CULIA

Administrative Structure

1. Reason

1.1 Mission

The mission of the Hari Society, hereafter called the "society", is to promote Hari style of Japanese Acupuncture arts as taught by Takayuki Koei Kuwahara (1956-present), chief instructor the Hari Society in Watertown, Massachusetts, USA and his successors.

1.2 Means

The society accomplishes its mission by holding seminars, by setting standards of practice, by acknowledging levels of practice attained and by any other related activity for the benefit of its members.

1.3 Objective

The objective of the society is not for profit but to maintain solid foundations that allow it to fulfill its mission. The society is a legally recognized non-profit organization that unites the practitioners of these arts as a legal entity.

 

2. Structure

2.1 Board of Directors

The society is under the direction of a board of directors composed of three administrators fulfilling the roles of president, vice-president and secretary-treasurer.

2.1.1 President

The president is the first officer of the society. He must preside over all assemblies of the society and of the board of directors. He is directly responsible for the management of the internal affairs of the society and oversees the application of all orders and resolutions of the board of directors.

2.1.2 Vice-President

In the event the president is absent or incapacitated, the vice-president must fulfill the president’s role, exert his power and execute other functions the board of directors may require of him on occasion.

2.1.3 Secretary-Treasurer

The secretary-treasurer must record all minutes in the appropriate books. He must send out notices of convocation to general assemblies of members as well as meetings of the board of directors. He keeps up to date lists of all members in good standing and sends them annually -- or when required -- to each member branch. He oversees the issuance of diplomas, certificates, and seminar booklets, the recording, archive and conference of members' ranks. He puts in place and maintains security measures to ensure the confidentiality and preservation of personal information concerning members and the society. Generally, he executes any other function assigned to him by the board of directors.

2.2 Technical Director

The technical director is responsible for the values of the society and makes sure the society stays true to its mission. He has followed the master's teachings and wants to disseminate them. He has a superior level of experience in these arts and is the most apt to maintain the integrity and apply the rules of the society. He is the highest ranked member of the society. The technical director is the president of the society.

2.3 Members

The society recognizes three types of members: the practitioner, the instructor and the branch.

2.3.1 Practitioner

A practitioner is an individual, member of a branch, who studies the art under the direction of a recognized instructor.

2.3.2 Instructor

An instructor is the person who teaches, guides and advises the practitioner and helps him reach the various levels of practice. We distinguish the master instructor, the chief instructor and the associate instructor.

2.3.2.1 Master Instructor

The master instructor is a chief instructor who, having reached a high level of competence is called upon to teach in any branch, usually in seminars. The master instructor who has reached the rank of Rokudan is awarded the title "Shihan".

2.3.2.2 Chief Instructor

The chief instructor is the person who, in addition to being responsible for the teaching in his branch, manages daily activities. Except for rare exceptions, there is only one chief instructor per branch. The chief instructor who has reached the rank of Yondan is awarded the title "Shidoin".

2.3.2.3 Associate instructor

The associate instructor teaches under the direction of the chief instructor. A branch may have many or no associate instructor depending on its needs. The associate instructor who has reached the level of Nidan is awarded the title "Fukushidoin"

2.3.3 Branch

A branch is the place where the arts are taught. In a broad sense, it represents the administrative entity comprised of the physical space, the instructors and the practitioners. All branches are directed by a chief instructor. A branch has a physical address.

2.3.4 Autonomous member

The autonomous member is a practitioner who is not member of a Society’s branch and who for particular reasons follows teachings from one or more Society’s instructor on a sporadic or irregular basis.

2.4 Conformity

To be admitted, a member must have filed a membership request in the form prescribed by the board of directors and satisfy the eligibility criteria settled upon by the board of directors. To be in good standing, he must have paid his dues.

2.5 Withdrawal

A member may withdraw from the society at any time by notifying an officer of the society in writing. However, withdrawing does not absolve a member of his dues to the society.

2.6 Suspension.

A member who breaks any rule of the society may be suspended by a resolution of the board of directors. Such a member may return to the society at the discretion of the board of directors, if he corrects himself.

2.7 Expulsion

Any member who breaks a rule of the society or whose conduct is considered incompatible with the interests of the society may be expelled from the society by a resolution of the board of directors. The expulsion is applicable to the member in question only if he has had the chance to be heard at a meeting of the board of directors called for this purpose. The board of directors' decision must be transmitted in writing to the member in question. The decision is final and without appeal.

 

3. Management

3.1 Responsibilities of the Board

The board of directors manages the society’s activities and vouches for its mission. Through the president and technical director, the board of directors keeps a coherent and uniform teaching curriculum. It approves or refuses members’ applications and expels them when circumstances warrant. It plans seminars in collaboration with member branches, defines an examination program with a high standard of excellence and oversees the resolution of any conflict that may arise between members.

3.2 Mode of Action

The board of directors exerts its powers through resolutions adopted in meetings during which a quorum is met and maintained.

