„Fürchte Gott und befolge seine Befehle” – „Fear God and obey his Commands”
Statutes
Supplemented and announced in Ballenstedt on May 6, 2017
© 2015, Internationale Vereinigung der Träger des Askanischen Hausordens Albrecht der Bär®. All rights reserved. This publication may not be reprinted (reissued), redistributed, or used in any form, whether electronic, mechanical, or any other known or future (invented) means, either in part or in whole, including reproduction and recording, information storage, and retrieval systems.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Article 1 Preamble
Article 2 Objectives
Article 3 Assets
Article 4 Duration
Article 5 Organs
Article 6 The General Assembly
Article 7 The Executive Board
Article 8 Interpretation
Article 1: Preamble
1.1. Today, under the chairmanship of H.R.H. Prince Eduard of Anhalt, Head of the House of Anhalt-Askanien and Grand Master of the Ducal House Order of Albrecht the Bear, this order is being renewed and renamed the Askanian House Order of Albrecht the Bear.
This renewal also includes the modernization of the order’s statutes.
1.2. The International Association of Bearers of the Ascanian House Order of Albrecht the Bear is formed on this day by the express will of the Head of the House of Anhalt-Ascania and the founding members of the association. The order will henceforth exist on the basis of these statutes in accordance with German association law.
1.3. The International Association has its headquarters in Dessau/Anhalt and is entitled to establish and maintain representations in Germany and abroad.
1.4. Members of the association are those who have been awarded the Grand Cross, Commander, Dame Commander, Knight, and Dame of the Ascanian House Order of Albrecht the Bear by H.R.H. Prince Eduard of Anhalt, as well as those ladies and gentlemen who have been awarded the Medal of Merit affiliated with this order. They undertake to recognize the statutes and to comply with their contents.
1.5. Members who have violated the statutes or who do not comply with the statutes shall be proposed for expulsion to the chairman of the association and Grand Master of the Order after a hearing by the executive committee.
Members who have not paid their annual dues for three consecutive years shall be expelled from the association by decision of the executive committee. They shall thereby lose the right to wear the insignia of the Order.
In special cases, the right of expulsion is reserved solely to the Chairman of the Association and Grand Master of the Order. Membership expires upon death. The insignia of the Order are not transferable.
1.6. Expulsion from the association and removal from the membership list are subject exclusively to the authority of the executive committee, excluding legal recourse, as recognized by the member of the order upon admission to the order.
Article 2: Objectives
2.1. The objectives of the Order and the non-profit association are:
a) to promote the appreciation and preservation of the historical and cultural heritage of the House of Anhalt-Askanien,
b) to support the head of the House of Anhalt-Askanien, who is also the Grand Master of the Order, and his family through the Order community in order to achieve the objectives mentioned under a),
c) the participation of the members of the Order in charitable and humanitarian Order and/or sponsorship events scheduled by the Executive Board and serving the objectives mentioned under a),
d) the membership fees of the members of the Order, their donations, and the money from other donations shall be used exclusively for the objectives mentioned under a) and selected projects of the Order.
2.2. All honorary office holders and members of the Executive Board shall receive no remuneration; they shall only be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the course of their duties, as agreed in advance.
2.3. The Order and its non-profit association shall endeavor to establish links with other associations or groups pursuing similar objectives in order to finance or organize joint projects in accordance with a).
2.4. In order to achieve its objectives, the association may take the necessary measures. In addition to financial support, professional and time commitments to the Order or association may also be accepted in lieu of membership fees.
2.5. The seat of the Order and the association has been determined by the Grand Master of the Order and can only be changed on the basis of his decision.
Article 3: Assets
3.1. The assets of the Order and the Association consist of membership fees and donations. In addition, the Order and the Association may accept project-related funds, donations, financial gifts, and funds from bequests made by members of the Order as well as by third parties, companies, and private individuals.
3.2. The treasurer of the association is responsible for the financial affairs of the Order and the association.
Article 4: Duration
4.1. The existence of the Askanian House Order of Albrecht the Bear and the Grand Master’s authority to confer orders are contingent upon the continued existence of the House of Anhalt-Askania.
The association belonging to the order may be dissolved at any time by unanimous decision of the order’s executive committee.
Article 5: Organs
5.1. Die Organe des Verbandes sind:
a) the general assembly of the members of the order and the association
b) the executive committee of the order and the association
Article 6: The General Assembly
6.1. All active members who have paid their annual membership fee by March 1 of the current year and are listed on the Order’s current website are eligible to attend the General Assembly of the Order and the Association. Furthermore, honorary members who do not pay any financial contribution and representatives of those princely houses – after giving advance notice of their attendance – who are again members of the Order or whose ancestors were listed as members of the Order in the “Hof- u. Staatshandbuch” (Court and State Handbook) of the Duchy of Anhalt before 1918 may also participate.
