Articles of association
Adopted by the Annual General Meeting on 17 January 2026 with immediate effect
§ Section 1 Name and foundation
The name of the organisation is Haldetoppens Venner. The organisation was founded on 14.06.2024.
§ Section 2 The organisation's affiliation
The Friends of Haldetoppen is an independent interest organisation with no ties to religious views, beliefs or practices, other organisations or political ideologies. However, the organisation may enter into cooperation with other relevant actors to strengthen its purpose and work.
§ Section 3 Purpose
The organisation shall facilitate and/or communicate history, projects and activities to ensure, but not limited to, access, participation and involvement for all, regardless of age, affiliation, background or disability, as far as this is financially feasible.
Changes to the objects clause require at least a 4/5 majority at an ordinary annual meeting and must be confirmed at an extraordinary annual meeting within 6 months.
The purpose of Haldetoppen's Friends is to raise funds and support projects that improve, maintain and ensure the sustainable development of Haldetoppen, Sukkertoppen, Talviktoppen and the surrounding areas in Alta municipality. This includes furnishing buildings, maintenance work, organising tours and events, selling souvenirs and simple catering.
The organisation also aims to document, digitise and disseminate the history of these areas and their role in Northern Lights research in the Kingdom of Norway.
§ Section 4 Membership and members
Membership of the Friends of Haldetoppen is open to anyone who wishes to support the organisation's mission. There are four types of membership: Ordinary Membership, Family Membership, Supporting Membership and Honorary Membership. The membership fee is set annually by the annual meeting.
a) Ordinary membership provides full membership with the right to vote at the annual meeting, the opportunity to participate in all events and activities, and to influence the organisation's direction and decisions.
b) Family membership gives the whole family access to all events and activities in Haldetoppen's Friends, with a maximum limit of 5 people per membership, per household/address.
c) Supporting membership is for those who wish to support the organisation financially without voting rights. Supporting members receive newsletters with updates on the organisation's work, invitations to selected events, and the opportunity to contribute to projects and maintenance of Haldetoppen's friends.
d) The board of Friends of Haldetoppen may appoint honorary members in recognition of long-standing and/or particularly valuable efforts for the organisation and/or our purpose. Honorary members have all the rights of ordinary members, but are exempt from membership fees if desired.
§ Section 5 Ethical guidelines
The Friends of Haldetoppen, its members and subcontractors, are committed to acting responsibly, inclusively and sustainably in line with the organisation's values. Policies adopted by the organisation shall ensure trust, transparency and sound management in all work and cooperation of relationships, finances, nature and the legacy of the purpose.
a) Friends of Haldetoppen undertakes to process member data in accordance with applicable data protection laws and regulations. Personal data is only stored for as long as necessary to fulfil the organisation's purpose, and members have the right to access and delete personal data.
b) The organisation shall, through its board of directors, develop and maintain a code of conduct to ensure that the business is conducted in a responsible, inclusive and sustainable manner. All members, employee representatives and affiliated companies and hired personnel are obliged to follow the applicable guidelines.
c) All co-operation agreements with external parties must be in accordance with the ethical guidelines and objectives presented to the annual meeting at any given time, and must be approved by the board and documented in writing. The board may not take out loans, enter into credit agreements or otherwise incur long-term debt for the organisation without the prior approval of the annual general meeting. This does not include ordinary, short-term operating obligations resulting from ongoing invoicing for necessary costs and operating assets within the approved budget.
The organisation, represented by the board of directors, may freely seek and receive income within the ethical guidelines presented to the annual general meeting. The board may not enter into agreements that impose significant financial risks or obligations on the organisation, including agreements exceeding NOK 200,000 per calendar year and/or agreements that may affect the organisation's reputation, without submitting the matter to the annual meeting.
d) In the event of a breach of the articles of association, the organisation's guidelines or misuse of the organisation's funds, the board of directors may implement sanctions, including warning, suspension or exclusion of members. Serious violations shall be reported to the relevant authorities for correction.
§ Section 6 Voting rights and eligibility
a) The right to vote and stand for election applies to all ordinary members and representatives of family memberships who are registered and have paid their membership fee no later than two weeks before the date of the annual meeting.
b) Supporting members do not have the right to vote or hold office, but they can participate in the organisation's activities and provide support in other ways. The right to vote and hold office gives ordinary and family members an important role in the decision-making process and in shaping the future of the organisation.
c) The Chairman of the Board has a double vote in the event of a tie, thereby ensuring that important decisions can be made without delay.
§ 7 Contingent
The membership fee is determined by the annual meeting and is paid in advance for current year.
Members who owe membership fees for more than one year do not have the right to vote or other rights, and may be removed from the organisation by the board. If a member is cancelled, he/she cannot be readmitted until the outstanding membership fee has been paid in full.
The membership fee for 2025 is NOK 300, NOK 300 for ordinary membership, NOK 500, NOK 500 for family membership and NOK 100, NOK 100 for supporting members.
§ Section 8 The annual meeting
The annual meeting is the highest authority of the Friends of Haldetoppen. The annual meeting is held each year by the end of April and is convened by the board with one month's (four weeks') notice in writing to the members. Proposals to be dealt with at the annual meeting must be sent to the board no later than two weeks before the annual meeting. The complete agenda must be available to members no later than one week before the annual meeting.
Proposed amendments to the articles of association must be sent to the board six weeks before the date of the annual meeting.
All members have access to the annual meeting. The annual general meeting and/or the board of directors may invite other persons and/or the media to be present during the annual general meeting. The annual meeting may be closed in individual cases.
