Art. 1.

1. The Federation of the Church Libraries FIDES, further referred to as Federation,

is an association of physical persons, members of the Catholic Church, representing

church libraries.

2. The Federation is a public association erected by the Conference of the Catholic Bishops of Poland (can. 312, par. 1, 2) and derives its legal status from the Public Law of May 17, 1989 on the relationship between the State and the Catholic Church in the Republic of Poland, art. 10 and art. 34, par. 1, item 1, and par. 3 (Public Law Gazette, No. 29, item 154 with subsequent amendments).

Art. 2.

The Federation is supervised by a proper ecclesiastical authority according to the

norms of the Codex of Canon Law.

Art.3.

1. The Federation has its unique logo.
2. The name of the Federation and its logo are under the protection of law.
3. A patron saint of the Federation is St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe.

Art. 4.

1. The Federation’s activity covers the entire territory of the country.
2. The Federation may become a member of international organizations of similar ends and principles.

Art. 5.

The Federations headquarters is in Warszawa.

1. Ends and means.

Art. 6.

It is the Federation’s goal to support Christian doctrine, to act towards evangelization, and to revive Christian spirit through improving the operations of the Polish church libraries, introducing technical progress, especially in the field of computerization of the libraries.

Art. 7.

Taking into account a big influence that printed word has on education, a shape of personal attitudes, and spreading of the Gospel, the Federation – for the sake of effectiveness in the aforementioned areas – achieves its ends through:

1. research and study on application of new technologies in the libraries;
2. coordination of the computerization projects in the libraries;
3. founding and administering the all-Poland church libraries computer network;
4. setting up standards for the library computerization;
5. aiding a computerization of individual libraries and modernizing their workflow;
6. stimulating projects that aim at a creation of computer-based bibliographic databases and catalogues of theological (and sister scholarship) publications;
7. training the librarians in the computerized workflow and other methods of modern librarianship;
8. mandatory information exchange about current individual undertakings in the field of library computerization;
9. sharing experience by meetings, conferences, and publishing;
10. securing funding for the Federation and supporting initiatives of fund-raising for individual libraries and library units that promote computerization and technical progress.

Art. 8.

1. Membership could be as:

1. ordinary member;
2. supporting member;
3. honorable member.

1. Ordinary member is a physical person who represents a church library having a legal status and located in Poland, a library located in Poland and belonging to an ecclesiastical legal entity, and an academic library, or any other department’s or institution’s library remaining entirely or partially under the Catholic Church authority.
2. Supporting member is a physical person or a legal entity that declares a monetary support for the statute goals of the Federation.
3. Honorary member is a physical person, or a representative of a legal entity who has demonstrated an extraordinary support for the Federation.

Art. 9.

1. Members of the Federation are its founders.
2. Other members are admitted to the Federation by the Board’s resolution.

Art. 10.

Only one ordinary member appointed by a rightful authority may represent a library in the Federation.

Art. 11.

Application for admission to the Federation should include:

1. a will announcement of the Statute acceptance;
2. notification by the library’s proper authority (being a legal entity) or an organ of legal status whom the library belongs to about a person appointed to represent the library in the Federation;
3. succinct description of the library.

Art. 12.

1. Ordinary membership ceases through:

1. member’s resignation announced to the Board of the Federation;
2. member’s expulsion from the Federation due to a noncompliance with the Statute, and other regulations;
3. member’s removal from the list of members because of one year dues overdue without a proper justification;
4. member’s recall by the authority that made a member’s appointment;
5. liquidation of the member’s library, or member’s death;

1. Supporting and honorary memberships cease through member’s resignation announced to the Board of the Federation or through a decision of a rightful authority;

Art. 13.

Ordinary member has a right:

1. to participate in the Federation’s work;
2. to use the Federation’s assistance according to the Federation’s goals and the Statute;
3. to participate with a right to vote in the Federation’s General Assembly;
4. to take advantage of the right to run for and the right to elect.

Art. 14.

Ordinary member has a duty to fulfill the Statute’s requirements, comply with other regulations of the Federation authorities, and pay dues.

Art. 15.

1. Supporting and honorary memberships are bestowed by the Federation’s General Assembly on the request of the Federation’s Board.
2. Supporting and honorary members are not required to pay dues.

Art. 16.

1. Member can relate to the Federation through a plenipotentiary.
2. Aforementioned plenipotentiary is appointed in writing.

Art. 17.

1. Executive power of the Federation consists of:

1. General Assembly as the highest authority;
2. Board of the Federation;
3. Revisions Commission.

1. The Chairman of the Board is the Federation’s chief executive officer.
2. The term of the elected officers runs for 3 years.

Art. 18.

1. The Federation’s General Assembly is called to session at least twice a year.
2. Extraordinary General Assembly is called to session by the Federation’s Board on a written request by Revisions Commission, or 1/5 of the total number of ordinary members of the Federation.

