І. General provisions
Article 1. /1/ The Association of Bulgarian Tour Guides called below in short the Association, is legal entity with head office in the city of Sofia – 1504, Municipality Sredetz, “Krakra” Str. N 26.
/2/ The Association is independent, non-political and non-state formation.
/3/ The Association is incorporated for indefinite term of effect.
Article 2. /1/ The Association is unification on voluntary basis of physical people and legal entities that accept its Statutes and that are ready to cooperate for achieving its goals.
/2/ The Association is constructed and functions on the grounds of voluntary and democratic principles in direct interaction with state, public and business organizations, with companies, foundations and other non-profit associations, with cooperations and citizens from the country and abroad.
Article 3. The Association has its own seal and sign, bank accounts in local and foreign current that are necessary for performing its activity.
ІІ. Aims and subject matter of activity
Article 4. The Association of Bulgarian Tour Guides is creative-professional organization with ideal purpose, incorporated for the protection of the collective interests of tour guides, uniting their efforts for raising the prestige of the profession, its establishment as intellectual labour and exercising it in the name of professional interests and values.
Article 5. The aims of the Associationare:
1. Participation in the development of comprehensive strategy for the tourist development in Bulgaria in cooperation with the competent state institutions and other public organizations according to the principles of dialogue and interaction;
2. Promotion of the professional activity of its members for the more comprehensive presentation of Bulgaria in political, economic, social and cultural aspect;
3. Cooperating for the preservation and popularization of the experience and traditions in the tour guide servicing in Bulgaria;
4. Research and application of the foreign experience in the tour guide activity;
5. Raising the prestige of the tour guide profession in protection of the particular professional interests of tour guides in Bulgaria, including via interaction with the syndicates and the other public organizations. The Association will work for the establishment of well-deserved payment for the tour guide labour;
6. Supporting the professional improvement of its members and development of certification system for tour guides with full professional capacity;
7. Raising the image of Bulgaria as attractive tourist destination among the foreign guests and partners and making popular the tourist sights of the state amongst the Bulgarian citizens;
8. Performing individually and together with other stakeholders publishing activity in the country and abroad.
9. The Association will struggle for the preservation and protection of the cultural-historical monuments via approaching the corresponding state bodies, public organizations and starting initiatives in this direction;
10. The Association will work in cooperation with the corresponding state bodies for not allowing people not inconformity with the conditions stipulated in article 10 paragraph 2 to exercise tour guide activity in the Republic of Bulgaria.
Article 6. For the performance of its aims the Association will perform its public functions via:
1. Making suggestions and together with other organizations participates in the development of draft-regulations concerning the tourist activity;
2. Individually and together with other organizations holds branch forums, conferences, discussions etc;
3. Regulates the professional ethics in the tour guide servicing and struggles for not allowing disloyal competition between the tour guides in Bulgaria via approaching the corresponding state bodies;
4. Organizes courses for raising the qualification of the tour guides.
5. Develops system for assessment of the professional qualities of tour guides;
6. Collects and updates data base and practical information concerning the opportunities for tourist and travelling in Bulgaria;
7. Upon its initiative, upon request and on the grounds of achieved agreements with state and business bodies, commercial entities and public organizations it supplies:
a/ developments, expertise, reviews and forecasts concerning the tourist servicing and its development, as well as comprehensive projects for the organization of the tourist servicing in the national tourist complexes;
b/ professional help and know-how for the preparation and preliminary preparation of tour guides and animators;
c/ work-outs of routes for recreation, familiarization, sports tourism as well as rural, hunting and hobby tourism on the territory of the state;
d/ information about the tourist sights on the territory of the state.
8. Independently or together with other organizations popularizes the tourist sights of the state abroad, as well as in front of the Bulgarian citizens via print editions /reference books, tour guides, prospects/, video movies, auditoriums, intensive tours etc;
9. Performs contacts with the World federation of tourist guide associations and similar branch organizations of other states with the aim of experience exchange and fruitful cooperation in the interest of the profession;
10. Develops system for distinguishing branch representatives with many years of experience with the aim of popularization their personal professional experience.
Article 7. The Association provides for the material basis necessary for the activity via supplying funding and ensures conditions together with the professional organizations for exercising the right to labour, favourable work environment, raising the qualification of its members.
