Statutes
of the World Union of Jesuit Alumni and Alumnae

Between the undersigned [...] a non-profit making society is set up governed by these statutes and by the 21 April 1924 Luxembourg act on non-profit-making societies and foundations.

Article 1: Name
The society is called the "World Union of Jesuit Alumni and Alumnae". It is hereafter called "the Union".

Article 2: Registered office
To comply with the law, the Registered office of the Union is in the City of Luxembourg.

Article 3: Emblem
The emblem of the Union and of all its member organisations is the coat of arms of Loyola.

Article 4: Duration
The Union is set up for unlimited duration.

Article 5: Object
The Union is an international society with spiritual, cultural and social purposes. It can carry out its activity in every country. Its officers and council can meet either in its registered office or in any other place in the world. The Union's objectives are the following:

1. To preserve and develop bonds of friendship, communication and solidarity among alumni/ae throughout the world
2. To encourage alumni/ae to co-operate actively with the Society of Jesus in its various missions, particularly in education, spiritual life, community service and social justice.
3. To help alumni/ae to stand by the education which they were given, based on Christian humanism and Ignatian spirit, above all so that they play their part, through their personal life and their social action, in the building of a world where persons can fulfil themselves with complete dignity; for this, to encourage them to address their minds to all issues of spiritual and moral life leading to personal and collective commitment.
4. To offer alumni/ae the opportunity of continuing formation to help them to integrate their Ignatian obligations into their personal and professional lives.

Article 6: Access to membership
Full membership of the Union is open to all associations of former students of educational institutions of the Society of Jesus or of Ignatian inspiration that accept these Statutes. Membership can be obtained either directly or through national groupings, federations or confederations.
Individual membership of the Union is available to alumni/ae of the above educational institutions.

Article 7: Loss of membership
A member association can withdraw from the Union by written notice to the Secretary. In addition, the Congress can, by a two-thirds vote, exclude an association whose activity is incompatible with these Statutes.
Equally the Council may suspend an association whilst awaiting the final decision of the Congress.
On its side, the Society of Jesus can cease to recognise an association which no longer retains the Jesuit character.

Article 8: The Congress

1. Composition
   The Union's general assembly, called "the Congress", is open to every former student of an educational institution of the Society of Jesus or of Ignatian inspiration as an individual member. But only the representatives of full members, i.e. of associations, have a right to vote, through their national groupings, federations or confederations.
2. Periodicity and place of meetings
   The Congress normally meets every six years. The President may, however, ask the Council to postpone this date by up to three more years. The meeting place of a congress is chosen by the previous congress in accordance with a rotation among world areas in the following order: South Asia, Africa, Latin America, North America, Europe/Middle East, East Asia/Oceania. In addition, the Congress must also be convened when the Council or a fifth of member associations asks for it; the Council then decides where it will be held.
   The association or federation of the place that has been chosen carries out the practical organisation of the Congress.
3. Convening the Congress
   The President convenes the Congress and sets the Agenda which must include any proposition coming from at least a twentieth of full members. The notice, comprising the Agenda, is addressed to all member associations.
4. Prerogatives
   The Congress:
   1. elects the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer and the members of the Council, each for a mandate lasting until the following congress;
   2. approves the President's report and the Treasurer's financial report;
   3. determines the level of the annual dues which cannot exceed 1000 euros;
   4. passes resolutions aiming at guiding the Union's action, which may be proposed outside the agenda;
   5. chooses, within the limits set up in paragraph 2 of this article, the meeting place of the following congress;
   6. decides on the exclusion of an association whose behaviour has been inconsistent with the Statutes;
   7. modifies the Statutes;
   8. decides on the winding up of the Union.
   Points a) to e) are subject to simple majority vote, f) to h) to a two-thirds majority vote. Besides, any modification of the Statutes concerning the object of the Union requires a majority of threequarters.
5. Votes
   The right to vote in the Congress belongs to full members, which are local associations. These associations exercise their voting rights through national groupings, federations or confederations, which they delegate for doing so.
   Each national grouping, federation or confederation has a number of votes related to the number of associations it represents, according to the following scale:
   • from one to five associations : one vote
   • from six to ten associations : two votes
   • from 11 to 15 associations : three votes
   • from 16 to 20 associations : four votes
   • from 21 to 40 associations : five votes
   • above 40 associations : six votes

Article 9: The President and the Vice-President
The President inspires and leads the Union on the basis of the objectives set up in these statutes and of the resolutions voted by the Congress.
He represents the Union. He appoints, on a proposal from the Secretary, or from any member of the Council, permanent representatives of the Union to international organisations to which it belongs.
He is assisted by the Vice-President, who replaces him in case of temporary disability. In case of permanent disability or of resignation, the Council elects a new president who remains in office until the following congress.
In the same cases and for the same mandate, the Council elects a new vice-president.

Article 10: The Secretary
The Secretary conducts the ordinary business of the Union. He keeps the list of member-associations and maintains contact with them. He drafts the minutes of the Council and Congress meetings and maintains the archives of the Union. In co-operation with the Treasurer, he ensures that membership dues are collected. He helps the President to convene the Congress and ensure that it is well run. He is responsible for disseminating its resolutions.
In the case of resignation or permanent disability, the Council elects a new secretary who carries out his duties until the following congress.

