Associations have a Democratic Structure
Volunteer-based
associations have democratic structures. What
this means is that the individual member is part of the
decision-making process in the association. Each
member has one vote in the association, and the proposals that garner
the majority of the votes are passed.
Members Make the Decisions
That the members make the
decisions doesn't mean that a vote must be held every time there is
disagreement over an issue. Rather, voting on new proposals, or
amendments of old proposals, take place at the annual general
meeting.
Annual General Meeting, Rules and By-laws, and
Purpose of the Association
Once a year, an
association holds an annual general meeting, where members make
decisions on the operations and finances of the association.
The annual general meeting also elects the
executive committee of the association. All
members are eligible for election to the executive committee.
The executive committee is responsible for the
activities of the association until the next annual general meeting,
and must ensure that the the association is governed according to its
rules and by-laws.The work of the association is governed by its
rules or by-laws. These are something like “laws” for the
operations of the association. Man kan kalde
dem for foreningens love.
Anyone can form an
association. All it takes is a statutory general meeting where the
purpose and rules of the association are established. The purpose of
an association is “what the association wishes to accomplish”.
The purpose of a basketball association could, for instance, be to
give the members the opportunity to play basketball.
Associations and Voluntary Work
Being a member of a
given association is voluntary. As a member, you decide whether to
get involved in the work of the association, or merely participate in
its regular activities. Voluntary work is
unpaid. Doing voluntary work in an
association may make you rich in terms of experience, but not in
terms of money. The voluntary work is
almost always carried out during spare time. Voluntary
work might be to help out during association events or activities, to
clean up after activities, or to take care of serving coffee and cake
once in a while.
You can volunteer as coach or local leader in an
association
You can volunteer to work
as a coach, assistant coach, or local leader for a sports team in a
local association. If you have teaching experience from your home
country, and your local sports team needs a new coach, you can
volunteer to take on the responsibility.
Voluntary Work can Create Job Opportunities
Often, companies and
places of education will be interested in hiring local leaders and
coaches from sports teams or other associations, since their work for
the association has proven that they are capable of taking charge of
events and activities, and of working with and supervising other
people. Admission to some educational
programmes, such as the social educator's programme, is actually
easier if you have experience working as a volunteer in an
association.
Different Kinds of Associations
Danes have a long
tradition for joining up and forming associations around the
activities that interest us, and you will find a whole lot of
different organizations within all fields of Danish social life.
Associations are
open to anyone; children, young people, adults, and the elderly.
Being a member of an association allows you to get
involved in something that you find interesting or important, and at
the same time get to know other people with similar interests.
Types of associations
There are many different
kinds of associations: Sports clubs, scouting organizations, youth
organizations, housing associations, and immigrant associations.
There are also associations with cultural, political, or religious
aims.
Sports Clubs
In the phone book,
at the library, and in your local newspaper, you will find some of
the many sports clubs in your local community. Your
municipal authority and the internet are also good places to find
information on local associations. To find
a sports club organized in the Danish Gymnastics and Sports
Associations (DGI) near you, head to the DGI home page at www.dgi.dk
(limited information in English).
Associations for Ethnic Minorities
There are well over
200 associations in Denmark catering to the interests of ethnic
minorities – cultural associations, political associations,
associations with humanitarian goals, and friendship associations.
Use the list of associations, to find names and
contact information for some of these.
You will Meet New People
Participating in an
association, you will meet many Danes, and have ample opportunity to
practice your Danish. Often, it is easier
to talk to people with whom you share a common interest.
Naturally, the activities of the association come
first, but for many people, the fellowship and social benefits to
being a member of an association is a good reason to get involved.
New Contacts and Networking Opportunities
Most likely, the
people you will meet through your involvement in an association will
also be people living in your local community. Thus,
you will come into contact with people other than those, you may meet
at your job or language learning centre.
A network is the
connections between a group of people. What
this means is that you may meet people who might be able to help you
in some future situation or other. There
are many advantages to networking. For instance, a solid network may
open up work or career opportunities.
Leisure Activities to Get Excited About
Children have energy
aplenty to burn during their day. Fun and exciting activities that
children can burn up their energy on are thus important.Participating
in leisure activities is also a great way to learn new things and
meet new friends.
Most associations show off
what the members have learnt or worked on during the season by
participating in sundry excursions, sports festivals, and
tournaments.
Communities Across Divides of Language and
Culture
In an association,
children quickly team up across linguistic divides and cultural
differences. An association may also be a
good place to improve your Danish and learn more about Danish
culture. In addition, associations form a
setting uniting children, youths, and adults, wherein adults help
children learn how to live together in an atmosphere of fellowship
and mutual respect.
Parents are Needed, too
Volunteer coaches
and local organizers spend their free time organizing activities for
children and young people in the association. Often,
the workload is great, and that's why you as a parent can help make a
difference. Maybe you can help drive
children to and from practice and excursions. Or you can bake a cake,
or wash the soccer team jerseys, help set up for activities, etc. Ask
the coach or an organizer where your help is most sorely needed.
Find an Association
In the phone book,
at the library, and in your local newspaper, you will find some of
the many associations in your local community. Your
municipal authority and the internet are also good places to find
information on local associations. To find
a sports club organized in the Danish Gymnastics and Sports
Associations (DGI) near you, head to the DGI home page at www.dgi.dk
(limited information in English). Read
about associations in your local community on FINFO.dk
Join an Association
Most associations
let you try out for free, without having to make a commitment in the
form of membership. You won't have to pay
any dues until you have decided whether you really want to be a
member of the association. In addition,
many associations have “open house” days where you can try out
various activities before signing up.
Start-of-Season
Some associations
start their seasons after the summer break, while others start up as
early as the beginning of spring. Sports
clubs, in particular, often have both an “indoors” and an
“outdoors” season. Thus, it is possible
to join any time of year. You can always
ask the association in question at what times they will be accepting
new members. Some associations may have
waiting lists.
How your Association Spends your Subscription
Fees
All associations
require you to pay dues or subscription fees. These are used for
events and activities, and to pay for rental of premises and
facilities, or needed equipment. Participation
in tournaments, excursions, and travels is voluntary, and may come at
a further cost.
This article is written
by
DGI –
Storkøbenhavn
Translated from the
original Danish.