At the annual general meeting, no one has more than one vote by ordinary voting, and voting may not be by proxy. Unless otherwise stipulated, a resolution must be passed by a simple majority of the votes cast in order to be valid. Blank votes shall be deemed not to have been cast. The Chairman of the Board has a double vote in the event of a tie, in order to ensure the progress of the case.
§ Section 9 Tasks and function of the annual general meeting
The annual meeting constitutes a quorum when it is convened in accordance with the articles of association. The chairman of the board opens the meeting, requests the annual meeting's approval of the notice of the meeting, and presides over the election of chairpersons.
The annual general meeting adopts its own rules of procedure, which must comply with the following:
a) Approval of the convening and chairing of the meeting.
b) Approval of the agenda.
c) Matters are put to the vote as they are dealt with, unless one of the members requests information and a recommendation for a decision by the Board.
d) Decisions are made by a simple majority, but the election of the Chair and Deputy Chair requires an absolute majority.
e) Amendments to the Articles of Association require a 2/3 majority at the ordinary annual meeting. In the event of a tie, the chairman of the board has a double vote. The annual meeting may allow matters to be decided by written procedure. Proposed candidates must have been asked for and given their consent. The minutes of the annual meeting's deliberations, which contain resolutions, voted down and rejected proposals, are published as soon as possible on the association's website.
The annual meeting shall:
a) Consider the organisation's annual report.
b) Process the organisation's accounts.
c) Consider proposals received.
d) Determine the membership fee for membership in the current year or for the period.
e) Adopt the organisation's budget.
f) Elect board member(s) and chairman of the board, nomination committee, accountant and auditor if the annual meeting finds this necessary for the current year.
§ Section 10 Board of Directors
The organisation is managed by a board of directors consisting of a minimum of 2 and an optimum of 5 individual paying members elected by the annual general meeting. The board is responsible for the day-to-day running of the organisation and for implementing the decisions of the annual meeting. The board elects its own treasurer and secretary.
The Board shall:
a) Implement the provisions of the Annual General Meeting
b) Appoint committees/persons for special tasks as required and prepare instructions for these.
c) Manage and exercise the necessary control over the organisation's finances and assets in accordance with the instructions and provisions in force at any given time.
d) Represent the organisation externally.
e) The chairman convenes board meetings as needed.
f) The Board of Directors constitutes a quorum when a majority of its members are present.
g) Decisions are made by a majority of the votes cast. The Chairman of the Board has a double vote in the event of a tie, thereby ensuring that important decisions can be made without delay.
h) The board of directors shall inform the members of all major financial arrangements or cooperation agreements that affect the organisation's long-term operations. Information shall be provided in writing and published on the organisation's website.
§ Section 11-1 Finance
a) The organisation's financial resources and assets shall be used exclusively to fulfil the purposes set out in the articles of association. The board of directors is responsible for ensuring that funds are properly managed in accordance with Norwegian law and the organisation's ethical guidelines. Misuse or improper use of funds must be reported to the board of directors, the annual general meeting or the appropriate authority, and any breaches must be dealt with through legal channels.
b) The organisation's accounts shall be audited annually by an auditor elected by the annual meeting. The organisation shall use an external, authorised auditor when the annual meeting so decides, or when the organisation's finances have reached a scope or complexity that makes an authorised audit necessary in accordance with Norwegian law. The audit report shall be presented to the annual general meeting as part of the annual accounts.
§ Section 11-2 Remuneration
Elected representatives may not receive fees for their work in the organisation unless the annual general meeting so decides, but may be reimbursed for actual documented expenses in their role for the organisation.
Expenses for reimbursement of actual expenses must be stated in the budget and accounts. All reimbursement claims must be documented and approved by the board in accordance with the organisation's guidelines.
For projects carried out by the organisation, members of the organisation, hired personnel and/or hired companies may receive fees for work carried out in accordance with the applicable tariffs for the current year, and or in accordance with contractual costs, whether the funds for such fees come from another organisation or business for this purpose through donations, funds applied for, projects or other support.
Guidelines for remuneration are determined by the annual general meeting.
§ Section 12 Extraordinary annual meetings
Extraordinary annual meetings are held when a majority of the board of directors so decides, or at least one third of the voting members so request. Meetings are convened and resolutions passed in accordance with the same rules as for ordinary annual meetings.
§ Section 13 Amendments to the Articles of Association
In the event of proposed amendments to the articles of association that affect the organisation's purpose, structure or financial obligations, the board must obtain legal advice and present this to the annual general meeting together with the proposal.
Amendments to the Articles of Association can only be made by the Annual General Meeting with a 2/3 majority of the members present. Proposals for amendments to the articles of association must be sent to the board at least six weeks before the annual meeting. Amendments to the articles of association enter into force immediately unless the annual meeting decides otherwise.
§ Section 14 Dissolution (Not amendable)
This section is defined as “non-amendable” according to the organisation's founding document and is protected. Any attempts to amend this charter will be invalid if they conflict with applicable law or the organisation's founding document of 14.06.2024.
A proposal to dissolve the association may be submitted by the board of directors when at least ¾ of the members are in favour of it or when at least 40 % of paying members jointly submit such a proposal.
Proposals for dissolution must be received by the board of directors no later than six months prior to an ordinary annual meeting and shall be immediately made known to all members in a manner that ensures the members' legibility.
In the event of dissolution, the association's net assets and properties shall be transferred to Alta municipality, which is within the association's purpose in the organisation's founding document.