Article 11: The Treasurer and Finance
The Treasurer is responsible for the Union's assets. He manages its bank account, receives its financial resources, in particular annual dues, and makes the payments which fall on it. He keeps the accounts. Each calendar year, he submits to the Council the accounts of the last year and the budget of the following year.
In case of resignation or permanent disability, the Council elects a new treasurer who remains in office until the following congress.

Article 12: The Council

1. Composition
   The Council of the Union is made of seventeen members:
   • four ex officio: the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer;
   • thirteen elected by the Congress on the basis of two each for Africa, Latin America, North America, Europe and South Asia and of one each for the Middle East, East Asia and Oceania.
   In the case of resignation or permanent disability of an elected member, the Council appoints a new member who remains in post until the following congress.
2. Functioning
   The Council meets at the time of each congress and at least once in the interval between congresses. Its annual decisions are made using written communication.
   It is convened and chaired by the President and takes its decision by simple majority. The President has a casting vote in the case of equal division of the votes.
3. Attributions
   The Council decides on the major action lines of the Union such as are proposed by the President. It approves the budget and the accounts. If necessary, it elects persons responsible for carrying out on a provisional basis the duties of President, Vice-President, Secretary or Treasurer. It approves donations made to the Union. In general, it has management and administrative powers, with due regards to prerogatives given to the Congress by article 8§4.

Article 13: The Jesuit counsellor
The Union is assisted by a Jesuit Priest who is appointed by the Superior General of the Society of Jesus and who acts as his delegate. He takes part, without voting right, in meetings of the Council and of the Congress of the Union and remains in close touch with the President and the Secretary. His role is to assure the relationship between the Union and the Society of Jesus in order to make known to alumni/ae the Society's priorities and to the Society the concerns of the alumni/ae.

Article 14: Modification of the Statutes
Every member association and every member of the Council may propose modifications of the Statutes. Proposals of modification must be sent to the Secretary at least 12 months before the following congress. They are listed in the agenda of the Congress which decides on them by a twothirds vote, three-quarters if it concerns the objectives of the Union.

Article 15: Procedure for the implementation of the Statutes
The Council approves, to the extent that may be required, the regulations for the implementation of the present Statutes.

Article 16: Interpretation of the Statutes
Problems in interpreting the provisions of the Statutes are resolved by the Secretary, who proposes a solution to the Council, including, if necessary, a modification of these provisions to be submitted to the following Congress.
All terms of male gender used by these statutes to express qualifications (alumnus, President, etc...) are to be considered as having an equal female value. The Statutes are written in French, English and Spanish which are the three working languages of the Union.

REGULATION FOR IMPLEMENTING THE STATUTES

Article 1: Convening of the Congress
The President of the World Union invites full voting members to the Congress (the "general assembly" provided for in Article 8 of the Statutes) eight months in advance in ETC or by mail and asks them to put forward proposals for the agenda. These proposals must be received not less than four months in advance.

Article 2: Determination of voting rights in the Congress

1. The president of each federation or confederation, or his/her delegate, who intends to take part in the Congress, declares this intention to the Secretary of the World Union. This declaration must reach the Secretary four months in advance and must indicate the number of associations represented together with their names and addresses.
2. Associations of countries without a federation that wish to be represented at the Congress choose a national delegate or give a proxy to their confederation president. The national delegate or the president then declares this intention to the Secretary of the World Union. This declaration must reach the Secretary four months in advance and must indicate the number of associations represented together with their names and addresses.
3. On the basis of these declarations and of the information he has himself on the existing associations, the Secretary of the World Union determines, in conformity with the relevant provisions of the Statutes, the voting rights of each federation or confederation president or national delegate taking part in the Congress and informs them of his decision.
4. At the opening of the Congress (general assembly), the President and the Secretary, acting together, have the authority to accept further representatives. They shall determine their voting rights.

Article 3: Candidacies for World Union offices
Candidacies for the posts of officers of the World Union (president, vicepresident, secretary and treasurer) and of members of the Council must be received in writing by the Secretary of the World Union, one month in advance. They must be accompanied by the written support of the association to which the candidate belongs. Candidates for election to the Council must belong to the area which they intend to represent.

Article 4: Candidacies for the organisation of the following congress
A federation or an association belonging to the area in which, according to the Statutes, the following congress is to take place, and wishing to organise this congress, shall send its candidacy to the Secretary of the World Union to be received at least six months before the congress that will take the decision. The letter of candidacy must include the town chosen, the association or federation that will take responsibility, a letter of support from the Jesuit Provincial responsible for the area and a brief outline of the organisation.
If no candidacy is received by the prescribed time, the Council will take over the responsibility for choosing an area and a location to organise the next scheduled congress. In its choice, the Council will consider the possibilities offered by the different areas of the rotation list established by the Statutes. The President will notify the situation to the Congress. As soon as the Council has made its decision, it will be made public on the website and in ETC.

Article 5: Voting procedures in the Congress

1. At the beginning of the Congress (general assembly), the Secretary shall announce the names of representatives having the right to vote and the number of votes that they have.
2. The Congress shall choose two scrutineers who will supervise the voting operations.
3. For decisions taken relating to Article 8 § 4 a, e, f and h of the Statutes, voting shall normally be by secret ballot. For decisions taken relating to Article 8 § 4 b, c, d and g of the Statutes, voting shall normally be by open vote (show of hands).

Adopted by the Council by written procedure.
For the Council:
Fabio TOBON, President
François-Xavier CAMENEN, Secretary
Done in Paris on 20 April 2002