Governing Statutes of the Association for the Study of Language Acquisition
CHAPTER I
NAME, PURPOSES, ADDRESS AND SCOPE:
Article 1. With the name “Association for the Study of Language Acquisition” (AEAL) (Asociación para el estudio de la Adquisición del Lenguaje; Asociación para o Estudio da Adquisición da Linguaxe; Associació per a l’Estudi de l’Adquisició del Llenguatge; Hizkuntza Jabekuntza Ikasketen Elkartea) an ASSOCIATION is constituted under the Organic Act 1/2002, of March 22, and complementary regulations, with legal personality and full capacity to act, lacking profit motive.
Article 2. This association is constituted for an indefinite period.
Article 3. The existence of this association aims to:
1) Promote the study of language acquisition and development, either in monolingual, bilingual or multilingual situations. With particular attention to the acquisition of Spanish, Basque, Catalan, and Galician languages.
2) Study the relationships that language development has with other psychological, sociocultural, biological, and educational processes, as well as with the characteristics of the languages.
3) Promote the knowledge about the relationships between the development of the oral language and the learning of the written language or other communication systems.
4) Contribute to the knowledge of disorders and difficulties in the acquisition and development of language, and of the appropriate intervention techniques.
5) Disseminate scientific knowledge on the acquisition and development of language.
6) Promote scientific contact, communication and collaboration among researchers in language acquisition and development.
7) Advise all the organizations that may require specialized information on language learning and development, both on first and second languages.
Article 4. For the fulfillment of these purposes, the following activities will be carried out:
1) Periodically hold scientific conferences on language acquisition and development.
2) Organize or promote thematic meetings, seminars and symposia.
3) Prepare, edit and disseminate information for associates that reports news and activities.
4) Promote the publication of scientific works in journals and books on language acquisition and development.
5) Establish contacts and collaborations with other associations with similar aims.
6) Create an association website that facilitates communication with stakeholders.
7) In all its activities, the association will promote the presence of all the official languages of the Spanish State.
Article 5. The Association establishes its registered office in Palma, Institute for Educational Research and Innovation – Universitat de les Illes Balears – Ctra. Valldemossa, Km. 7,5 – 07122, and its territorial scope, in which it will mainly carry out its activities, is national and international, with special emphasis on Latin America.
CHAPTER II
REPRESENTATIVE BODY
Article 6. The Association will be managed and represented by a Board of Directors integrated by: a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer and 6 members. All the positions that make up the Board of Directors shall be non-remunerated. They will be appointed and revoked by the General Assembly and their term will last for 3 years that may be renewable for a second term.
Article 7. They may cause withdrawal by voluntary resignation communicated in writing to the Board of Directors, for non-compliance with the obligations entrusted to them, and due to expiration of the term.
Article 8. The members of the Board of Directors who have completed the term for which they were elected shall continue to serve in office until acceptance by the members replacing them.
Article 9. The Board of Directors shall meet as often as determined by its President and at the initiative or request of a third of its members. It will be constituted when half plus one of its members are present and, for its resolutions to be valid, they must be adopted by majority vote. In the event of a tie, the President shall have the casting vote.
Article 10. Powers of the Board of Directors: The powers of the Board of Directors will extend, in general, to all the acts pertaining to the purposes of the association, provided that they do not require, according to these Statutes, express authorization from the General Assembly.
Particular powers of the Board of Directors are:
a) To direct the social activities and carry out the economic and administrative management of the Association, agreeing to carry out the appropriate contracts and acts.
b) To execute the resolutions of the General Assembly.
c) To formulate and submit to the approval of the General Assembly the annual Balance Sheets and Accounts.
d) To resolve on the admission of new associates.
e) To appoint delegates for any specific activity of the Association.
f) Any other power that is not the exclusive competence of the General Assembly of associates.
Article 11. The President will have the following powers: To legally represent the Association before all kinds of public or private organizations; to summon, preside and adjourn the sessions held by the General Assembly and the Board of Directors, as well as direct the deliberations of both; to order payments and authorize with his/her signature the documents, minutes and correspondence; to adopt any urgent measure that the good progress of the Association may require or is necessary or convenient in the development of its activities, without prejudice to subsequently reporting to the Board of Directors.
Article 12. The Vice President shall substitute the President in his / her absence, due to illness or any other cause, and shall have the same powers as him / her.
Article 13. The Secretary will be in charge of the management of the purely administrative works of the Association, will issue certifications, keep the books of the association legally established and the file of associates, and shall be the custodian of the documentation of the entity, ensuring that the communications regarding the appointment of Boards of Directors and other corporate resolutions that may be registered with the corresponding Registries are sent, as well as compliance with the documentary obligations in the legally applicable terms.
Article 14. The Treasurer will collect and guard the funds belonging to the Association and will comply with the payment orders issued by the President.
Article 15. The Members shall have the obligations of their position as members of the Board of Directors, and as well as those arising from the delegations or work commissions that the Board itself entrusts to them.
Article 16. Vacancies that may occur during the term of any of the members of the Board of Directors shall be provisionally filled by other members until the definitive election by the General Assembly called for such purpose.
CHAPTER III
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Article 17. The General Assembly is the highest governing body of the Association and shall be integrated by all the associates.