3.3 Special Powers

The board of directors determines, through a resolution:

a) The address of the society’s headquarters, within the limits imposed by the organizational letters;

b) The society’s financial year end date. Any administrator or any other person designated by the board has the power to:

a) Represent the society for any writ of garnishment;

b) Prepare affidavits which may be necessary in case of opposition or other judicial procedures;

c) Make any request for dissolution or liquidation or any bankruptcy request against any debtor of the society and to be present and vote at the creditors meetings and to grant power of attorney to that effect;

d) Answer any interrogation on facts, articles and other procedures which may be necessary in case of litigation involving the society;

e) Represent the society in any affair.

3.4 Member Convocation

The secretary-treasurer convenes the members of the board via a notice at least three weeks before the meeting’s scheduled date. The presence of a member at the meeting serves as default notification. The place, date and agenda of the meeting must be specified in the convocation notice. A member may, if all other members agree, attend the meeting via communication equipment that allow all members to communicate amongst themselves and, by this fact, is considered having attended that meeting.

3.5 Meeting Quorum

All directors must be present at any meeting duly convened.

3.6 Decisions

All decisions require unanimity.

3.7 Meeting Minutes

The minutes of all meetings of the board of directors are the responsibility of the secretary-treasurer, who is also responsible for their preservation.

3.8 Frequency of Meetings

The board of directors meets as often as necessary to manage regular and special affairs.

3.9 Assemblies

Annually the board of directors holds a general meeting of members where it presents a summary of the past year. The board can also call a special meeting of members about special and urgent matters indicated in the convocation notice.

3.10 Salaries, Fees and Dues

Annually the board evaluates the status of members in good standing and determines salaries for instructors conducting seminars, the fees for the various ranks, the yearly dues and the price of any other service to the members.

3.11 Remuneration and Expenses

The members of the board of directors are not remunerated for their services as administrators but they may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in carrying out their functions, upon presentation of adequate documentation. Other employees of the society will receive for their work a remuneration determined by the board of directors.

3.12 Responsibilities

The directors of the society have an obligation of diligence and loyalty. No director or officer of the society may be held responsible for any damage, loss or debt incurred by the society, of any nature whatsoever, while executing his functions or in relation to those functions unless they happen as a result of his negligence or malpractice.

3.13 Compensation

The directors of the society are hereby authorized, without the approval or confirmation of the members, to make certain the society compensates or defends any director or officer as well as his heirs, interested party and legal representatives as needed and at any time, from the society’s funds:

a) Of any charge or expense a director or officer incurs during or at the moment of an action, lawsuit or legal proceeding instituted against him with regard to or because of actions done on behalf of the society while fulfilling or in order to fulfill his functions and b) Of any other charge or expense a director or officer incurs while managing the society’s activities, except those which are a result of his own negligence or his voluntary omission.

3.14 Commitment

The board of directors may commit any expenditure required in order to manage Society business in a fair manner to all members of the Society.

 

4. Election

4.1 First Administrators

The first administrators determine the position they will fill until the first general assembly of members, the president being the technical director. The mandate of the president and technical director is indefinite and ends upon presentation of his resignation to the board of directors, or death, or his removal by a resolution taken by the members in a special assembly.

4.2 Duration of Mandate

The secretary-treasurer and vice-president have a two-year mandate, except for the first election where the vice-president’s mandate is one year.

4.3 Annual Election

Together in an annual general assembly, members elect a new director to replace the one whose mandate expires, except on the first election where they elect the first two directors.

4.4Call for Applications

Three months before the general assembly’s scheduled date, the secretary-treasurer makes a call for applications to all members of the society. Members interested in a director’s position must send the application bulletin to the secretary-treasurer at least one month before the election’s scheduled date. Each application bulletin must include the candidate’s resume, the length of which must not exceed two 8½ x 11 or A4 typed pages. The candidate must be a member in good standing of the society and must have been a member for the two years preceding his or her application. To be valid, an application must be supported by at least five (5) members in good standing of the society, each of whom must have been a member for at least one year prior to their support of an application. Exceptionally, for the first and second election, it will suffice to have been a member since the foundation of the society. Three weeks before the general assembly’s scheduled date, the secretary-treasurer will inform the members of the list of candidates as well as provide their resumes.

4.5Voters Notification

The secretary-treasurer notifies all members of the society at least three weeks before the annual general assembly’s scheduled date. The presence of a member at the meeting qualifies as notification. The notification must include the place, date and time of the meeting, the list of members in good standing at the time of the notification, and the list of candidates.

4.6 Communication Media

Calls for candidate, application bulletins, resumes, candidates’ lists, meeting notifications and communication with members generally will be done using the method deemed most efficient and rational. Electronic communication will be preferred and written communication will be used when the former is not possible.

4.7Location of the Assembly

The location selected for the general assembly will aim to accommodate the greatest number of members while taking into account the geographic location of the members living in remote areas.

4.8 Quorum for the General Assembly and the Election

The required quorum for holding a general assembly and an election is a majority (50% + 1) of the members in good standing according to the members’ list at the time of the notification. The quorum must be reached in the hour following the opening of the meeting.