Article 8. To the Association there could be incorporated departments for additional and social-cultural activity according to the statutory order:
1. Professional funds.
2. Publishing and printing basis.
3. Risk fund.
ІІІ. Membership. Rights and obligations of the members
Article 9. The membership in the Association is individual.
Article 10. /1/ The membership in the Association is voluntary:
/2/ Members of the Association could be physical people having the necessary professional qualification according to the regulations of the Republic of Bulgaria.
Article 11. The application for membership is done on the basis of application in writing, accompanied with the corresponding certificate in conformity with the requirements for membership of article 10 of these Statutes. The legal entities willing to become members of the Association, should add to the application for membership certificate for registration. The documents are addressed and submitted to the Executive Board of the Association of Bulgarian Tour Guides.
Article 12. Every member of the Association has the right in person or via authorized representative to:
1. Participate in the discussions and in the decision-making process in the Association frameworks.
2. Elect and be elected in the management bodies of the Association.
3. Every member could be elected for not more than three consecutive mandates in the management bodies of the Association.
4. Be rendered with professional and social support in the Association framework or mutually with the syndicate organization in which he/she is member.
5. Use in good will the material-technical base of the Association.
6. Be facilitated and supported in raising his/her professional qualification and exercising his/her profession.
7. Submit in the Executive Board suggestions and recommendations in writing referring to the activity of the Association or concerning his/her membership rights.
8. Approach the Supervisory Board with claims concerning the violation of his/her membership rights or other violations in the Association activity.
Article 13. Every regular member is obliged to:
1. Work for achieving the goals of the Association.
2. Be in conformity with the Statutes and the resolutions of the management bodies of the Association.
3. Participate in the activity and events of the Association.
4. Be in conformity with the legislation of the state and the Tour Guide Ethical Code.
5. Pay regularly his/her membership instalment.
Article 14. /1/ Member of the Association is dismissed or suspended if:
1. He/she presents application for being stricken off the Association list;
2. Violates the Statutes or without good reasons violates the resolutions of the management bodies;
3. Via his/her behaviour ruins the Association reputation in front of the public;
4. He/she does not pay membership instalment during one calendar year.
/2/ The dismissal is approved by the Executive Board of the Association.
ІV. Management bodies, resolutions
Article 15. /1/ Supreme body of the Association is the General Assembly of the Members.
Article 16. /1/ The General Assembly is held at least once a year.
/2/ The General Assembly is summoned upon resolution of the Executive Board via invitation in writing with pointing the agenda forwarded to the members of the Association and making it public in State Gazette.
/3/ The General Assembly could be summoned via request in writing of one third of the members of the Association.
Article 17. The General Assembly is deemed to be legal if it is attended by at least half the delegates. If the necessary compounds is not present, the assembly is postponed for one hour with the same agenda and it is deemed for legally held no matter of the number of the attending members.
Article 18. /1/ In the General Assembly every delegate has one voting right.
/2/ The resolutions of the General Assembly are passed with ordinary majority, except for the cases with other legal entities:
1. At terminating the Association.
2. At the unification or merger of the Association.
3. Upon decision-making for the disposal with property that is ownership of the Association.
4. The mentioned cases necessitate majority of two thirds of the attending members.
/3/ At the sessions of the General Assembly the Chief accountant and the legal consult of the Association participate with advisory vote.
Article 19. /1/ The General Assembly passes resolutions upon the following issues:
1. Releases from liability the Executive Board of the Association, the Supervisory Board and the Chairman of the Association.
2. Elects the Executive Board, Chairman and Supervisory Board for a term of three years.
3. Defines and approves the size of the annual membership instalment of the individual members and the Association budget to the next General Assembly.
4. The General Assembly reviews objections for refusing the acceptance in the Association and claims against illegal actions of the Management.
5. Disposes with the Association property.
/2/ The General Assembly passes resolutions upon other issues included in the agenda or raised by delegates.
Article 20. /1/ The Supervisory Board and its Chairman are elected by the General assembly via open vote.
/2/ The members of the Supervisory Board could not be elected for more than three consecutive mandates.
