By-Laws

of the Club Ausländischer Weihenstephaner

§ 1 Name and Purpose of the Club

  1. Founded on the 12th of January 1939 in Freising, the club bears the name “Club Ausländischer Weihenstephaner” (CAW). The location of the club is Freising, the seat of the Faculty of Brewing Science of the Technische Universität München.
  2. The CAW is a non-partisan, non-denominational and non-political club. It serves the following purposes:
    1. Fostering the camaraderie of foreign students at the Faculty of Brewing Science and other faculties of the Technische Universität München (TUM) and the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences (HSWT) amongst one another and with the German students.
    2. Fostering and enhancing knowledge of brewing sciences beyond the course of study.
    3. Fostering sports and general education, such as music and literature.
  3. These goals are achieved through sociable evenings and events as well as through excursions, visits and talks, to which members of the universities and guests are also invited.
  4. The club insignia is the 1.5-cm long silver-coated metal pin, which represents an ear of barley and two hop cones with the letters CAW. It is bestowed to ordinary and extraordinary members as well as to honorary members upon admittance to the club. It is a point of honour to always wear it.

§ 2 Organisation of the Club

  1. The club consists of ordinary members1, extraordinary members, honorary members and alumni
    1. An ordinary member can be any foreigner or expatriate to Germany, who is an ordinary student or doctoral student at the faculty of brewing science of the Technische Universität München.
    2. An extraordinary member can be any foreigner or expatriate to Germany who studies at TUM or HSWT. Also, this includes foreigners involved in research at the faculty of brewing science in Weihenstephan and Germans studying at TUM and HSWT as regular students.
    3. Honorary members are persons who have earned the right to be admitted to the club through the CAW or in a branch of brewing science, after unanimous agreement of the ordinary members and upon consultation with the country representatives.
    4. Alumni are former ordinary and extraordinary members who no longer study in Weihenstephan.
  2. Admission requirements
    1. Admission to the CAW requires a written request to the committee. It requires their adoption by two members and the attendance of at least two regulars' tables within 40 days since the start of the semester.
    2. The committee verifies whether acceptance is permitted according to § 2 para. 1. If this is the case, the applicant becomes a member candidate. He is to be given the statutes for inspection and informed of the settlement of the request at the next members’ meeting.
    3. The applicant remains a member candidate until the entrance examination (“Aufnahmeprüfung”). He has the same rights and obligations as the ordinary members, with the exception of voting rights. He can be called on by the committee to help with organisational work.
  3. Members who act against the interests of the club or who show no interest in it can be excluded. The proposal of exclusion can be submitted by the committee or by one third of the members, whose names remain secret, at a meeting. The exclusion is confirmed when two thirds of the members vote in favour of it.

§ 3 Organs of the Club

  1. For the management of the internal affairs of the club, the following books are to be maintained:
    1. Founder and member book (Gründer- und Mitgliederbuch)
    2. Record of proceedings (Protokollbuch)
    3. Cash account book (Kassenbuch)
    4. Inventory book (Inventarbuch)
    5. Statutes
  2. The committee consists of:
    1. President
    2. Vice-president
    3. Secretary
    4. Treasurer
    5. Advisor (Beisitzer)
    6. Residence Caretaker (Hauswart)
  3. The president represents the club externally and manages the internal affairs as well as the meetings of the club. In exceptional cases the president can make decisions on his own accord in the interests of the club. He must however inform the members of this at the next meeting. He must inform members of all external actions taken. The president should, above all, ensure that the positive spirit of the club is nurtured.
  4. The treasurer manages the funds as well as the collection of contributions and fines. He must be able to present documentation for all expenditures. He must balance the cash at the end of every semester.
  5. The secretary records the minutes of the official part of every meeting and must read these out at the following meeting. He must be able to provide for inspection the record of proceedings to every member at all times. The secretary is also responsible for the correspondence and circulars of the club.
  6. The vice-president is the deputy of the president, who supports him in all his duties.
  7. The committee member shall support the committee in all obligations of office.
  8. The residence caretaker manages the club inventory and maintains a record of it. He is also responsible for organising the club evenings.
    1. Where the expansion of the inventory involves significant additional work, a second inventory caretaker (Inventarwart) can be appointed.
    2. The course notes, reports, drawings and books in the inventory can only be loaned to members. The regulations and fees that apply are determined by the residence caretaker at the start of each academic year and made known to the members.
    3. The typewriter is for the use of the current secretary, who is responsible for it. It may not be loaned out.
  9. At the end of every semester, two auditors are elected. They are to inspect the accounts and the inventory record after the end of the semester and to compile a written report.

§ 4 Election of the Committee

  1. The president is elected at the end and the rest of the committee at the beginning of the current semester for a period of two semesters. The vice-president is elected at the end of every semester.
  2. The election of a committee member is to be undertaken in secret. The ballot papers are to be destroyed after a successful election.
  3. The president should be the most competent of the possible candidates; where possible from a higher semester.
  4. The advisor (Beisitzer) should always be elected from the highest semester.
  5. The committee must include at least one member from the lowest semester.

§ 5 Voting Rights

  1. Only members have a right to vote in committee elections. In the first round of voting a two-thirds majority is required; in the second round a simple majority suffices.
  2. Only members have a right to vote in ballots on the admission and exclusion of members. Only one vote is to be held. If the required majority is not achieved (depending on the purpose of the vote; see the corresponding point), the same proposal can only be tabled again at the earliest in the next semester.
  3. In ballots on other affairs such as excursions, joint events, etc., extraordinary members have a right to vote alongside ordinary members. Only a simple majority is required. In the case of a tie, the president has the deciding vote.

