The Institute

§ 1
(1) The name of the registered association is: “European Institute of Outdoor Adventure Education and Experiential Learning” (EOE)

(2) Its headquarters are in Marburg/Lahn, Federal State of Hessen, Germany. The financial year is the calendar year.

(3) The association should be registered at the magistrates’ court of Marburg.

§ 2
(1) The purpose of the association is the promotion of formation and education in the European area.

(2) The purposes declared in the statutes will particularly be realized by: – Projects, especially youth projects and exchange programs in the field of Outdoor Adventure Education and Experiential Learning – Research on the theory of Outdoor Adventure Education to promote the quality of practice – Development of professional standards – The building of European networks between social and youth workers, teachers and educators, academics and students – The organization of European conferences and conventions – Distribution of information through electronic media and publications (print media) – The co-ordination and implementation of European research projects – The development of curricula and the assistance and evaluation of projects

§3
(1) The association is working selflessly; its purposes are not in the first place to make profits for itself.

(2) The associations’ funds and resources can only be used for purposes declared in the statute. Members are not allowed to receive financial contributions from the funds of the association.

(3) No person should be favoured by expenditures that are alien to the purpose of the association or should receive disproportionately high compensations.

§4
(1) Membership of the organization can be attained by individuals and legal entities

(2) Application for membership has to be sent in written form to the executive committee. The executive committee approves applications.

(3) Membership is lost by – Death – Expulsion. The executive committee may expel members for a relevant reason. The affected member has to be given the opportunity to comment on the reason. Resignation.

(4) Resignation is only possible at the end of a calendar year. The executive committee has to receive a notice of resignation in writing. A period of notice of four weeks should be kept.

§5
(1) The membership fee will be fixed by the general meeting.

(2) The executive committee may allow reduced payments in exceptional circumstances.

§6
The executive bodies of the association are: – the general meeting – the executive committee. The work and activities of the general meeting and the executive committee are regarded as honorable.

§7
(1) The executive committee consists of a chairperson, the vice-chairperson, the treasurer and a Maximum of five additional members of the executive committee.

(2) Under § 26 Bundesgesetzbuch, Federal Statute Book the executive committee is constituted by the chairperson, the vice-chairperson and the treasurer. Each member of the executive committee represents the association judicially and extra judicially. Two members of the executive committee are allowed to act as substitutes for a chairperson.

(3) The members of the executive committee are elected by the general meeting for a period of two years. Members of the executive committee can be re-elected. The chairperson, the treasurer and the vice-chairperson are elected by the members of the executive committee.

(4) The executive committee manages the current business of the association.

(5) Executive committee meetings have a quorum when at least four board members are present. Resolutions of the executive committee need a simple majority of the members present. Resolutions of the executive committee are recorded and signed by the chairperson. If the chairperson is absent the minutes are signed by the second chairperson and the secretary.

§ 8
(1) The executive committee has to summon at least one annual general meeting. It has to be announced five weeks in advance in a circular informing all members of the agenda. Members have the opportunity to ask for topics to be put on the agenda and to inform the executive committee on matters that should be resolved at the general meeting. Applications for the agenda have to be sent in writing to the executive committee at least one week before the general meeting

(2) The agenda presented by the executive committee has to be approved by the general meeting.

(3) According to the statute the general meeting is the supreme executive body of the association. The annual account and the annual report have to be presented for acceptance at the general meeting in written form. To check and accept the annual account and annual report the general meeting employs two auditors, who are neither members of the executive committee nor members of a committee that has been appointed by the executive committee. The general meeting decides on: • the tasks of the association • involvement and participation in other societies • approval of all standing orders that regulate matters of the association • amendments of the statute • dissolution of the association.

(4) Extraordinary general meetings have to be summoned if at least one third of the executive committee members or one tenth of the associations’ members or at least fifty percent of the full-time employees ask for a meeting in written form indicating the purpose and cause. Full-time employees are people employed by the organization, whose average working hours come up to at least half of the standard working hours (weekly). An extraordinary general meeting has to be summoned, if it is of interest of the association (under § 36 Bundesgesetzbuch, Federal Statute).

(5) Resolutions are passed by a simple majority of the members attending the general meeting. In order to decide on amendments of the statute there has to be a majority of ¾ of the members present. These ¾ of the members voting for amendment must at least be a number of 1/10 of all members of the association.

(6) Each general meeting has to be recorded. The minutes have to be signed by a member of the board and a member of the association who has been addressed by the secretary at the beginning of the general meeting.

§ 9
The purchase and sale of property, mortgages/charges on property and rights equivalent to real property, standing security and the conclusion of warranty contracts have to be approved by the general meeting.

Further the general meeting decides if loans are taken up, when the amount of the loans exceeds the sum of 2.500,00 EURO.

§ 10
(1) In case of dissolution or abolition of the association or in case of loss of its tax privileged purposes the assets of the association are passed to the ‘Deutscher Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband Landesverband Hessen e.V.’ (German parity welfare association, registered association of the Federal State of Hessen’). The association must use it directly for charitable purposes and public welfare. The general meeting decides how the assets will be passed and distributed.

(2) Resolution on the dissolution of the association needs a majority of 3/4 of the members attending the general meeting. The dissolution can only be resolved if it has been announced in the invitation to the general meeting. The members must receive the announcement in an appropriate period of time before the general meeting.

There are many views concerning outdoor adventure education. It also operates in many contexts including, formal and non-formal education, youth social work, adult education and therapeutic work. There is, however, a great deal of common ground.

The aims of OAE are generally understood to be to develop an awareness of and respect for self, others and the environment. Whilst some forms of OAE claim to address al three of these themes, others foreground one or two with the others becoming background and context. The land or seascape, the other people present as peers or facilitators and the choice of activity are all considered significant pedagogic elements. Outcomes claimed range from academic, personal, social, environmental, aesthetic to spiritual in nature. Impacts include affects on identity, relationships, confidence, aspiration, well being, sense of place, values, knowledge, skills, academic performance, group cohesion, purpose and maturation.

Practitioners seem to agree that OAE comprises direct experience (i.e. experiential education) and active learning (i.e. learning by doing), a journeying element, outdoor activities and simple and extended community living. There is generally a strong belief in holistic and student centred approaches.

Professional standards tend to focus on the skills of teaching and learning, building a learning community, physical and emotional safety and the protection of the environment from overuse.