The Finnish Society for Rural Research and Development

»  yhdistyksen suomenkielinen esittely
(in Finnish)

The Society Maaseudun uusi aika (MUA)
(The Finnish Society for Rural Research and Development) promotes:

Finnish rural research, Rural development work and Interaction between rural researchers and developers.

The society was established in 1999 and currently has approximately 260 members.

A third of the members are rural researchers, a third developers and a third other persons actively involved in rural development or representatives of the rural administration.

Society

The society Maaseudun uusi aika (MUA, The Finnish Society for Rural Research and Development) was established in August 1999. Society promotes and develops Finnish rural research, participates in rural policy and social policy discussion, and is involved in rural development work.

The most important activities of the society are annual meeting of rural researchers, Maaseudun uusi aika -journal and the MUA forum. The expert network of society comprises of rural researchers, civil servants and active members of local rural action groups. The membership fee of society includes as a membership benefit a yearly subscription of the Maaseudun uusi aika -journal. Furthermore, all members receive a discount of 10 euros from the participation fee of the annual meeting.

The membership fees are 20 euros/year for individual members and 
100 euros/year for Society/Institutional members.

The Finnish Society for Rural Research and Development also communicates with foreign rural researchers and rural developers, and co-operates with scientific societys and other societys involved in rural development.

The society’s position in the Finnish rural policy field is strengthening, and it has issued for example a proposal to the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry pertaining to a Government proposal made to the Parliament regarding agricultural structural support, nation-wide rural development and research, and funding for agricultural and food industry research, as well as a proposal pertaining to revising certain laws connected with rural development. Furthermore, the society has issued statements on request pertaining to, for example, establishment of a Rural Network, rural policy programmes and the National Village and LAG programme for 2008–2013.

For additional information about the society and its activities, please contact the chairperson Tuija Mononen.

» contact information

Rules of the society

1. Society’s name and domicile

The society is called Maaseudun uusi aika ry., Den nya landsbygden rf. in Swedish, and the domicile is the municipality of Ilomantsi in Finland. In unofficial connections, the society may use the English name The Finnish Society for Rural Research and Development.

2. Purpose of the society and modes of activity.

The purpose of the society is to promote rural research and interaction between researchers and developers to support development of rural areas as a part of the Finnish society.

For this purpose, the society:
1.  Organizes lectures, conferences, seminars and events, as well as communicates information pertaining to the purpose
2.  Plans and implements rural research
3.  Places initiatives pertaining to rural policy and rural development
4.  Publishes Maaseudun uusi aika -journal and practices other publication activities
     connected with the purpose
5.  Participates in co-operation and social discussion pertaining to rural development and rural policy
6.  Communicates with foreign rural researchers and rural developers
7.  Co-operates with scientific societies and other societies pertaining to rural development

In order to support the activities, the society may accept financial allowances, donations and assets bequeathed to the society, as well as arrange fund-raising campaigns and raffles after having obtained the necessary permits. The society may own and manage the movable property and fixed assets necessary for the activities.

3. Members of the society.

A person or an society competent before the law may become an actual member of the society after having approved the society’s purpose and rules. All members are approved by the Board of Directors of the society based on an application. Based on an application, the Board of Directors may approve a person as a student member. A student member is obliged to resign after having finished his or her studies.

Based on a proposal of the Board of Directors, a person who has clearly promoted and supported the society’s activities may be approved as an honorary member.
The Board of Directors will maintain a member list as prescribed by law.

4. Resignation and dismissal of a member.

A member has the right to resign from the society by submitting a notification in writing to the Board of Directors or the chairperson of the Board of Directors, or by issuing a notification of the resignation in a meeting of the society to be entered in the minutes.
The Board of Directors may dismiss a member if the member has failed to pay their overdue membership fees or otherwise failed to meet the obligations to which they have committed by joining the society, or if the member has with their actions within the society or outside of it clearly harmed the society, or if the member no longer meets the membership prerequisites laid down in the society’s rules.

5. Membership fees.

The autumn meeting of the society decides upon the annual membership fees to be collected from actual members, society members and student members, separately for each member group. Honorary members need not pay any membership fees.

