Cluster Members may be:
- Cluster members may be natural or legal persons who agree with the charter statutes;
- Cluster membership is voluntary; no individual shall be compelled to participate in the alliance and none shall be prevented from withdrawing therefrom.
Establishing Cluster Membership
- New membership requests, submitted as an application form, are presented to the Cluster Board of Directors. Cluster membership is determined via a members' meeting held to discuss the approval of a new membership. Admission is not a legal entitlement;
- By submitting a membership application, the candidate (in the event of membership approval) accepts the cluster’s charter statutes and commits to paying the membership fees and service charges;
- Successful cluster candidates will be notified electronically.
Termination of Cluster Membership
Membership may be terminated on the following bases:
- A member withdraws by presenting written notification to the cluster’s governing body;
- A member’s meeting results in a decision to revoke the membership;
- Death of a member, or dissolution of a legal person who is a cluster member; or
- The cluster is dissolved;
- If a long-term member fails to fulfill their obligations to the cluster statutes, their membership may be revoked by a decision of a members' meeting. An revocation proposal can be submitted to the cluster Board of Directors during a members’ meeting;
- An expelled member may (within 15 days of receiving the written decision) propose that the revocation be reviewed by the Board. The Board’s decision to revoke a members membership is overturned if it is found to violate the revocation law or charter statutes, or if other justified circumstances exist.
Cluster Member Rights
Cluster members have the right to:
- Participate in cluster activities and decision making;
- Attend members’ meetings and other joint events;
- Elect members to cluster governing bodies and be elected to them;
- Submit proposals, suggestions, and comments pertaining to cluster activities; and
- Be regularly informed about adopted resolutions, as well as organizational and other issues concerning cluster activities.
Cluster Member Duties
The primary duties of cluster members are as follows:
- Act in accordance with the cluster’s charter statutes;
- Respect members’ meeting resolutions;
- Ensure that their activities meet the cluster’s objectives;
- Submit annual membership fees and service payments within the specified timeframe; and
- Agree to the publication of their legal or natural person in the cluster membership list on the cluster’s website.