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§ 1: Headquarters and short description of the field of activity
 
The headquarters/mailing address of the society is:
Red Sea Environmental Center (RSEC)
c/o Dr. Robert Hofrichter
Schwarzstraße 33
5020 Salzburg, Austria

The activities of the society extend beyond the Red Sea, they can take place worldwide (e.g. expeditions, courses, dissertations, conservation projects). The society is a platform for conservation, research, and education. It intends the realization and support of international field stations (the first one having been established in Dahab, Sinai, Egypt in December 2002 as Sinai Environmental Center (SEC)). The RSEC is also involved in media-, research-, and conservation-projects as well as expeditions and educational trips in cooperation with acclaimed tour operators in the interest of raising awareness.

§ 2: Purpose and objectives

The activity of the RSEC is not aimed at profit. The regulation purpose will be realised in the end by the promotion of scientific recruits (i.e. students).

Important specific agendas

  • Transfer of scientific data into an easily comprehensible form
  • Arrangement of excursions, lectures, club evenings, presentations, etc.
  • Promotion of the concept of sustainability when dealing with nature and natural resources
  • Environmental protection is the center of attention, but humanitarian matters can also be the object of activities; economy and society cannot be regarded as separate entities from nature
  • Establishment of a biological/ecological institution with locations in the Red Sea and internationally with appropriate scientific and technical infrastructure
  • Establishment of an international forum for knowledge exchange and the meeting between science/research and an interested public
  • Supporting the aims of the national parks and other institutions in the respective regions
  • Instruction and further education of students in various subject areas (e.g. biology, marine science, zoology, botany)
  • Placing the institutes infrastructure at the disposal of universities own marine biological courses
  • Elemental research on coral reef ecosystems, in collaboration with institutions, organisations, and scientists worldwide
  • Environmental education of the local population (e.g. information sheets and documentaries on fishing/fisheries, pollution etc)
  • Creation of protected reef-areas (making comparative studies between stressed and sheltered reef segments possible)

§ 3: Means to reach purpose 

  • The societies’ purpose shall be reached by the aforementioned idealistic and materialistic means
  • Various print media, education-leaflets, documentaries, courses/seminars, exhibitions, talks, and assemblies will serve as idealistic means, as well as the support by prominent public and scientific personalities
  • The necessary materialistic means shall be raised by:

-Entry and membership fees
-Proceeds from events, expeditions, seminars,……
-Support and sponsorship of various national and international authorities and foundations
-Donations and fundraisers

§ 4: Membership

Members of the society are regular, sponsoring, or honorary members. Regular members are those that paid the entry and membership fee. Sponsoring members support the society with a higher membership fee. Honorary members are persons that are appointed by the presidency because of their merits to the society. Currently the regular fees are 10,- EUR for students and 20,- EUR for other members; entry fee is twice the annual fee. The amount of annual and other fees are set by the general assembly.

Members are entitled to take part in society-events at a reduced price and to use the facilities of the society against a reasonable contribution. Sponsoring and honorary members have the right to vote at the general assembly as well as the active/passive voting rights.

Members are obliged to promote the interests of the society and to refrain from actions that harm the reputation and the purpose of the society. They are to follow the statutes and the decisions of the executive body, and shall pay their fees punctually.

§ 5 The Presidency (board of directors)

 

The presidency is responsible for the direction of the society. It is the “management body” as defined by the Club-law of 2002. The following issues belong to its sphere of activity:

  • Drawing up of the annual estimate as well as writing the account report
  • Preparation and summoning of the proper and special general assembly
  • Administration of the assets
  • Admission and expulsion of members and employees of the society
§ 6 General assembly

The annual general assembly is a „membership-meeting“ as defined by the Club-law of 2002. Upon summoning the proper and extraordinary membership meeting, the agenda is to be discussed, containing following points:

  • the Presidents report
  • the Vice-Presidents report
  • the cash and auditor report
  • elections/votes
  • passing of resolutions

During the meeting, every member has a vote. The meeting is quorate if at least 50% of the members are in attendance. Should members not be present after one hour at a regularly announced meeting, the presidency will make decisions.
 

§ 7 Cash auditor

Two auditors will be chosen by the general assembly for the duration of one year- with the possibility of re-election. The auditors are not allowed to belong to any body- with the exception of the general assembly- whose activity is the object of the audit. They give a report on the audit to the assembly and propose the relief of the cash balance. Legal transactions between the society and the auditors need the approval of the assembly. Besides that, the regulations of the entire statutes apply to the auditors. 

§ 8 The managers of the RSEC field-stations

The presidency appoints a manager to each station who will be responsible for the needs of the RSEC on the spot. The manager will be backed by volunteers and colleagues. The responsibilities include:

  • Coordination of the researchers and their activities
  • Handling of the cash register on location
  • Communication with the National Parks and other official authorities as well as with the presidency
  • Active participation in PR/marketing
  • Quality control of the services on location (i.e. guarantor for satisfaction of guests of RSEC field-stations)
§ 9 Research at the RSEC stations

The start of any student or other research project will be limited to 4 appointments per year; this should serve the verification of diving qualifications should they be necessary for the project. Should it turn out that the researcher does not possess the demanded skills, the presidency will make use of its right to prescribe further diving qualifications, or to revoke the research permission later.

  • Research applications will be presented to the respective president by members of the society and/or external scientists for appraisal. Should the presidency be incapable of an assessment, then it can ask the members for comments and opinions
  • Realisation of the assessment: the vice-president writes a statement and sends it together with the proposal to all presidency members, which independently decide on the rejection or acceptance of the project. The results are collected and evaluated by the president. After the confirmation of the project-proposal by the presidency, the approval will be obtained from the responsible Egyptian authorities by the scientific coordinator.

§ 10: Court of arbitration

The settlement of disputes and quarrels over society affairs is the duty of the internal arbitration court (a “settlement facility” in the sense of the Club-law of 2002).

§ 11: Voluntary dissolution of the society

The voluntary dissolution of the society can only be decided with a 2/3rd majority within the general assembly.

  


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