4.9 First Election

A member is nominated as election president and the president selects a teller. The secretary-treasurer will have prepared ballots listing the name of each candidate for election. Each member must indicate on his ballot exactly two different persons among the candidates. Otherwise, the ballot will be rejected. All members in good standing are allowed to vote, including the president and teller. The teller counts the votes and the two members who have received the most votes are declared elected. In case of a tie, as many rounds will be done as is necessary to choose two candidates.

4.10 Subsequent Elections

A member is nominated as election president and the president selects a teller. The secretary-treasurer will have prepared ballots listing the name of each candidate for election. Each member must indicate on his ballot exactly one person among the candidates. Otherwise. The ballot will be rejected. All members in good standing are allowed to vote, including the president and teller. The teller counts the votes and the member with the most votes is declared elected.

4.11 Leave of Absence

If a director must abandon his position for any reason, the remaining directors will designate a replacement for the rest of the term, or a successor in the case of the president and technical director, among the members in good standing at this time.

4.12 Removal

A director’s mandate can be revoked by a resolution adopted by the members in a special assembly convened for this purpose. In such an assembly, only a single member of the board of directors can be the object of removal. The invitation must mention the place, time, date and purpose of the meeting. In this specific case, the invitation must be made in writing and sent through regular postal mail. The required quorum is at least ¾ of the members in good standing at the time of writing the invitation according to a list of members published by the secretary-treasurer no more than two weeks prior to the date at which the invitation is sent. The removal will be effective if 80% or more of the voting members approve it.

 

5. Excellence

5.1 Ranks

Practicing members are awarded a rank according to the level of skill acquired and by attending exam sessions held from time to time.

5.2 Attribution

Ranks can be awarded by the technical director or by any instructor with the required competence. The technical director can award ranks of any level. A Shihan can award ranks of Yondan or below. A Shidoin can award ranks of Nidan or below. The technical director can confirm or revoke any rank awarded by a Shihan or a Shidoin and his decision is without appeal.

5.3 Conservation.

The secretary-treasurer records the members’ ranks, is responsible for their maintenance and conservation, their authentication and their safety.

5.4 Diplomas.

Upon rank attribution and reception of corresponding dues, the secretary-treasurer emits a diploma on behalf of the society showing the name and rank of the practitioner, the branch, the name of the instructor, the date at which the rank was obtained, the name of the technical director and a certificate number.

5.5 Requirements.

The board of directors can create or remove rank levels, but only after a proposition from the technical director. The technical director sets a grid with the required practice time for each rank, and the exam requirements. The board of directors determines the dues for each rank.

5.6 Logbook

Each practicing member has a seminar logbook allowing him to record his progress and his participation in seminars during his entire career. This logbook is given to him upon joining the society. He must present it when attending seminars or when passing tests.

5.7 Instructor Certificate

Upon payment of the required yearly fees, any master instructor, chief instructor or associate instructor receives a duly authenticated certificate acknowledging his title and his status as a member in good standing of the society.

5.8 Branch Certificate

Upon payment of the required yearly fees, each branch receives a duly authenticated certificate acknowledging its membership in the society.

5.9 Titles

The following instructor titles: Shihan, Shidoin, and Fukushidoin are attributed by the technical director and are revocable.

5.10 Capacity

To exercise his title and his capacity to award ranks, an instructor must participate in at least two seminars per year, given by an instructor with a rank equal or superior to his own. Otherwise, the ranks he may award might be void and not recognized.

5.11 Technical Committee

The technical director can put together a consulting technical committee of member instructors for as long as deemed necessary to assist him in matters of excellence. The members of this committee will not be remunerated for their service but they may be reimbursed, upon presentation of adequate documentation, for reasonable expenses authorized by the board of directors and incurred while fulfilling their mandate.

 

6. Communications

6.1 Languages

The official languages of the society are Japanese and English. In case of ambiguity in the understanding or interpretation of the regulations, the Japanese version will prevail.

6.2 Correspondence

Any official correspondence with members must be written in the addressee’s preferred language or in English.

6.3 Translation

In all meetings, each person can speak in any of the two official languages, as long as a translator or another member can translate for the benefit of other members. Otherwise, English will be used.

6.4 Forms

Documents and forms are available in all two official languages.

6.5 Web Site

If a web site is ever created for the society, the president will be responsible for the relevance and accuracy of the content therein. The site will be accessible in all two official languages.

 

7. Modification

7.1 Of the Rules and Regulations

The board of directors can adopt or promulgate new rules provided they are not contrary to the laws and organizational letters of the society. It can repeal, amend or reinstate other rules of the society. These new rules, amendments or reinstatements must, unless they have been sanctioned by a special assembly for that purpose, be in effect until the next general assembly only. Unless the new rules are sanctioned therein, they cease to be in effect at that moment.

7.2 Of the Organizational Letters

Any repeal or amendment of the organizational letters of the society will come into effect only upon deposition at the Registrar of Enterprises Massachusetts USA.

 

8. Effective date

The rules in this document will come into effect on the day of their ratification by the board of directors.

ADOPTED by the board of director, this ________________________ day

of (month)__________________ of the year _________ .

_____________________________

President