3. Notification about the time and an agenda of the General Assembly should reach the

members not later than 14 days before the meeting.

Art. 19.

1. General Assembly is called to order by the Chairman of the Board and is presided over by a person elected during the meeting.
2. The right to vote at the General Assembly have ordinary members only.
3. The remaining members have a right to speak out on the essential issues of the Federation.
4. Minutes from the General Assembly are signed by a recorder and the person presiding over the Assembly.

Art. 20.

1. The Board is elected by the General Assembly on a secret ballot according to the rules adopted by the Assembly.
2. On other issues (if the Statute does not resolve otherwise) the General Assembly adopts resolutions in an open ballot by an ordinary majority of the votes regardless of the number of the members present unless the secret ballot will be admitted on the request of even only one single member.

Art. 21.

The General Assembly has an exclusive authority over:

1. election and recalling The Board, its Chairman and the Revisions Commission, as well as making rules for their work;
2. directing the Federation;
3. debating on and adopting the Board’s annual report;
4. adopting decisions and rules of the Federation’s economic activity;
5. accepting an accountant annual report of the Federation’s income and expenditures;
6. debating on the appeals from the decisions made by the other Federation’s authorities;
7. admission of supporting and honorary members;
8. decisions of the Federation’s membership in other organizations;
9. adoption of the Statute’s changes (that should be subsequently presented to the Conference of the Catholic Bishops of Poland);
10. members’ expulsion;
11. decision on the Federation’s dissolution.

Art. 22.

The Board has the following obligations:

1. elects from among themselves a vice-Chairman, a treasurer and a secretary;
2. directs the daily activities of the Federation;
3. outside representation;
4. adoption of the day-to-day programs and projects;
5. admits the ordinary members;
6. sets up the Federation’s budget;
7. calls up the sessions of the General Assembly;
8. implements the General Assembly resolutions;
9. sets up and dismisses task forces, consultative councils, and other aiding bodies as well as adopts their codes of rules and procedures;
10. initiates and supervises the Federation’s economic activities and sets up a necessary organizational structure;
11. sets up the membership dues ranges and rules of paying the dues;
12. takes care of the Federation’s estate;
13. reports annually to the General Assembly about the Federation’s works (also in the area of finances);
14. prepares drafts of the resolutions before the upcoming General Assembly;
15. is active on other issues that are not restricted by the Statute to other Federation’s bodies.

Art. 23.

1. The Federation’s Board consists of five members, including its chairman, vice-chairman, treasurer, and secretary.
2. The Board assembles at least twice a year.
3. The Board’s resolutions are voted by plain majority; in case of a tie, the chairman’s vote is decisive.

Art. 24.

1. Revisions Commission consists of three members, including its chairman and secretary.
2. The Commission’s chairman and secretary are elected by plain majority, with all the members present, from among the Commission’s member in the first meeting that should be held before the General Assembly’s conclusion.
3. In case of failing to elect the Commission’s chairman and secretary, the new members of the Commission are elected by General Assembly.

Art. 25.

Revisions Commission:

1. carries out the current and periodical control of the Federation’s activities, especially the finances;
2. calls for an absolutorium for the Board;
3. calls for General Assembly.

Art. 26.

The Revisions Commission resolutions are accepted by plain majority.

Art. 27.

The Federation’s Board and the Revisions Commission have a right to fill up vacancies; the number of vacancies being filled up cannot exceed 1/3 of the Federation’s executive statutory members.

Art. 28.

The Federation’s executive statutory members receive no pay.

Art. 29.

The Federation’s property and estate consist of:

1. members’ dues;
2. donations, bequests, subsidies;
3. income from the Federation’s economic activity;
4. other income related to the statutory activity.

Art. 30.

With regard to the Federation’s property and estate the will declarations are made at least by two members of the Board, or a plenipotentiary appointed by the Board.

6. Closing provisions.

Art. 31.

1. Any changes of this Statute require a resolution by the General Assembly adopted on the first call by the majority of 2/3 votes, given that at least half a number of all the ordinary members or their plenipotentiaries are present, and on the second call, regardless of the number of members present.
2. Right of initiative belongs the ordinary members of the Federation.
3. A change of the Statute is rightfully adopted by the Conference of the Catholic Bishops of Poland according to canon 314 of the Codex of Canon Law.

Art. 32.

1. The Federation may be disbanded by the Conference of the Catholic Bishops of Poland or by a resolution of the General Assembly voted for by the 2/3 majority with a minimum of half of the members, or their plenipotentiaries, present.
2. In case of the Federation disbandment, its property and real estate ownership is transferred to the Conference of the Catholic Bishops of Poland.

This Statute was approved for a period of five years at the plenary session of the Conference of the Catholic Bishops of Poland held in Warsaw on March 18, 1995. It was extended with amendments approved at the plenary session of the Conference of the Catholic Bishops of Poland held in Gniezno on April 29, 2000.