/3/ The Chairman of the Supervisory Board is elected only if there is declaration signed by him/her in which he/she stipulates that during his/her mandate he/she will not participate in the management of political or syndicate organizations.
/4/ The Chairman of the Supervisory Board or member of the Board authorized by him participates in the sessions of the Executive Board with the right of advisory vote.
Article 21. /1/ The Executive Board comprises five people.
/2/ At its first session the Executive Board elects vice-chairman (vice-chairmen), secretary and treasurer.
/3/ The Executive Board is summoned at session at least once quarterly by the Chairman of the Executive Board. Sessions are regular if they are attended by 2/3 of all members of the Executive Board.
/4/ If the necessary compounds is not present, the session is postponed until gathering quorum, but no more than 1 hour, as it is held with the same agenda and it is perceived as legal if attended by at least three people.
/5/ Decisions are passed with ordinary majority.
/6/ The chief accountant and the legal consult of the Association participate at the sessions with the right of advisory vote.
Article 22. In the management bodies of the Association of Bulgarian Tour Guides only actively practicing tour guides are to be elected.
Article 23. The Executive Board:
1. manages the activity of the Association in-between the separate general assemblies.
2. performs decision-making upon contracts for performing the activity of the Association.
3. renders current cooperation for the professional protection of the Association members.
4. performs the connections with other public organizations and state bodies upon issues in the field of their competency.
5. discusses and approves suggestions for the appointment of Chief accountant and legal consult.
6. defines the payroll of the Association and the amount of the remuneration of the payroll and non-payroll employees.
Article 24. /1/ The Association is represented and bound in front of third parties via the signature of the Chairman or person authorized by the Executive Board.
/2/ The Chairman performs the operative management upon the performance of the resolutions of the collective bodies of the Association.
/3/ The Chairman is assisted by payroll and non-payroll collaborators suggested and approved by the Executive Board.
Article 25. /1/ In the case of resignation of the Chairman or impossibility for him/her to perform his/her obligations, the functions are passed to member delegated by the Executive Board until holding General Assembly for selection of new Chairman. In this case the unaccomplished mandate is perceived as whole mandate according to the sense of article 12, point 3.
/2/ In the case of resignation of member of the Executive Board or impossibility to perform his/her obligations, the Executive Board co-opts new member until the next General Assembly.
Article 26. The Supervisory Board elected by the General Assembly of the Association verifies:
1. The performance of the resolutions of the General Assembly the conformity with the Statutes of the Association.
2. The property status of the Association and the correct maintenance of its property.
3. The financial activity of the Association and the conformity with the budget and financial discipline, as well as the purposeful definition of the revenues and expenditures.
/2/ For the elimination of established irregularities the Supervisory Board of the Association makes suggestion in front of the Executive Board of the Association.
/3/ In the case of establishing gross violations or inconsistencies on behalf of the Executive Board, the Supervisory Board has the right to summon General Assembly according to the order, stipulated in article 16. In this case the Supervisory Board performs the functions of the Executive Board.
/4/ The Supervisory Board reports about its activity in front of the General Assembly.
V. Property
Article 27. The property of the Association comprises right to ownership, to utilization and other real rights over movable property and real estates, rights over intellectual property items, securities, share participation in associations, receivables and other rights, as well as obligations.
Article 28. The funding sources are:
1. Membership instalment in the amount defined by the General Assembly of the Association;
2. From its own print editions, scientific and other events and from other funds;
3. Sponsorship, charities, heritages by physical people and legal entities;
4. Target funds and subsidies from state bodies, municipalities, public organizations and international projects and programmes.
VІ. Association termination. Merger with other organizations
Article 29. The Association terminates its existence via resolution of the General Assembly, passed with qualified majority of 2/3 of all attending delegates.
Article 30. The General Assembly could pass resolution for merger with other similar organization with qualified majority of 2/3 of all attending delegates.
Article 31. At the termination of the Association the property is divided equally amongst all its members.
VІІ. Final provisionsS
Paragraph 1. These Statutes enter in effect after their acceptance by the General delegates meeting of the Association.
Paragraph 2. The seal and sign of the Association are accepted by the General Assembly.
Paragraph 3. Modifications, amendments or addendum to these Statutes are performed only by the General Assembly according to the terms and conditions of article 19.