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Rules of Procedure: sponsorship and favouring the BNLTUG

Article 4 of the Regulations deals with the role of the patron and refers to the Regulations for a different interpretation of this. However to the role of patron and the approach of this is no concrete interpretation. Purpose of this part of the Rules of Procedure is to determine the role of and dealing with sponsors of BNLTUG. A number of articles in the Regulations should be changed to control some (see end of this document).

Rules of Procedure regarding to sponsorship and patrons

1. Categories of patrons
The BNLTUG has the following categories of patrons which provide a material and financial contribution:
- Main sponsor
- Sponsor
- Associate patrons
The distinctive difference between sponsors and associate patrons is sponsors agreed an annual financial contribution to the BNLTUG. The total amount of financial contribution of each sponsor is determined by the amount of each participating member of the BNLTUG. The contribution of an associate patron consists mainly of services and material contribution. The difference between sponsor and main sponsor is characterized by the level of contribution and the opposite favours.

2.  The for sponsor and associate patron eligible parties:

• a. Sponsors: all legal persons who are interested in or affected by the existence of the BNLTUG and endorse the objectives, as documented in the Regulations and sponsor regulations.
• b. Associate patron: all legal persons who support the BNLTUG in a non-direct financial way. These may include employers of the board members and legal persons which dispose their facilities and services without benefits to the BNLTUG (int. al. IBM and Tivoli).

3. Conditions under which sponsorship is granted or denied
The conditions a sponsor or associate patron needs to meet are int.al.:

• a. The decision to grant sponsors and patrons will be taken by the board or, if the board considers it necessary, the meeting of members.
• b. Ending an engagement with a sponsor or patron will be taken by the board of meeting of members. This may occur without stating reasons.
• c. Confirm the conditions in the Regulations and the sponsor regulations. This means int. al. that the sponsor is obliged to provide the sponsor contribution for the total current association year even if during the association year it is decided to resign the sponsorship immediately.
• d. The sponsor must confirm the purpose of which the BNLTUG is established. Preferably, the sponsor is operative in the (IT) discipline of the members of the BNLTUG, unless a majority of the board of the BNLTUG decides to deviate.
• e. Sponsors will pay an amount per member. This means with the renewal of the sponsor contract a larger or smaller total amount may be requested, depending on the number of members.
• f. If the number of members changes during the association year, it does not affect the amount of the total sponsor contribution for that year. The last day of the association year is the date on which the number of members will be counted. This number is leading for the negotiations with the sponsors.
• g. The sponsor and associate patron has to refrain from any involvement, interference or influence of administrative and policy issues concerning the BNLTUG, unless in exception to the rules and regulations is provided. Any representatives of sponsors and patrons in the board should in this capacity act independent and objective as far as possible. A majority of the meeting of members and the board can put a stop to any unwanted activities, this by terminating sponsor contracts or other commitments. If necessary, the meeting of members may also decide to disqualify any board members.
• h. Basically there are no possibilities to choose for the role of associate patron (as opposed to sponsor or main sponsor). The board of the BNLTUG will asked the parties to deliver certain services to the BNLTUG on payment or for free. If a person(s), corporation or other legal person delivers services without asking for a financial compensation, these will be listed as an associate patron (if appreciated). As a rule it is about corporations/ legal persons who deliver board members to the BNLTUG, IBM Netherlands and Tivoli. This group of patrons must be minimized to ensure the independency of the BNLTUG.
• i. Basically the board may deviate of the, in this Rules of Procedure, registered conditions if essential by the circumstances. It concerns the following:
  - favours granted to sponsors and associate patrons, provided the right balance with the existing arrangements
  - level of the annual determined financial contribution given by sponsors
  - conditions under which sponsors may be permitted (especially in situations where a financial necessity exist to a broader interpretation about the regulations of sponsoring).

4. Number of sponsors

• a. Main sponsors: the BNLTUG has as much main sponsors as presentation days of the BNLTUG, this connecting the favours granted to the main sponsor.
• b. Sponsors: the BNLTUG has no limit to the number of sponsors.
• c. Associate patrons: the BNLTUG has no limit to the number of associate patrons.

5. Level of the financial contribution per patron

• a. The level of the financial contribution each sponsor will be determined by the board with the possible (main) sponsors and is reviewed annually.
• b. The level of the contribution each category sponsor should be kept largely constant from year by year.
• c. Determining the level of the contribution will be done annually by the board, this to have some flexibility in finding sponsorship.
• d. There should be a clear difference between the contribution of the sponsor and the main sponsor. The difference should render justice to the difference between the favours granted to the sponsor or main sponsor.
• e. The associate patron usually gives not a direct financial contribution to the BNLTUG. Their contribution mainly consists of material aspects.
• f. The board records the sponsor contract for the duration of one year, renewal occurs by mutual approval.
• g. The board is obliged to ensure the contribution per sponsor category is known.
• h. The contribution of an associate patron will not be recorded.

6. Granted favours

• a. The granted favours of the associate patrons will be determined in advance by the BNLTUG board and the applicants. Agreements about this may not conflict with the objectives and independence of the BNLTUG. Besides, these may not lead to blur the difference between the patrons and sponsors. It is task of the board to look after this.
• b. Furthermore applies the following:

(*) Size and placement differ from main sponsors
(**) In accordance with article 9 of the Regulations

 7. Termination of sponsorship
The rights and obligations of a patron may be mutually terminated at any time by writing. The annual contribution for the current financial year remains due to the BNLTUG (see also the conditions in section 3).

8. Sponsoring and participation to the board
To guarantee the objectives of the BNLTUG, the board of the BNLTUG should remain as independent as possible. In this context, the sponsor regulations states the majority of the board should be formed by non-business partners. If business partners sponsor the BNLTUG, in this way the administrative independence is guaranteed.
The regulations as established in this document, gives the opportunity to sponsorship of legal persons who are non-business partner of the BNLTUG (e.g. ABN/AMRO, Foris, Atos Origin etc). The administrative independency is guaranteed by article 10 paragraph 7 of the regulations. Besides, the interests of a member of the BNLTUG (in this case a non-business partner) are usually the same as those of the BNLTUG.