6. Board of Directors of the society.

The Board of Directors manages the society. The term of the Board of Directors is one calendar year. The Board of Directors consists of a chairperson and a minimum of four and a maximum of six actual members and their personal deputy members.
The autumn meeting of the society names a chairperson for three years and board members and deputy members for one year at a time. The Board of Directors names a vice chairperson from among themselves for one year at a time.
The vice chairperson will act as the chairperson when the chairperson is incapacitated. The Board of Directors names a secretary, a treasurer and other necessary officials from among themselves or from the outside of the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors selects the chief editor of the Maaseudun uusi aika journal from among proposed candidates.

The Board of Directors convenes based on a summons issued by the chairperson, or the vice chairperson if the chairperson is incapacitated, when they deem a meeting necessary, or when at least a half of the Board members request a meeting. The Board of Directors may also arrange a telephone conference, a video conference or a meeting utilising other data communications if it is ensured that all the Board members have an opportunity to convene in such a manner.
The Board of Directors forms a quorum when at least a half of the members, including the chairperson or the vice chairperson, are present. Voting takes place as simple votes cast. If the votes are tied, the vote of the chairperson will decide. In case of an election, the votes will be decided by lot, however.
Deputy members will also be invited to all Board meetings. If the actual member is present, their personal deputy member has the right to be present and be heard, but the deputy member does not have the right to vote.

7. Signing the society’s name.

The society’s name may be signed by the chairperson, vice chairperson, secretary or treasurer of the Board of Directors, two persons together. The Board of Directors may grant procuration also to other persons in such a manner that these persons will be entitled to sign the society’s name alone.

8. Accounting period and auditing.

The accounting period of the society is a calendar year. The financial statements, in-cluding all the necessary documents, and the annual report of the Board of Directors shall be handed over to the auditor at the latest three weeks before the spring meeting. The auditor shall issue a written report to the Board of Directors at the latest two weeks before the spring meeting.

9. Meetings of the society.

The society holds two annual general meetings. The spring meeting of the society takes place between January and April, and the autumn meeting between August and November, on a date selected by the Board of Directors.
An extraordinary general meeting will be held if the annual general meeting of the society decides upon an extraordinary meeting, if the Board of Directors deems an extraordinary meeting necessary, or if at least one tenth (1/10) of the society’s members entitled to vote requests a meeting from the Board of Directors in writing for a special issue to be discussed. The meeting shall be held within thirty days of a request having been issued to the Board of Directors.
The meetings of the society may also be held at another location than the society’s domicile. In the society’s meetings, each actual member, society member, student member and honorary member has one vote. The opinion which more than a half of the votes cast support shall be the decision of the society’s meeting.
Voting takes place as simple votes cast. If the votes are tied, the vote of the chairperson will decide. In case of an election, the votes will be decided by lot, however.

10. Summoning society’s meetings.

The Board of Directors shall summon all meetings of the society by mailing the members an invitation letter at the latest seven days before the meeting or by posting a notification of the meeting in the Maaseudun uusi aika journal.

11. Annual general meetings of the society.

Agenda of the SPRING MEETING (between January and April):

1. Opening the meeting
2. Naming chairperson, secretary, scrutinizers of the minutes (2 persons) and counters of votes (2 persons)
3. Establishing legality and quorum of the meeting
4. Approving meeting’s agenda
5. Presenting annual report, financial statements and auditor’s report
6. Deciding upon ratifying the financial statements and discharge from liability for the Board of Directors and other liable parties
7. Discussing other business mentioned in the summons


Agenda of the AUTUMN MEETING (between August and November):

1. Opening the meeting
2. Naming chairperson, secretary, scrutinizers of the minutes (2 persons) and counters of votes (2 persons)
3. Establishing legality and quorum of the meeting
4. Approving meeting’s agenda
5. Discussing the plan of action
6. Ratifying the plan of action, budget and membership fees for actual members, society members and student members for the following calendar year
7. Every third year naming the chairperson of the Board of Directors for the next three calendar years
8. Naming other Board members and deputy members for the next calendar year
9. Naming an auditor and deputy auditor
10. Discussing other business mentioned in the summons

If a member of the society wishes the spring meeting or the autumn meeting to discuss any business, the member shall notify the Board of Directors in writing in due time so that the business can be included in the summons.

12. Revising the rules and disassembling the society.

A decision pertaining to revising the rules or disassembling the society shall be made in a meeting of the society with a minimum of three thirds (3/4) of the votes cast. The summons to the meeting shall include a mention of the revision of the rules or disassembly of the society.
If the society is disassembled, the assets of the society shall be used in promoting the society’s purpose in a manner decided by the meeting that made a decision to disassemble the society. If the society is abolished, the assets shall be used for the same purpose.