By laws
Lithuanian Professionals Oslo (LPO) Club Charter
Approved by the LNCC Board 3 September 2019 and amended 13 December 2022
Preamble
The Lithuanian Professionals Oslo is established and this Charter (the “Charter”) is drafted according to the Articles of Association of the Lithuanian Norwegian Chamber of Commerce, Article 9. The Charter replaces the Charter last approved 3 September 2019.
The Lithuanian Professionals Oslo is hereinafter referred to as the “LPO” or “Club” interchangeably. The Lithuanian Norwegian Chamber of Commerce is referred to as the “LNCC”.
1. Mandate
LPO shall provide a platform for individual professionals to meet, network and organize:
– Informal and open meetups for networking and mingling
– Workshops, educational and inspirational events
– Professional and big-scale representational events & projects
2. Governance
2.1. LPO is formally a structural unit within LNCC. LNCC’s governance also applies to LPO to the extent it fits and unless described otherwise in this Charter.
2.2. The governing bodies of LPO are the LNCC Board of Directors, the LPO Members Meeting and the LPO Committee (“Committee”).
2.3. The governing documents of LPO are the Articles of Association of LNCC and the LPO Charter.
2.4. The Charter and/or any of its amendments must be approved by the LNCC Board of Directors.
2.5. LPO budget consists of member fees and other funds collected through partners. The use of funds shall be allocated in the following manner:
2.5.1. Organization of various events
2.5.2. Inviting speakers and performers
2.5.3. Increasing visibility and brand awareness of the Club
2.5.4. Various other expenditures related to delivering professional experience for the members that fall within the scope of the Club
2.6. LPO holds its own budget and is autonomous in its decisions of its usage. LPO nevertheless has a duty to provide financial updates to the LNCC board upon request.
2.7. Any legal or financial commitment that exceeds the LPO mandate must be approved by the LNCC board.
2.8. LPO’s official language is English.
3. Committee
3.1. Committee shall be composed of five members. In the event of incomplete composition, either due to ceased membership or other reasons, the Committee shall be deemed operational with a composition of not less than three members. Should the number of members fall below the operational minimum, an extraordinary LPO Members Meeting shall be called for the resolution of the matter.
3.2. Committee is elected by the LPO Members Meeting and approved by the LNCC Board of Directors.
3.3. The nominations shall take into account that:
3.3.1. Committee should be made up of individual members who are willing and able to work as a team;
3.3.2. There should be a balance between the need for continuity and the need of renewal. Hence at least 40% of the Committee shall rotate every year in order to maintain consistency and new ideas inflow.
3.4. Committee members shall be elected from current members only. Each candidate shall either be self-nominated or nominated by another current member. In addition to the nomination, each candidate must be endorsed by at least one current member. Election is conducted by the LPO Members Meeting and considered made if the candidate is voted for by an absolute majority of present votes. When there are more candidates than the vacant positions, elections are determined by voting. All elections are subject to approval by the LNCC Board of Directors at its first board meeting following the election.
3.5. The Head of Committee is elected by the Committee in its first meeting following the approval by the LNCC Board of Directors. The Head of Committee can only be elected after serving one year as a member of the Committee. However, the term of office for the member elected as Head will be extended with one additional year.
3.6. Term of office for the Committee member is two years. Term of office commences after the elected candidate is approved by the LNCC Board of Directors. The office expires after two years at the closing of the first LNCC Board of Directors meeting following the LPO Members Meeting. A Committee member can serve in office for a maximum of five consecutive years.
3.7. The election procedure described in Sections 3.2 to 3.6 shall not apply to the compositions of the Committee at initial establishment 3 September 2019 and secondary establishment 13 December 2022.
3.8. Committee matters:
3.8.1. Club operations and development including but not limited to goals, KPIs, partnerships and similar;
3.8.2. Assessment of new and current memberships in accordance with Section 4;
3.8.3. Planning events and member meetings;
3.8.4. Communication with (and for) members, and other relevant stakeholders;
3.8.5. Performing other duties that naturally fall within the scope of Committee matters.
3.9. Committee meeting procedures:
3.9.1. Meetings of the Committee shall be convened at least once a month or more frequently if requested by two or more Committee members.
3.9.2. Each member has one vote;
3.9.3. Committee decisions are made by absolute majority of votes;
3.9.4. Committee has a quorum when at least half of members participate.
3.10. Committee members are exempted from the LPO membership fee.
4. LPO Members Meeting
4.1. LPO Members Meeting consists of LPO members.
4.2. LPO Members Meeting matters:
4.2.1. Advise and express an opinion on proposed LPO events’ and projects’ plans;
4.2.2. Elect new Committee members;
4.2.3. Other matters that are of significant relevance to the members or to the Club as a whole.
4.3. LPO Members Meeting procedures:
4.3.1. LPO Members Meeting convenes in an ordinary meeting once a year. Extraordinary meetings shall be held when requested by at least 10 LPO members or when deemed necessary by Committee;
4.3.2. The meetings shall be convened at no less than fourteen days’ notice. The notice shall specify the matters to be discussed;
4.3.3. The meetings are chaired by the Head of Committee or in his/her absence by another Committee member appointed by the Head of Committee.
4.4. LPO Members Meeting has a quorum when at least half of the members participate.
4.5. Except as otherwise decided in the Charter, all LPO Member Meeting decisions shall be resolved by simple majority. Each member has one vote.
5. Membership
5.1. As part of the membership, each individual shall receive various benefits. The benefits might include, but shall be not limited to:
5.1.1. Free or discounted entrance to events and gatherings organized by LPO, LNCC or partners;
5.1.2. Invitation to exclusive, non-public events;
5.1.3. Information and updates on internal matters.
5.2. In order to initiate the application process to become a member, individuals must submit an online application to be found on the LPO pages on the LNCC website. Each application will be considered by the Committee based on the member’s criteria. Positive assessment will lead to an invitation for a conversation with at least two of the Committee members. The application process will be concluded by a formal acceptance or rejection to be provided in writing.
If an application is accepted, membership commences after the individual pays a membership fee. The fee is assessed yearly by the Committee.
If a member joins LPO in July or later, the membership shall include the remaining months that year and the following year. The fee shall include regular membership fee and proportion calculation of the additional months of the year membership commences.
5.3. Member criteria:
5.3.1. Higher education;
5.3.2. Minimum 3 years of professional experience;
5.3.3. Proficiency in English;
5.3.4. Personal traits – open-mindedness, flexibility and curiosity;
5.3.5. Willingness to contribute.
5.4. The application procedure and member criteria described in Sections 5.2 and 5.3 may be deviated from based on individual assessment and at Committee’s discretion.
5.5. As part of the membership, each individual will be allowed to run for positions in Committee. Committee elections will be held as outlined in Sections 3.2 to 3.6.
6. Code of Conduct
6.1. LPO is a non-profit unit under LNCC and shall maintain independence and not be rigidly aligned or affiliated with any political party or national movement.
6.2. LPO members shall always act with fairness, honesty, integrity and openness, respect the opinions of others and treat all members with equality and dignity.
6.3. LPO activities are based on transparency and openness to promote and facilitate cooperation between Lithuania and Norway.
6.4. LPO on a normal basis does not take donors’ or fundators’ role in any kind of initiatives. Yet, it can initiate a separate collection of donations among its members or among external parties.