Article 18. The meetings of the General Assembly will be ordinary and extraordinary. The ordinary meetings will be held once a year within the four months following the close of the fiscal year; the extraordinary ones shall be held when circumstances make it advisable, in the judgement of the President, when the Board of Directors so agrees or when proposed in writing by one tenth of the associates.
Article 19. General Meetings shall be called in writing, stating the place, day and time of the meeting, as well as the agenda with specific expression of the matters to be discussed. General Meetings shall be called in writing, stating the place, day, and time of the meeting, as well as the agenda with specific expression of the matters to be discussed. At least fifteen days must elapse between the call and the date set for the Assembly to be held on the first call, and the date and time of the Assembly to be held on the second call may also be stated, if applicable, but no less than thirty minutes elapse between one and the other.
Article 20. General Assemblies, both ordinary and extraordinary, will be validly constituted on first call when one third of the associates with voting rights are present, and on second call regardless of the number of associates with voting rights.
Resolutions will be passed by a simple majority of the persons present or represented when the affirmative votes exceed the negative ones, and null votes, blank votes, or abstentions shall not be computable for these purposes.
A qualified majority of the persons present or represented will be necessary, which will result when the affirmative votes exceed half of them, shall be necessary for:
a) Dissolution of the entity.
b) Modification of Statutes.
c) Disposal of fixed assets.
d) Remuneration of the members of the representative body.
e) Constitution of a Federation of Associations.
f) Integration or connection to another association.
Article 21. The powers of the General Assembly are:
a) To approve the management of the Board of Directors.
b) To examine and approve the annual accounts.
c) To elect the members of the Board of Directors.
d) To establish ordinary or extraordinary fees.
e) To Dissolve of the Association.
f) To modify the Statutes.
g) To dispose of the assets.
h) To resolve, where appropriate, the remuneration of the members of the representative bodies.
i) Any other that does not fall within the competence of another corporate body
Article 22. The following require a resolution of the Extraordinary General Assembly called for such purpose:
a) Modification of the Statutes.
1 It will require a resolution modifying the statutes and shall be recorded in the annual accounts approved in the Assembly art. 11.5 LO 1/2002.
b) Dissolution of the Association.
CHAPTER IV
MEMBERS
Article 23. Membership in the Association shall be open to those persons with capacity to act who have an interest in the development of the aims of the Association and demonstrate their competence to contribute to them.
Article 24. Within the Association there will be the following classes of members:
a) Founding members, who shall be those who participate in the act of constitution of the Association.
b) Full members, who shall be those who become members after the constitution of the Association.
c) Honorary members, those who, due to their prestige or for having contributed in a relevant manner to the dignity and development of the Association, are nominateb by the General Assambly. The distinction of Honorary President may be awarded to them on an honorary basis.
Article 25. Members shall terminate their membership for any of the following reasons:
a) By voluntary resignation, communicated in writing to the Board of Directors.
b) For non-fulfillment of the economic obligations, if the member fails to pay 2 periodic dues.
Article 26. Full and founder members will have the following rights:
a) To take part in all the activities organized by the Association in fulfillment of its aims.
b) To enjoy all the advantages and benefits that the Association may obtain.
c) To participate in the Assemblies with voice and vote.
d) To be electors and eligible for executive positions.
e) To receive information on the agreements adopted by the Association’s bodies.
f) To make suggestions to the members of the Board of Directors in order to better fulfill the aims of the Association.
Article 27. Full and founder members will have the following obligations:
a) To comply with the present Statutes and the valid agreements of the Assemblies and the Board of Directors.
b) To pay the fees established.
c) To attend Assemblies and other events that are organized.
d) To perform, where appropriate, the duties inherent to the position they occupy.
Article 28. Honorary members will have the same obligations as founder and full members, except for those provided in sections b) and d) of the previous article.
Likewise, they will have the same rights with the exception of those contained in sections c) and d) of article 26, being able to attend the assemblies without the right to vote.
Article 29. The financial resources provided for the development of the aims and activities of the Association will be the following:
a) Membership fees, periodic or extraordinary.
b) Subsidies, donations, bequests or inheritances that could be legally received from associates or third parties.
c) Any other lawful resource.
Article 30. The Association lacks a Social Fund at the time of its constitution.
Article 31. The associative and economic exercise will be annual and its closing will take place on December 31 of each year.
CHAPTER V
DISSOLUTION
Article 32. It will be dissolved voluntarily when so agreed by the Extraordinary General Assembly, convened for that purpose, in accordance with the provisions of Article 20 of the present Statutes.
Article 33. In the event of dissolution, a liquidation committee shall be appointed which, once the debts have been extinguished, and if there is any liquid surplus, shall use it for purposes that do not detract from its non-profit nature.
ADDITIONAL PROVISION
In all matters not provided for in the present Statutes, the current Organic Act 1/2002, of March 22, regulating the Right of Association, and the complementary provisions will apply.
In Santiago de Compostela on November 18, 2005.
(SIGNATURES of those who appear as grantors of the Foundation Charter. They must also sign in the margin of each of the pages of the Statutes).
Mr. Miguel Pérez Pereira
Mrs. Itziar Idiazabal Gorrotxategi
Mr. Eliseo Diez Itza
Mrs. Elisabet Serrat Sellabona
Statutes modification
In Palma, 4th of October 2021
Mr. Eliseo Díez Itza, president
Mrs. Eva Aguilar Mediavilla, secretary