy.

(v). Astronomy teaching can contribute to an understanding of the physical laws which start from the human level and reach the macro-cosmos to give a scientific organised outlook on our world and appreciate the uniqueness of the Earth for the human race. Astronomy locates our niche in space and time. Students should be aware of threats, from light pollution and radio interference, to our ability to observe the night sky.

(vi). Astronomy teaching conveys the fundamentals of the scientific method, including the associated doubt and lack of answers and the interplay between experiment and theory, thereby forcing students to adopt a critical attitude towards the many pseudo-sciences.

(vii). Astronomy knows no national frontiers - the sky is the same above all of Europe - and the teaching of astronomy therefore contributes to international collaboration between students and teachers everywhere.