Please note that these procedures are provided in English only for convenience. The official version of these procedures is the Finnish one.
These standing orders are followed in assemblies of the Guild of Information Technology (hereafter referred to as the “Guild”) in addition to what is stipulated in the Guild's rules.
Assemblies are convened as prescribed in Section 11 of the Guild's rules.
Voting rights, eligibility for election, and rights to attend and speak are determined according to Section 12 of the Guild's rules.
A member is disqualified from participating in the discussion and decision-making of an issue if their personal interest may conflict with the Guild's interest in that matter. A disqualified member must announce their disqualification and leave the assembly room for the duration of the discussion. Disqualification can also be raised by a disqualification notice, in which case the assembly will decide on the disqualification. Disqualification does not apply in personal appointments by the assembly. According to Section 26 of the Association Act: “A member of the board or any person entrusted with a task related to the administration of the association may not vote when deciding on the selection or dismissal of an auditor, the approval of financial statements, or the granting of discharge from liability if they are responsible for the administration in question.”
The Guild's board decides on the items to be included in the assembly agenda, except for changes decided under “APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.” Members may propose items for inclusion by submitting their proposal to the board at least fourteen (14) days before the assembly. The board will discuss the proposals and respond to the proposer. The board generally presents items and makes decision proposals, except for items added under “APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA,” for which the assembly will make decision proposals. In the case of granting discharge from liability for previous year's officials, a decision proposal will be made during the assembly.
The assembly is chaired by a chairperson elected by the assembly, who must be a regular member of the Guild. The assembly is opened by the board chair until the assembly chairperson is elected. The assembly secretary, also a regular member, is elected by the assembly. At the beginning of the assembly, two (2) regular members are elected as minutes reviewers, along with their personal deputies. Additionally, two (2) regular members are elected as vote counters, who may not simultaneously serve as minutes reviewers.
The voting order of decision proposals is determined in Section 14 of the Guild's rules. A decision proposal made at the assembly that is not seconded will not be included in voting. Support must be expressed with a requested statement of support.
Voting and elections are conducted as prescribed in Sections 14 and 15 of the Guild's rules. Vote counting follows the guidelines in Section 16 of the Guild's rules.
An issue may be tabled or referred back to the board for further consideration by a simple majority vote. When an issue is tabled, it will be brought up again in the next assembly in its original form. An issue that has already been tabled may not be tabled again. When an issue is referred back to the board, the board will prepare it further and present it in the assembly again.
The assembly secretary keeps a record of the decisions and proposals made during the assembly, as well as any votes that took place. Minutes are reviewed as stipulated in Section 13 of the Guild's rules.
Members may propose motions to the board. Any supported motion proposal must be put to a vote. The board must respond to motions in the following assembly.
The assembly elects representatives and alternate representatives of the Guild to The Teekkari Council. The assembly may, if necessary, release a representative from their duties or supplement the composition of representatives.
The assembly may appoint special committees for specific tasks. Committees must report on their task completion to the assembly and document their activities. Committees are appointed by the assembly for a fixed term. The assembly may, if necessary, release a committee from its duties or supplement its composition.
A board formation officer is elected in a personal election, tasked with forming the board. The election is based on the proposals made during the assembly. The election follows the previously mentioned Sections 14 and 15 of the Guild's rules.
The composition and duties of the board are defined in Section 17 of the Guild's rules.
The board formation officer presents a proposal for the board's composition during the same assembly. If the assembly approves the proposal, the board formation officer is appointed as the board chair, and the proposed individuals are appointed as board members. If the assembly does not approve the proposal, the board formation officer is given another opportunity to present a proposal. If that is also not accepted, a third proposal may be presented. If the third proposal is also rejected, a new election for the board formation officer will be held. The task of forming the board may be reassigned to a previously rejected board formation officer. The procedure continues until the assembly approves a proposal for the board's composition.
A board member may be released from their duties as prescribed in Section 17 of the Guild's rules.
These procedures may be amended if the change is approved by a simple majority vote in the Guild assembly. Any proposed amendments to the procedures must be included in the assembly notice.
These standing orders come into effect by decision of the Guild assembly on April 27, 2021.