6.2. The General Assembly shall be chaired by:
a) the Grand Master
b) the Chancellor of the Order
c) the Master of Ceremonies
d) the Treasurer
e) and possibly other members of the Executive Board appointed by the Grand Master
f) as well as the members of the Executive Board of the Association.
6.3. The General Assembly is the highest body of the Association.
6.4. The ordinary general meeting shall be convened at least once every three years in the first half of the year by the executive committees of the Order and the Association and shall be announced by sending an invitation to all members 30 days in advance, stating the place, date, and time of the meeting.
6.5. An extraordinary General Assembly may be convened at any time if deemed necessary by the Grand Master and the members of the Executive Board.
6.6. An extraordinary General Assembly may also be convened at the request of 25 percent of the members of the Order and the Association to the Executive Board.
6.7. The General Assembly shall constitute a quorum if all members have been invited in due time and the Grand Master is present or represented by a person appointed by him.
6.8. A member may only represent another member and exercise his voting rights with a written power of attorney.
6.9. Decisions shall be made by a show of hands or, if the Executive Board or the majority of the members present so desire, by secret ballot.
6.10. In the event of a tie, the Grand Master of the Order, who is also the chairman of the association, shall have the casting vote.
6.11. A protocol shall be taken at each General Assembly and drawn up by the secretary, which shall be accepted and signed by all members of the Executive Board of the Order and the association.
6.12. Regardless of the rank of the members, each member has the right to one vote.
6.13. The Grand Master or a representative appointed by him or her shall always chair the Order and the Association. The General Assembly shall elect the other members of the Executive Board of the Association.
6.14. The General Assembly votes on the amount of membership fees and contributions as proposed by the Order’s Executive Board and approves or rejects the annual financial statements of the Treasurer or the responsible auditing company.
6.15. The General Assembly discusses all topics and funding projects proposed to it by the Executive Board.
6.16. The General Assembly may amend the association’s statutes with a majority of the members present, but not against the will of the Grand Master.
6.17. In the event of the dissolution of the association, the General Assembly shall decide on the disposition of the available financial resources and on the amount to be transferred to organizations with similar charitable objectives.
6.18. Only after all liabilities have been settled may the General Assembly discharge the Executive Board of the Association, release it from its duties, or dissolve the Association.
6.19. The General Assembly may only pass resolutions on topics that are listed on the agenda.
Article 7: The Executive Board
7.1. The Executive Board of the Order and the affiliated association consists of three to a maximum of seven members:
a) the Grand Master as Chairman of the affiliated association
b) the Chancellor of the Order, appointed by the Grand Master, who is also Vice-Chairman of the affiliated association.
c) the Master of Ceremonies and Secretary
d) the Treasurer
7.2. The positions of Grand Master or Chairman of the affiliated association – and those of Order Chancellor or Vice President of the association – are not subject to election.
The Order of Albrecht the Bear is the house order of the Anhalt-Ascanian dynasty, which is led by the respective head of the House of Anhalt-Ascania and continued in the spirit of their ancestors. The current and future structures of the Order and the association are subject to the autocratic decisions of the Grand Master. The voting members of the affiliated association have only an advisory function.
7.3. The other members of the Executive Board – currently the Master of Ceremonies and the Treasurer – remain in office for three years and are eligible for re-election.
7.4. The association’s executive committee has full authority to manage the association.
7.5. The executive committee proposes the amount of the membership fee at the general meeting.
7.6. The executive committee may propose new members and request expulsions.
7.7. Furthermore, the Executive Board may submit suggestions for improvement.
7.8. The Executive Board may propose projects eligible for funding in accordance with 1.a) and participate in their implementation.
7.9. The Grand Master and the Association Chairman are responsible for the legal representation of the Association. The members of the Executive Board may advise the Grand Master in this regard.
Article 8: Interpretation
In all matters, the final decision of the Grand Master and Chairman of the Association shall be binding.
(Resolved at Ballenstedt Castle on May 6, 2017)
Admission of members
The Order of Albrecht the Bear is an order of merit of the Ducal House of Anhalt-Askanien.
The tasks of the Order consist of preserving and communicating the values of the Christian West, in loyalty and support of the Ducal House, in charitable work, as well as in the cultural and social development of our country.
In this spirit, the head of the House of Anhalt-Askanien, as Grand Master, awards the Order of Albrecht the Bear to individuals who have rendered outstanding services to the House of Anhalt-Askanien.
Services to Anhalt can take many forms and are expressed in particular in the promotion of upcoming projects.
For admission to the Order, the Order’s Executive Board submits a recommendation to the Grand Master, who then makes a decision.
Upon investiture, the member of the Order commits to further activities in the spirit of the Order, to paying the annual Order membership fee, and to attending the annual Order ceremony in Anhalt. The Order’s regalia must be purchased by the members of the Order upon receipt of the certificate of appointment.