§ 6 Rights and Obligations

  1. Members have the right to bring forward in writing a motion on all affairs and to demand an explanation of all steps taken by the committee.
  2. Attendance at the weekly meeting is to be considered obligatory for all ordinary and extraordinary members, as well as attendance at official occasions and events. If one is unable to attend, he must excuse his absence to the president or member of the committee at the latest by midday of the day on which the meeting or event takes place. Only in exceptional circumstances can a retrospective excuse be accepted.
  3. Every ordinary and extraordinary member pays a semester contribution at the start of every semester, the level of which is determined in the first meeting of the semester.
  4. One third of the ordinary and extraordinary members can at any time move for the re-election of the committee or a committee member.
  5. Every member should make all reasonable efforts to contribute to the promotion of the comradely spirit.
  6. At the start of every academic year, the members are obliged to support foreign students new to Weihenstephan with help and advice and to invite them to the meetings.

§ 7 Meetings and Club Evenings

  1. A meeting should take place every week. Time and venue are determined at the start of the semester. Should a meeting have to be postponed for any reason, every member is to be informed of this in good time.
  2. The noticeboard of the CAW should be installed in the corridor of the main building of the university. The board should always state when and where the meetings take place. The board can also be used for other notices to the members.
  3. A copy of the notice should also be available on the home page of the CAW website.
  4. The meeting consists of an official and then an unofficial part, the “Fidulitas”. The president chairs the meeting. The meeting should in general be undertaken according to the following agenda items:
    1. The president welcomes the participants (the “Corona”) and declares the meeting open.
    2. Reading of the minutes of the last meeting.
    3. Reporting by the president of any undertaken steps.
    4. Conclusion of the affairs of the last meeting.
    5. New motions.
    6. Any other business.
    7. The president declares the official part as closed (“ex”).
  5. The chairmanship remains during the Fidulitas. The president can temporarily cede this role to another member.
  6. In the Fidulitas, above all, the sociability should be fostered, namely through singing, music and entertaining contributions by all members.
  7. A number of song booklets should be available and always remain part of the club inventory.
  8. No-one should be forced to drink.
  9. Also, when drinking, according to old, traditional custom, discipline and order is to be observed by the Corona.
  10. Every member is entitled to invite guests, with the consent of the president.

§ 8 Treasury

  1. Contributions, fines, profits from club events, gifts and proceeds from sale of inventory are all forms of income.
  2. Expenses for official events, acquisitions for the club and support for members in need are all forms of expenditure.
  3. Every member is entitled to borrow course notes from the inventory. These may however not be passed on to non-members. The same applies for loaned exam questions.
  4. The inventory and cash box must always remain at the location of the club.
  5. The club has a bank account for whose maintenance the treasurer is responsible.

§ 9 The Relationship between Aktivitas (student members) and Altherrenschaft (alumni)

  1. All alumni form the “Altherrenverband”. This has the aim of fostering friendship as well as the affinity with the universities after the completion of studies.
  2. Acceptance to the Altherrenverband is not automatic. After completion of studies, in the following annual report (“Jahresbericht”) the names are published and the application can be opposed by the former members in writing (registered letter) to the president stating their reason. The Aktivitas decides the case through a secret ballot. A two-thirds majority is required to reject the acceptance. If no objection is received within four weeks, the crossing over from Aktivitas to Altherrenverband takes place automatically.
  3. The Altherrenverband is separated into branches according to country or country group. The Altherren of each branch can elect one of the members from their branch as country representative. (If this does not occur, the Aktivitas can call on an alumni to take on this position.). The representative fosters contact with the Aktivitas and forwards suggestions, advertisements, etc. to them that then appear in the next annual report (“Jahresbericht”).
  4. For the financial support of the CAW, every alumnus pays an annual contribution to the club. One quarter of the incoming contributions are put aside as reserve funds that can only be accessed by the Aktivitas with the agreement of two thirds of the country representatives. Of the remaining three quarters, the Aktivitas can spend two thirds for cultural purposes and one third is available at their disposal. The treasurer must annually account for the contributions paid by the Altherren to an auditor selected by the country representatives.
  5. The annual contribution is always at least the sale price of 20 normal half-litre beers in Freising (2022: 60 €). The actual contribution is to be communicated via the Jahresbericht. He who does not fulfil his obligations over a period of three years no longer receives the annual reports, receives a letter of censure and is excluded until the redemption of all debts.
  6. In the event of a serious misdemeanour an alumnus can be irrevocably excluded from the Altherrenverband. The exclusion requires a two-thirds majority of the Aktivitas and a two-thirds majority of the country representatives.

§ 10 Closing Provisions

  1. The dissolution of the CAW requires the unanimous agreement of the members and the country representatives. The contactable former members must be informed.
  2. In the event that, temporarily, no foreign students are studying at Weihenstephan, the possessions of the club are to be locked and sealed and placed with the secretariat of the university.
  3. Changes to these statutes can only be undertaken upon request of four of the oldest contactable former members. If two are opposed, the changes are not permitted.

§ 11 Disciplinary Regulations

  1. The disciplinary regulations apply to ordinary and extraordinary members.

1 For reasons of better readability, the language of this contract uses all forms of gender. All references to persons apply equally to all genders.