The Czech Handel Society (Česká Händelova společnost) is a voluntary and independent special-interest association of individual persons that strives, under present conditions, for as wide a promotion as possible of the work of the composer George Frideric Handel (1685-1759). The Society constitutes a legal body and works on the basis of the Czechoslovak legal regulations.
The seat of The Czech Handel Society is Prague, capital of Czechoslovakia. The Society develops its activities on the territory of Bohemia and Moravia, which does not, however, exclude its participation in Handelian movements outside the said territory, as well. The fiscal year coincides with the civil one.
The Society sets itself the aim, in keeping with the latest scientific knowledge and in the spirit of humanism, to acquaint the culturally-minded public with the life, work and heritage of George Frideric Handel. For this purpose it especially supports, as far as is possible, the introduction of his compositions and scientific research concerning Handelian questions. On its own it also endeavours to organize public programmes of recorded music, live concerts and specialized lectures. From a wider viewpoint it includes Handel's life-time, his musical contemporaries and also other areas of baroque creativity. It carefully keeps under review the results of Czechoslovak and foreign Handelian investigations and, likewise, the introduction of the Master's compositions in Czechoslovakia and abroad. It takes the initiative in collaborating with kindred foreign societies. It also searches for possible connections, both direct and indirect ones, between Handel and the lands of Czechoslovakia.
Any individual person of eighteen years or over of
Czechoslovak citizenship who takes an interest in Handel's
work and is ready to participate in realizing the objectives
of the Society may become a member of The Czech
Handel Society. For admission of a member a verbal or
written request shall be made to the committee of the
Society, and this submitted request cannot be
dismissed without the reasons being stated. Members can
withdraw from the Society at any time with the
stipulation that the membership fee already paid for the
given fiscal year shall not be returned. A member may be
deprived of membership by the committee if he/she has not
paid a subscription for two consecutive years or has acted at
variance with the objectives of the Society; this
would take immediate effect. The committee is also entitled
to grant membership to foreign citizens, especially those who
are in an outstanding manner credited with the present-day
renaissance of Handel's heritage. Distinguished personalities
working in the sphere of Handelian movements, science and
interpretation can be accorded, regardless of their
citizenship, an honorary membership. Honorary members are
exempt from paying membership fees.
Each member of The Czech Handel Society
shall receive a membership card. The right is conferred upon
him/her of taking part in members' meetings, sharing
preferentially in the actions of the Society and being
informed about these actions sufficiently in advance.
Organs of The Czech Handel Society are Members' Meeting and the Committee. In relation to the state authorities, legal bodies and individual persons the Society is represented by its Chairman or another member of the committee delegated by him, usually the Secretary.
A Members' Meeting of The Czech Handel Society takes place as a rule once a year. It is called together in writing by the chairman of the Society, and at least one month's notice must be given. A Member's Meeting constitutes the highest organ of the Society. It can adopt decisions if a quorum of the Society is present. A quorum shall consist of at least ten members. The Members' Meeting elects and recalls the committee, approves the constitution and determines its changes. Furthermore, it gives its opinion on matters that have been put forth by the committee, and is authorized to charge the committee with producing exhaustive information about all matters concerning the Society. If grave doubts should arise on the correctness of management, the Members' Meeting shall appoint a revising commission of at least three members and endow it with the relevant jurisdiction. Decisions of the Members' Meeting are taken by the absolute majority of the members present. If the constitution or its changes are at stake, a two-third majority of the votes is needed. Votes of all members have the same weight.
Members of the Committee are elected for a period of five years. The Committee consists of at least five members, including the chairman, the secretary and the treasurer; members of the Committee elect these officials from among themselves by the absolute majority. The Committee, called together by the chairman according to necessity, steers the activities of the Society during the period between the members' meetings. Dependent on the circumstances, the Committee reserves itself the right of co-opting, until the end of its active period, new members.
The lowest possible membership fee, covering always the given fiscal year, is fixed by the committee of the Society with allowance for the current state of the Czechoslovak economy. The right is conferred upon members of the Society of rejecting the proposed figure if this is expressed, verbally, in writing or by voting, by an absolute majority. During the fiscal year the lowest possible membership fee is not liable to any change. Members admitted to the Society in the months of November and December are excused from paying the membership fee for the current fiscal year. Members admitted to the Society within the period from January to the end of October pay, for the current fiscal year, the full membership fee, and that at the latest one month after the reception of the membership card. If the membership is valid from the 1st January, the membership fee shall be defrayed not later than the end of March of the given year. In the case of urgent financial needs the committee can ask the members for an extraordinary special-purpose fee. This fee is entirely voluntary; its payment depends on the personal decision of each individual member of the Society. Foreign members provide their membership fee in an optional amount and in optional currency. The Czechoslovak currency is kept by the Society in an account with a bank or a savings-bank; foreign currencies are deposited in an exchange banking account.
The value of voluntary donations for the benefit of The Czech Handel Society is not limited.
The Czech Handel Society serves solely for universally beneficial purposes. Any material income can therefore be disposed of only in keeping with statute No. 3 of this constitution. Any personal profit passing to individual members to the detriment of the Society is inadmissible.
The Czech Handel Society shall be dissolved if such a wish is manifested, verbally, in writing or by voting, by at least three quarters of its members. All possessions acquired during the time of its existence shall be transferred to cultural and scientific purposes or accorded by equal shares to the individual members. Before the actual termination of the activities of the Society the members' meeting shall decide on the concrete manner of the property settlement. If this is not done by the members' meeting, it shall be incumbent on the committee of the Society to do so.
The Constitution of The Czech Handel Society was approved in Prague on 28th March, 1990 at the constituent session of The Czech Handel Society; on this day it entered into force.